I recently inherited the Remington Model 12 .22 rifle from the 1930's my grandfather taught me to hunt with when I was 14. (My grandfather got it from his own father when he was 14.) I don't own any other guns and haven't done much shooting since I was a teen. Seeing the good old model 12 has brought back a lot of memories, though, and I'd like to do some plinking again.
The question I have is how concerned I should be about wear and tear on a 1930's gun with modern ammunition. Will it hold up well enough for me to pass it on to my own grandchildren in 30 years if I simply clean the gun properly? Or should I get the barrel relined? Or should I buy a more modern .22 for general purpose plinking and keep my heirloom rifle in the closet for occasional use?
To shoot or not to shoot
Re: To shoot or not to shoot
If the bore is OK go ahead and shoot it. Use standard velocity ammo. The M/12 was made before the Hi Velocity (and higher pressure) ammo was developed. I have shot a good many rounds through my M/12s with no problems. M/12s are fun to shoot...