I was having a conversation last night among our group of regular shooters from the club and the subject of wear and rebuild came up. Most of us are shooting hinged guns, B guns, K guns, P guns and various sub brands of those, even a few of the more expensive Turks, or other quality Italian guns. These are guys that shoot maybe 100 rds a week, most of us with kids or grandkids on the high school team shooting two or three times that amount.
None of us has ever had to have a gun rebuilt other than a spring here or there. Now in going further, we all use either white lithium or red wheel bearing grease on all metal to metal contact points. I guess because we copied each other over the years or whatever.
My question is, if the grease is preventing metal to metal contact, and is changed regularly, pretty much at every cleaning, is there ever going to be sufficient wear to require welding or pin replacement at the hinge or locking block. How many decades at 1-300 shots a week would it take to get there?
For reference I've got a 1965 built Franchi that has 60 years of regular use, I found grease in it when I bought it out of the original owner's estate, and it is clearly well used, but tight, on face with the lever still to the right. His grandson said this was his main gun used for hunting and clay shooting.
None of us has ever had to have a gun rebuilt other than a spring here or there. Now in going further, we all use either white lithium or red wheel bearing grease on all metal to metal contact points. I guess because we copied each other over the years or whatever.
My question is, if the grease is preventing metal to metal contact, and is changed regularly, pretty much at every cleaning, is there ever going to be sufficient wear to require welding or pin replacement at the hinge or locking block. How many decades at 1-300 shots a week would it take to get there?
For reference I've got a 1965 built Franchi that has 60 years of regular use, I found grease in it when I bought it out of the original owner's estate, and it is clearly well used, but tight, on face with the lever still to the right. His grandson said this was his main gun used for hunting and clay shooting.