The "wet ammo" thread and the one to two second delay in fireing also got me to thinking about what I learned a long time ago about firing a new to you /slash/ old used firearm that you may have picked up as a "good deal".
I was taught that if for any reason you may "wonder" about the condition of your "new to you" firearm, when it comes to firing those first few rounds, find yourself a nice tree that you can reach around while still holding the gun. Hold the butt of the rifle up against the trunk of the tree, point it at a safe target......like a big dirt bank or something, and fire. Yes your hands may not be protected much, but at least if something happens like a barrel blowing up, or a bolt flying off, the tree will take the blow and you won't take it in the face or head.
There are thousands.....millions, of good old guns out there that are perfectly safe to shoot, but if by chance you happen to find that one that just may not be.....well, a fun time to the shootin' range to test out your new addition to your collection, can end up messing up your day in a real quick heartbeat.
Don't want that, so it is something to think about.....eh?
Have Fun....Be safe!!!

 

You can just stick the butt of the stock in an old tire, stick some rocks and stuff under the tire so it is not firing off into the air, a string around the trigger, and your fingers, and the tree will thank you.

 

Are you serious?? If you feel the need to do this well....I don't think you should by the gun.... seriously... just saying.

 

That was my thinking also. If you don't feel safe don't fire it. Take it to a gunsmith and have them check it out.

I have 2 revolvers that are questionable. Both of them are .22. One is a Burgo and I couldn't find too much info on-line about it and none of the guns magazines had info. It is a copy of a S & W .22 and has some heft to it so I wasn't too concerned. However the other is a RG10 made of pot metal and no way I will ever fire that one.

 

You guys have no sense of adventure, or you have never gotten one of those deals that are just toooo good to pass up.

 

agreed.......

I'm not talking about a gun that is about to fall apart in your hands by just looking at it. You have to understand that even a new gun has the potential to be defective, so a gun that has been around for decades has even more. I'm talking about a gun that looks perfectly fine in every way, but you aren't the one that put all the miles on it....that's all.
Geeze....try and help a guy from stickin' a bolt in their cheek and what do I get...??? Heartache I tell ya.....heartache

 

Well sorry for the heartache...no offense intended.

I've never bought a used firearm from someone whom I didn't trust in the first place (and probably never will) so I guess I just shouldn't have posted.

 

I've been interested in old military firearms so I know the "rush" of firing a new/old firearm. As far as putting a buttstock against a tree, I wouldn't recommend it. I could see this damaging a stock. I'm with the other poster, if you distrust the firearm so much you should never fire it.

 

Woody.....I was only messin with you guys....no offense taken.

And Dutch........it's not a matter of distrusting a firearm more than just an added precaution. Again, I'm saying the gun looks perfectly fine, but you know it's "been around" a long time, and you aren't the one that's put the thousands of rounds through it, nor do you know any of the history of the gun.
And btw......I've never damaged a gun stock doing this......not that I've done it a bunch of times, (I can count on one hand), just that the ones I have, it didn't hurt them a bit.