Rusty R9 for $150 worth it?

[CA_Blacktail]

I got offered an R9 for $150, the outside of the piston chamber and the outside of the barrel are pitted. Is it still worth it? Supposedly it has a clean bore and still shoots well.

[tomykay12]

Might be as bad inside, might not. You can improve the exterior appearance, but it is some work, and will likely not look like new. Sounds risky to me, and I've brought back a few beaters, air rifles and otherwise. I would definitely question the overall health of the rifle, tk

[CA_Blacktail]

Thanks for the insight tk, it may be worth it just to save a few pennies to get a nice one off the classifieds here.

[Roadworthy]

The key modifier here is "supposedly".  Rather than taking the owner's word, try shooting a few rounds yourself.  Inspect the bore carefully.  You may even run some patches through it to see what you pick up.  That should give you a feel for it.

The compression tube is a bit harder.  Since they normally have little or no lubricant it could be as pitted as the outside of the gun.  The only way to inspect it is to dismantle the gun.

If either is defective the gun is probably not recoverable.  Cosmetic issues can be dealt with.  Generally things which affect the "shootability" are not so easy (or even possible) to fix. 

[CA_Blacktail]

Yeah, the only issue is that the gun is located almost two hours away so taking a drive out there is already a cost. Sounds like this one is a pass.

[gard72977]

I thinking passing on the deal is a good decision. You can find them for a good price used

[Rocker1]

I would need to look at it myself r9s are expensive but 150 if it shoots ok is a great price. Why is it rusty ??was it left in the weather or is it closet rust,  big factor there, the compression chamber internally is probley ok.  Yes I am a penny pincher and have repaired a lot of beaters.  lol!!!  David

[ancient1one]

I would need to look at it myself r9s are expensive but 150 if it shoots ok is a great price. Why is it rusty ??was it left in the weather or is it closet rust,  big factor there, the compression chamber internally is probley ok.  Yes I am a penny pincher and have repaired a lot of beaters.  lol!!!  David

Same here without the repair experience. If it were me I would ask for a photo of the rusty spots and stock. If it is closet/surface rust or even a little worse an overnight soaking in barrisol gun solvent will take care of it. You would have an awfully nice airgun for $150 if it is something you can take care of.

 

[ptpalpha]

Heck, I'd throw some tools in the truck and make the drive.  Once there, look it over carefully, and if you're still interested, take it apart and check the internals.
Worst case, you spent 4 hours, gas money, and you got to play with an old R9.
Kind of a "win-win" in my book.

[shootist]

If you are like me, I'd try to save it, at the loss of a LOT of money!! Take that $150 and put it aside. With another $300, you'll have a BRAND NEW R9!!! Lee

[darren]

i think you are talking about the r9 that is modesto right?
i talked to the guy yesterday, his bottom dollar is 125.....think i am going to wait on it for a bit, maybe get him to come down some...at  85-105 i may be a player..

[CA_Blacktail]

Good luck! I've been shooting Chinese and American air guns my whole life and wanted to try a German gun but I think I'll wait. I'm not much of a tuner so I'm sure one of you guys can make the most of it.

[grizzlyadams]

if it functions....have it cerakoted, or hit it with rattle can camo....the gun is worth it

[ptpalpha]

Now that's something I've not yet seen...a Cerakoted HW.  That's a really interesting idea; as long as the internals are salvageable, that would be a really cool project.

[MikieG]

I have an R1 with two barrels that is ceracoated in black. Good finish.

[ptpalpha]

Mike-
Love to see some pics of that!

[MikieG]

How do you go about posting pics?