Spindle with at least 1 1/2" through,


From there, better check power requirements since it might be a three phase, with only two phase wiring at your house, requiring a converter that is not cheap.

Next, start checking out the machine for wear (beside the normal clean up of a older lathe that has been sitting and just collecting dust).  On the same note, notice how the machine has been stored, since if wrongly, could have warped the hell out of the bed/ways.  Also, keep in mind, depending on the age, the machine may be able to be rebuilt cheaply, and could be a value for a buy if cheap parts are all that needed to be replaced on a older machine.

As for the mini's, I have a 8x12 at the house, but need to mod/make a new spindle for is since it's spindle is only 3/4" (with no possibility of over boring it much larger), and larger work has to be down between the centers (steady rest that has been bearing mod'd).

If you never plan to chamber a barrel through the headstock, most of the 10 inch lathes will work to make everything you would need for a firearm.  If you want to chamber in a steady rest, you'll need a lathe with about 30 to 36 inches between centers unless the barrel is short.

That means there are a pile of used lathes available that will do everything but chamber a long rifle barrel, especially in northern Ohio and Michigan.  A Heavy 10 with 24 inches between centers can chamber through the head stock, but not long barrels between centers.

One detail that is easy to over look is a head stock that is too long for chambering, too.  Take a tape measure, they are deceptive.

I've just about given up on finding a used lathe that isn't clapped out.  I don't want a project.  Project lathes are expensive to correct and take up time.  I want to make chips with the lathe.

The gunsmithing forum at www.benchrestcentral.com  has a bunch of threads on the topic; use the Search function.  You'll find two camps there.  One camp is "buy American iron, it doesn't matter if it's worn out", and the other camp is "My Grizzly 4003G is building match winning rifles and all you naysayers ought to stop criticising lathes you haven't used".

If I lived in Ohio, I would head over to Precision Matthews in Pittsburgh to look at the machines they sell.  I believe I would buy one, but I would like to look it over first hand.