Quote:
Originally Posted by Badflies
I see quite a few people are recommending used which is something I never really considered. I am a little cautious as my own appraisal might not see any issues and if I were to get one in the mail I would just have to trust the seller. I even got a few PMs from the good folks here who might have a rifle to part with.
So what parts wear in a hunting rifle? I realize I'm not going to get a beautiful one in my price point so cosmetics are not really concerning. Stainless or blue is yet another thing to consider. My 12 gauge is a winchester in stainless and it seems to be holding up. My buddy has a rusty Mossberg that works just fine despite near complete negligence on his part. Can I assume rifles need a little more TLC?
Also thanks for all the help, you gun nuts sure are willing to share the knowledge!
|
When dealing with surplus rifles like Enfields, it's a lottery, some are decent shooters, some are horrible. Some of those customizing jobs are well done, some aren't. And it's not just what wears out that can cause issues. The name Bubba comes up fairly often, and Bubba has done many things that can cause a rifle to be inaccurate, unreliable, or even unsafe. Things like do it yourself trigger jobs, or destructive bedding jobs, or do it yourself barrel lapping, or poor fitting of accessories, can all cause issues. Some people shoot their rifle until the barrel is so hot, you can't hold your hand on the barrel, and then they shoot it some more, which greatly accelerates throat erosion. Some people build handloads until they can barely open the bolt after firing, which causes fatigue, which could lead to failures later on. I know someone that put lapping compound in the hinge joint of their o/u shotgun, because they wanted it to fall open on it's own when the release lever was actuated.
I have purchased many used firearms, and I haven't bought a lemon yet, but there is always a risk, especially when you don't now what you should be checking on a used firearm.