What's everyone's thoughts on letting buddies borrow a rifle

I have several guns that I loan out mostly to kids who draw a deer or an elk hunt. I keep them for that reason. I also would loan my good guns to a very select group of friends. I know they would probably take better care of them than I do. I use my guns and the desert southwest is hard on equipment. The last time I loaned a gun to one of my friends it was my favorite Rem 600 308. this gun had spent half it's life in a saddle scabbard and looked it. Mechanically it was in great condition and shoots great. I was a little disappointed when shortly after the hunt it didn't come right back. I got it a few weeks later with the stock refinished and the metal re-blued. Looked brand new again. If one of my guns got damaged while out on a hunt I know it would be an accident and not from lack of caring or miss handling. It's just a gun. I value my good friends more than I do my guns. If I didn't trust them they would not be my good friends.

drscott
 
Originally Posted By: EJ ReichenbachI would let my good buddies borrow anything I have except my wife of course.

X2, key word being GOOD buddies, which for me is only a select few
 
Originally Posted By: Ricky BobbyJust thought it would be neat to hear everyone's difference in opinions on this matter.

I have a good friend who is leaving in several weeks to go out west on an antelope bow hunt. Guide told them to bring along rifles so that if they kill out he can get them on other things (I'm thinking maybe prairie dogs mainly). Anyway, he asked if I'd be willing to let him take a .204 of mine & I said ABSOLUTELY! I wouldn't ever hesitate to let him borrow anything of mine.


My friends would never be asking. Why doesn't yours have his own rifle? And if he doesn't have a varmint gun for prairie dogs, he doesn't know what he's doing and can burn out your barrel real easy on those things. Friends can use my gun when we're out there, but I'd never loan a gun for pd trip. And that's not something a person would/should ask of someone. But he's your friend, it's your decision. Loan him your toothbrush also.
 
No. All my friends, hunting buddies have their own rifles. They may ask to shoot one of mine if we're just out plinking and that's fine. But to take on a trip for an extended time period...nah. It's not a matter of trust as we are friends but I'm a little OCD about my rifles, truck, tools, etc. If I ever need to borrow (and yes, that's hypocritical) my buddy's pick up, I return it washed and filled to the neck with fuel regardless of how much fuel I used and the condition I borrowed it in.
 
I've done it a couple of times and haven't been burned yet. But I'm pretty careful of what I loan out and to who. I'm not one of those that is always trading guns. I can't afford to be. When I decide to buy another gun, I research it, ask for opinions, shop around and spend quite a bit of time doing it. Each gun is not just a financial investment, but an investment in time as well. Therefore, each purchase becomes a prized possession. I have very few guns that I would loan and very few friends that I would loan them to. But if I did loan them a gun, I would explain to them how and why this gun is special to me.
 
Originally Posted By: catwhackerDid it once and had to call him to get it back. Same guy borrowed my first wife and still has her. I didn't call to get her back!!

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Now that right there is funny! ! You made my day with that one catwhacker.
 
My rifles, sorry, I don't lend them out.

Glass I do such as my HD Swaro spotter, Leica 1200, or my Vectronix LRF.

My shotguns, I have no problem. Actually just let my good friend barrow my SX2 during lunch and told him I could bring my SB2 tomorrow if he wants to use it. He offered to buy me lunch this afternoon which I accepted.

I guess I'd only loan to good, trust worthy, friends.
 
That dang catwhacker would lend ya the Fruit of the Looms off his behind if'n ya asked him (and blew softly in his ear). Just the kind of guy he is. God bless him.

I heard he was gonna be offered a FOTL prostaff position.
 
I wouldn't lend a potato gun to any of my friends. It's a bad way to lose friends. Not that I don't trust any of my pals; it's just that stuff happens, and I 'd hate to lose a friend over something stupid or circumstantial.

I don't care who you are, you can go get your own gun.
 
Friends....very unlikely. Family maybe...depending on who/what/where. But then I've got some family I wouldn't loan a dull plastic butter knife to.
 
I think it depends on how carefully one has chosen one's friends.

For my "active duty" guns, I'd lend any of them to my friends. I view guns as tools meant to be used and I know my friends would fix them if they broke them. A little honest wear isn't going to hurt anything

I wouldn't lend my family heirloom guns, but no friend of mine would ever ask anyway. I also wouldn't lend some rifles where I'm trying to minimize round counts to preserve the barrel life, but again my friends know and would be very unlikely to ask.

Beyond that, what harm is going to be done to a stainless .223 with a synth stock? Sure, round count = wear/tear, but honestly if I get down the road 10 years and have to replace rifles because I or my buddies had too much fun with them... well, I'd actually consider that a good thing. Too much fun, is like too much money. Never a bad thing in my book.

Grouse
 
Done it twice, once to an aquaintance and the other to a hunting buddy.

The 'aquaintance' returned my 30yo shotgun with rust on it. He had it for about a month, stored in a vinyl case. Then, as he gives it back to me, he says I better have a gunsmith look at it because both barrels went off after he DROPPED it. I was, and am, pizzed.

My hunting buddy borrowed my Ruger Hornet, slipped and fell, causing slight scratches on the stock. He offered to pay for the repair or buy a new stock, but I declined.

Since then, no, I have not loaned a gun except to my kids.
 
I have a few times and have had good and bad experiences.

The good experiences were better than the bad but the guns I use now I'd say maybe 3 or 4 good buddies I'd lend to. Those guys don't need to borrow so that topic won't be coming up. Anyone else not a chance.
 
As long as they are not on the way to the bank to ask for a loan, I don't have a problem. Only have a couple people I consider friends [beeep]. I can trust em, and thats why they are friends. Everyone else is just an acquaintance.
 
The guys i hunt with yes, i know if anything happened it would be made right. A few of us have done it before. My dad, absolutely. Ive had a few of his guns in my safe for a few years. My brother, no, he doesnt take care of his
 
I had a guy one time who borrowed 30-06 of mine, he was thinking about buying one and wanted to try it out, so me being a nice guy let him, gun got returned fine, well a few weeks later I ask him to borrow a loading manual for the night, I was a little shocked when he told me no(he even owed me $20 at the time, manuals back then were $12-15) but I was like ok fine, well several months later the phone rings one morning and its the same guys wanting to borrow a 686 of mine....I told him flatly NO!!! and to beat all [beeep] he couldn't figure out why...I reminded him I was like hey remember when I wanted to borrow that $15 manual and you told me no?? even though I let you borrow a $500 rifle?? now you want to borrow a $400 handgun and want to cry about it, get bent. sorry for the mini rant.
 
I will loan to a very small circle. I loaned a Marlin 30-30 to a friend for his kids to use and told him to keep it till they had their own rifles. Many deer were piled up with that rifle over the years while they had it and it sort of made me proud or gave me some joy knowing it was put to good use instead of collecting dust at my place. I got it back in good shape when I moved away.

I loaned my prized 270 Wby to a good buddy to take as a backup on his annual elk trip. We have the same scope set-up so he would be really comfortable with taking almost any shot that his 7 Rum would make. I was secretly hoping he'd need it and shoot an elk with it, as I probably never will.

On the flip side, I can't imagine ever borrowing a rifle from anyone else, unless it's just to go out and try it out with them present. The only exception is when a good buddy brings me his rifle to work up a good load and do some accurizing work.
 
Originally Posted By: deflaveAll my friends are employed.

If they can't afford it to begin with I sure as [beeep] ain't loaning them mine.



Travis

Exactly.......
 
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