Short of someone upgrading an older K-80, the latest FCG upgrades on the guns started on serial number 25000, being the 1998 models and later.

Next comes if you are trying to piece one together or not, and with a receiver going for $3k upwards, and the fact that you can buy a new Pro Sporter for under $9K, unless you can find the barrel you want on the cheap, better to either buy a complete used or new gun than to try to piece one together.

Lastly, unless you find a gun that fits you out the gate, buying a woodless gun and have a stock made to fit you will save you money in the end as well.

I'll give you an example of this since I am building up a new Pro skeet ($9700 with tubes and Americase without wood, all brand new with warranties).

The forearm I need is the straight front skeet 3iii (wider forearm than stock). In the butt stock, parallel adjustable comb at 1 1/2" drop, Lop 14 7/8", heal 3 1/6" drop, 1/4" cast off at heal, 1/2" cast off at toe, and 1 degree pitch at pad. Besides K having the forearm, the butt stock would need to be a custom order from them, and several thousands over what I can have the entire stock set made here in the states from a stock maker with the same grade of wood or better (read stock is costing me just under $2K in fancy french walnut fitted).

Next,
You are going from a Italian gun to a German gun, which have a totally different feel. Before you make this move, spend some time in a K gun to make sure that it's the gun that you want to go to. Not only are you going to a totally difference feeling gun, but from a low rib to a high rib on the ACS double barrel as well. If he feel is not to your liking, then
the P guns will be more of a like feel as the Beretta gun, and regarding a High rib P gun, P makes them as well (MX-10 in used, and adjustable high rib on the new receivers) if you find the feeling of the K gun not to your liking.

 

Next comes if you are trying to piece one together or not, and with a receiver going for $3k upwards, and the fact that you can buy a new Pro Sporter for under $9K, unless you can find the barrel you want on the cheap, better to either buy a complete used or new gun than to try to piece one together.

what dealer(s) are selling a new ProSporter for under $9k?

 

Thanks for the reply Dano523.

I have handled a few K-80's but am not too familiar with it to piece one together. To clarify my position I am considering getting a new Standard Pro Sporter vs. used K-80.

What consists of FCG upgrades and what would be the "pit falls" that I should watch out for if I were to get an older pre-1998 K-80? For that matter are there other issues I should be aware of in purchasing a used gun?

Regards,

 

The upgrades on the K-80 is the sear spring have been changed out from single coils loops to in line coil spring with center guide rods. The upgrade consists of new side plates, hammer, sears, the springs and rods, and the spring block (will cost you around $900 to upgrade a pre-upgraded K-80 receiver, with the upgrades of such on a K-32 receiver around $1500, which will include a new K-80 trigger and a New K-80 trigger guard so you can use a K-80 stock and not have the gap).

The main reason for the upgrade is if the sear spring snaps, the gun will still run. The positive side effect on the upgrade, the triggers are now crisper will less travel than the older pre-upgrade guns.

Beside that, on any used K gun, you want to see the records of when the gun was last serviced by K. When K services the gun (should be done every year on a gun that is being used for match shooting), they completely strip it down, and not only replace the springs, but go through all the parts and replace/refit anything that needs it as well (read the gun is sent back as fresh as the day it left the factory new, and even as clean as such if it was refinished when there as well).

 

vhc

There are also differnt weight low rib barrels. The pro sporter barrels weight the same as the older low rib barrels from the 90's. Krieghoff also makes a lighter weight low rib barrel (I think it's a super sport) that might me more to your liking coming from shooting a light Beretta.

Tony-S

 

The "new" light barrels are 31.5 inches without the chokes installed. Mine weigh 1.66 and I have not seen any lighter.

I have seen 32 inch Beretta 682 barrels as light as 1.31.....you will never find K 80 barrels that light.

In shooting the Pro-Sporter , I found that it had a different balance/swing than my regular barrelled gun....maybe the extra wood in the stock to get your face up to that high rib changed the balance toward the rear.

I simply did not like them.

 

Don't know if lighter barrel will solve the problem.

The Beretta, like the Kolar, puts the weight of the gun between your hands.

The K-80 puts the weight across the whole gun (muzzle to butt pad), and is not so much between your hands like on the above and P guns.

Then there is the whole liveliness to the guns, with the K more like swinging a fence post (but in a good way, since ones you put it on line with the leg drive, it wants to track that way as well).

 

I added a 32" barrel to my K-80 skeet gun to shoot Sporting Clays years ago and had good success!

This year I bought a K-80 Pro Sporter - I wish I bought it sooner!

It's a great gun. The higher head position keeps me from shooting over the birds.

 

Next comes if you are trying to piece one together or not, and with a receiver going for $3k upwards, and the fact that you can buy a new Pro Sporter for under $9K, unless you can find the barrel you want on the cheap, better to either buy a complete used or new gun than to try to piece one together.

what dealer(s) are selling a new ProSporter for under $9k?

when you find out, let me know. I'm ready for one at that price!

 

Have you called Herkowitz/Paxton/Grates to get actual selling prices from them, instead of just looking at the retail suggested list price instead?

 

thanks Dano, I will contact them. Also will work with Great Lakes, as most of the guys on the Navy Team have dealt with them.

 

early last year Paxton was selling K80 ProSporters for OVER $9k......he was the cheapest dealer around when I called to inquire about a 30" ProSporter as a second gun. How are dealers selling them for under $9k this year when Krieghoff had a price increase on Jan 1st?

 

I've so far found the cheapest offering in a K-80 Pro Sport to be $11K, with a Tube set and Americase.

Having 2 guns sent to me to demo for 4 weeks, and will decide after that.

 

I've so far found the cheapest offering in a K-80 Pro Sport to be $11K, with a Tube set and Americase.

Having 2 guns sent to me to demo for 4 weeks, and will decide after that.

Hey John Henry, who are you getting the pro sporter demo from?

 

Mike, I am getting a Demo K-80 Pro SPorter and a Kolar Max Skeet from DuPont to test drive. There is a small fee, but to me it is worth it to have the guns for 4 weeks to thoroughly decide which one I like best.

I want to make an educated decision on which gun I will lug around the skeet fields for the next 20 years!

 

Have you called Herkowitz/Paxton/Grates to get actual selling prices from them, instead of just looking at the retail suggested list price instead?

I have, and they have all offered great prices! And all my quotes have included a sub-gauge Tube set and a case.

Hoping to purchase in about 6 weeks.

 

I want to make a correction on something posted here. The serial numbers on guns with the latest internal upgrades started at 21500. I have had that number verified by Paxton and Krieghoff. MOST guns after 20000 have them but not all and that also is according to krieghoff. Some time back Paxton had a gun I was interested in and the serial number came in to question. I currently have a 25xxx and a 24 xxx and both are the same as a new gun internally. In the older higher grade guns the engraving is often found to be better. Deeper and more pronounced. One prominent k gun smith will tell you without a shadow of doubt the 20xxx-29xxx are the finest made due to later bumps in production numbers. I have had those above and below and I cannot find any great difference. It just so happens the guns I wanted had the numbers I currently have. I just got back a gun gone for 6 months to krieghoff for renickling. The gun is as new. Unbelievable workmanship.

 

I am looking at a standard k-80 sporter for sale at the local Cabelas. Serial number is 206xxx. How do I know if it has the newer triggers? I am new to K-guns. Is there a photo somewhere that would show the differences so I can verify on this particular gun? I did confirm it was manufactured in 1999.

Thanks for your expertise.

Steve V

 

I am looking at a standard k-80 sporter for sale at the local Cabelas. Serial number is 206xxx. How do I know if it has the newer triggers? I am new to K-guns. Is there a photo somewhere that would show the differences so I can verify on this particular gun? I did confirm it was manufactured in 1999.

Thanks for your expertise.

Steve V

Need to pull the stock and look at the receiver inner workings.

Its not the trigger that was upgraded, its the hammer and sears parts instead. The old style had large singe loops sear springs that would snap and take the gun out, while the up dated version has in line coil spring with a center guide rod through the springs (read even if the sear spring snaps, the gun will still set/fire).

viewtopic.php?f=110&t=172230

 

I went from a Beretta, to an MX-8, to a Rem 3200 and finally to a K-80. I tried the Rem 3200 to see if I'd like the M32 platform before making a big investment. I love it and shoot it far better than I did my Perazzi. Mine is an older K-80 that I paid less than half for what they are asking for an ACS. The wood is gorgeous and metal is almost perfect. The barrels are 32 in with the older stepped rib and Briley thin-walls. It smokes 'em in both clays and trap. Keep your eyes open and with some luck, you can pickup an older K-80 that looks and shoots as good as a new gun, at half the price.