Mick & Clark:

To me, the first one should be the best quality rifle the buyer can afford - and he should stretch it a little. As long as you don't short-cut it, you can get a LOT better quality for the money used, and you'll get more out of it when you want to trade. Any used rifle can have problems. Just yesterday, a friend heard back from J. J. that a double he had sent for evaluation had rifling print on the outside of the barrels - and back it went. Only an idiot buys one without a professional evaluation. Top quality DRs in good condition with proper ammunition and care have very few problems. I've been shooting one of my pre-war British rifles for 18 years, the other for 15, and have never had a repair. During that time, these have been my primary hunting rifles. In the last few months, I've seen two new rifles that were already off-face. With double rifles, build quality is much more important than buying new. Buy from a reputable dealer, get the gun professionally evaluated, and you'll be fine.
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