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When Buying Used Double-Barreled Shotguns, Check For a Loose Action
Photo by Harry Bates
For a used double shotgun, the buyer’s equivalent of kicking the tires is to jiggle the action to see if it’s still tight. Take the grip in one hand, the barrels in the other, and wiggle up and down, checking for any looseness or play. Be sure to remove the gun’s forearm first; an action that seems tight when you shake it with the forearm on may rattle like a flamenco dancer’s castanets when you try it with the forearm off.
A loose action doesn’t mean a gun is ready for the junkyard. Tightening an action or putting a gun “back on face” usually costs $300 to $350 and will make a gun lock up like new. —P.B.
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Comments (10)
good tip
any other tips? looking to get my first over and under soon. looking to shoot sporting clays.
A more important test (the fix is more $) is to "ring" barrels. Carefully dismount the barrels and place your index finger in the hook where the hinge pivots. Strike the barrels with a flick of your hand or a pencil, they should "ring" i.e. hold the tone for two or more seconds. If you get a dull thud/thunk the ribs are loose, most likely from hot bluing. The fix is often north of $500 and be a harbinger of yet to be discovered "crimes and misdemeanors" perpetrated on an old gun.
When buying any shotgun, new or used, bring a pair of snap-caps and test the trigger pull and safety functions. It's getting harder to find a gunsmith to work on triggers now, and shotguns as a rule don't admit of adjustable trigger pulls. In other words, you will be stuck with that 10 lb pull forever.
You can also test the ejectors in doubles and loading/ejection in autoloaders and pumps.
When buying any shotgun, new or used, bring a pair of snap-caps and test the trigger pull and safety functions. It's getting harder to find a gunsmith to work on triggers now, and shotguns as a rule don't admit of adjustable trigger pulls. In other words, you will be stuck with that 10 lb pull forever.
You can also test the ejectors in doubles and loading/ejection in autoloaders and pumps.
thats a great tip and broadly can be applied to any gun your buying 2nd hand, ie making sure that its not got bolts hanging out haha, my wife often checks stuff like clutch bags when shes shopping to see how well they open and close, before she buys them
Check shotgun are screw slots parallel to bore; bore pit free;action tight;wood not oil soakedTHEN TAKE TO A GUNSMITH THATS COMPETENT & HAVE TEST FIRED STRIPPED AND CHECKED. I HAVE BOUGHT SXS FOR 50 YEARS PETE UNDERWOOD MY GUNSMITH CHECKS ALL> JIM BATON ROUGE NEVER LEARN FROM COSTLY MISTAKES
also look to see of the lever used to break open the action is to the right of center. if it is to the left that is also a sign that it needs to be tightened.
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When buying any shotgun, new or used, bring a pair of snap-caps and test the trigger pull and safety functions. It's getting harder to find a gunsmith to work on triggers now, and shotguns as a rule don't admit of adjustable trigger pulls. In other words, you will be stuck with that 10 lb pull forever.
You can also test the ejectors in doubles and loading/ejection in autoloaders and pumps.
A more important test (the fix is more $) is to "ring" barrels. Carefully dismount the barrels and place your index finger in the hook where the hinge pivots. Strike the barrels with a flick of your hand or a pencil, they should "ring" i.e. hold the tone for two or more seconds. If you get a dull thud/thunk the ribs are loose, most likely from hot bluing. The fix is often north of $500 and be a harbinger of yet to be discovered "crimes and misdemeanors" perpetrated on an old gun.
When buying any shotgun, new or used, bring a pair of snap-caps and test the trigger pull and safety functions. It's getting harder to find a gunsmith to work on triggers now, and shotguns as a rule don't admit of adjustable trigger pulls. In other words, you will be stuck with that 10 lb pull forever.
You can also test the ejectors in doubles and loading/ejection in autoloaders and pumps.
good tip
any other tips? looking to get my first over and under soon. looking to shoot sporting clays.
thats a great tip and broadly can be applied to any gun your buying 2nd hand, ie making sure that its not got bolts hanging out haha, my wife often checks stuff like clutch bags when shes shopping to see how well they open and close, before she buys them
Check shotgun are screw slots parallel to bore; bore pit free;action tight;wood not oil soakedTHEN TAKE TO A GUNSMITH THATS COMPETENT & HAVE TEST FIRED STRIPPED AND CHECKED. I HAVE BOUGHT SXS FOR 50 YEARS PETE UNDERWOOD MY GUNSMITH CHECKS ALL> JIM BATON ROUGE NEVER LEARN FROM COSTLY MISTAKES
also look to see of the lever used to break open the action is to the right of center. if it is to the left that is also a sign that it needs to be tightened.
Post a Comment