This is my fifth Paache of this type over the last eight or so years, so they last me a little over a year – not bad considering what I put them through. Its possible that the way I use it causes extra wear and tear – I’ll look into that with this one. It’s the best gun I’ve found so far. It’s not perfect, but it’s close. I’ll be breaking it in with a new freehand portrait technique, hopefully in the next few days. I’m still trying to decide whose face to do – I’m open to suggestions. I do know I would like it to be someone well-known, someone recognizable.