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Double Rifles, Single Shots & Combinations >> Double Rifles
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mickey
.416 member


Reged: 05/01/03
Posts: 4647
Loc: Pend Oreille Valley, Idaho
How to pick out a used rifle. (new title)
      #14515 - 08/05/04 03:49 PM

With this talk by some of all of the trashy Brit rifles around I thought I would start a thread about what to do if you find one. What to look for and how to go about repairing it and what the costs should be.

I don't know exactly where to start but lets assume that you have found a Boxlock Brit rifle that was of good quality. If you are looking at it personally what do you look for?

First bit of advice is to not get emotionally involved. I know it's hard but it can make any rifle seem worth more.

I first look at the overall appearance. Does it show obvious signs of being refinished? Many older guns have been refurbished, some quite a few times. The mark of a good job is that it is not apparent. Look at the screws and see if they are crisp and clean, not buggered by a poorly fitting screw driver (turnscrew). Do the slots all point in the same direction along the longitudinal axis?

Has the action been reblued? Has the engraving been polished? Any rust pitting? Is the blacking wore on the barrels? Are the sites in the proper place or off center?

How is the stock? Originall recoil pad or a replacement? How is the replacement fit? Is it a bad fit or is it flush to the wood? Is the stock original or replaced? If original is it oil soaked around the pistol grip? Are there any chips or repairs? Where are they? Any cracks? Why would it crack?

If a new stock do the forend and butt match? How does the grain run? How good is the inletting? How fine is the checkering? Does it fit you for lop? What is the finish, oil or plastic?

Any thing I have missed on the outside appearance? What else?

--------------------
Lovu Zdar
Mick

A Man of Pleasure, Enterprise, Wit and Spirit Rare Books, Big Game Hunting, English Rifles, Fishing, Explosives, Chauvinism, Insensitivity, Public Drunkenness and Sloth, Champion of Lost and Unpopular Causes.

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470Rigby
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Reged: 23/02/04
Posts: 328
Loc: Melbourne, Australia
Re: How to fix a bad rifle. [Re: mickey]
      #14532 - 09/05/04 12:55 AM

Mickey

While I've always held that is is ungentlmanly to look down another gentlmans bores; if you going to buy the gun, THATs the first thing you do!

Anything else can be fixed, albeit at a cost!

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mickey
.416 member


Reged: 05/01/03
Posts: 4647
Loc: Pend Oreille Valley, Idaho
Re: How to fix a bad rifle. [Re: 470Rigby]
      #14535 - 09/05/04 01:19 AM

In reply to:

Poster: 470Rigby
Subject: Re: How to fix a bad rifle.

Mickey

While I've always held that is is ungentlmanly to look down another gentlmans bores; if you going to buy the gun, THATs the first thing you do!




I agree, I just haven't got that far yet.


In reply to:

Anything else can be fixed, albeit at a cost!



I agree with that also. The question is what is the cost? I hope that all of the guys here with knowlege or questions will chime in and we can get an idea of problems, solutions and cost.

As for me, I'll take one of those trashy, old, used up 100 year old Doubles at the right price, fix it up and have a damned fine rifle. For less money invested than the rifle will be worth if and when it is time to sell.



--------------------
Lovu Zdar
Mick

A Man of Pleasure, Enterprise, Wit and Spirit Rare Books, Big Game Hunting, English Rifles, Fishing, Explosives, Chauvinism, Insensitivity, Public Drunkenness and Sloth, Champion of Lost and Unpopular Causes.

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NitroXAdministrator
.700 member


Reged: 25/12/02
Posts: 39259
Loc: Barossa Valley, South Australi...
Re: How to fix a bad rifle. [Re: mickey]
      #14538 - 09/05/04 02:09 AM

Slug the bores to determine true calibre.

--------------------
John aka NitroX

...
Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"

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470Rigby
.333 member


Reged: 23/02/04
Posts: 328
Loc: Melbourne, Australia
Re: How to fix a bad rifle. [Re: mickey]
      #14555 - 09/05/04 10:21 AM



Mickey
In reply to:

I'll take one of those trashy, old, used up 100 year old Doubles at the right price, fix it up and have a damned fine rifle. For less money invested than the rifle will be worth if and when it is time to sell.




As I said elsewhere "Better to be a "has-been, than a never-was"!

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atkinson6
.375 member


Reged: 26/01/04
Posts: 678
Loc: Idaho
Re: How to fix a bad rifle. [Re: 470Rigby]
      #14911 - 18/05/04 04:26 AM

You just might be trying to make a silk purse out of a sows ear, referbing a double is damn expensive and by the time one adds the cost of refinish, he could have deducted that amount from the original cost and made the same money without the hassel, so goes the gun business.....

I look at the bores after the lookover as bores are the plague of English guns, they did shoot cordite you know..for some reason many accept poor bores as OK in doubles, I will not accept them unless I can shoot the gun and see if they have an effect on accuracy, at least most of the time!!

Another thing that concerns me is if the gun has shot off the face and many have...I can check this by taking the forend off and determining if there is any minute movement in between barrels and action both sideways and up and down by twistin the barrels on the closed action..very important test IMO...

I also inspect the blue for pitting below the blued surface, a common occurance and for pitting under the wood of the forend, also common and not desireable...rounded corners are a no no...Faded color case hardening is acceptable but not desirable...Inletting in double gun butts is another place to check if they will allow it as many of these 100 year old rifles have cracks and or oil soaked all to hell and that is really bad, it was common practice when the black cleaned your gun in days of yore to soak it down good with oil to prevent rust....

Thats the real world of old double guns, beware of your purchase, the cost a lot and a good one costs the same as junk it appears. A good English double rifle is one heck of a good investment and beats the stock market all to hell, I have made a lot of money on doubles over the years, more so than any other type of rifle..Its not uncommon to double your money over a few years with a good gun..

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