I recently got into shooting by happenstance. My grandfather's Winchester Model 62 had been sitting in a closet since as far back as I can remember.... at least 30 years. Covered in dust and it had some white spots on it. On a whim, I decided to spruce it up. I bought a .22 cleaning kit and spent an afternoon giving it a thorough cleaning inside and out. Took a brass brush to those white spots and most came off no problem. Its was no safe queen and by no means in perfect cosmetic condition, but it cleaned up pretty nicely. Took the rifle out to the range and had a blast shooting it! It has open sights and the pump action keeps us honest when shooting... that pause between shots makes me want to make each one count.
However, this gun was built before 1940 and I worry how much life it has left in it. I am shooting standard (not high-velocity) rounds through it. Is there any harm to shooting an old rifle like this? We put maybe 100-150 rounds through it on each trip to the range, which is maybe once every 1-2 months.
What are your thoughts? Am I just looking for an excuse to get a semi-auto .22? Or is there a legitimate concern in over-shooting and ruining an old rifle like this?
However, this gun was built before 1940 and I worry how much life it has left in it. I am shooting standard (not high-velocity) rounds through it. Is there any harm to shooting an old rifle like this? We put maybe 100-150 rounds through it on each trip to the range, which is maybe once every 1-2 months.
What are your thoughts? Am I just looking for an excuse to get a semi-auto .22? Or is there a legitimate concern in over-shooting and ruining an old rifle like this?