Wangmuf
Regular Member
imported post
Dreamer wrote:
My Yamaha has seen grit, grime, rain and snow, and shows it. It's been dropped a few times, both on the street and the track, and it shows it. It adds "character", and I'm proud (or not so proud, considering the first drop it ever saw, 2 hours after delivery).
My M&P40, that I entrust with the defense of my and my family's lives, also shows it's wear of use. Some day, my child will look on those wear lines, and reflect, "this is what happened when my dad chose to take his and my mothers' safety into his own hands, rather than rely on someone else, or a phone number, to keep him safe. These wear marks are a precursor of my life, if they weren't there, I may not be here right now. I thank God and my father for them being there."
Dreamer wrote:
We agree on this topic, it seems, completely. My motorcycle is by no means pristine, and I have no intention of it ever looking the same way it did in the showroom ever again. The same with my every day carry pistol.The whole "slide wear" issue reminds me of the different attitudes about the looks of the bikes of Harley vs. Triumph owners. Many Harley owners like their bikes to look like the just came off the show-room floor, whether they have 5 or 50,000 miles on them. Whereas, Triumph owners actually consider the heat discoloration of their header pipes and routine wear of the leather parts to be a "badge of honor", that shows that their bikes are actually used for their intended purpose, and are not just 5-digit price-tagged 2-wheeled jewelry...
My Para is showing a tiny bit of wear on the receiver--at the front of the bottom of the guide-rod channel, and on the sides of the front of the trigger guard. My slide is SS, so it's not showing wear, but the receiver is parkerized steel. Sure it's got a few places where the black is starting to rub a little, but I have NO problem whatsoever with my firearm looking like I actually carry and use it, ESPECIALLY since I carry it daily. It is a tool, and as anyone who uses tools knows, tools work better when they're broken in a little. As long as it goes "bang" when I push the trigger, and isn't rusty or dirty, a little cosmetic wear in the finish isn't going to break my heart. In fact, I think it gives my Para a little bit of "personality" because it's the kind of wear that only comes from daily carry and use.
If it gets too much wear, I can just send it off to get re-parkerized, or maybe have the receiver refinished with DuraCoat, which from all reports seems to be pretty much indestructable. Hmmm. I wonder how it would look with a matte dark OD finish and rosewood grips sitting under that Stainless Steel slide?....
I use a Serpa, and I prefer Triumphs.
'Nuff sed...
My Yamaha has seen grit, grime, rain and snow, and shows it. It's been dropped a few times, both on the street and the track, and it shows it. It adds "character", and I'm proud (or not so proud, considering the first drop it ever saw, 2 hours after delivery).
My M&P40, that I entrust with the defense of my and my family's lives, also shows it's wear of use. Some day, my child will look on those wear lines, and reflect, "this is what happened when my dad chose to take his and my mothers' safety into his own hands, rather than rely on someone else, or a phone number, to keep him safe. These wear marks are a precursor of my life, if they weren't there, I may not be here right now. I thank God and my father for them being there."