Buying A Used Heym Double Rifle - Any Advice?

[Tokoloshe Safaris]

There is no doubt that the 89b is an improvement over the 88B. That is not to say that the 88b was inferior to start with. I have handled both, next to each other and there is a distinct different feel to the 89b, to me is balances better. So I bought one.

As Kevin stated just about everything on the 89b is a improvement in “balance & feel” like you pick up you double to go check on something and it feels “just right.
Articulating front trigger is a noce addition.

 

[Sideshow]

I’m not a jealous guy but you guys with your doubles

 

[Altitude sickness]

Mark, would you consider selling the Krieghoff

 

[Mark A Ouellette]

Mark, would you consider selling the Krieghoff

Thanks...
I would not sell my Heym. My beautiful Krieghoff? Gosh, I don't know, it is so nice...
Let's not derail this thread. I prefer to conduct business via PMs and phone calls. If anyone wants to discuss stuff with me, I am not hard to find...

 

[UpNorthMI]

Just food for thought. First excited for you getting into DRs…you will love the experience! Second it seems you are looking for a quality starting DR to see how you like it before you buy your own custom fit DR? If it was me given I have owned 7 DRs and have stuck with my forever Rigby in 470 NE I recommend looking at Champlin in Enid, OK for a new Chapuis 450-400 or 470 to start. Great gun and they will cut stick to your specific LOP. $12,000-$14,000 brand new. THEN move to a higher price Heym if you desire. Just myself after owning them all I have not found any quality difference between Chapuis and Heym but $6 to $8k in price due to name brand. Both great rifles that will not disappoint. If you buy a new Heym you will pay top dollar with a 2-3 year wait

It seems you are well qualified having owned 7 double rifles, I'm sure your Rigby is an amazing gun. Thanks for your input, you have certainly outlined one of my options.

I recently purchased a Chapuis double in 30-06. I think Chapuis make good products but I see Heym with a higher perceived quality. My thought is that buying a used Heym as my first large double rifle gives me a certain confidence that I can sell it on for more or less what I paid for it. I will also have to use it for a couple of years hunting buffalo mainly.

It's hard entering the larger double rifle area as it's not easy to find or test many guns, it seems that you don't get a lot of knowledge until you actual own and shoot larger doubles.

My plan is to shoot a couple of used guns and to buy one in a caliber that feels manageable and comfortable to shoot, without experience it's hard to define that in advance. I like the idea of a used Heym as it may stay within the family, my youngest son of 21 is hunting buffalo with me.

Once I get a little more experience I can make a proper decision on selecting and defining a new gun, I appreciate that a new Heym is not a cheap purchase but feel lucky that I can make that choice. Current delivery from Heym is under 2 years.

 

[Thomas Rutledge]

I would advise hiring Rookhawk as a consultant.

 

[Wishfulthinker580]

I would advise hiring Rookhawk as a consultant.

There is an incredible amount of information one can glean from AH along with plenty of knowledgeable members that I’m sure would be more than happy to advise someone on a rifle purchase without requiring a commission..

Good Gun Deals This Week

Well, I went back to the LGS and it was a consignment gun. I bought it for $850 plus tax. You did good! I think that is what I paid for a new one 10 or 12 years ago.

www.africahunting.com

 

[Thomas Rutledge]

There is an incredible amount of information one can glean from AH along with plenty of knowledgeable members that I’m sure would be more than happy to advise someone on a rifle purchase without requiring a commission..

Good Gun Deals This Week

Well, I went back to the LGS and it was a consignment gun. I bought it for $850 plus tax. You did good! I think that is what I paid for a new one 10 or 12 years ago.

www.africahunting.com

I was suggesting a level of service well beyond that. There would be much involvement by a consultant related to the inspection and analysis of the individual rifle. Some of these are high end and can be expensive. I wouldn’t , as an uninformed buyer, go into a deal like this without a professional by my side. You might get lucky without one but in most cases the service would pay for itself and the buyer very happy as is the case usually with Rookhawk.

 

[Wishfulthinker580]

I was suggesting a level of service well beyond that. There would be much involvement by a consultant related to the inspection and analysis of the individual rifle. Some of these are high end and can be expensive. I wouldn’t , as an uninformed buyer, go into a deal like this without a professional by my side. You might get lucky without one but in most cases the service would pay for itself and the buyer very happy as is the case usually with Rookhawk.

If you’re going to go that route it’d probably be best to have it inspected by an actual professional. I’ll leave it at that. Have a good evening

 

[Rare Breed]

I was suggesting a level of service well beyond that. There would be much involvement by a consultant related to the inspection and analysis of the individual rifle. Some of these are high end and can be expensive. I wouldn’t , as an uninformed buyer, go into a deal like this without a professional by my side. You might get lucky without one but in most cases the service would pay for itself and the buyer very happy as is the case usually with Rookhawk.

In my experience there is no one better than JJ Perodeau to do this. He has inspected every DR I have bought, gave his approval and fixed anything that was needed so the gun was perfect before I even fired it. Priceless!!!

 

[Wishfulthinker580]

Exactly. It makes no sense to hire someone who doesn’t actually get the rifle in their hands, can identify any issues with it and most importantly, address the issues if you want to go ahead with the purchase. Unless you’re hiring someone who can do that you’re really just wasting money because if you really want it and the price is right you’re going to have to send it to JJ anyway. All you’re doing is adding a middle man. Best just to make an agreement with the seller to have it inspected by JJ Perodeau. He’ll inspect it thoroughly and advise you on how to proceed. So unless he’s doing that for you then he’s really doing no more than probably half a dozen other AH members could or would do for free as a friendly gesture. I’m not saying someone’s time isn’t worth something but I do not see the value in this unless you send it to a true professional.

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

I see two parts to the vetting process:
Firstly on a particular make and model in general are there any consistent flaws, or even idiosyncrasies that need to be known. For example the clocking mechanism on a Kriedhoff needs to be known about towards making a decision. Or the propensity of a model to double discharge, etc. This sort of information, particularly about a flaws would best be collected from current or past owners.

Secondly, the specific report upon a particular double, a check out to see if anything is actually wrong with it, outside of it's particular character. For example the gun is an ejector, but one barrel doesn't eject. This kind of assessment definitely belongs to a qualified assessor who can not only identify the problem, but fix it if requested.

 

[Sideshow]

This I thought was a very thorough podcast on the in’s and out’s. Might help someone make a more informed decision on which way to swing.