Hi, I'm thinking of getting me one. Probably a winchester...

Any advice?

Thanks!

Look for a M70 in good condition with CRF or a M52. The others are not as desireable.

With as many posts as you have on this forum, I am not sure you need advice on how to look for a used gun!!!!!



Nevertheless,There are a lot of reasons why people sell the guns they own (in my case its always cuz Im flat broke). But in some cases its becasue there is something wrong with it, and probably most of the time its maybe that the accuracy wasn't quite up to snuff.



If you just want a deer rifle, look for a Model 70 Featherweight Classic (controlled feed) in .270 or 30-06.

Look at the bluing and see if there is a lot of wear down to the steel, and look closely at the stock to see if there are a lot of scratches on it. Those two things will give you a good indication of how much it was used. And if you are buying locally, ask whomever you are buying from if you can return it within a week after you shoot it. Get a good scope in it, take it to a range, and fire a box or two of factory ammo through, checking for function and for accuracy. If everything seems to work well and you can keep 5 shots inside of whatever your comfortable with, then go ahead and keep it. Obviously, if you can't keep three or four shots inside of a pie plate with factory ammo, think twice about keeping it.



Blue

Most of my posts are questions or just silly Tom Foolery.

I am particularly concerned about the condition of the action. Where are the important places I should look for wear?

Thanks!

YOU'RE MY BOY BLUE!!!11 [/OLD SCHOOL]

Sorry, couldn't resist.

My biggest point of concern would be the locking lugs and if they are galled by lack of lube. If they are galled badly, I would pass on the gun.

The galling seems to be more prevalent in the stainless guns. Look along the action rails for galling also. I would also look at bluing wear on the contact surfaces of the recoil lugs. If one shows considerable more wear it indicates that the lugs need to be lapped and may not shoot to the true potential of the rifle. Also inspect the crown closely for nicks and burs. Eithe problem is very easily fixed but can make even the best shooting rifle into a accuracy nightmare.

You might look for general wear and tear. A person who hasn't maintained the stock or barreled action may not have cared for the gun at all. You can check the barrel with a bore light, but that's no guarantee. One thing you might be aware of is that we're an aging population. There are a lot of oldsters today, quite a few deaths as well. Widows don't often want to keep firearms in the house so many end up for sale on the used gun racks. My last three rifles have been used ones, and all 3 have been terrific. It's just something to keep in mind. Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal

Hey Cool Guy, My advice is to forget "used" and buy new, unless you know the original owner. Then weigh the benefits vs. the potential negatives.

The last rifle I swapped for was with a buddy who had fired it 6 times using Factory Ammo and I was with him when he did it. So, I know what that rifle has endured.

If you will look over on "most" Reloading Boards you will see that there is always a group of folks who thinks they can turn their 30-06 into a 30-378Wby. What this does is apply "cumulative stress" to the action.

The problem with this is that it isn't easily detected using even Magnaflux to detect Stress Fractures. There are sure lots of folks out there buying old actions and the vast majority of them never have a problem. If however the action does decide to let go, it doesn't always give you a warning.

But, when you buy used, you just can't always be sure what it has been subjected to.

If Clark jumps in the thread, pay attention. He has intentionally blown-up more firearms than anyone else I know. And he may disagree with me completely.

I look for indications of low use and good maintenance have found some exceptional buys that way. Stay away from guns with sloppy bolts and lots of blueing wear as they have been around the block a few times and are more likley to either have some nasty suprises or just be completly shot out and need a new barrel.



Of corse there are exceptions to this, like if you want a pre-64 or something of that nature. But for run of the mill rifles there is no need to settle for a POS, even in a used rifle. You may end up spending $50.00 to $100.00 more for a quality used rifle, but it is money well spent.



Also bear in mind that it is quite possible to find a gun in generally good condition that has been completly neglected, they are usually not hard to spot. It is amazing just how many morons will not pick up a cleaning rod, even when they want to peddle their shooter.