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Thread: Buying a seconhand target rifle.

  1. #1
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    Buying a seconhand target rifle.

    Hi all,
    I am in the market for a good .22LR target rifle. I am thinking of Anschutz Match 54, or 1813, 1907, 1903 etc. what I nee to know is this:-

    When buying secondhand and possibly fairly old rifles, how does one tell if the breech/rifling has had its day?

    Are there any tips you more experienced chaps can give me on what to look for?

    Thanks in advance
    Bob
    He who dies with the most toys wins. Flying, shooting, fishing and sports cars, what more could a man want.

  2. #2
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    Bob,

    A Match 54 would be a good choice. I'd suggest getting the newest model that your budget will accommodate. If a rifle is advertised with a 4-digit number, the first two are the production series; 14 = 1954-1980 (1976-1980 is sometimes called 16), 18 = 1980 - 1987, 19 = 1987-present. Rifles just described as Match 54 tend to be the older 14 series. a 1903 (or the older 1803, and 1403) is not a Match 54, it uses the lighter, cheaper, and less desirable Match 64 Action; it's still a well-made and accurate rifle, but the trigger is basic compared to the Match 54, the stock is basic and cannot be interchanged (wich the Match 54 can).

    I'm afraid there aren't many ways to check the bore/throat without a borescope. You can ask the seller what the round count is (if they know), or make a conservative estimate based on the age. With 14 series rifles, the bluing on the bolt handle wears with use; so a silvery handle suggests a high round count (or a lot of dry firing). If you only want to shoot at 25 yards, high mileage won't be that noticeable, but for 50m and especially 100 yards it can show as bigger groups or fussiness about ammo.

    What you should be worried about is a bulged barrel. This is caused by the impact of two bullets in the barrel, usually where an un-charged round has stuck halfway along; the rounds expand on impact, and stretch the steel beyond it's elasticity, creating a small bulge. Look along the outside of a clean and oiled barrel, a bulge will show as a ring across the barrel. If you push a patch (or better a VFG felt) through the barrel, it will jump when it meets the bulge. A bulge invalidates the proof of a barrel, so it cannot be legally sold or transferred. A bulged barrel is unlikely to shoot well in the long term.

    General things to look for: the rifle should look like it's been well cared for. It doesn't need to be spotless, but if it looks abused, it could be an ex-club rifle, i.e. high mileage, minimal maintenance. Beyond that, check that the 3-digits on the bolt face match the last 3 digits of the serial number; this is important as bolts are individually matched to actions. Look at the bedding/stock bolts. If the heads are chewed or partially stripped, this is not a good sign; it suggets a ham-fisted owner or over tightening, which can compress the wood over time, so the barrel becomes loose.

    Specks of rust are ok, if unsightly, but extensive rust on the barrel is bad; if the owner couldn't be bothered to keep this clean and oiled, it will be worse elsewhere.

    Scratches and dents on the stock are only a cosmetic issue, but cracks around the grip or bedding bolts are seriously bad. Walk away from anything with a cracked stock, unless you have a spare and are prepared to negotiate a big discount.
    Last edited by tim s; 25-06-2011 at 08:13 AM.

  3. #3
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    Tim,
    Many Many thanks for taking the time to educate me in this matter, I honestly and sincerely appreciate it. There are a couple of Match 54's for sale and an 1813, from what you have said, I will stick to the match 54 and now feel much more confident in what I should be looking for. I will print this reply off and take it with me whenever I go to view a rifle.

    Once again mate, many thanks for helping me out.

    Kind Regards
    Bob
    He who dies with the most toys wins. Flying, shooting, fishing and sports cars, what more could a man want.

  4. #4
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    Hello Bob,

    don't mention it.

    If the chocie was between a Match 54 or an 1813, I'd go for the 1813.

    Most rifles described as Match 54 are the older 1954-1980 14 series, usually the entry-level 1407 Standard or 1411 Prone models; the 1813 (which was Anschutz's flagship model from 1980-1987) has an even better trigger, and a fully adjustable stock. If barrel mileage is the same, the 1813 should be more comfortable to shoot, and so give better scores.

    The down side to the 1813 is that it's heavy (around 14lb), and you need someone to help you adjust the stock to fit your position (preferably an NSRA qualified instructor, but an experienced club member will do).

    Tim

  5. #5
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    If you use normal ammo, you wont wear out any .22 matchrifle any time soon
    2 bullets in the barrel, a bulge...wouldnt worry about that either, as matchrifles are singleshot, and you 'cant' reload .22LR. Havent heard of 1 single problem like that.
    Even if it wás a clubrifle, it'll still be accurate and outshoot you. As I said, those things dont wear out easily! I have 2 Anschutz rifles(1808, 2002), 1 walther(kk100).
    If the stock has many damages, that cán be a sign of an ex-clubgun.
    You can feel the bolt for wear (in closed position). You can also look for signs of wear on the shiny bolt surface itself.
    If you REALLY want to know? There áre 'calibers'for .22LR, go and no-go's. But I cant recall anyone ever being able to close the no-go.(=worn)
    Check for pistolgrip stock cracks.
    They dó wear significantly faster with high velo ammo.
    You can spot rust if you clean the barrel out with a feltpad (brown). But wouldnt expect much rust though, as they're matchguns, not hunters used in open rain.

    But besides the obvious? Dont worry too much about buying a .22..
    ATB,
    yana

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by hwtyger View Post
    If you use normal ammo, you wont wear out any .22 matchrifle any time soon
    2 bullets in the barrel, a bulge...wouldnt worry about that either, as matchrifles are singleshot, and you 'cant' reload .22LR. Havent heard of 1 single problem like that.
    Even if it wás a clubrifle, it'll still be accurate and outshoot you. As I said, those things
    Bulges can and do happen, although they are thankfully rare. I don't agree that a single shot rifle is less likely to be bulged. All it takes is firing two shots without scoping each, or assuming the previous shot went through an existing hole; both happen quite often, and if the first round was faulty (and it does happen that the loading machine misses a case, leaving it uncharged), you may have a bulge.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by hwtyger View Post
    If you use normal ammo, you wont wear out any .22 matchrifle any time soon
    2 bullets in the barrel, a bulge...wouldnt worry about that either, as matchrifles are singleshot, and you 'cant' reload .22LR. Havent heard of 1 single problem like that.
    Even if it wás a clubrifle, it'll still be accurate and outshoot you. As I said, those things dont wear out easily! I have 2 Anschutz rifles(1808, 2002), 1 walther(kk100).
    If the stock has many damages, that cán be a sign of an ex-clubgun.
    You can feel the bolt for wear (in closed position). You can also look for signs of wear on the shiny bolt surface itself.
    If you REALLY want to know? There áre 'calibers'for .22LR, go and no-go's. But I cant recall anyone ever being able to close the no-go.(=worn)
    Check for pistolgrip stock cracks.
    They dó wear significantly faster with high velo ammo.
    You can spot rust if you clean the barrel out with a feltpad (brown). But wouldnt expect much rust though, as they're matchguns, not hunters used in open rain.

    But besides the obvious? Dont worry too much about buying a .22..
    About 30 years ago I bought an Anschutz 1807 with a bulged barrel, I was in a dealers tent at an open meeting while a lady shooter was negotiating the sale of her rifle because she was to have a operation and would be unable to shoot for two years.
    I bought the rifle from the dealer, the first time I put a cleaning rod it jumped,just as Tim has described.
    This was shortly before the Bisley meeting so I visited the Anschutz service van at the meeting and asked for there opinion, to be told it had a bulged barrel, and would cost £X to put right, I asked how this could happen and was told a round was fired with only primer, the shooter thought the round had missed the target, then fired another shot, hence the bulge.
    I traded the rifle in after Bisley with the same dealer and got a new Walther GX 1, and that never would eject spent cases, but that's another story.
    Peter

  8. #8
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    Thank you gents, for being so very helpful.

    I did like the look of the 1813 Tim and at the moment, its main use will be bench rest shooting, maybe other disciplines at a later stage, so the 1813 sounds like it would be the better bet.

    Kind Regards
    Bob
    He who dies with the most toys wins. Flying, shooting, fishing and sports cars, what more could a man want.

  9. #9
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    Bob,

    if it's for BR, then the fit of the stock doesn't matter, I had it in mind that you would be shooting prone. An 1813 would be younger than most plain "match 54" rifles, which could translate to a lower round count.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Peter Pig View Post
    About 30 years ago I bought an Anschutz 1807 with a bulged barrel,
    Peter
    Naughty Dealer, he should have known better!

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by tim s View Post
    Naughty Dealer, he should have known better!
    Well, the imediate use would be a bit of BR, but you never know, I may weell get back into a bit of prone or 3p shooting too, so the 1813 sounds like a good bet. All i have to do now is find a decent one. There is one advertised at a shop local to me for £625. I'm not sure if this would be a reasonable price though as I have no experience of these things.

    Kind Regards
    Bob
    He who dies with the most toys wins. Flying, shooting, fishing and sports cars, what more could a man want.

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