Buying second hand rifles.

[Edinburgh Rifles]

bore condition is not the only thing to look at
We are rebarelling a rifle that shoots 0.1moa with 168gr hornady factory ammo because the buyer is concerned about the cosmetic view of the bore......

 

[hybridfiat]

bore condition is not the only thing to look at
We are rebarelling a rifle that shoots 0.1moa with 168gr hornady factory ammo because the buyer is concerned about the cosmetic view of the bore......

Idiots are sometimes good for business.

 

[Will the chippy]

bore condition is not the only thing to look at
We are rebarelling a rifle that shoots 0.1moa with 168gr hornady factory ammo because the buyer is concerned about the cosmetic view of the bore......

You'll never better that. More money than sense!

 

[Kersnow]

Am getting on a bit and dont want to spend a lot on a new rifle.

Was advised today to buy an old lefty Remington 700 and get a rebarrel on it.

Is this a good idea?

How much would a new barrel cost?

 

[Skinny78]

People will post if they buy a ‘dud’ but I’d bet there’s loads of second hand rifles bought without any issue that you just don’t hear about.

I’ve only bought one new rifle,(HMR) out of 5 or 6.

I would almost guarantee any 2nd hand rifle purchased that turns out to be a $hitter is either purchased sight unseen or the buyer hasn't got enough clues.

 

[Bowland blades]

Been a few posts recently with folk buying shot out basically not fit for purpose kind of rifles .
So what exactly should folk be doing ,looking for when buying second hand.I’ve bought a few second hand rifles and I’ve always been lucky with my purchases.
I know buying second hand can be a gamble cause of the issues we have legally doing a one for one can take weeks.
For a new shooter what’s the thing you look for when buying second hand.

An " Honest rifle , with an Honest description " at a price you dont really have to worry over if you end up having to do some work on .
second hand rifles come at a price where you can afford to put maybe a better barrel on it than it had leaving the factory , pillar bed it and it still stand you at slightly less than a new one but the idea should really be buy one that shoots without work
£500 can pick up a nice shooting rifle , just leave yourself some wiggle room and if your not likely to have the dosh to fix it up if it doesn't shoot like you can and want to . Very much like buying a second hand car really , remember that there are folks who stalk only rarely say one or two weeks out of the year

 

[Bowland blades]

Am getting on a bit and dont want to spend a lot on a new rifle.

Was advised today to buy an old lefty Remington 700 and get a rebarrel on it.

Is this a good idea?

How much would a new barrel cost?

700 upwards to re-barrel , £500 should buy you a SH rifle that shoots though of a decent make , scopes , moderators etc not included .
I think it is a good idea today , a very good one in fact even though i generally have bought shotguns sh and rifles brand new in the past i have changed ! Some private sellers ask too much for SH rifles but trade are in general more pragmatic if they took them in as a swap or a certificate surrender , Owners death, ill-heath etc .
Besides i really cannot say rifles made today are better made than ten to twenty plus vintage . Dont believe me ? go look ! They do not however come set up for modern gadgets to be mounted , I dont care personally as i aint big on that stuff and i can always drop in at a mates machine shop and sort that

 

[Will the chippy]

Am getting on a bit and dont want to spend a lot on a new rifle.

Was advised today to buy an old lefty Remington 700 and get a rebarrel on it.

Is this a good idea?

How much would a new barrel cost?

A mate bought a howa 1500 in 22250, a real barrel burner?? He bought it from the local RFD who scoped it and shot it before hand to see if it was alright. And it's a belter for 400 inc a mod. There are decent deals to be had on second hand kit

 

[Bowland blades]

A mate bought a howa 1500 in 22250, a real barrel burner?? He bought it from the local RFD who scoped it and shot it before hand to see if it was alright. And it's a belter for 400 inc a mod. There are decent deals to be had on second hand kit

Lets all remember , some folks hardly use their rifles ! If you find one that's been well stored and little shot you could be paying a third of the price or less because of fashion and other potential unfounded fears ! heck we even have borescopes now

 

[Skinny78]

bore condition is not the only thing to look at
We are rebarelling a rifle that shoots 0.1moa with 168gr hornady factory ammo because the buyer is concerned about the cosmetic view of the bore......

The buyer is a **** that would spend his time outside the normal people circle.
majority>○ • <him/her

 

[Bowland blades]

bore condition is not the only thing to look at
We are rebarelling a rifle that shoots 0.1moa with 168gr hornady factory ammo because the buyer is concerned about the cosmetic view of the bore......

o.1 moa ? he should take it to a benchrest event not a riflesmith - unlikely to ever have another ! one tenth of 1/60th of a single degree ?

 

[TringSaint]

I guess the thing is that you either buy from a reputable gun shop / smith / rfd who is prepared to stand behind the product and offer you a limited time warranty/ guarantee, or you only pay as much as you feel is comfortable knowing what the cost of a re barrel would be.
That way you either get a decent rifle as is it a decent rifle after a bit of work but with limited additional cost.

Of my 5 rifles only one is SH and I bought that through the gun shop I had purchased 3 of my other ones from as new, so there was a high degree of trust there already.

 

[TringSaint]

The buyer is a **** that would spend his time outside the normal people circle.
majority>○ • <him/her

Clearly has money to burn!!
What are the chances that it doesn’t do 0.1 moa after rebarreling? Could be a super barrel being replaced by a very good barrel, but just not quite as ‘good’ as the original!

Wouldn’t like to have that chat with the customer after throwing a grand or so at a rifle!! (Not unless the work didn’t carry a <0.1 moa guarantee!!)

If it ain’t broke, and all that jazz!

 

[Skinny78]

Clearly has money to burn!!
What are the chances that it doesn’t do 0.1 moa after rebarreling? Could be a super barrel being replaced by a very good barrel, but just not quite as ‘good’ as the original!

Wouldn’t like to have that chat with the customer after throwing a grand or so at a rifle!! (Not unless the work didn’t carry a <0.1 moa guarantee!!)

If it ain’t broke, and all that jazz!

Whoever it is I would bet a hundy on it they are full of $hit. Theres some characters around I tell ya

 

[hammo]

I have so far only bought two secondhand rifle, and struck gold on this one!
A trusted RFD sourced me a CZ 527 in 204, after we both lost patience waiting for a new savage in the same calibre.
The word 'mint' is often thrown about recklessly, but this one was exactly that, what really stood out to me was the chequering - it still felt really crisp and unworn. The overall condition was fantastic and it had surely had very little use.
I would not hesitate to go secondhand again, having wasted a LOT of money on new. But I would want to be thoroughly checking it wasnt a dog before committing.
The other secondhand was an original K98, bore was rough as tits, but it shot very well. i moved that on a good while ago, but looking at prices climbing steadily maybe should have held onto it.

 

[JTO]

Buying a rifle, at a price, with the intention of re-barreling might be quicker than waiting for Plod to do their bit if buying a new rifle, along with the time it can take to receive one that is not on the shelf.

 

[stevestalker]

When buying second hand rifle factor in the cost of a rebarrel as the rifle could need one within a few hundred shots or not at all.
I used to buy second hand to spread the cost ( cheaper rifle now or a long wait )
Only had one re barrelled after lots of shots.
Steve

 

[Apthorpe]

Am getting on a bit and dont want to spend a lot on a new rifle.

Was advised today to buy an old lefty Remington 700 and get a rebarrel on it.

Is this a good idea?

Probably not. Why not just get a decent lefty rifle and not mess it around. You'll never see the cost of a rebarrel back and it won't be cheap by the time you've done that. Altered rifles are like modified cars, the owner thinks they're fantastic and worth a fortune, to everybody else they're a bit of an alarm bell.

How much would a new barrel cost?

Most probably more than this, and I know which one you'll lose the most money on.

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