Borepatch has a post up about honest wear on guns HERE. Lots of folks go after those ‘pristine’ guns that are 95% or better and consider anything below that to be beneath them…
We have a few family guns in the safe, and only one of them is truly pristine (it came from a family friend), most of them are well used…
My cousin had this old warhorse out last month and ‘something’ went clink instead of clank…
It’s an 1873 Winchester in 44-40, and it’s been rode hard and put up wet literally…
But it’s STILL a shooter! I drug it down to Speer to have him go through the gun and do what needs to be done to get it back right. His comment was that it looked like a gunsmith had never been into the gun, which is extremely possible…
As you can see, most of the bluing is gone…
It was carried by my great grandfather on my mother’s side when he was a ranch foreman in Texas in the 1870s-1880s…
It’s a 20 inch octagonal barrel, so it’s not a ‘light’ gun, and it’s not worth much past 100 yards…
Furniture is pretty beat up…
On both sides… the stock on the left side is a little chewed up from riding in a stock forward saddle scabbard and having the lasso rubbing on it (According to what grandpa told me years ago). 
She may not be pretty, but I’d have to say we’re pretty proud of this old gun.
The best I could chase it down, it was manufactured in July of 1876, making it 138 years old this year.
They truly tamed the west. Quite a family legacy.
That rifle has “been there and done that”. That provenance makes it more than special to your family. Old pristine guns live in a safe, good old guns still get out and get shot. I am only interested in “shooters” myself.
That’s a keeper. Would love to have had one like that come down through the family. The stories behind it just add to it. rather that than safe queen.
Wonder how much meat that old tool put on the table?
Seem this firearm is well seasoned and loved! I think it is a thing of beauty!
+1 Dannytheman.
Very nice! I would take that storied rifle over any safe queen.
Ooh, she’s a purty thing. They don’t get used for that long unless they’re reliable.
LL- Yep!
.45ACP- That it does… And agreed!
Randy- Not planning on letting it OUT of the family either! 🙂
WSF- I’m sure a considerable amount!
Danny/PH- Yep it is, as far as I’m concerned…
Keads- Agreed!
Rev- True, and she’ll be shooting again shortly.
Great gun, and I’m sure great stories. I just hope Jace will still be allowed to own it when he grows up.
VERY Cool!
I’m a little jealous. 🙂
gfa
What a beauty! She was well used and is well loved, doesn’t come any better than that.
WOW the history this rifle has along with the memories
Hate to say it,but since it’s 2014,and since it was Manufactured prior to 1898, and is NOT under BATFE control, I’d get it back into Working Condition and turn it over to any Family Members who are “Stuck Behind Enemy Lines,” along with a Goodly amount of Fresh Ammo.
Lord Knows what some Commie Politician will come up with next to Destroy the RKBA.
And 44-40 WILL “Do the Job,” if need be. Just Sayin’…
Would love to hear that gun “talk” and tell the tails it knows.
That’s sweet. And it’s co-blogger ASM826 who put up the post. He’s been adding some seriously good gunny posts.
Hey Old NFO;
Guns like that tell a story of your family. Such things are “heirloom” items, for they tell a story of your family from back then. Such things are priceless.
Tim- I hope so… I really do…
GFA- Just luck, and a family that didn’t have to get rid of them…
Dammit- True dat! 🙂
Rick/SoCal- I just wish it COULD talk…
Les- Good point, and considering it…
BP- I know, but it was your blog! 😀
Bob- That they do!!!
That’s a piece of history I think anyone would be proud to possess.
Brigid- Lucky on the family side… We’re kinda strange that way.
Not a smidgen of jealousy here.
Ed- I’m glad 🙂
Just about the most beautiful gun I have ever seen!
OC45- Thank you sir.
What an amazing keepsake!
MRs.C- Thanks!
What a great story!