Did anyone ever ask to borrow one of your PCP's? Like the next door neighbor or an in-law? What if someone asked to shoot one? Do you drag out the safe queen or keep a beater/decoy for that purpose?
Loaner/Beater PCP?
- Thread starter steve-kville
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In 20 years not one person has asked. Only one guy I'd lend ANY gun to but I'd lend him my chainsaw or my car as well. Not too many folks have a clue about what we do and it's overwhelming and maybe intimidating when we tell about pcps
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Yes! And it always makes my day!
I always encourage them to try all my collections, from low to high. In fact that’s how I get to shoot many guns without owning them or driving a thousand miles just to touch and hold a new gun. Some of them even lend me their guns for a few shooting sessions. And they were not some budget guns so when I get to do the same I’m glad to break out my best ones for a potential new comer of this sport.
I always encourage them to try all my collections, from low to high. In fact that’s how I get to shoot many guns without owning them or driving a thousand miles just to touch and hold a new gun. Some of them even lend me their guns for a few shooting sessions. And they were not some budget guns so when I get to do the same I’m glad to break out my best ones for a potential new comer of this sport.
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Some people I wouldn't trust with a pcp. Last gun I loaned out was my gamo break barrel. Modified with crosman gas piston. Somehow wound up at the beach, got left out in the elements and subsequently died (I'm like 4 hours from the beach)
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long ago in my youth, a well respected shooting friend much older than me stated, (please excuse the sexist component, this was about 1970) I don't loan my gun, my dog and my wife, and in that order.
I may let someone shoot my guns under supervision, once they've taken a gun safety course or I'm confident in their abilities, but I do not loan. Too many variables. Too much chance of injury. They can make the investment if they want to use rifles.
I may let someone shoot my guns under supervision, once they've taken a gun safety course or I'm confident in their abilities, but I do not loan. Too many variables. Too much chance of injury. They can make the investment if they want to use rifles.
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I had a coworker somewhat hinting me to borrow one of my airguns to shoot chickens digging up his yard. I think I would have too many rules for him to follow on how to use one of my PCPs'. He's not a gun guy so trying to explain things to him might just fly over his head. At least that's how I feel. He's also the type of guy that points a firearm towards his head jokingly pretending to kill himself. Seen him do it several times and I just shake my head at him. I already pictured myself trying to get 10 pellets stuck in the barrel out with a cleaning rod or wooden dowel after explaining to him not to double load.
I tried to rationalize with myself thinking maybe I shouldn't give him the magazine and just a single shot tray. Then I thought about how to explain to him on filling up the gun and not to overfill it. That meant I would have to loan him one of my CF tanks because my hand pump is down. I think it comes down to who you'll be loaning it to and trusting that person. In the end, it wasn't worth it to me and I just changed the subject.
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No.
I don’t even like lending out a drill. I’ll offer to help them with the work before lending tools out.
Too many people don’t know how things work and don’t take any care for the things they use.
Air guns, particularly PCP could kill someone or at the least send them to the hospital with a serious injury. As a former range assistant that used to screen the general public applicants for a security force, I can tell you that a huge amount of the public should not be behind a trigger…of even a nail gun. More people than you realize have ZERO wits about them.
I don’t even like lending out a drill. I’ll offer to help them with the work before lending tools out.
Too many people don’t know how things work and don’t take any care for the things they use.
Air guns, particularly PCP could kill someone or at the least send them to the hospital with a serious injury. As a former range assistant that used to screen the general public applicants for a security force, I can tell you that a huge amount of the public should not be behind a trigger…of even a nail gun. More people than you realize have ZERO wits about them.
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I would not lend out a PCP to anyone I know.
And if I had a break barrel that I was not too concerned about. I’d guess that the accuracy would probably not be that great. If someone had a need for the use of an air rifle. I would absolutely do my best to teach them what I know and let them shoot my guns under my supervision. Then they could determine if they wanted to invest in one for themselves.
And if I had a break barrel that I was not too concerned about. I’d guess that the accuracy would probably not be that great. If someone had a need for the use of an air rifle. I would absolutely do my best to teach them what I know and let them shoot my guns under my supervision. Then they could determine if they wanted to invest in one for themselves.
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Looks like Pistonjohn and I are a bit in the minority here. I am happy to lend a friend any of my guns, and it gives me great pleasure to do so. Many times I may not see one of my guns for a few months. Sometimes they get a SCBA tank with the gun loan.
But my situation may be a little different than others, as the great majority of my friends are both older, responsible with expensive hardware, and are experienced shooters. I shoot Cowboy Action with them, and they are like family to me.
Also my airguns, like other guns, are considered tools by me. So if something comes back with a little nick or ding, it truly doesn't bother me. Now if something 'wound up at the beach, got left out in the elements', well that would be another story and that person would never get another gun loaned by me.
After loaning out guns and allowing others to shoot them at the Cowboy range, there are now at least 8 of these friends who now shoot PCP airguns with me. I only have 6 permanent benches at my back yard range and yesterday we had 7 shooters. Looking forward to Caldwell's next sale so I can pick up a couple more Stable Tables.
But my situation may be a little different than others, as the great majority of my friends are both older, responsible with expensive hardware, and are experienced shooters. I shoot Cowboy Action with them, and they are like family to me.
Also my airguns, like other guns, are considered tools by me. So if something comes back with a little nick or ding, it truly doesn't bother me. Now if something 'wound up at the beach, got left out in the elements', well that would be another story and that person would never get another gun loaned by me.
After loaning out guns and allowing others to shoot them at the Cowboy range, there are now at least 8 of these friends who now shoot PCP airguns with me. I only have 6 permanent benches at my back yard range and yesterday we had 7 shooters. Looking forward to Caldwell's next sale so I can pick up a couple more Stable Tables.
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I see both side of this discussion. I'd like to see PCP become more available in our area, hence why I would allow close friends/family to fill a bottle with my pump. As far as handing them $800+ of gun and glass.... that would be a bit hard for me.
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You are not alone Tom. I would happily lend any of my PCPs to my friends, at least to those that I know shoot regularly. They are all responsible people and would take more care fo my guns than their own.
I recently had a situation where my main vehicle was waiting for a replacement Transfer Case. My wife needed her car and our little, old, sports car was also in the shop. My friend loaned me his very nice BMW 650M convertible for 6 days. He just drove over and dropped it at my front door, saying “I know you need a car so drive this”. He didn’t lend me his 10 year old SUV, but his new, expensive (and very nice) sports car. With friends like that I can’t see why I would worry about lending him my Impact, or Steyr, or L2, etc.
By the way, I had the car detailed, filled with gas, and a nice bottle of premium rum (Ron Zacapa) on the passenger seat when I returned it.
Chris
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I wouldn’t lend anyone a firearm and the same rule applies to my pcp they all can kill so that’s a big no.
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Hello I have lent out several pcp with both good and bad results. The good, needed something for discreet pest removal , job was done and they were very happy and some went on to buy there own, some went with a springer some got into pcps. The bad, every screw or adjustment that could be made was, and not for the better (including optics). I am not one to tune my guns. I shoot at factory settings or have them tuned by an airgun smith. So in those 2 occasions it was very disappointing to say the least. Both were good friend but I guess I have some real idiots as friends Eric
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I learned a long time ago that no one will take care or heed the precautions/instructions of a tool like you would. It’s human nature. Whatever you loan someone, their mindset is it’s not theirs, so they won’t treat it like so.
same with gifting someone a pricey item that they didn’t have to work hard for. They won’t take care of it as much as you see the value in things.
I used to be one of those “mi casa es su casa” type of guys, and over the years the things I loaned out and got back were either in worse condition or something had broke, and it never gets mentioned when it gets returned.
i recently helped a friend make some extra $$ by hiring him to do odd jobs around my house. I let him use my pressure washer. He asks why there are paint pen instructions written all over it, like an arrow pointed to the oil fill cap. I told him because no one checks oil on a piece of equipment before starting it is why.
so I ask him- “have you ever used a power sprayer before?” He says “ oh heck ya I’ve owned one!” Ok I say, have at it.
I hear the power sprayer idling and I happen to walk by and see he didn’t turn on the water prior to starting it. I quickly turned it off and yelled I thought you knew how to run one of these??!! He replies “ sooorryyyy” in a sarcastic tone, not really paying attention.
so guess what? He is now off limits to my power equipment, and there’s a yellow paint pen note on the washers handle that now says to first turn on the water source prior to starting. Do you think this guy gets to handle a $2K PCP from me? Ha!
As far as pcp loaning goes, I take a look at another persons pcp experiences first, then how they handle their own pcp’s second. I look at what model it is if it’s current and what condition they’re in. It also helps if they have one just like yours, or similar in operative function.
If I see tool marks, scuffs, rounded allen head sockets, scopes not mounted properly, missing scope turret caps, missing fill port covers, and I find out he doesn’t know about silicone oil or calipers, and calls a vice grip the tool of choice, well, no he doesn’t get to borrow my gun- period. I don’t mean to be harsh but I can almost guarantee if something catastrophic happened to my loaner his checkbook isn’t coming out of his back pocket, like I would do if I broke something.
same with gifting someone a pricey item that they didn’t have to work hard for. They won’t take care of it as much as you see the value in things.
I used to be one of those “mi casa es su casa” type of guys, and over the years the things I loaned out and got back were either in worse condition or something had broke, and it never gets mentioned when it gets returned.
i recently helped a friend make some extra $$ by hiring him to do odd jobs around my house. I let him use my pressure washer. He asks why there are paint pen instructions written all over it, like an arrow pointed to the oil fill cap. I told him because no one checks oil on a piece of equipment before starting it is why.
so I ask him- “have you ever used a power sprayer before?” He says “ oh heck ya I’ve owned one!” Ok I say, have at it.
I hear the power sprayer idling and I happen to walk by and see he didn’t turn on the water prior to starting it. I quickly turned it off and yelled I thought you knew how to run one of these??!! He replies “ sooorryyyy” in a sarcastic tone, not really paying attention.
so guess what? He is now off limits to my power equipment, and there’s a yellow paint pen note on the washers handle that now says to first turn on the water source prior to starting. Do you think this guy gets to handle a $2K PCP from me? Ha!
As far as pcp loaning goes, I take a look at another persons pcp experiences first, then how they handle their own pcp’s second. I look at what model it is if it’s current and what condition they’re in. It also helps if they have one just like yours, or similar in operative function.
If I see tool marks, scuffs, rounded allen head sockets, scopes not mounted properly, missing scope turret caps, missing fill port covers, and I find out he doesn’t know about silicone oil or calipers, and calls a vice grip the tool of choice, well, no he doesn’t get to borrow my gun- period. I don’t mean to be harsh but I can almost guarantee if something catastrophic happened to my loaner his checkbook isn’t coming out of his back pocket, like I would do if I broke something.
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I'd be happy to lend any of my guns to folks wanting t shoot it / them.
But ONLY if I'm standing somewhere close by.
I don't lend my tools either. MANYBE to two people. A brother and one friend.
Mike
But ONLY if I'm standing somewhere close by.
I don't lend my tools either. MANYBE to two people. A brother and one friend.
Mike
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Couldn't agree more! Buddy of mine still have my 1720T, think it's time to ask for it back.
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I wanted to make good to my long a$$ reply by saying I have no problem showing a kid how to shoot and spending a day of fun with them plinking away. I’ve done it with my son, his buddies, and my nephews. But to outright loan a gun to someone to take home to take care of a pest problem no way. I have a feeling I’ll get called within a day from him asking why the gun fires but nothing comes out and he’s tried five times!!
A friend of mine on this forum put it best when he told me some guy admired his impact at the local range and out of the blue asked if he could shoot it. No, he didn’t wait to get offered to shoot it, he just asked to.
And my buddy says “ bro, that’s the same as asking me if you could use my toothbrush, so, no”
I know myself. I look at the complexity of a pcp like I look at a drone. Never ever flew one, and I would never ask someone if I could try flying his drone. I’d rather just buy my own and make my mistakes on my own
A friend of mine on this forum put it best when he told me some guy admired his impact at the local range and out of the blue asked if he could shoot it. No, he didn’t wait to get offered to shoot it, he just asked to.
And my buddy says “ bro, that’s the same as asking me if you could use my toothbrush, so, no”
I know myself. I look at the complexity of a pcp like I look at a drone. Never ever flew one, and I would never ask someone if I could try flying his drone. I’d rather just buy my own and make my mistakes on my own
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I had a friend ask to borrow my R9. I said no, but offered to take care of his "problem". Both he and his next door neighbors appreciated my offer. "Problem" solved!
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Both times I loaned an airgun out (was to family members!) they came back broken.
Once the marauder barrel was twisted all the way around to the side, via barrel band "I don't know why it stopped shooting well"
The other time was a side lever springer, dude broke the strut on the side lever trying to close it without releasing the bear latch (i showed him how before loaning).
NO.
Once the marauder barrel was twisted all the way around to the side, via barrel band "I don't know why it stopped shooting well"
The other time was a side lever springer, dude broke the strut on the side lever trying to close it without releasing the bear latch (i showed him how before loaning).
NO.
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