Public Service Announcement- Function test your trigger & safety upon gun purchase!

Grumman

WKR
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Kentucky
Common knowledge for most, hopefully this is helpful for others. The purpose of this thread is to share a recent experience that hopefully saves someone else from a hazard. I'm a rifle junky like a lot of us, and have bought and sold used guns for +20 years never being content until I tried one more..... I recently made a Gunbroker purchase on a Winchester Model 70 New Haven Classic. The gun was advertised as 99% condition with absolutely no mechanical issues, original owner. I spoke with the seller who verified this verbally. I received the rifle and it was flawless cosmetically just as described. Upon shipment pickup in the presence of the receiving FFL I installed the bolt and upon closing the bolt it cocked and "fired" on its own. When the bolt would cock, moving the 3 position safety from position 2 to the fire position would cause the gun to go off on its own. Luckily the issue presented itself very obviously and before I ever loaded a round in it. I called the seller 15 minutes after pickup to alert them to the issue. The seller was a real ass to me but admitted he did a home trigger job on the rifle and told me to call Winchester or take it to a gunsmith, it is now as-is.... The fingernail paint marks on the trigger screw/nuts to indicate movement were still fully intact, indicating there had been no movement since the trigger job was done.

To be clear this WAS NOT a transaction off of this forum and I do not intend to publicly name anyone to bash. I have had flawless transactions with everyone here on this forum.

The fact is when buying used guns we do not always know who has worked on them before or what has been done to them. Please keep this in mind and fully function test your trigger AND safeties before ever loading live rounds. There was a time in my youth when I would have loaded rounds right into the mag to function test feeding, stupid I know. Had I been my younger self today I would have been in for a surprise.
 
OP
G

Grumman

WKR
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Jan 30, 2016
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Did adjusting the sear solve the problem?
I notified the seller before touching anything. Tonight I pulled the stock to get a good look at the trigger and test function just the barreled action but stopped there. To be honest, I've got the red ass over how the seller acted and am trying to let my temper die down before I adjust anything:). I think it may be able to be readjusted to a safe point, but I'm contemplating just sending the whole thing out to M70 guru to fully go through the rifle just in case.
 

crich

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Jul 7, 2018
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Crappy deal but thankfully you identified it prior to loading rounds like you said. Thanks for the PSA!
 

N2TRKYS

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Apr 17, 2016
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Alabama
I notified the seller before touching anything. Tonight I pulled the stock to get a good look at the trigger and test function just the barreled action but stopped there. To be honest, I've got the red ass over how the seller acted and am trying to let my temper die down before I adjust anything:). I think it may be able to be readjusted to a safe point, but I'm contemplating just sending the whole thing out to M70 guru to fully go through the rifle just in case.

I don’t blame you for being chapped about it. Good luck. I hope you can regain confidence in it.
 

Afhunter1

WKR
Joined
Mar 30, 2016
Messages
992
Location
South Central, PA
One time my father bought a sauer 90 in 30-06 off of GB and had it shipped to our local FFL. The FFL opened the gun and inspected it. Then my dad picked it up and brought it home where he showed it to me. I being a kid racked the bolt cause anyone who knows sauer 90’s are smooth as butter and low and behold a live 180 grain round nose came flying out.
 
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G

Grumman

WKR
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Messages
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Kentucky
One time my father bought a sauer 90 in 30-06 off of GB and had it shipped to our local FFL. The FFL opened the gun and inspected it. Then my dad picked it up and brought it home where he showed it to me. I being a kid racked the bolt cause anyone who knows sauer 90’s are smooth as butter and low and behold a live 180 grain round nose came flying out.
Wow I bet that got everyone's attention. Glad nobody pulled the trigger!
 

stonewall

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Joined
Jul 29, 2016
Messages
715
Location
TX - Texas
Common knowledge for most, hopefully this is helpful for others. The purpose of this thread is to share a recent experience that hopefully saves someone else from a hazard. I'm a rifle junky like a lot of us, and have bought and sold used guns for +20 years never being content until I tried one more..... I recently made a Gunbroker purchase on a Winchester Model 70 New Haven Classic. The gun was advertised as 99% condition with absolutely no mechanical issues, original owner. I spoke with the seller who verified this verbally. I received the rifle and it was flawless cosmetically just as described. Upon shipment pickup in the presence of the receiving FFL I installed the bolt and upon closing the bolt it cocked and "fired" on its own. When the bolt would cock, moving the 3 position safety from position 2 to the fire position would cause the gun to go off on its own. Luckily the issue presented itself very obviously and before I ever loaded a round in it. I called the seller 15 minutes after pickup to alert them to the issue. The seller was a real ass to me but admitted he did a home trigger job on the rifle and told me to call Winchester or take it to a gunsmith, it is now as-is.... The fingernail paint marks on the trigger screw/nuts to indicate movement were still fully intact, indicating there had been no movement since the trigger job was done.

To be clear this WAS NOT a transaction off of this forum and I do not intend to publicly name anyone to bash. I have had flawless transactions with everyone here on this forum.

The fact is when buying used guns we do not always know who has worked on them before or what has been done to them. Please keep this in mind and fully function test your trigger AND safeties before ever loading live rounds. There was a time in my youth when I would have loaded rounds right into the mag to function test feeding, stupid I know. Had I been my younger self today I would have been in for a surprise.
Thanks for sharing this. I'm fairly ignorant on guns and this would have never crossed my mind.

what came of the situation?
 
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Grumman

WKR
Joined
Jan 30, 2016
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Kentucky
I am glad you found this helpful. For the outcome I took the gun apart and was able to adjust the trigger to the point it functioned safely albeit at a heavier trigger pull than I like. I put it back in my safe and have been waiting until season is over to send it and my sons M70 off together to a well known gunsmith to have professional trigger jobs done.


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BCD

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Jan 9, 2019
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Hudson, WI
What a dick. Someone could have been seriously injured or killed …..

Glad it worked out in the end.
 

WCB

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Jun 12, 2019
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So he falsely advertised it and sold it "as is" with no function issues. but then it had function issues? I'd find him and punch him in the nose.
 
Joined
Oct 8, 2012
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I am glad you found this helpful. For the outcome I took the gun apart and was able to adjust the trigger to the point it functioned safely albeit at a heavier trigger pull than I like. I put it back in my safe and have been waiting until season is over to send it and my sons M70 off together to a well known gunsmith to have professional trigger jobs done.


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Just curious. Who are you sending the m70s to? Also you can respring the M70 very easily and the pull weight will be much better.
 
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G

Grumman

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I’m planning to send them to Redneck from 24hourCampfire.


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