Some limbs just fail on their own.
Others get nuked by dry fire and or heat.........usually immediate. But it is possible they can survive and have the life span shortened, the failure down the road.
Best bet would be solid glass limbs over the old maple/glass laminate.
Have seen imperfections pop up years later, in solid glass limbs. Those of camo covering may have had them early on, went unseen.
Half rounds, the pivots of some older bows (most often on cast riser rigs).........they are glued on. They come off and pop and creak...........you can just glue them back on.
But bow limbs, even well taken care of........can fail down the road. Laminates more prone. Non laminates the failure areas often at axle holes, or where the fork is deepest in limb. Some right by the riser at highest stress point.
One thing I have also seen.............riser failure (cast risers). Stuff that wasn't jacked by techs cranking them in and out of bowpresses.
PSE was rather prone to that back in the first Centerflite days.
The old Hoyt Pro Hunter/Gamegetters were tanks riser wise......but limbs on them did fail. Most of the time the Pro Hunter (laminate). There's a reason they changed designs/materials, wasn't all just about speeds.
I think rigs of medium draw weight, that didn't get overdraws, should be pretty safe bets. Of course with risk, lack of repair parts..........one could leverage that for better pricing.
Most stuff that's good, but inexpensive, gets bought up rather fast..........for bowfishing (around here).
