To paraphrase the immortal line from ‘Apocalypse Now,’ I love the smell of gun oil in the morning.

Many years of backpacking have certainly taken their toll on the finish of my Beretta. Especially on the side that’s showing here. That is the side that faces away from my body when it is in its holster. It’s scuffed and scratched from many encounters with pebbly creek beaches and campsite rocks. It’s also spent more hours than I’d like to think about sitting in the rain. It has definitely served as a utilitarian tool rather than some polished collector’s piece stored in a gun safe.

I’ve been meaning to give it a good clean since it spent five hours out in the rain on my Irish Wilderness Trip. Today I finally got around to it and stripped it down, tended to the few rust spots, gave it a jolly good oiling and cleaning, and it’s now all spiffy, ready for its next trip out.

Copyright © 2021 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.