What Imbues a Gun With "Soul"?

[Double Lab]

Originally Posted by CraigThompson

"If" that were 100% true and etched in stone so to speak , you guys wouldn't try to find BH and above grade guns in almost never used condition and rather look for Trogans or such that have almost had the life shot out of them . Provenance while nice to have for resale or bragging is nothing more then a verification that someone who was deemed important owned the object at some point , it adds nothing to the use ability of the gun or object . Provenance adds nothing to me liking or disliking an object .

To each his own Craig. I agree with John T. in that some guns you pick up just speak to you in their own way. I think the phrase most often used is "I can shoot this gun". I for one don't look for pristine high grade guns as I'm not a collector but a shooter. If they were owned by a famous person/shooter even better.
Let's say for arguments sake , a Rem 700 comes in to the shop you work at and you buy it because it was what you were looking for in either caliber or some other criteria used for buying rifles. After owning the rifle and taking some game with it or just punching holes in paper you find out it was one of the rifles shot by Carlos Hathcock in his career as a sniper. Even better he had X number of confirmed kills with it.
Are you telling me that rifle would'nt mean a little more to you than an off the shelf M700?
With all due respect, if it does'nt, then you don't truly understand the "soul" concept.

[charlie cleveland]

to me any gun could have soul just like a beautiful or plain jane person has a soul...i m sure no one will admit it but that first gun for most of us was a stevens or westernfield or mongeromy wards or...i have several guns that are not parkers and everone of them has soul...its in the eye of the beholder...remember that first bb gun did it have soul....charlie...

[Phil Yearout]

Originally Posted by charlie cleveland

to me any gun could have soul just like a beautiful or plain jane person has a soul...i m sure no one will admit it but that first gun for most of us was a stevens or westernfield or mongeromy wards or...i have several guns that are not parkers and everone of them has soul...its in the eye of the beholder...remember that first bb gun did it have soul....charlie...

My first ever double gun is a Stevens 5100 in 16ga. I once took a limit of four wild prairie pheasants with four shots from that simple old shooter; if that doesn't give it soul (to me at least) I don't know what would!

I still have it, and it goes with me on every trip as a rainy day gun. I seldom shoot it any more, but if I'm completely honest, I may shoot it better than any of the "better" guns I own!

[Researcher]

It is all in the mind of the shooter. I'm sure when I watched Col. Davies take six Ptarmigan in six shots on a covey rise, this Model 12 had plenty of "soul" --

[Bill Murphy]

Some modern guns have at least some soul. My 48 year old Krieghoff has been my companion on a daily basis for at least 30 years. My S&W K-22 has ridden in my cars and trucks every day for at least 40 years and saved my life once. It has a bit of soul.

[Fishtail]

Soul is not entirely in the mind of the beholder. It comes from different places.

A brand new Parker in 1911 might have lacked 'experience', and might have lacked an owner as it sat on a gun store shelf. But it still had plenty of soul. The character it would gain over the coming years of use would round out its soul - but the care and thought that went into its making ensured it had soul from day one.

Similarly, I don't believe any amount of beholding will ever imbue a Winchester 24 with soul.

[6pt-Sika]

Originally Posted by greg conomos

Soul is not entirely in the mind of the beholder. It comes from different places.

A brand new Parker in 1911 might have lacked 'experience', and might have lacked an owner as it sat on a gun store shelf. But it still had plenty of soul. The character it would gain over the coming years of use would round out its soul - but the care and thought that went into its making ensured it had soul from day one.

. Not , that gun picks up no soul sitting in a dealer rack still brand new and unused no more then a new K-80 would in Ottsville PA or a Purdey sitting in the rack at Audley Street .

[Bill Murphy]

I disagree with Craig. Many guns have soul on the maker's rack. Think about a long barrel 28 gauge Boss, an eight gauge Watson, a well appointed Galazan Fox, all of which can have plenty of soul before they fire a shot. Dr. Truitt's statement means a lot to me. Some Parkers seem to have been ordered by people who knew which end the shot comes out. Others seem to be built for the hardware store rack.

[Hammer Gun]

Phil, You are right about the guitar with wear marks I call character, also a well worn case with faded and worn patches of concerts from long ago, you look at that case and pause and wonder, some good times for sure! gary

[Researcher]

I think there is a big difference between looking for a mint condition collector's item and that gun that has developed "soul" over a life time of adventures together.

Could that lifetime of adventures together be displaying that mint condition collector's item at collector gun shows and vintage events?