[Guest]

I notice a lot of people looking for "bargain" guns on here. With the economy being what it is I dont blame you one bit.

Just BE CAREFUL. I bought a little Stevens crack shot rifle when I was 16 to hunt **** with and almost lost my eye the first time I fired it. Luckily I only have a small scar becase it was a .22 and not a 12 gauge. If I wasnt wearing eye glasses I would have probably lost my eye. (BTW I do not mean you should rely on eye glasses instead of shooting glasses but this was one time they happened to save me) watch what you buy and buy from an established source

 

[clayshooter25/25]

Why what exactly happened?

 

[shotgunworld]

We agree with you Coonhunter and highly recommend that any new "used" gun be taken to a good gunsmith and checked out first. There are some very older guns that won't last long with modern shells or stand up to steel shot. A competent gunsmith can you warn you of this and other 'gotchas'.
regards,
Jay Gentry
Shotgunworld.com

 

[Coon Hunter]

Why what exactly happened?

I dont guess I will ever know for sure exactly. The little rifle was of the rolling block design and the local gunsmith thinks the action wasnt all the way closed when it was fired. If the gun was functioning properly, it should not have fired unless the chamber was all the way closed

It could have been a bad shell, or any combination of events. My only point is I am greatful it was a .22 and not a 12 gauge or half my face would be gone.

Trying to give other members something to think about when shopping for a bargain

 

[Guest]

Julian Hatcher said that if everyone wore glasses when shooting, eye injuries would be non-existant. He said that even a microscopic piece of debris could injure an eye, and that the worst glasses were tougher than an eye. This was in 1919! His book "Hatchers Notebook", is the best reference for what a gun will, and will not do that I have ever read. It is more for rifle, than shotgun, but everyone who has read it has learned a lot. Hatcher blew up more guns than most of us will ever own. He completely rewrote all the ballistics tables, and explored every facet of bullet flight and performance