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#Post#: 166--------------------------------------------------
Buying used rifle
DIR By: allmanav
Date: January 14, 2021, 9:45 am
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Lying there on the gun shop's counter is a used .30-'06 Sprg.
bolt-action mounted with what is supposed to be a pretty good
used scope. You're going with your buddies on a deer hunt out
West and didn't want to mortgage the house to buy a new rifle
and a high-tech scope. The friendly guy behind the counter
convinced you to part with your hard-earned cash for the used
rifle.
But now you're having second thoughts. You're thinking, "Was
buying a used rifle and scope the right decision? Did I just get
taken to the cleaners?" The answer to the first question is
"yes," it is possible to get a good used scoped rifle for less
than you can buy one new.
The answer to the second question is "Maybe." There are
definitely things to know and things to look for when shopping
for a used rifle. I ought to know, because I grew up as one of
those friendly guys behind the gun shop counter.
My grandfather started the family gun shop: Hatfield's Sporting
Goods, in the old river town of St. Joseph, Mo., in 1920. Mom
helped grandma with the books and grandpa, dad and my uncle
manned the counter. During my childhood, at any given time we
had over 1,000 guns on the rack—trap, skeet, field-grade
shotguns, .22s, varmint rifles, target rifles, deer rifles and
even a couple of heavy bolt guns for African hunting—most of
them used.
The men of the family were gun traders of the true essence and I
was put to work behind the counter every day after grade school.
Many of our customers brought in guns to trade, and I was taught
how to methodically inspect a used gun, what to look for and
what to avoid. Back then, trading was the easiest way to get
value out of a used gun, but times have changed and there are
now a number of options.
When buying a used rifle, cash is king and price is often
negotiable, so if you have a trade-in, it's often better and
usually more profitable to sell it. One of the best places to
turn old guns into new cash is on the internet.
Several websites have recently been established specifically for
selling used guns. GunBroker.com is a gun auction website where
you can put your gun up for auction to web surfers across the
nation. There's no charge, but if your gun sells, GunBroker
takes a small percentage fee.
However, if you don't want to hassle with the internet, there
are auction houses such as Rock Island Auction Company that
specialize in auctioning guns. A third alternative to trading in
is selling your gun on consignment. Most gun shops do
consignment sales these days, putting your gun on their rack and
taking a small percentage when it sells.
Now, you've cashed in that old shotgun and, with green-backs
clenched in your fist, you're ready to go cut a deal on a used
rifle...almost. The most popular centerfire rifles on the used
market are bolt-actions, and the majority of them were produced
in popular deer-hunting calibers such as .30-'06 Sprg., .270
Win. and .308 Win.
American manufacturers such as Ruger, Browning, Winchester,
Remington, Savage and several others have been making good bolt
guns for decades; there are a lot of good used ones on the
market, but values can vary greatly depending on the company,
model, year of production and even the caliber.
If you're not a gun trader, the best way to get a handle on
current used gun prices is to buy a copy of the Blue Book of Gun
Values, and take it with you when you go shopping. Along with
the book, take a bore light. You may not be able to tell if a
rifle's bore is really good by looking at it, but you can
certainly tell if it's really bad.
Now you're ready; armed with the gun value book, bore light and
cash, head to the local gun shop and get your feet wet. You
don't have to buy a rifle on your first visit. Besides, shopping
for a rifle is a lot of fun, so take your time.
I've found that most guys who work in gun shops are in that line
of work more from the heart than from the head. They like guns,
like to talk about guns and are usually more than willing to
help someone less knowledgeable. Having spent decades on the
other side of the gun shop counter, I can assure you that if you
tell that helpful fellow that you're shopping for a used
bolt-action deer rifle, you don't have a trade-in and you
brought cash, you'll get his undivided attention.
Once you have his attention, he'll probably ask you how much you
want to spend. At this point, don't lock yourself into too
narrow a price range. A good answer might be, "I'm willing to
spend up to X, but I want a good used bolt-action with a good
scope, in something around a .30-'06 Springfield."
Once the shop owner lays out a few to look at, pick one and
start checking it out in detail. First, though, with the rifle
pointed in a safe direction, cycle the action several times and
inspect the chamber and magazine to ensure the gun is unloaded.
Then look the rifle over for general wear, cracks in the stock,
burred screw heads, missing parts and general signs of abuse,
amateur gunsmithing or neglect.
If the rifle appears to be in good overall shape, check to
ensure it's not loaded, point it in a safe direction, then throw
it to your shoulder and look through the scope. You'll
immediately be able to tell if the stock has been shortened, if
the stock's comb has been modified, if the barrel and action are
straight and properly mounted in the stock, and if the scope is
clear and the crosshairs perpendicular to the action.
Next, work the action. The bolt handle should lift smoothly
without binding. The bolt body should slide rearward
effortlessly, with no tight or rough spots. If the action works
well, remove the bolt and inspect the bolt face. The firing pin
hole should be perfectly round; the locking lugs should be
concentric, smooth and free of burrs, chips and cracks.
Test the extractor spring with your thumb; the spring should be
sufficiently stiff to not move under thumb pressure. Closely
inspect the extractor claw for chips and cracks. An extractor
flexes more than any working part of the rifle and is the part
that fails most often, so inspect if very carefully.
With a bore light, inspect the barrel's chamber for any obvious
irregularities such as pitting. Remove the bolt, place the bore
light into the breech end of the barrel and look down the bore
from the muzzle. Again, you probably won't be able to tell if
the bore and rifling are really good, but you will be able to
see if they are really bad.
If the bore is pitted or the rifling scarred, don't buy it at
any price. Without an accurate barrel, you don't have a rifle.
While you're looking at the muzzle end of the barrel, carefully
inspect the barrel's crown. It should be perfectly concentric,
smooth and free of dents, burrs or imperfections. A bad crown
means poor accuracy, in most cases. If the rifle in question has
passed these inspections, it's time to try the trigger.
The trigger can tell a lot about the rifle in many cases. First
ask the clerk if you can dry-fire the rifle and test the safety.
With the action cocked, if the rifle has a two-position safety,
move it into the rear on-safe position and pull the trigger, the
rifle should not fire. If the rifle has a three-position safety,
the safety should be "on" in both the rear and middle positions.
If the safety functions properly, push the safety "off," mount
the rifle and slowly squeeze the trigger.
The trigger should have no creep and break crisply at a
reasonable pull weight of 4 or 5 lbs. If the trigger pull is
very light, the factory trigger has been modified or an
aftermarket trigger installed. This can be good or bad.
A modified trigger might mean that the former owner of the rifle
was more than just a casual hunter and perhaps the rifle has
been very heavily used and doesn't have a lot of barrel life
left. On the other hand, it might mean that the rifle has had a
lot of loving care and the former owner just wanted something
different.
In any case, most reputable gun dealers will guarantee their
used guns; if they don't, shop elsewhere. Once you have narrowed
your selection down by inspection and price range, the quality
of the scope might be the factor on which you make your final
decision.
Weaver, Redfield, Leupold, Burris and Bushnell have been the
predominant quality scope companies in America for decades. If
the rifle has one of these brands on it, chances are it's
good—though there are plenty of other quality makers. However,
question the clerk about the scope, find out if it's still made
and what the new retail price is. Also make sure there is some
kind of guarantee on the scope, because if the scope is bad, a
new one can cost as much as a used rifle.
At this point you've been to all of the gun shops in the area
and have a Model 77 Ruger, .270Win with a 3-9X Redfield picked
out that the shop owner claims hasn't had a box of cartridges
through it. You've looked up the rifle in the Blue Book of Gun
Values, you know what the scope is worth, and the shop owner
will guarantee the whole rig. With an asking price of just over
half the price of a new rifle and scope, you've already got a
great deal, but now you're not just an average customer, you're
a gun trader, and it's deal time.
You'll need ammo, a good sling and possibly a soft case. Put
these things with the rifle, and in your best poker-faced
southern drawl, ask the merchant what he'll take for the works.
Even if he gives you a good price, you might bid him something a
little less. If he balks, show him your bankroll.
That strategy doesn't always work, but speaking from experience
behind the gun counter, it always puts the negotiations on a
serious footing and, what the heck, he expects it, because
that's how you buy a used rifle.
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