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Century Arms Coach Gun... Any Good?


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Howdy all!

I was in a local gun shop the other day, and up in the racks they had a used Century Arms Coach Gun on consignment. The price was stupid cheap, and it got me thinking, are these things any good? Are there any known issues like broken springs or soft firing pins I should be concerned about? I held off on buying it because I've been bitten by cheap guns before.

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2 minutes ago, Bad Bascomb, SASS # 47,494 said:

:ph34r:  Others may have had better experiences, but my episodes with Century Arms have been disappointing.  The gun in question MAY be adequate to your needs, but a reasonably priced Stoeger would be infinitely better.

YMMV

I have a very nice Stoeger Coach Gun Supreme that's my main match gun, but I'm looking into switching to Classic Cowboy sometime in the near future. I'd prefer a double over an '87.

I'd also prefer to not have to spend a ridiculous amount of money on something like a CZ.

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From what I've seen, and I own their rabbit ear coach gun, is that they are built like a tank.  But with that said, if anything ever breaks on one, parts are almost impossible to find.  And I haven't found anyone who works on them.  I like mine, but the hammer springs belong on a 3/4 ton truck, making the hammers hard to cock.  The hammer spurs are also spaced rather wide, making one-hand cocking difficult.  If it's dirt cheap, it'll always make a decent backup coach gun.

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I'd shop around for a Cimarron/TTN. Post a WTB here. You can probably find one in the $550-$700 range.

 

That said the CZ is worth it in my opinion. 

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:ph34r:   At our advancing age, I like more and more the sentiment expressed in Filson's slogan:  "Might as well have the best."  I'm tired of 'just getting by...'

 

  That said, if it's cheap enough, education needn't always be expensive.  I won't bore with my Century Arms experiences, as they weren't SASS/CAS related.

 

Keep us posted.

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Had one of the Century hammered doubles.   Shot it in 2 matches as a Classic.  Moved on to a TTN.  So much more reliable, faster, easier to cock.   Hammers are far apart on those Century's.

 

Good luck, GJ

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The real sleeper value hammer double is the Liberty made in Turkey and marked Akkar.  It's made by the same company that is now making the CZ-USA Hammer Coach.  We found one in a gunshop in near new condition for far less than the Cimarron 1878. We made a cash offer and got it for less yet.  Then a few weeks later a local gunshop got one in and priced too low and sold it within hours. 

 

But don't be confused with a Liberty sold by the same importer but made in Spain.   That model is crude junk. 

 

The importer of the Liberty has been out of business for many years. 

 

Turned out that the hammer springs had been ground too light and I replaced them. Here is a video of me replacing the springs.  You can get a good look at the quality of the gun.

 

 

 

 

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Bought one new when I started two years ago $300 spent 5+ hours with grinder, files and sandpaper just to get it to open and lighten the springs it's tank and goes bang-bang every time. I now have two TTNs new cowboy worked on $700 and a used Johnny Meadows $525. True advice spend the money for a TTN 

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I was looking at it as my next potential purchase in still trying to get a set of starter match guns.  Most of the YouTube reviews show the JW-2000 from Century as a decent choice.  Everyone's description in this thread seems to be consistent with the reviews too.  It's an ugly workhorse and tank.  All the reviews also mentioned the hinge is tight to break open at first but that it loosens over time.

 

So you're all saying it's too much work to bring up to snuff?

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I'm a newbie and just getting started myself.

 

My preference is to avoid starter guns and go for what I really like. This does not mean I won't change my mind later, but does mean I might not. And if I do change my mind, I can probably sell what I did get for about what I paid.

 

But you state this gun is already at a stupid price? Well, my lady has a SxS she got at a stupid price. I'll be bringing it to my next (first real) shoot. I'll run it since I brung it, and hopefully get some advice on how to slick it just a bit.

 

As long as it (my lady's or the one you are looking at) goes bang safely and reliably, and is within the rules, I can certainly see spending a little time smoothing it so it breaks open easier. Would I go as far as serious trigger work, chamfering the chambers, and such? No, the gun my lady has is not worth it and I would rather spring for a better base to work from. In other words, it is a starter gun and available to use. But I already know I will not be happy with it long-term.

 

Sounds like you know that too.

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18 hours ago, Warden Callaway said:

But don't be confused with a Liberty sold by the same importer but made in Spain.   That model is crude junk. 

 

I can vouch for that statement.

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  • 2 months later...

Well guys, I made my decision. A cowboy friend of mine had a Cimarron Coach Gun he used once in a match that he said he'd be willing to part with. I got it for $375 and thus far it has been a great gun. Makes me glad I didn't buy the Century.

Anyway, thanks for the advice!

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