Cripes!!!

[crffish]

During my first reassembly I took a small nick out of the front part of the frame.    I knew it would have wear from my future holster butthis is a nick.  I wanted to keep my carry gun in pristine condition, but I will will have to live with the fact the it is not in perfect condition anymore.  Anyone else have a similar experience and how did you cope?

[Josey Wales]

crffish,

I have two primary carries, Kimber Ultra, and my R9 Stealth,
They both have little nicks or spots on them, I hate it but realize they are both tools, if you handle them things happen.

The nicks on my R-9 are down on the very bottom of the grip on the back side, not really a big deal.  I heard there is a matt black pen for firearm touch up you can get.
I also have guns I will not carry because they are too nice to get all the wear, such as a pristine Kimber Ultra Aegis that is flawless in every way.
I trust my R-9 so it gets carried

[crffish]

You are right.  I just need to convince myself it is a tool and tools get used.  I still hate when my tools show wear though.

[yankee2500]

Carrry it and use it for the next year or so, then send it to Robar or Wilson and have it refinished.  

John

[Alphonso]

After a year or so of everyday carry mine is beginning to show a bit of wear.  Doesn't bother me one little bit...

[Richard S]

Yes, refinishing is an easy thing to have done. Don't worry about the "ding" until you're ready to have the piece refinished. And a good refinisher can work wonders. To wit, this HK P7 manufactured in 1985 and refinished about a year ago:

Before --

After --

[crffish]

That is gorgeous!  Who refinished it and what was done?

[Richard S]

crffish:

Virgil Tripp of Tripp Research refinished the P7. He ground off a typical Germanic warning on the trigger guard about reading the manual, squared off some imperfections in the stippling on the back strap, eliminated some dings and scratches in the surface, and plated the entire pistol in hard chrome with brushed flats.

Tripp now limits his plating operations to his in-house production (his 1911 magazaines are right up there with those from Wilson Combat).  However, there are a number of excellent plating houses out there -- Ford's, Robar, and AP&W, to name just three off the top of my head. I just wanted you to see that the "ding" in your R9 should not cause you any real concern. I sense that you may share my own tendency to treat my guns as more than tools. In the meantime, just look at the occasional "dings" amd scratches as character marks.  

[Corvette]

During my first reassembly I took a small nick out of the front part of the frame.    I knew it would have wear from my future holster butthis is a nick.  I wanted to keep my carry gun in pristine condition, but I will will have to live with the fact the it is not in perfect condition anymore.  Anyone else have a similar experience and how did you cope?

I feel your pain!
I'm certifiably anal when it comes to preventing nicks and scratches on my guns.
I wish I was able to think of a such a fine gun as a "tool'.
It would certainly make my life a whole lot easier.
Fortunately (knocks on wood), I still don't have a scratch or nick on my R9s.

[Dino]

Richard that's the best looking P7 I have ever seen.  Always wanted one but never seemed to come across the right one.

Crffish, late welcome to the club! Sorry you had such a hard time with your R9, happier days will follow.

[Richard S]

Thank you, Dino! Coming from you, that is high praise indeed.

On re-reading this thread, I realized that it has been more like two years, rather than one, since that P7 was refinished. (The older I get, the faster the years seem to go.   )

[crffish]

Thank you Dino.

[Reinz]

I really feel your pain!

When I was younger, if something like that happend, I would sell the gun and replace it with a new one.

Now, I get a little mad at myself, say "that's life" or  "don't sweat the small stuff" and move on.

Like Griz said, they're just tools.


Reinz

[Richard S]

All of this reminds me of an old M1911A1 I was issued back in my Army days. Who knows how many men had used it before it was signed out to me or how many thousands of rounds had been run through it. It was what you might call "saddle worn" and showing its age. If you shook it vigorously enough, it would even rattle a little. No matter. Thanks to the care of a crotchety armorer who seemed to consider every weapon in the bunker to be his personal property, "Old Slabsides" never malfunctioned while I had it. I tried to purchase it when I rotated out of command, but was simply told, "Rots a ruck, GI . . . uh, Sir."  

[slashsplat]

I can be anal about some stuff, but carry guns are not one.  They ARE tools, and i like the character they acquire.  Maybe it is because of the pride I take in the hand tools my Father handed down to me that were well-worn.  I knew that was by his hand, and that made them more special and made me feel closer to him once he departed.  One day, your kids might feel the same about your nasty scratched stuff.  Firearms are not "collectible" to me, in the sense of "safe queens".  If I own one, it will be used.  My rifles are used in prone position on concrete with a shooting mat and still get scratched all the time, though I am careful.  We USE our tools.  Relax.