What to look for when buy a second hand gun?

[03milesR 6]

Need a bit of help here ladies and gents, im new to the shooting scene (with shotguns anyways) and i need to know what to look for when buying my first shotgun, tips and hints would be very much appricated

Thanks

Rikki

[COMPO 54]

get someone who knows to go gun shopping with you

 

failing that.

 

There isn't a lot to a standard break barrel shotgun, its a barrel or two on a receiver with firing pins in.....

 

check the barrels are clean and clear, no rust inside or out, then if the firing pins work (ask if you can dry fire the gun using some snap caps) and if the firing mechanism works and the barrel fit to the receiver is good (tight not loose) then the gun is good to use....what kind of gun you after and budget?

[COMPO 54]

forgot as well gun fit....thats when you pick it up and look down the barrel is if a correct fit to your arm length etc......ideally it should naturally point where your looking when you look down the barrel

[GRAM71 29]

as has been said, take an experienced shot with you, ask if you can try before you buy too. As for "fit" it won't matter too much unless you're a right hooker shooting a left hooker's gun and vice versa, most guns are fairly uniform unless they've been modified, consistent gun mount is the key.

[Simonrees 45]

Gun fit is everything, if the gun feel comfortable and comes up and falls into place then your shooting will reflect this.

[PMC 2]

If they have Holland & Holland or Purdey engraved on them, and they are under a grand then grab them! Seriously though it is probably best just to take along a shooting buddy that knows what to look for, failing that the advice given seems sound to me.

 

PMC

[03milesR 6]

get someone who knows to go gun shopping with you

 

failing that.

 

There isn't a lot to a standard break barrel shotgun, its a barrel or two on a receiver with firing pins in.....

 

check the barrels are clean and clear, no rust inside or out, then if the firing pins work (ask if you can dry fire the gun using some snap caps) and if the firing mechanism works and the barrel fit to the receiver is good (tight not loose) then the gun is good to use....what kind of gun you after and budget?

 

Thanks for the advice! Im after just a over and under, not too fussed weather its double trigger or has ejectors or not, ive seen a nice Baikal o/u double trigger ejector for 120, ive set a maxinu of about 250 for myself

 

Rikki

[richmcgin 32]

Take someone who knows with you, i went to buy my first shotgun on my own and walked out with a Rizini !!!!!!!!!!!!. saw me coming !!!!!!!!!!

[03milesR 6]

Take someone who knows with you, i went to buy my first shotgun on my own and walked out with a Rizini !!!!!!!!!!!!. saw me coming !!!!!!!!!!

 

Hahah what's wrong with a Rizini?

[richmcgin 32]

E Rizini are ok ish if you like that sort of thing but the old Rizini`s are a pile of crap the ejectors would never stay in the correct timing, the thing was nasty, i had mine a good 2 months before i managed to offload it, lost 100 quid on it and brought a Berreta supersport which i had for years.

[Terryorr 27]

Need a bit of help here ladies and gents, im new to the shooting scene (with shotguns anyways) and i need to know what to look for when buying my first shotgun, tips and hints would be very much appricated

Thanks

Rikki

Take a sound bit of advice mate, plenty of people start having problems with their shotguns so they decide to get rid of them. they take them to a dealer and trade them in. The dealer will sell you the gun{unknown to him} and then you have just bought someone elses problem. Demand to try the gun 1st and put a couple of boxes of cartridges through it and THEN make up your mind.

[andyf 144]

Hi;;

 

Well my only 'practical' and 'easy' thing, is look at the gun, but MOST especially the screws, if it isn't Million $$$ gun (I guess it's not)?.

If the screws are bruised bent or damaged DONT buy it (unless it is VERY cheap).

Anything rifle or shotgun that (in 2012 money) is less than £500 is a NAIL, and a NAIL is as a NAIL does.

If you have to use 'nails' get used to it, they are not that bad, you can 'tune' nails to an OK level if you are ready to try.