doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Now this is disturbing

Have been talking with a friend regarding a LC at Cabelas
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/conten...oryId=SEARCH_gl
The chambers have been extended to 3" and when he called the Gun Room he was told 'Oh BTW: there seems to be a bulge about 1/2 way down the left barrel.'
I don't believe the qualifier "the barrels are demascus (sic) which some prefer to run only black powder through" is going to help when the personal injury lawyer contacts Cabelas regarding the blow up.
Steel or damascus- having no knowledge of what duck loads were used in the past, I'd never shoot that gun.

Just one of many "gunsmithing" concerns when it comes to doubleguns, especially with older ones. Bluing, case colors and choke work by unknown smiths are some others. If an ad says the gun "has been reblued at some point" I assume if they don't know when they don't know by who or how, so I pass. With my budget CAUTION is the word.

"excellent original condition" wow I guess the definition is everything

First, I would take the chamber length as a question mark, as some of the "outfitters" in some of these locations who measure shouldn't be doing so.
I responded by email to Lou about the concern of the bulge being where it is. Main concern is how big. The area where it is at is close to your hand, closer to the muzzle would have be better.

As discussed here before, in a bulge the metal is stretched and unless one can measure precisely the thickness after hammering the bulge out, it is not safe in that area becasue I don't believe all of thestretched metal went back to that area. A dent on the other hand was not caused by undue pressure and again I would feel safer with a dent than a bulge.

This thread was not started with the intent of bashing Cabelas, but to point out the importance of carefully evaluating any vintage gun. The Smith in question did make it to the Glendale, AZ Cabelas, and a friend and I finally connected over there.
The chambers were indeed extended, to slightly less than 3" and the barrels were .732 and .733 so certainly honed at some point. There was a .002-.003 bulge over less than an inch about 10" from the muzzle on the right barrel. I think what was called a bulge in the left barrel was a localized area of circular pitting/erosion. Very unfortunate as the gun is an ejector with 75% case colors, very strong damascus contrast, and tight. It spent a long period in a gun case as the fabric pattern is imprinted on the stock (which at some point got a coat of varnish.)
The gentlemen in the Gun Library heard me point out the lengthened chambers, bulge, and the fact that we have no way of knowing what sort of duck loads have been through the damascus barrels, and that I would never fire the gun. They then asked my friend if he would like to make an offer on the gun, which he declined to do. I'll make another visit in a few weeks and see if the gun is still in inventory.
BTW: they did have a Smith .410 Field for $5000 and said "You'd be surprised what you could get that gun for."
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/conten...mfldftwt410.jsp

Cabela's was the victim of a coordinated fraud by some ex employees. They are doing their best to recover as much of their considerable losses as they can over a reasonable period of time.
The overpriced guns set until they get permission from HQ to come down on price.
They won't say which are the scam guns, but will quickly suggest you make an offer on guns they have permission to move. It's better to get them out of the store.

They must be trying to recoup their losses on this one...

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/conten...erarchyId=11655

The drop at the butt makes it look like a flintlock rifle. That seems to be one hell of an asking price for a plain jane gun even if it is a bar-in-wood.
Jim

I'll add my "dime" to the Cabela's Bashing- my first visit to a Cabela's retail outlet- about two months ago- their Dundee MI store- I reviwed their Library listings first- they had a 12 gauge Smith 3E- 30" Nitro DT, pad- not refinished at $1900 plus 6 tax- A bit high IMO, but I looked it over carefully-the "dude in the vest" gave me a set of snap caps, three way safety- Ooops-the safety was dis-engaged, it would allow the gun to be fired at ANY of the three positions. The "dude" was unaware of this flaw, and I asked him, as one of my hunting pals is Gun Mgr. for a GM store in Grand Rapids, MI-and they have all used guns checked and test fired by their store gunsmith before they "hit the racks"-and have a one year warranty after the sale- what was Cabela's policy on used guns-- "Oh, we just buy them as they come in, if anything is wrong in the first 30 days, you can return it for a refund--

Hoo Boy- I don't think so--I asked him what they would take for the 3E in outright cash (I'd have Brad B. in Grand Rapids repair the safety linkage) and they dropped the price one whole hundred dollars if I bought it "as is"--

Next we visited the M12 rack- they had two M12 Heavy Duck guns- both 30" full plain barrels-solid red 1922 patent date Winnie pads- both at $895.00 plus tax- but one had the ill-fated "dog-leg" op. rod that WRA "Fubared" aprox 1950-1953- and a M12 Heavy Duck with that will not always cycle properly. When I asked him to look over both shotguns carefully and see if he say anything different between them, he did and could not spot this =and he was/is the Gun Library Manager-

Outside the Gun Library (nice wood panelling and lighting) in the "cheap seats" they had a hacked up M70 featherweight in .270 Winchester- about 1956 by my Schwing pocket Winnie book- Lyman Alaskan scope in a bridge mount- $1350.00 plus tax- wonder what they would have asked for a NRA VG 90% M70 in .270Win- Wow-

Cabela's- they are a "joke" IMO for gun sales- And if they got stuck with some over priced stuff by former employees who followed the Bernie Madoff playbook, tough cookies-- RWTF

P.T. Barnums....!!....