Hey everyone. I have been interested in a .223 for a while now. I was at a gun show today and I saw a gun that caught my eye. It was a New England arms break action .223. I was wondering if anyone here has had any experience with one of these and what a fair price would be. This gun has been shot some, but probably not very much and it is in good condition (no scratches, blueing is good). I talked the dealer down to $170. Is this a reasonable price?

 

NEF (New England Firearms) builds pretty good stuff, its built overseas and assembled in Connecticut or whatever. I haven't heard too many complaints, except for poor fit and finish, but you get what you pay for. Caveat Emptor.

 

I just want something that will not fall apart and that I can hit something with. If the New England can do that, it is definitely a consideration for me. I think that I am going to pass on the one that I was looking at today, because I would like to find out what one is worth and maybe find out what I can get a new one for. One thing that i do not like, no open sights. That is what I understood from the website, anyway.

 

Options cost money, buying an NEF is like buying a Kia. Sure they run forever, but you can't get parts for them, they're ugly, and teh dealer laughs at you when you mention upgrades.

 

As long as it is not like a Saturn, I am not too worried!!!!!

 

There is nothing built crappier than a Saturn. I wouldn't compare even a Yugoslavian military rifle to a Saturn. bleh

 

Like You Said In Your Opener Mjd You Found A Cheap .223

 

I saw this from Remington, but I haven't seen one in the gun stores around here, it must be fairly new.

http://www.remington.com/firearms/centerfire/xr100.htm

If indeed it is all new, I really want one in .22-250.

 

Hey!

Actually, I've heard that they can be surprisingly accurate. Probably because they are so stone simple -- almost no moving parts.

Try it out and see what it will do. For $170 its hard to say you wasted your money! You could get REALLY lucky and it might drive tacks with cheap surplus ammo. Then you would be totally set!

It *is* kind of like a moped (and other analogies too rude to post...) -- lots of fun to ride but you wouldn't want your friends to see you with it. However, there is a kind of perverse pride to shooting circles around your buds with a rifle that costs less than 150 rounds of their factory ammo!

Let us know how it runs!

-Sam

 

Wow! That is sweet! Of course, just having an XP-100 would be cool, too. Wonder if they'll expand the line? A heavier version in .338 Laupa Mag. or one of the heavier super short large-bore mags would really scratch a totally pointless itch I've had for a while...

-Sam

 

Remington has actions for like $500, and a Douglas or Lilja barrel is less than $200, so it would be pretty easy to build anything you want. I've been toying with the idea of becoming a gunsmith, so I spend a lot of time lookignthis stuff up. My midway catalog is getting worn out, I need a hardbound version!

 

I bought one of those NEF rifles. Stone simple is right. The trigger was TERRIBLE so I never did get to see how good it would shoot. You get what you pay for. A better, less expensive rifle would be a Savage and even better would be a Remington 700. Each step up is more money, but as is said......

 

Heh heh. I personally can't seem to "wear out" a Midway catalogue. Seems that every two weeks either they or Brownell's sends me another "phone book." Funny thing is that I've only ever ordered on-line from either of them so I wonder why they bother! Besides, while I'm a pretty dedicated tinkerer and reloader, I am just one guy with only so much time & money... at some point I have to believe they will pass the point where they've actually spent MORE on ME, than I have on THEM! After all, a 200 page large-format catalogue can't be free to print!

I used to wonder why the "gun rag" writers all used soaked newsprint for terminal ballistics testing. Now I've realized that they were just desperate to find SOME way to clear all those catalogues out of their office!

Now I've started getting Dillon's /Blue Press/ also...but something about that publication uh, ... speaks to me. I might just save those...the covers at least.

-Sam

 

Actaully, Savage has been part of my little long-range big-bore armchair build-up for a while now. My curiosity was piqued because the stuff I've read about them indicates that they're a little like Grizzly with wood/metal-working equipment: frustrated by a reputation as a less than top-rated choice they decided to make some leaps in quality way beyond what might be "appropriate" for their market position, and now produce a real gem of a product line for prices that the market leaders can't come close to.

While I don't own one yet, the Savage rifles seem to get really stellar reviews from the press and the on-line forums alike. Not a Sako or a Weatherby or other charcoal-blued, presentation grade masterpiece in a walnut display case, just a serious, innovative, and highly consistent one-holer. Can't wait to try one!

-Sam

 

Amen to that!

If you're going to shoot it, and you arent looking for competition quality, Any gun under $200 you can get in a single shot and/or break action is just that. A Sub-200 plinker.

If you don't have anything else that shoots .223, I say go for it. Or for a savage.

If your looking to spend money, get an AR lower receiver and a parts kit and "roll your own" AR-15.