Before you sell your new rifles do you fire them?

[mjm46@bellsouth.net]

I have a question for you well and better known rifle builders. I would like to know if you fire your new rifles before you sell them to test them and sight them in or leave that for the customer to do? What are your reasons for whichever you do? If you do fire them to test or sight-in the rifle is it still considered NEW?

As I have only built and sold not many rifles, I have not been firing any of my new built rifles, being of the belief that the customer would want/enjoy to be the first to fire the rifle. Thoughts on this anyone?

[Mike Brooks]

99% of the time no, unless some one wants to pay me by the hour to sight in and work up a load....could get expensive.
Besides, I have guns of my own I have owned for years I haven't had time to shoot yet.

[blunderbuss]

I leave sighting the weapon up to the buyer but I always proof the barrel. I've never had a barrel fail but I'd feel bad if one did in a buyers hands. Plus I'd probably be liable if  I hadn't proofed it.

From time to time a customer wants to shoot an old gun I examine it first visually and then proof them

[James Wilson Everett]

Guys,

I always sight in a gun before delivery.  This is just a old boy playing with the toys! 

For sighting in a gun I leave the front sight high - so the gun shoots low.  Then I file the front sight to bring the bullet impact up to about 2 inches high at 25 yards.  This is the easy part.

For left/right I bend the barrel to bring the bullet impact in line with the sights.  I know that this will cause fits for some!  I make my own barrels and straighten them at least twice before the gun is finished, each time a cold bend by eye.  The first straightening is done just until I can see light through the bore.  This is done with an 8 pound hammer and anvil.  It is surprising how crooked a forged wrought iron barrel is at first.  The second straightening is after honing with an armory reamer and before rifling.  After rifling it is impossible to look through the bore to determine straightness - all you see are the spiral grooves.  (At least I cannot do it)

After the initial sight in I determine which direction the barrel must be bent.  I place the barrel (out of the stock) on the top platen of a table saw mounted on vee blocks about 2 feet apart.  I measure down to the platen surface from the barrel center point.  Then I tighten a big C-clamp to flex the barrel, then release the clamp.  I measure again to see if there is any permanent bend.  Usually the is no difference from the initial measurement.  Next I tighten the clamp a little more and repeat the measurement.  Eventually I get a permanent deformation of 2 to 4 thousanths of an inch.  Of course you cannot see this without a dial caliper.

Next - back out to the range for another trial.  Perhaps this bending may need to be repeated a few times to bring the bullet impact on center.

I am sure that those who use modern precision manufactured steel barrels will not need to do this.

Jim Everett

[rsells]

I proof each rifle, and then I see what kind of group I get with a ball park powder charge.  Then I move the sights to get the rifle on left to right and let the customer adjust the sights for elevation when he has worked up a load.
                                                             Roger Sells

[mjm46@bellsouth.net]

So far we have 2 do and 3 don't including me.

[Gaeckle]

Yes, I shoot them for two reasons. The first is to make sure that it shoots and everything functions and the seco0nd is to get a starting load worked up. The target goes with the rifle so that whoever buys it gets an idea of what can be expected.

The other plus is that I get to have fun with something I have crafted.

[Dphariss]

I proof them all and fire them all. I also sight them in.
Unless its a smoothbore.

Dan

[Birddog6]

I shoot every one I build. Have had 3 defective barrels over the years, so I shoot ALL of them as soon as a lock & trigger is in the rifle.
When I finish the rifle, I shoot it again & to insure the rifle is on paper at 25 yards  within 1" of the 1" bull.  I keep the target group it shot on file with the data from the rifle.
I put  HOURS into this rifle, I am  going to enjoy it at least a few shots.  Most likely will never see it again, so I want to shoot it.

Keith Lisle

[blunderbuss]

I proof the barrel and then inlet it, if it does fail I don't want all that inletting effort to go to waste and I use a rather lengthy fuse. (the older I get the lengther the fuse) The old rubber tire and sand bags method.

[Tom Cooper]

I shoot each one of the few that I have done so far, and will continue to do so.

[Dennis Glazener]

I shoot all of mine to insure the flintlock/touchhole ignites as it should. Also to make sure they are shoot right on as far as windage and low so that the front sight can be filed down to put it on target the way the new owner likes it.
Dennis

[Lucky R A]

    I shoot every rifle to regulate the sights and to test everything for function.  I end up shooting a five shot group off the rest to assure that the gun shoots reasonably well with a standard load for that calibre.   I have had many comments from new owners who were very appreciative that their new gun was right on or nearly on when they got it.  I mail out many guns and this prevents any problems or issues that one had to deal with long distance.   The last and most important thing is that if necessary I can testify honestly that I tested the rifle for safety, function and accuracy before delivery.   

[Nate McKenzie]

I proof and sight in at 25yds. for all guns.

[Bob Roller]

I would not even think about selling an untested rifle. I am presntly and when time allows,making a representation of an N.Lewis percussion match rifle and will test it to see how does for both accuracy and total function.

Bob Roller

[wmaser]

Like D. Keith Lisle, I shoot them all as soon as the lock and trigger are on the rifle and again upon completion in order to be sure of "hunting accuracy" and overall function.

[mjm46@bellsouth.net]

I'm finding this to be very interesting. I think i will continue to sell unfired rifles, I don't think i want to rely on my bad eyes to give the customer the preferred sight picture. The rifles shoot a lot better than me.

[Daryl]

Guess Taylor's gone shooting this AM.

 He always roughly sights the gun in (usually takes the new owner with him) and tells the new owner what to use for a ball and patch combination. It is mostly the same, regardless of calibre  - .005" under bore size ball and a 10oz. denim or .020" ticking or thicker patch. That combination works in all normal rifle barrels, regardless of make. The fine tuning is with powder charge.

[mjm46@bellsouth.net]

Taking/going with the new owner to the range is a different thing, Being able to advise him and instruct him and mostly to see his reaction to firing a new gun that I made would be great fun. That would be like the icing on the cake. Much more than just going to the range to sight in a new rifle for sale.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Yes, I test fire them and as Daryl suggests, I sight them in for my eyes, so at least the rifle is printing on the paper at 50 yds., and can produce a respectable group.  I build my rifles with a higher than needed front sight, and file it down so that I'm in the black at 50 and getting a decent group.  This is not your daughter that you're selling...it doesn't need to be "inexperienced".  I need to know that the owner is not going to have any function issues, and is going to have an immediate good experience when he takes it to the range.  Perhaps, by the time you've built 100 rifles, this is not important, but I guess there's something about shooting a new creation that I'm not about to pass up.  I've never had a client that insisted he be the first to fire a new rifle.  All have been happy with my service.  And yes, I was shooting today...an inch of fresh snow, temperature just below the freezing mark and good company.  We finished it off with a slash burn, wiener roast and a beer.  You don't know what you're missin'!!

[Dphariss]

"This is not your daughter that you're selling...it doesn't need to be "inexperienced"  "
 
This was a roll on the floor moment.

Thanks.


 I was going to shoot today to, my rifle, but the wind came up too far so I did other things. In the AM perhaps.

Dan

[JCKelly]

When I built rifles for sale I shot them to rough sight in
and more importantly
to find out if the thing actually worked.
I can't imagine selling someone a rifle you've never at least test fired

[Mike Brooks]

After 300+ guns I find if you use quality parts you have no worries. If the lock sparks and the vent liner is installed properly I figure it ought to work.....and according to my customers they always do.

[mjm46@bellsouth.net]

After 300+ guns I find if you use quality parts you have no worries. If the lock sparks and the vent liner is installed properly I figure it ought to work.....and according to my customers they always do.

I'm a long, long way from 300+ guns but I do use quality parts. I really do think it would be fun to shoot every one. But I'm not building these for me. For example If I was making $2000 a pair cowboy boots, would I test wear them to see if the worked well before I sold them, scratching up the bottoms and such, I don't think too many would sell. Silly example but it's the point. I'm not trying to sell used guns, no matter how lightly used. I know if I was buying one from a builder and wanted new I would expect to have to sight the thing in myself, and if it came already sighted in I'd know someone was playing with it. The less i even handle a rifle when it's done the better, just too easy to mark it up a little. Just my opinion.

[cmac]

So far I have test fired and rough sighted every one I have built, but I ask the customer if they want me to also. That way if they want an unfired weapon that is what they get.