For Sale Fixer Searcy Double In 500/416 NE

[matt85]

The unknown factor(s) we DON'T know about is/are details of the first owner's experiences with the rifle.
Until I hear/read those, I'll continue to withhold any judgement. To do otherwise would be ill-informed judgement.

you will likely never be satisfied since i really doubt he will weigh in here. i spoke at great length with the original owner and he had nothing negative to say about the firearm. he had never noticed its issue of warping brass because he did not hand load for the gun. if memory serves correct he used it for a single hunt then sold it with no further plans to return to Africa. as i mentioned earlier, the only thing wrong with the gun when i bought it was that it warped brass.

-matt

 

[geoff rath]

Thanks, Matt. I missed that part of the history of the firearm. It's a complex story, and frankly I'm glad I wasn't caught up in it. My commiserations for the situation you've found yourself in; just wish I could come up with an "out" for you. Been caught, once....tried to get a local'smith to fit and chamber a barrel to a rifle in 17 Remington. He bodgied it up by heaspacing it off a 223 reamer ... Only 20 something excess headspace. Than God I never tried to fire it......

 

[Supercat]

you will likely never be satisfied since i really doubt he will weigh in here. i spoke at great length with the original owner and he had nothing negative to say about the firearm. he had never noticed its issue of warping brass because he did not hand load for the gun. if memory serves correct he used it for a single hunt then sold it with no further plans to return to Africa. as i mentioned earlier, the only thing wrong with the gun when i bought it was that it warped brass.

-matt

Matt I don't know much about DR's either but does the gun "warp brass" with factory loads or just your handloads?

If the original owner didn't have a problem with factory loads, why not use them?

Just wondering...

 

[sierraone]

@Supercat ...I only use factory loads also except for my .404J hunting ammo which my son loads for me. But for someone that handloads, factory ammo is sacrilege!!!!

 

[mdwest]

Im not in the market for a double in 500/416... but here's my thoughts..

If what Matt is describing is correct.. and the rifle is no longer bending brass.. and it appears the rifle will regulate (its just a matter of finding the correct load).. and the rifle will extract.. it just wont eject...

This would appear to be quite the bargain for someone... for $6K you get a highly capable extractor double.. made by a well respected company (albeit run by a guy with a questionable attitude when it comes to customer service) which at some point if you wanted to put the time and money into it, you could likely get it "fixed" and make it an ejector rifle again (as it was intended to be)...

Were I in the market for a 500/416, at this point I would likely be highly interested in this rifle..

 

[Supercat]

@Supercat ...I only use factory loads also except for my .404J hunting ammo which my son loads for me. But for someone that handloads, factory ammo is sacrilege!!!!

No I hear you LOL but just wondering if factory ammo DID work then the gun would be a good buy and problem solved

 

[matt85]

Matt I don't know much about DR's either but does the gun "warp brass" with factory loads or just your handloads?

If the original owner didn't have a problem with factory loads, why not use them?

Just wondering...

the original owner didnt notice the problem because he never reused brass. the gun shot hand loads and factory ammunition equally well but brass life would have been seriously limited.

i have 4 freshly fired cases in front of me now and they are still slightly warped but not as bad as they did originally, you could still reuse these.

-matt

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

the original owner didnt notice the problem because he never reused brass. the gun shot hand loads and factory ammunition equally well but brass life would have been seriously limited.

i have 4 freshly fired cases in front of me now and they are still slightly warped but not as bad as they did originally, you could still reuse these.

-matt

Just curious for my own knowledge, but what is causing the brass to be warped? I just can't wrap my head around that.

 

[sestoppelman]

Just curious for my own knowledge, but what is causing the brass to be warped? I just can't wrap my head around that.

Me neither. Would like to see a pic of warped brass. Does it come out of the chambers like a banana, or somehow kinked? Does not a sizing die restore them to usable form? Pic would help.

 

[matt85]

the warping on the current brass is very minor so I don't think it would show up in a picture. I don't think I have any of the original warped brass laying around to use as an example.

the cases would be strait until about 1/4" before the rim where they would make a sharp turn. its like the barrels weren't flush to the breech face so under pressure the cases were bending to meet the breech face.

aside from the case warping, the gun had no issues prior to being sent in for repairs.

-matt

 

[008]

Maybe take a short video of the brass rolling on a flat surface? Sounds like someone might get a real bargain if they take a leap of faith...

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

the warping on the current brass is very minor so I don't think it would show up in a picture. I don't think I have any of the original warped brass laying around to use as an example.

the cases would be strait until about 1/4" before the rim where they would make a sharp turn. its like the barrels weren't flush to the breech face so under pressure the cases were bending to meet the breech face.

aside from the case warping, the gun had no issues prior to being sent in for repairs.

-matt

Were the primer marks skewed significantly?

 

[matt85]

Maybe take a short video of the brass rolling on a flat surface? Sounds like someone might get a real bargain if they take a leap of faith...

the currently warping is so minor they don't really wobble on a flat surface. least nothing really noticeable. you can just see it if you set the case on its head and get down level with the case. but it wouldn't really show the greatest in a picture.

Were the primer marks skewed significantly?

I don't remember there being any thing noteworthy about the primer strikes.

-matt

 

[geoff rath]

Apologies to ALL concerned; I misread @PHOENIX PHIL's quote above: I thought he wrote" I can't WARP my head around this"
I must be drunk, or something ......

 

[enysse]

the gun was regulated for Superior brand ammunition loaded with Barnes 400gr TSX.

I bet the gun would sell itself if it shot well with this ammo...…….

Just buy a small batch and find out...…...

 

[matt85]

I bet the gun would sell itself if it shot well with this ammo...…….

Just buy a small batch and find out...…...

maybe some day but for now the money i spent on the Hornady ammunition is all i can do. if someone is honestly interested in buying the gun then i will see about a custom order.

-matt

 

[Supercat]

maybe some day but for now the money i spent on the Hornady ammunition is all i can do. if someone is honestly interested in buying the gun then i will see about a custom order.

-matt

Matt, this thread is already 6 pages and seems to be going on forever

I think that you have to end the saga and either:

1) keep it
2) raffle it off
3) find your bottom dollar and sell it

I say this respectfully of course since it's your gun

 

[rookhawk]

Matt, this thread is already 6 pages and seems to be going on forever

I think that you have to end the saga and either:

1) keep it
2) raffle it off
3) find your bottom dollar and sell it

I say this respectfully of course since it's your gun

In Matt's defense, he deserves something for his gun. He has been willing to share a level of transparency about the gun that most people of lower ethics would not do.

He has also spent time trying to identify the true state of the gun so a buyer knows what he/she is in for so he doesn't pass on a screw-job to the next guy. True integrity.

Lastly, I know he wanted to actually shoot the gun and see if it still munches brass because that has an impact on value. It sounds like it does less harm to brass so that's a good thing.

*Matt, I'm going to sharpen my pencil and extend an offer. I encourage others to do so as well so Matt gets the best offer he can with the constraints of the gun's present state.

 

[Supercat]

In Matt's defense, he deserves something for his gun. He has been willing to share a level of transparency about the gun that most people of lower ethics would not do.

He has also spent time trying to identify the true state of the gun so a buyer knows what he/she is in for so he doesn't pass on a screw-job to the next guy. True integrity.

Lastly, I know he wanted to actually shoot the gun and see if it still munches brass because that has an impact on value. It sounds like it does less harm to brass so that's a good thing.

*Matt, I'm going to sharpen my pencil and extend an offer. I encourage others to do so as well so Matt gets the best offer he can with the constraints of the gun's present state.

I agree, and Matt is a stand-up guy for his transparency.

I am standing by for his price

 

[rookhawk]

I agree, and Matt is a stand-up guy for his transparency.

I am standing by for his price

His prior statement *I think* was $6000 or best reasonable offer.