RFD or Private purchase?

[Hrun]

I bought Mrs Hrun a new 10/22. I got mine cheap second hand.

We have spent similar amounts in total (or would ha e if I hadn't been given my barrel for nothing) to make them the gun we want.

As I see it..

Buy private, but only a gun you know the history of.

Buy dealer, but only if it has a warranty. Second hand, the warranty may be short (3 months) but long enough to put a decent number of rounds through and get someone you trust to take a look at it.

[Duey]

Hi Topic22

Whereabouts in the country are you based as this may help guide you to a reputable dealer if RFD is the way you want to go

[Topic22]

Hi Topic22

Whereabouts in the country are you based as this may help guide you to a reputable dealer if RFD is the way you want to go

Hi Duey ..... South Midlands so Birmingham, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire all easy enough and I'm happy to travel further afield!

[shugie]

As above, you've got next to no chance of getting an unbiased/relevant option in a gun shop, more likely you'll end up with whatever stock the RFD has had trouble shifting.

Get opinions from people doing the same sort of shooting as you and make your own choice

Agreed

I am still seething on behalf of a customer who purchased a Winchester M77 in .243Win, it cost him a cool GBP500 and has virtually no bore left, what is not fire cracked is worn belief. It would not shoot accurately and the first Gunshop he took it to suggested chopping a couple of inches off and crowning so he came to me for the work. A couple of minutes with the Hawkeye and I had to give him the bad news, yes I could shorten and crown the barrel however it would just mean he was further out of pocket with a rifle that still would not shoot and should never have been sold. Someone somewhere knew exactly how bad this rifle was yet it still ended up being punted out to an unsuspecting new shooter.

I had a similar experience with a Tikka which turned out to have a well rusted bore, but was sold to me by an RFD in Witney, who was in the process of closing down. If it had been in decent nick then the price would have been ok.

[kennyc]

I'm very new to the sport but joined a club and completed the training course, became a full member and recently applied for a FAC.

Training involved handling and shooting a number of rifles but mainly .22lr, specifically bolt action Rugers and CZ's.

The advice I'm getting once the FAC is through is to buy a "decent" bolt action .22lr, put enough ammunition of different brands through it to see what works best and focus on improving my technique over 25 and 50 metres.

Having read endless reviews and forum threads about different rifles it's less the make of rifle I'm concerned about (preference at present is a CZ 452, 453 or 455) but where I buy it.

Would I do better to purchase from a RFD on the basis I may be paying more but am likely to get better advice regarding, say, appropriate scopes and are there particular problems I should be aware of in buying privately?

As you might expect, a couple of club members have rifles they would be happy to sell but I'm not convinced a .22lr Tactical is the best place for me to start!

Any pointers much appreciated.

I bought a brno mod 2 (CZ452) from an RFD this year, it cost £140 from memory and came threaded for a mod , and with a useable 4x scope and rings, the finish was well worn but after some Danish oil and cold blue it looks OK and shoots like a champ!
it was bought as a truckgun for rabbits so finish wasn't an issue but accuracy was! no need to pay a fortune for a first bolt rifle as there are plenty out there and 22lr's rarely get shot out. a target stock would be worth buying if you are going to use it for target, so its worth paying more to get a rifle fitted with one already.
of course the cost of the rifle apalled me as the semiauto it replaced had only cost £10

[Duey]

Hi Tropic22
In that area I would suggest Norman Clark in Rugby and Shooting Supplies in bromsgrove as good RFDs
Used them both, but predominantly Norman,( reloading and gunsmithing) when I lived south Birmingham-Warwickshire boarders
Bought my shotgun and my CZ rimfire off shooting supplies

[JS569]

I broadly see used .22's fall into two categories based on the users. Range guns and hunting rifles. The hunting variants tend to get a lot of stick, scratched pulled in an out of vehicles or jumping over walls etc. All fair wear and tear. However as they're working guns people have them for a purpose and don't tend to love them as much as range guns. Obviously this is a broad sweeping statement (I do know a few people that really look after their hunting .22's), based on my experience of seeing both worlds. Therefore I'd try and buy a gun where I knew it had come from.

Like cars, new .22's lose their value so as someone has stated so I'd buy second hand unless I wanted something really special/ tricked out. I think my old BRNO was £100 when we bought it, it shoots fine and has shot plenty of rabbits and punched plenty of good groups. As others have said, if you go to the right shop/ dealer you should be able to pick something up that if you decide it's not for you I doubt you'll lose much on it.

I'll not forgot the new Sako .22 that a friend at the club used to lend me, 25ms it would punch amazing groups. Always hankered after one of those.

[Topic22]

In that area I would suggest Norman Clark in Rugby and Shooting Supplies in bromsgrove as good RFDs

Appreciate that as it's good to have a heads-up on two RFD's in easy reach.

I actually bought my gun safe from Shooting Supplies who had what I wanted at a reasonable price and saved me some money by suggesting an ammunition safe they didn't stock. When the time comes, I'll keep an eye open on their secondhand stock.

Thanks!

[Topic22]

I broadly see used .22's fall into two categories based on the users. Range guns and hunting rifles.... [snip] .... As others have said, if you go to the right shop/ dealer you should be able to pick something up that if you decide it's not for you I doubt you'll lose much on it.

Thanks for the insight, it's gradually beginning to make sense but as you'll understand, a lot to absorb.

I'll wait to see what's around when I'm ready to buy but at the moment it seems sensible to go for a secondhand rifle, particularly as there seem a lot available at not too much money so I should be able to learn and practise before committing to a major expense. Hope that's not famous last words!