As I stated in an earlier post I just bought my first double. It is virtually new so it was easy to tell there are no issues with it. My question is what do I need to look for in buying one that has been used/hunted? I know all the basics like bore condition and cracked wood and such. Is there anyway to look at the action or locking mechanism to see if it is overly worn? Should I look for the same things I would look for in a double shotgun? I have been in the gun business for 14 years and the Chapuis I bought a week ago is the first double that has ever come into my shop so I am not very educated on the subject.

Might as well list some of them anyway.

Barrel "ring true".
Ribs not loose
Ribs not rusty
Acion not stretched

.

How do I identify a stretched action?

quote:

Originally posted by Tim Bogle:
How do I identify a stretched action?

It's a Hard one.

Well, the gun is likely to be loose BUT on one I have seen, the gap between the barrels and action was far greater on one side than the other.

quote:

Originally posted by Tim Bogle:
As I stated in an earlier post I just bought my first double. It is virtually new so it was easy to tell there are no issues with it. My question is what do I need to look for in buying one that has been used/hunted? I know all the basics like bore condition and cracked wood and such. Is there anyway to look at the action or locking mechanism to see if it is overly worn? Should I look for the same things I would look for in a double shotgun? I have been in the gun business for 14 years and the Chapuis I bought a week ago is the first double that has ever come into my shop so I am not very educated on the subject.

What a great question!

First things first; is the gun solid? Barrels ring true; inspect the ribs in addition to the ring test. Pitting? Look for damage everywhere. Stock solid?/ no cracks or splits. Does the previous owner have recommended loads and test targets. Do the ejectors/extractors work properly?

Here's the real rub. I would prefer a gun that has been shot and tested than an off the shelf gun, just to make sure there are no mechanical issues. So buy used from a reputable dealer or someone you can trust here on AR, with at least a 3 day inspection and the right to shoot a minimun of 10 factory rounds.

There can always be mechanical issues with any manufacturer, it's nice to know you're not getting one of those problems.

Mike

How about the warranty.
If it's a B.Searcy double rifle, you may well find that Searcy will probably do a free repair of any rifle he has built regardless of age.