I'm starting a new post here rather than adding to my previous post about the Raick Freres .470. offered by WR in Montana. I purchased this rifle on approval and had it sent to Kirk Merrington who has been my gunsmith and friend for more than 25 years. Kirk phoned me with a preliminary appraisal, and I drove to Kerrville on a Saturday to look the rifle over. His initial inspection revealed several defects including cocking dog screws that had been stripped, and in fact fell out when he tried to turn them, and one ruined gas relief screw on the left ball of the action. Kirk recommended that I not buy the rifle unless he did a full strip of the action. WR agreed, and he accomplished a complete inspection. Here is what he found, outlined in a letter to Kevin at WR:

1. Wood screw in forearm replaced with common metal screw;
2. L ejector tripper brazed and worn;
3. R ejector tripper soft with signs of welding;
4. bad pitting on fore end iron;
5. ejector cocking piece in forearm loose;
6. ejector springs in very poor shape;
7. safety didn't work;
8. sear spring screws butchered;
9. cocking dog screws stripped and retaining screws for these destroyed;
10. pivot pins -- hammer and sear-- badly worn;
11. L disc set striker screw stripped;
12. L striker broken;
13. locking bolt welded and refit;
14. replaced top lever spring;
15. hammers soft at the head.

Kevin said the UK group had sent it to him to unload over here. He was a gentleman about the whole thing and paid shipping both ways. I was out only Kirk's fees of $250.00. The gun was very attractive on the outside, and balanced well. The barrels and bores were in very good shape. What happened to the innards he could not say. Somebody's high school project?

The thing is positively dangerous. I have my money back, but what a scare. I have bought lots of doubles with no inspection and have come out largely OK with maybe this and that needing to be fixed. Something told me this was too good to be true--and it was. Thank God I insisted upon the full inspection. This taught me one thing for sure--be satisfied with what I have because there's a lot of junk out there--perhaps that's all that remains.

I'd like to see what you have to say. Yes, it's a used item, but do they have any obligation morally or ethically if something like this might be used on dangerous game? This isn't a jackrabbit rifle after all.