Found a neat rifle today and thought it might be worth picking up for a possible build someday. The rifle was a 6.5-06 built on a HVA action. I'm not familiar with these actions but from what I've found on the web it is a 3000 or 1640 model. The guy was asking $470 for the rifle with scope.

So here were the things that caught my eye, first, the scope was a Leupold fixed 7.5AO and at gun shows I tend to look for rifles with a decent scope on it. Second it was a Mauser style action. Third it had a Canjar single set trigger with tang safety. Forth, dies and brass were included in the sale as well.

Stock wasn't a style I liked, and I don't know how easy it is to find a new one since I don't know anything about HVA rifles. It was a roll over style Monte Carlo. Grip wasn't open enough and it had some maple inlays around the pistol grip. It did have a nice metal butt plate in a cresent style with a trap door in it. At the forend it had two set screws installed to add pressure points to the barrel.

So it was $470 + transfer fee is the asking price. I didn't try to get him to come down off of it as I diidn't have my check book or cash enough in hand to make a decent offer. I was thinking if I could get him to knock off $40-50 I'd add it to my safe.

So is it wort my time to go back tomorrow to try and procure this rifle or shoud I just let it pass?

To me, it sounds like a pretty good deal. Offer $400 cash and see what he says.

transfer fees?
wth?
he's selling it, he eats that

quote:

Originally posted by jeffeosso:
transfer fees?
wth?
he's selling it, he eats that

I'd normally agree, but it is a gun show and we have to do a transfer there ($10) and he isn't an FFL. He is just an old guy who rented a booth to sell off his old hunting rifles rifles. Thought about just leaving my number with him and telling him that after the show if it didn't sell to call me up and we could do a private treaty deal.

quote:

Originally posted by taylorce1:

quote:

Originally posted by jeffeosso:
transfer fees?
wth?
he's selling it, he eats that

I'd normally agree, but it is a gun show and we have to do a transfer there ($10) and he isn't an FFL. He is just an old guy who rented a booth to sell off his old hunting rifles rifles. Thought about just leaving my number with him and telling him that after the show if it didn't sell to call me up and we could do a private treaty deal.

Good find. Just write him a check for $425.00, make sure the check is good and be really happy if he accepts.

Stephen

I did not addres your question, sorry. Yes.

Stephen

My opinion...

If you would use the gun, and if it would not put a crimp in your budget, you'd be foolish to let that deal pass.

Those are excellent actions, and obviously, it has a stock on it.

It also has trigger worth more than $100 at today's prices if you were to sell or buy it on any gun auction site. The scope and mounts are also worth more than $100. The stock would cost $100 or more. Even the simplest dip bluing too would cost near $100, +/- $35.

So, you would be giving +/- $70 for the barreled action, not including the value of bluing, stocking, trigger, scope, and mounts.

What's not a deal about that?

(If you also count the value of the dies, he's almost giving you the barreled action, if you buy the add-ons.) You could probably sell the barreled action here at AR in the Classifieds for $200 or more, so he's basically trying to give away money.

quote:

So here were the things that caught my eye, first, the scope was a Leupold fixed 7.5AO and at gun shows I tend to look for rifles with a decent scope on it.

I'd DRY FIRE it with the 'scope on it to see if any "wiggle" or "flutter" on the reticule. Ditto turn the adjustments all the way up/down and left/right and then back to centre and repeat the DRY FIRE again.

A worn out 'scope is useful only as a carrying handle IMHO!

The scope's a Leupold, it has a forever warranty. If it's "worn out" Leupold will fix it NC.

The Leupold scope is warranted forever. If it has a problem, send it to Leupold and they'll rebuild it to new and send it back, for free.

Can't go wrong on this deal, the parts are worth a whole bunch more than he's asking.

dave

quote:

Originally posted by enfieldspares:

quote:

So here were the things that caught my eye, first, the scope was a Leupold fixed 7.5AO and at gun shows I tend to look for rifles with a decent scope on it.

I'd DRY FIRE it with the 'scope on it to see if any "wiggle" or "flutter" on the reticule. Ditto turn the adjustments all the way up/down and left/right and then back to centre and repeat the DRY FIRE again.

A worn out 'scope is useful only as a carrying handle IMHO!

Well, I let the deal go. I thought about it long and hard all night and did some more reasearch on it. Realized it was a good deal and even though I could make my money back if I decided to sell it again.

I want Kevin Weaver to build me a .338-06 that will weigh around 8lbs all up. So I could use the $470 for my custom build than buy a rifle I'd want to restock. It cost around $700 for him to rebarrel my action so this would cover most of my costs. Besides I've already got the McMillan Edge stock bought, just need to find the right bottom metal and I'll be ready to go to him to start my build.

I did have to go back to the show today and handle the rifle a little more, so it was a pretty hard deal to pass.

Fair enough.

A lot of guys I know would have bought the rifle, parted it out, and sold the parts. That would probably have given them $600-$700 in their pocket...a net gain of $130 to $230.

Because I love old rifles, I like it better that you DIDN'T do that.

quote:

Originally posted by Alberta Canuck:
Fair enough.

A lot of guys I know would have bought the rifle, parted it out, and sold the parts. That would probably have given them $600-$700 in their pocket...a net gain of $130 to $230.

Because I love old rifles, I like it better that you DIDN'T do that.

I wouldn't have parted it out it would have probably found a dark corner of my safe until I decided to take it out and play with it. I'd have probably sold off the Leupold M8 7.5 and put a VX-II 3-9X40 on it or a 4-12X40AO if I liked how the rifle shot. If it didn't shoot well it would have either went down the road or back in the safe for a future project.