I would be worried about the massive drop in value of a second hand Rizzini. I like the 20 bore models, but when I started to look at the used prices, I noticed a big drop in price between used and new. A bit like the AyA really.
That really highlights for me a good reason to buy a quality used gun (second hand, previously owned, pre loved, 2nd life etc for the Del Boy types)
My Less than one year old F16 would have cost just over £4,000 new. I got it for £2,500. F3 new would cost north of £8,000 My five year old F3 cost £3,000 and the 11 year old F3 £2,700
Those are enormous savings. More money for cartridges, lessons, good quality hearing and eye protection.
To be fair it would be cheaper to have only one gun of course, but the F16 is having a stock made for my son for his Christmas present and the other F3 is waiting hopefully for my girlfriend to take up the sport with me, otherwise I would sell them on. At those prices, I’m likely to lose maybe £1,000 Had I purchased new I’d have lost at least £1,500 on an F16 and probably £3,000 of equity on an F3
I’m in no way being critical of folks who want to and can afford to buy new, I can see the attraction for sure. I think it might be my northern roots, that or I’m just plain born tight-fisted.
For a custom fit gun, Manuel Ricardo can make you a stock for as little as £500. That’s less than the cost of an adjustable comb and shortening the stock would have cost me for a less then perfect fit. Even exhibition grade wood come in at not much more than £1,400. (Grade 5 Blaser custom stock is over £1,700) Flights and accommodation etc add to the cost if you’re visiting, but Manuel has a remote working option which I’ve used for my son. Have a gun fit session in the U.K. and send your measurements and a couple of photos and videos of your mount and a week later he sends you back a custom stock, down to even the smallest details of grip dimensions.
A lovely new gun would really float my boat, but I just can’t look past those savings
