What is the dumbest thing you ever did to damage a brand new gun?

[curtism1234]

I really blame Savage for this (and they will get a call tomorrow), but I just put a half dozen scratches into a brand new walnut stock. They placed a giant Savage sticker on the butt and the damn thing might as well have been glued on - could not get it off easily with my fingernails. By the time I finally picked it off, to my horror the butt is all scratched up from my fingernail. Could not believe it. So pissed

Cheer me up with some stories

 

[Primal]

Try steaming your claw marks out with a wet cloth and a clothes iron.

 

[Primal]

My first time hunting with my new CZ 550 FS, I was walking into my stand in the predawn morning and I was wearing a new Duluth style back pack as well.

After getting settled in for the day it was a while before sun light slowly made it's presence known. As I was admiring my new gun in the early morning light I suddenly noticed that my stock was all scratched up and realized it must have rubbed up against one of the pack's metal strap adjusters when I had the rifle slung over my shoulder on the walk in.

That really rubbed me the wrong way (pun intended), but like getting a scratch on a new car, the novelty of newness was gone that morning so I quickly got that "baby it" mentality out of my head and it became a tool for hunting....plus I got to fill my freezer later that day with this buck too, so that helped!

 

[clockwork_7mm_gator]

Unboxed a brand new M70 FWT. Leaned it against the wall. Promptly bumped it and watched the edge of the crown scrape the wall all the way down to the carpet. And said goodbye to that bit of bluing...

 

[Tra3]

It takes only about 100 miles of hiking with a Kimber mountain ascent rifle to rub the camo coating off the stock where it contacts your shoulder and backpack.
Also, put a rifle in the scabbard on a horse and you can bet some blueing or other finish is going to come off.

 

[TroyF]

New rem 700 cdl. First day out to the range, had a new sling with Uncle mike locking swivels. Put the rifle over my shoulder and walked past the barn on the old farm I hunted. I stepped over the concrete at the backside of the barn were the barn cleaner was and the front sling stud pulled out, the gun pivoted hard on the barrel.

Large gouge on the muzzle and worse was the barrel bent. Even more bad was I seen were Remington tried fixing a mess up with Bondo looking stuff inside the forend.

 

[Newboomer]

Leaned it against the truck to get my gear together. Heard a thump and saw it on the ground. When I picked it up I saw a ding in the stock and a scratch on the bbl. I hadn't even loaded a round yet. DAMN! So much for a pristine rifle.

 

[Paul Raley]

Although not a brand new rifle from the dealer I inherited a pristine Brno ZKK 30-06 from a close friend that had passed away , so a new rifle for me . I took it to the range to sight it in a literally blew it up , I also ended up in hospital and had to have an emergency operation on my right eye . On investigation I had somehow ( negligently ) used the wrong powder whilst reloading . Even though I had about 30 years of reloading experience a lapse in concentration on my part caused me to ruin a beautiful rifle that had huge sentimental value to me , luckily I was able to get it fixed .

 

[curtism1234]

For some reason I want to give a rifle a personality. Hopefully a new rifle feels like an old friend and not a dumbass co-worker who can't do anything right. Right this second, I'm feeling this one is the latter....

 

[Tundra Tiger]

I haven't done anything to a new gun, but I destroyed the original butt stock to my Savage Model 24 during a snowmachining mishap. And then I brutally butchered the first replacement stock I bought, trying to fit it to my gun. I am still trying to locate another checked original stock (Anyone have one? Anyone?) because I've never warmed up to the second replacement stock that I did get to fit it.

 

[358 Norma]

The worst one I had was my brand new Chapuis Elan double rifle in 470 Nitro, as I was trying to assemble it at the gun shop that did the transfer I dropped it on the floor and put a dent in the stock! Well at least I got that first dent out of the way and now I can hunt with it not worry about it!

 

[Totoro]

I finally coughed up enough dough to buy a Dakota 76 in 270Win (when Mr. Don Allen was still with us) with a stick of walnut on it that left me speechless and a blueing so deep I thought it was black.

As I was glancing and gawking over it I somehow bumped the cabinet it was in and scraped the blueing.

I aged 10 years in that split second....

 

[Hillbilly Marine]

I was looking to buy a new toy at a gun shop in Tennessee and when the guy behind the counter handed me a brand spanking new Colt Delta Elite 10mm I fumbled fingered it and it dropped to the glass counter and busted the glass. Made me feel like crawling into a hole. I did end up buying the pistol but it had some wicked scratches in the slide.

 

[Hunt anything]

Back in 1989 bought a Browning Citori and out in Mobile Bay my outboard prop caught an old crab trap and broke the prop. Had to use the 3 week old gun as a boat paddle in salt water. Necessary to get home but stupid not to have a paddle.

 

[PARA45]

I was on a climber tree stand. At the end of the morning hunt, I attached my Stainless Weatherby Mark V, 7mm Weatherby mag to the line and proceeded to lower my rifle. As the rifle got within 2-3 ft from the ground, the sling slipped and came off the swivel, and to my horror I saw my rifle flip barrel down hit the soft ground. There was nothing I could do but watch it in slow motion impact the ground. It left a nice mark on the barrel, but luckily the crown was not damaged.

 

[C.W. Richter]

Letting someone else shoot it, set it down on the ground and putting a big scratch in it.

 

[chashardy]

Took my brand new John Rigby & Co Big Game 416 on safari in July. I use a Murray Leather ammo pouch on my belt on my right hip. Walking with the rifle on a shoulder strap on my right side, the stock now has a set of fine marks from the ends of the 416 Rigby bullets that stick out of the ammo pouch. It's already getting the character that a well used rifle should have, so I'm not that upset.

 

[wesheltonj]

Took my brand new John Rigby & Co Big Game 416 on safari in July. I use a Murray Leather ammo pouch on my belt on my right hip. Walking with the rifle on a shoulder strap on my right side, the stock now has a set of fine marks from the ends of the 416 Rigby bullets that stick out of the ammo pouch. It's already getting the character that a well used rifle should have, so I'm not that upset.

Ugh.

 

[sureshot375]

I really blame Savage for this (and they will get a call tomorrow), but I just put a half dozen scratches into a brand new walnut stock. They placed a giant Savage sticker on the butt and the damn thing might as well have been glued on - could not get it off easily with my fingernails. By the time I finally picked it off, to my horror the butt is all scratched up from my fingernail. Could not believe it. So pissed

Cheer me up with some stories

What kind of savage puts a sticker on a walnut stock?? Oh, wait, it’s right there in the name. Should have seen this coming. Lol.

 

[marcosfal]

Mint NOS Miroku Auto-5 Magnum. I assembled it thinking it was missing a friction ring. The previous owner had put it in the forend for some reason. I thought I'll just shoot 2-3/4s then. . The very first shot split the front stock. That feeling sucks. I had to immediately send it off to Art's for repair. I ended up using one of my model 12 16 gauges for the season.