The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - New to shotguns - looking for semi-auto

BigJimP · June 15, 2011, 06:04 PM

I buy a lot of used guns ...and what I look for is condition and cleanliness. If its dirty ...I pass on it ....because its an indication of the attitude of the owner ( he didn't even clean it / when he put it up for sale).

You can't come up with a list of all the stuff to look for in a used semi-auto because there are too many variables out there / and too many models.

But yes, there are a lot of great used guns out there / and good values - or you can also get taken, if you don't know what you're looking at. Many used guns will come with extra chokes / or sometimes, if I'm selling a gun, I'm keeping the chokes because I have other guns that will use them - and I sell it with it came with.

A 20ga may not recoil less than a 12ga. These days its pretty easy to buy a 7/8 oz shell for a 12ga ( which balistically, is a standard 20ga load) ...and a heavier gun absorbs more recoil. But if you want a 20ga - and you and your son can both shoot it - sure, do that. Buy a 12ga down the road - when you feel like you want another gun / or know more about your interest in a variety of the clay target games.

This shooting hobby can get expensive ...but like woodworking ...its not just the tool ...its the blades, the wood, etc. In shotgunning - yes, guns are not cheap ....but you'll pay $ 6 for a box of shells and another $ 6 for a round of 25 targets probably --- and if you shoot 4 rounds of Trap a week - that's $ 48 a week X 40 times a year = about $ 2,000 ....

Better guns ...will give you a longer life. A good higher end "target gun" will give you 100,000 shell life ....or 250,000 shell life with no issues ...some of the less expensive guns, just won't do that. 100,000 shells might seem like a lot ....but a lot of us ...and we've done this awhile ...shoot 8 or 10 or 16 boxes a week ...and local tournaments, leagues, or whatever ...and its a great thing to do with a kid or a grandkid .../ and maybe getting into reloading so you can customize your shells ...for the kids, or new shooters , or whatever you like as well....

Its not just the price of a gun ...

But some of the lower priced imports are pretty good ...and some aren't / you'll have to be the judge of different guns / compare how the internals look / ignore most of what you're told in gunshops - or at least check it out / and shooters never lie ( I shot with a guy yesterday, that was bragging about his score --- said he shot a 92 out of 100 at skeet ...) ...he must have forgot that one 19 of 25 he shot / and the other 21 ...( he shot two 23's ...and it somehow got embellished a little ...) ...not that it matters...is just is, what it is...and he had an 86 and wished for a 92 ...?? but who cares...

talk to a lot of guys ...get a trend...

June 15, 2011, 06:04 PM	#7
BigJimP Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2005 Posts: 13,195	I buy a lot of used guns ...and what I look for is condition and cleanliness. If its dirty ...I pass on it ....because its an indication of the attitude of the owner ( he didn't even clean it / when he put it up for sale). You can't come up with a list of all the stuff to look for in a used semi-auto because there are too many variables out there / and too many models. But yes, there are a lot of great used guns out there / and good values - or you can also get taken, if you don't know what you're looking at. Many used guns will come with extra chokes / or sometimes, if I'm selling a gun, I'm keeping the chokes because I have other guns that will use them - and I sell it with it came with. A 20ga may not recoil less than a 12ga. These days its pretty easy to buy a 7/8 oz shell for a 12ga ( which balistically, is a standard 20ga load) ...and a heavier gun absorbs more recoil. But if you want a 20ga - and you and your son can both shoot it - sure, do that. Buy a 12ga down the road - when you feel like you want another gun / or know more about your interest in a variety of the clay target games. This shooting hobby can get expensive ...but like woodworking ...its not just the tool ...its the blades, the wood, etc. In shotgunning - yes, guns are not cheap ....but you'll pay $ 6 for a box of shells and another $ 6 for a round of 25 targets probably --- and if you shoot 4 rounds of Trap a week - that's $ 48 a week X 40 times a year = about $ 2,000 .... Better guns ...will give you a longer life. A good higher end "target gun" will give you 100,000 shell life ....or 250,000 shell life with no issues ...some of the less expensive guns, just won't do that. 100,000 shells might seem like a lot ....but a lot of us ...and we've done this awhile ...shoot 8 or 10 or 16 boxes a week ...and local tournaments, leagues, or whatever ...and its a great thing to do with a kid or a grandkid .../ and maybe getting into reloading so you can customize your shells ...for the kids, or new shooters , or whatever you like as well.... Its not just the price of a gun ... But some of the lower priced imports are pretty good ...and some aren't / you'll have to be the judge of different guns / compare how the internals look / ignore most of what you're told in gunshops - or at least check it out / and shooters never lie ( I shot with a guy yesterday, that was bragging about his score --- said he shot a 92 out of 100 at skeet ...) ...he must have forgot that one 19 of 25 he shot / and the other 21 ...( he shot two 23's ...and it somehow got embellished a little ...) ...not that it matters...is just is, what it is...and he had an 86 and wished for a 92 ...?? but who cares... talk to a lot of guys ...get a trend...