Just saw a 586 with a cracked cone this winter. Had ~ 6K rounds thru it...mild 38's to full 357's. S&W happily replaced the barrel for ~ $350.

Guns break. If you're really fortunate, you get to shoot enough to wear one out.

Brake pads and rotors can wear out in 20-30K miles and cost several hundred $$$ to replace. If it bothered me, I suppose I could just not drive....it's no where near as much fun as shooting.

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Carry.."hope" isn't a strategy