Show description

22 Rifle 10/19/09 3:26:07 PM SEMI-AUTO RIFLES The violent operation of the blowback action, the sharp edges of magazines, extractors, bolt faces and carriers worked in concert with heavy magazine springs to mash, cut, gouge, shave, bend and otherwise mutilate ammunition in the feeding process. This generally resulted in jammed actions and unhappy customers. The public, however, wanted LR autoloaders because the special “autoloader” ammunition was expensive, limited in its loadings and often hard to find.

Both operations are gunsmith jobs costing into the hundreds of dollars. The seller’s price should reflect such a condition. A look into the chamber is relatively easy with most single-shot actions and bolt rifles — simply remove the bolt. They all come out. Most slide-actions, lever-actions, and autoloaders (with the exception of “take-down” rifles) are closed at the rear, by the receiver, and will require a dentist’s-type mirror and a bore light for this inspection. Many rifles showing little wear turn up on the used market.

The edges of the rifling will be rounded or rough looking. Wear starts at the bottom of the chamber. Look for a dark shadow — like a pothole on a road seen with headlights. Minor wear — a slight, but even rounding of the rifling lands is not serious. Deep, asymmetrical wear, a shadow at the front of the chamber indicates this barrel is near or at the end of its shooting life. The muzzle is the second most critical area. indd 45 45 10/19/09 3:24:41 PM NRA Conditions Standards In the process of evaluating a used or collectible firearm and determining its value, an accurate and recognized method of describing the gun’s condition is essential.