Isle of Wight gun shop - any views?

[Cumbrian]

A neutral title (I hope), but what I really need to know is whether I can rely upon the description of a rifle's condition as 'excellent' in an advert from A. Heal, Newport, Isle of Wight? Any one have any experience with this gun shop? I am quite close but it is still a pain and an expense to take a ferry across the Solent to to examine the gun. Grateful for any help. My guess is that this is a decent, long-established dealer and that I can rely upon the description.

[Old farrier]

It’ll be exactly what he says it is 

this shop has a good reputation and he trades on it 

No room for bad feedback on a island 

[Wylye]

I agree. You won't have a problem.

[Down South]

this shop has a good reputation and he trades on it 

No room for bad feedback on a island 

 

This/\.

[Cumbrian]

Gentlemen,

I am more than grateful to all three of you. Very helpful - and very prompt - responses. Better than I could have possibly hoped for. I intend to offer a deposit in the morning and catch the ferry as soon as I can. I will keep you informed of the outcome, though that may take several days. It is quite an interesting rifle, but it can be a tricky proposition second-hand,  as I hope to be able to explain in due course. 

Good reviews for the gun shop on Google and Facebook too, as I now discover. Reputation is everything, even in today's often degenerate world.

Thank you again.

Roger

 

Edited October 8, 2019 by Cumbrian
grammar

[figgy]

I put a post up on here about the outstanding service I had from them.

Proper old fashioned customer service. Gun was true to the description he gave me.

[Old farrier]

10 hours ago, Cumbrian said:

Gentlemen,

I am more than grateful to all three of you. Very helpful - and very prompt - responses. Better than I could have possibly hoped for. I intend to offer a deposit in the morning and catch the ferry as soon as I can. I will keep you informed of the outcome, though that may take several days. It is quite an interesting rifle, but it can be a tricky proposition second-hand,  as I hope to be able to explain in due course. 

Good reviews for the gun shop on Google and Facebook too, as I now discover. Reputation is everything, even in today's often degenerate world.

Thank you again.

Roger

 

Book the Southampton to Cowes ferry and save some money 

[Cumbrian]

Many thanks to Figgy and Old Farrier as well. PW as usual is the place to go.

Roger

[Cumbrian]

I am going to inspect the rifle tomorrow. Mr. Nolan has been more than decent about it i.e. he is holding it for a week without a deposit (offered but declined - too much paperwork, he said!). He sounds a very nice guy over the phone and told me more about the rifle. It is a target rifle, BSA Martini International Mk 3. That model had a floating barrel,  unlike all the other Internationals. The problem is that the heavy fore end is connected to the action by an aluminium hanger that is susceptible to damage and wear. If that happens, accuracy may be affected. However, he tells me the rifle has been privately owned and well looked after, and not abused as a club rifle probably would be. I am looking forward to my visit.

I am not too clever with posting photos but there are some quite good ones on Guntrader, where the BSA is advertised ( under BSA rifles - Martini action). They will disappear if I or some one else buys the rifle.

I use an Anschutz (1800 series barrel in a modern Gemini stock) for my target shooting, but I greatly admire these old BSAs for their engineering, workmanship, and accuracy. They have quite a following in the USA, I understand, and good examples still sell over here too. Two other Mk 3s in good condition sold quickly over the last two or three months, I noticed.

[Old farrier]

Have a good trip and enjoy the sea voyage 😊 

hopefully you used a discount code for your ferry ticket:-)

[Cumbrian]

Thank you. I got a Senior's discount - still not cheap but I think the journey may be worthwhile. (The question of transporting a firearm on a merchant vessel is one best not entered into here.)

Roger

[Old farrier]

Well done on the discount 😊

iv sent you a pm regarding the transportation rules 👍

[Cumbrian]

Thank you for the pm and the advice. One of my shooting friends was a ferry captain on this very route and he tends to be rather cautious about the rules, but I expect I'll be all right.

[Old farrier]

Most are ok and very accommodating there’s just one or two power crazed Demi gods with a rule book 🙄 who seem to like to make it a problem especially with black powder and propane gas ( hazardous goods ferry) 01.30 ☹️

[Cumbrian]

Yes, I can well imagine.

[Farmboy91]

Sounds like a perfect day to me, Isle of Wight and a trip to a gun shop in one day. 

Lucky man! 

[Cumbrian]

Except that it will be raining! But thank you anyway - I have certainly enjoyed my previous trips to the island as a day visitor, and my wife is a bit miffed that she can't come with me this time.  The gun shop has some interesting cartridges on offer, and probably other things, too.

Roger

[Farmboy91]

20 minutes ago, Cumbrian said:

Except that it will be raining! But thank you anyway - I have certainly enjoyed my previous trips to the island as a day visitor, and my wife is a bit miffed that she can't come with me this time.  The gun shop has some interesting cartridges on offer, and probably other things, too.

Roger

Ahh a little rain wouldn't put me off 😂

All seriousness I love the place and will take any excuse to go over, ill make a point of visiting the shop next time im over. Hope it all goes well for you 👍

[figgy]

I wouldn't visit the shop if I was on a trip there. It would cost me too much.

[Cumbrian]

Well, I bought the rifle, without much hesitation.  Very good gun shop and a worthwhile journey, though not, perhaps, a great ferry experience.  A few more details - if any one is interested - a  bit later, probably on Sunday as I am out beating all day (in the rain) tomorrow.

[Old farrier]

Glad you had a worthwhile trip 👍😊

[bruno22rf]

Bit late now but I bought an Air Rifle from there a number of years ago - exactly as described.

[Cumbrian]

A few concluding remarks.

1. Renewed thanks to all who helped or took an interest in this little episode.

2. Like everyone else, I can entirely recommend the Arnold Heal gunshop and Jai Nolan, the owner.  Very nice little shop, full of guns and ammunition rather than clothing, and its owner was a pleasure to deal with.

3. The BSA fully lives up to its description of 'excellent'. Indeed, the woodwork and metal work are better than excellent for a gun that is nearly 60 years old. The bore looks to be in good condition, too, but I am too busy with match cards for the winter season to try it out for some time.

The relative lack of wear everywhere, including on the rubber butt pad (usually a give-away area), made me wonder just how much the rifle had been shot. Then I came to think that it must have had quite a lot of use because when I looked the large cocking lever the bluing there seemed to be rather worn away where the fingers would have gripped and rubbed it - and fingers contain moisture and acid, which are not good for metal. By comparison, the bluing on the barrel is very little worn, even close to the fore end where it would have been frequently grasped to take the rifle from its rack or to replace it there. Then I looked more closely and discerned, so far as I can tell, not bluing but case hardening on the lever; in fact, the case hardening colours (blue and grey, not spectacular but definitely present) are not much more worn on the front wearing surface than they are on the back of the lever, which would not have had much contact with fingers. Of course,  I could be wrong about it being case hardening. Any other suggestions?

Roger