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MR.MILSURP · January 10, 2012, 12:46 PM

You would have to do an extensive gun by gun blow up test like in the old days, to say which one is absolutely strongest. With today's metallurgy and legal liability issues, I'd say they're all in the same ballpark. Because they have to be. If one blew up they'd get sued big time, and word would get out, and no one would buy the guns anymore. The market is just way too competitive to take that chance. An enclosed bolt face is always better, it fully supports the cartridge. But in the case of the Japanese made Weatherbys, Brownings, etc. the resale value would not be as high, and demand not as good. You are always better off with a USA made gun, or German, Belgian, England, Scandinavian (i.e. Finn, Swede, Norway) made gun.

Case in point: I was at a gun show, the guy had 2 awesomely nice Mauser sporters on M98 actions. One was an FN Deluxe action, the other was a Spanish 1943. Both had synthetic stocks and new barrels. The Spanish gun had a target with it and was a tack driver, built by a big name 'smith, whose name was on the barrel. I bought the FN. 2 days and 16 hours of gun show later, he took the Spanish home with him- no buyers.

People want pedigree guns. It would be like trying to sell really good bird dogs, but one with papers, and one without. Even though the one without papers may out-hunt the one with papers, the one with papers is going to sell for 2x-3x more money.

I was at a show once, there was 2 unfired Japanese made Brownings, one was an 1886 Winchester, the other was an 1895 Winchester. They both were $850 and were mint, by that I mean 100% IN THE BOXES. There were NO BUYERS. Japanese made gun means $500 gun- on a good day- maybe- if you're lucky. And if there's a USA or German or Belgian next to it, that means no sale for the Japanese gun that day.

these are just some of the quirks I've noticed in buying habits and market trends. I'd buy a USA or German made Weatherby, even the early ones built on the Mauser Magnum action. I'd have to look it up, but didn't Winchester make the Model 70 in Japan for a short while as well ? Can't remember for sure now.

January 10, 2012, 12:46 PM	#34
MR.MILSURP Member Join Date: February 1, 2010 Posts: 16	You would have to do an extensive gun by gun blow up test like in the old days, to say which one is absolutely strongest. With today's metallurgy and legal liability issues, I'd say they're all in the same ballpark. Because they have to be. If one blew up they'd get sued big time, and word would get out, and no one would buy the guns anymore. The market is just way too competitive to take that chance. An enclosed bolt face is always better, it fully supports the cartridge. But in the case of the Japanese made Weatherbys, Brownings, etc. the resale value would not be as high, and demand not as good. You are always better off with a USA made gun, or German, Belgian, England, Scandinavian (i.e. Finn, Swede, Norway) made gun. Case in point: I was at a gun show, the guy had 2 awesomely nice Mauser sporters on M98 actions. One was an FN Deluxe action, the other was a Spanish 1943. Both had synthetic stocks and new barrels. The Spanish gun had a target with it and was a tack driver, built by a big name 'smith, whose name was on the barrel. I bought the FN. 2 days and 16 hours of gun show later, he took the Spanish home with him- no buyers. People want pedigree guns. It would be like trying to sell really good bird dogs, but one with papers, and one without. Even though the one without papers may out-hunt the one with papers, the one with papers is going to sell for 2x-3x more money. I was at a show once, there was 2 unfired Japanese made Brownings, one was an 1886 Winchester, the other was an 1895 Winchester. They both were $850 and were mint, by that I mean 100% IN THE BOXES. There were NO BUYERS. Japanese made gun means $500 gun- on a good day- maybe- if you're lucky. And if there's a USA or German or Belgian next to it, that means no sale for the Japanese gun that day. these are just some of the quirks I've noticed in buying habits and market trends. I'd buy a USA or German made Weatherby, even the early ones built on the Mauser Magnum action. I'd have to look it up, but didn't Winchester make the Model 70 in Japan for a short while as well ? Can't remember for sure now. Last edited by MR.MILSURP; January 10, 2012 at 12:57 PM.