How to buy a used rifle?

S

SloSolo2

New member
If you want to buy a used car the net is full of general and model specific lists of things to look at and for. Is there a similar document for rifles? I can think of one thing that should be on the list; always take a flashlight to look at the bore. The problem is I'm not sure I really know what to look for other than crisp square shoulders on the rifling.

Any advice will be much appreciated

Jamie
 
A ding in the crown is a bargaining point, on the money. It's $25 or less to get it re-crowned; $15 is not uncommon.

The borelight will let you see if a bullet has been fired past some slight, partial obstruction in the bore; a ring or a slight shadow at some one point. (This is more common in shotguns than in rifles.) With care, you can also tell by a shadow-line if the barrel has some curvature to it.

Headspace problems are rare in most any rifle built after the 1950s, and most likely would show up in some military surplus critter.

External dings, slight rust, grunge in the trigger assembly--these are all fixable and dependent on your own needs as to importance to you...

FWIW, Art
 
First, be aware that the bore will probably be dirty and dusty. This can either make it look worse, or mask real problems. Ask to have the barrel cleaned out. Most used rifles will have dirty bores. If the gunshop won't clean out the barrel, you probably don't want to buy a rifle there.

Look for a shadowy dark ring. This indicates the barrel may have a bulge in it. If it's bad, the bulge may also show on the outside too.

Look for pits or corrosion in the bore. While pitted barrels can shoot very well, you probably don't want it.

Dark areas in front of the chamber could be bore errosion,
OR might simply be metal fouling that can be removed.

Look inside the muzzle for wear on the ends of the rifling. Barrels that are cleaned from the front, often get worn by the cleaning rod.

Look at the chamber for scratches, corrosion, or pitting.

Most barrels sent back to custom rifle makers as no longer accurate, are first given a good cleaning. In a majority of cases, this is all thats wrong.
If you buy a used rifle, the FIRST thing to do is get GOOD, proper cleaning gear, and get ALL fouling out of the bore.
 
Bore, headspace, throat erosion, and muzzle wear are the 4 major things. All else is minor icluding bedding problems. Hell, except for these 4 all the rest is a do-it-yourself project with a minimum of handtools and a good how-to book.
 
And make sure the gun you are buying is not a different caliber than is marked on the barrel! ;) (Personal experience talking here.)

In Liberty,

Chulain
 
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