Why buy used rifles?
well theres a great many used rifles that are no longer available new,
a good many rifles that are no longer made were much better quality than the off the shelf, modern rifles.
while there are exceptions most entry level rifles are not well fitted, or exceptionally accurate,
nor do the feed and function as smoothly,
it takes time and experience to know, and fully appreciate, the differences, as too,
why a browning or a colt saur, or weatherby or sako
costs more than your average Stevens,marlin,savage,or Winchester
sure you can hunt and kill game with the entry level rifles, its a functional tool.
but you don,t get the same feel, or pride of ownership or in many cases consistent accuracy

HAHA< actually there were no CDL rem's back then, they were either ADL or BLD's LOL

I fully agree, nothing wrong with buying a good used rifle, but in today's world of folks with or THINK they have disposable income, most seem to want NEW to be in the newest coolest rifle, and most buy based on marketing, and don't really know a LOT about rifles , and what makes one better than another, or better suited for one thing over another
marketing tend to make more sales today than yrs back IMO
and you didn;t have so many models as you do now, due to things worked and most didn;t see a need to keep making silly changes to sell more
tried and true worked
then the modern era came upon us, and now its a crazy world where everyone NEEDS to have new things often!, or seems this way to me!
the more buttons silly names or gadgets an item has the more folks want them!
or if seen on TV or multi media being used by "X" person, they buy into the hype and HAVE TO HAVE IT Mind set so many seem to have today!
from a former gun store owner, I can tell you I made more money selling USED guns than I ever did selling NEW one's.
so, win win for me were and still are on used guns
pick up some great deals all the time on them, by folks caught up in marketing hype needing NEW ONE"S LOL

i know I once found a Remington Model 700 Classic in 6.5x55 gathering dust in a shop and I made sure it went home with me. Price was good, classic caliber, great hunting round. It has stacked up quite a few whitetails, mulies and pronghorns. If i could find one just like it in 7x57 I'd grab it too.

Ive found several deals in used high quality rifles over the decades
, Ive only passed on a few I regret, now. but being retired puts a big crimp in finances

I think some of it might have to do with the cost of the bottom tier new rifles. For basically $3-$400 you can go by a rifle with a tupperware stock and a cheap scope that is brand new. I love the older rifles I own a couple but I also own some of the new stuff. And the stuff coming out of the box right now shoots very well with little to no work. How long they will last compared to my older models is a different story.

The 7x57 in anything seems to bring top dollar. I know where theres an FN in 7mm that I would like to pick up.

My gun buying has been mostly put on hold until the wife finishes up school. Unless I find a crazy good deal

-Jake

I have a buddy that is a PH in 5 or 6 countries in Africa that has a Ruger #1 in 7x57. I did a couple safaris with him and on one of them my rifles got held up for a couple of days due to an airline misroute problem. I used the Ruger until mine showed up and was very impressed with the cartridge. I took several impala, a warthog or 2 and a kudu with it. It worked extremely well. There is a reason it is one of the old classics for African hunting. The original 30-03 cartridge the US Govt had was little more than a 7x57 necked up to 30 cal.

jake, those guys dont know what they are missing. a good blued gun with a wood stock is the best in my book.

I am in my 70's and grew up with wood and blue steel so they are still attractive to me. I am stuck on the old calibers too, there isn't much that can't be done with a .243, 6.5X55, 7X57, 30-30, and 30-06 depending on the game. There are many larger calibers but I never used them because I only hunted in the Midwest. I have a weakness for these old guns when I see them in gun shops and have to talk myself out of buying them because I would never use them. Stainless has its advantages, I own stainless black powder rifles and also a blued one. I do not use the blued one, it is too pretty to use like a couple of shotguns that are "safe queens". There is a joy in oiling them from time to time and net shooting them. Am I rambling? Sorry.