While you were checking the safety, just what was the trigger pull? A very light trigger pull is not always bad, but may need adjustment.
As an example, if you are handling a Remington 700 or Winchester 70, and the trigger pull is one pound, someone may have adjusted the trigger mechanism. If you are handling a Winchester ’94 and the trigger pull is a pound, someone has been stoning the hammer or sear.
On the first two, you or your gunsmith can adjust the weight back to normal ranges. On the ’94 you may have to buy a new hammer or sear — or both — to get the pull back into the normal range.

Inspect the action and barrel channel. Is the gap between the barrel and the channel uniform? Or does the forearm bend right or left? Changes in humidity can warp a forearm and, if the wood touches the barrel, alter accuracy. The owner may be selling it because the accuracy has “gone south,” and not know that some simple bedding work can cure it.

The bore, action and trigger aren’t the only features to turn a keen eye to in evaluating a used rifle. Also inspect the stock, which could be cracked or warped, and the screw or pins, which might need to be replaced.
The bore, action and trigger aren’t the only features to turn a keen eye to in evaluating a used rifle. Also inspect the stock, which could be cracked or warped, and the screw or pins, which might need to be replaced.

Look at the action where it meets the stock. Is the wood/metal edge clean and uniform? Or do you see traces of epoxy bedding compound? Epoxy could mean a bedding job,and it could mean a repair of a cracked stock. Closely inspect the wrist of the stock, right behind the tang. Look for cracks and repairs.
Turn the rifle over and look at the action screws. Are the slots clean, or are they chewed up? Mangled slots indicates a rifle that has been taken apart many times – and at least a few of those times with a poorly-fitting screwdriver.

Remove the bolt if you can. If not, use a reflector or light to illuminate the bore. Is the bore clean and bright? Look at the bore near the muzzle. Do you see jacket fouling or lead deposits? Many an “inaccurate” rifle can be made accurate again simply by cleaning the jacket fouling out of the bore. While looking down the bore, hold the barrel so a vertical or horizontal bar in a window reflects down the bore. If the reflection of the bar has a ‘break’ in it, the barrel is bent. Sight down the outside of the barrel and see if you can spot it. A slightly bent barrel can still be accurate, but will walk its shots when it heats up. A severely bent barrel must be replaced.

Editor’s Note: This article is an excerpt of our new book Gun Digest Book of Modern Gun Values, 18th Edition.


Gun Digest Book of Modern Gun Values, 18th Edition

Your Guide to the Guns You Shoot

Freshly updated Gun Digest Book of Modern Gun Values, 18th Edition is the guide for the contemporary gun enthusiast. Focusing on the most frequently bought and sold firearms from the past 100 years, the book is a must for shooters looking to navigate today’s crowded gun market with the utmost confidence. Get Your Copy Now

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Patrick Sweeney is the author of many of Gun Digest books’ best-selling titles, including Gun Digest Book of the 1911, Vols. I & II; Gun Digest Big Fat Book of the .45 ACP, Gun Digest Book of the AR-15, Gun Digest Book of the AK and SKS, Gun Digest Book of the Glock and Gunsmithing: Pistols and Revolvers, among other titles. A master gunsmith, Patrick is also Handguns Editor for Guns & Ammo magazine.