Never lend a gun to a friend

[StellaArtois Sr]

I would never lend anybody my air rifles I value them to much. You just never know how well your mate is going to treat it.
I let people at the range try them out and that's as far as it goes, they know how fussy I am so they respect it, especially with me being near by. Seeing how some of them look after their guns, no way.
One fella at the range bought a brand new HW95, it was as they are, lovely to shoot deadly accurate and only the slightest of boings. He lent it to his mate, and when he got it back if was absolutely crap. We first thought the scope was cream crackered, replaced it with 2 others to no avail, it just wouldn't group. Cleaned the barrel, still hopeless, tried all the normal things, stock bolts everything, still hopeless.
I wanted to take it apart but as there was a lifetime warranty from the shop it went back there. After lots of hassle it went to Hull Cartridge. Apparently they are saying that the barrel has had what they believe to be WD40 inside it and corroded it. Also it has bean dieseling so badly, that they seals have melted. No signs of dieseling when we go it back from his mate.
So when I last spoke to him, they are going to fix it, but it will cost him.
That lesson has totally convinced me that nobody will ever borrow my rifles, not even my son. I bought him two of his own.
God only knows what his mate had done to it.

[BigDuncs]

I would happily lend an air rifle to a (trusted) friend. But I would satisfy myself that that friend was reliable enough and knew how to properly use and look after an air rifle.

I have had an 'experience' before when a fellow club member, through ignorance/inexperience, used my springer which was on loan, for dry firing..... It wasn't carelessness on her part. Probably on mine as I should have ensured that all these basics were understood before she got the loan.

[daveboy]

I sold my mate an air rifle but his wife wouldn't let him have one so he told her he had borrowed it off me
When I see her in the street she still asks me when I'm coming for it back and It's been about 5 years.

[bill57]

I lent one of mine to a mate as we were going to be sharing a permission. Never happened, I did all the shooting, and thirty years later I said "Have you still got my gun?" Back with me now and nobody else is getting it.

[Baxterbasics]

When I was active in shooting competitions and running the SHS, I always carried 3 or 4 spare rigs to help out fellow shooters in need. Some were respectful, others less so-lesson learned, just like the good Prof. Russell above.

[sandyman1963]

I bought two BSA R10s one for me one for my boy unfortunately for me my lad was loved up with a nice S400 so into the gun safevit went. A few months down the line a good mate who has moved away had a rat problem so being helpful I said borrow my lads spare rifle. So down the M6 he came I showed him how to use it gave him a tin of pellets and even my spare cylinder. Time moved on until the day my lad said where’s my R10 oops phoned mate very dead land line no mobile so of up the M6 I went knock knock and the door was opened by a rather large chap who in no way shape or form looked like my mate unless he was on steroids and had a permanent black tan turned out my mates wife had kicked him out and gotten a replacement in. After a nice brew and lots of where is my rifle,the empty cylinder was found half a box of pellets and sod all else. Motto of the story never lend any thing out my fault for forgetting it his fault for playing away on his other half. One day I’ll find him and my sons rifle.

[Daveo]

I've done this too years ago
Lent a beautiful hw77 to an older fella to shoot squirrels in his garden
When I got it back a month or so later it was red rusty
Once cleaned off most of the bluing was gone.
Never ever again.
On the other hand a couple of weeks ago I borrowed my dads '77 because I wanted to try a .22 again.
I found it was shooting so bad I replaced the Spring and seals and made up a guide and top hat
I was so impressed with the gun I had to buy my own.
So I gave my dad his now fantasic shooting gun back........
I must be the kind of person to lend a gun to.....