Gun store etiquette: inspecting used rifle

Besides my inherited guns some of my favorite ones are the used ones I own.
Most gun problems come from the guy behind the trigger and his inability to shoot or mount a scope correctly. Find a gun store and develop a relationship with the owner or workers, they won't sell you crap. Plenty of new guns with problems too.
 
Find a gun store and develop a relationship with the owner or workers, they won't sell you crap. Plenty of new guns with problems too
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I agree with this to a point--but what it also suggests is possible cronyism that rewards different levels of service depending who you are. That said, I know this is common.
 
Not sure about establishing a relationship with the workers at my LGS. When I was last there looking at their Winchester 94’s one of the guys who was helping me was a greazy looking fellow that looked like he belonged at an Insane Clown Posse gathering. Personal appearance aside, he didn’t know what XTR meant when I asked if they’ve ever had any Winchester 94 XTR variants come through. He simply said, “I don’t think the deer will notice when you shoot it.” Found his snark kinda annoying so didn’t continue the conversation. The other fellows were nice though
 
cronyism that rewards different levels of service depending who you are.
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Its less who you are and more how much you spend. Think going from silver to gold status with a hotel chain's reward system because you made the required 10 stays per year.

I'll work an action, make sure the hammer wont fall with safety on and do a complete visual inspection without asking. Anything else I ask first and I've never been told "no". I think my requests are all reasonable, which probably is part of it.
 
Sportmans Warehouse didn't let me break down a Mossberg 930 I bought from them online. I started taking the end cap off and the guy yelled at me to stop.

I instinctively rolled my eyes so hard that I could tell the guy felt bad. However, I'm good for not going there again.
 
always be polite, ask first. I usually ask to dry fire, usually onle once or twice. for handguns I can generally just look down the barrel. for Rifles I ask to use a bore scope. If they don't have one I will ask to use mine. If they say no, no harm, no foul, I just wont but the gun.
 
Bore & chamber condition - bright and shiny?
Exterior - tells of care of the previous owner
Wood - any refinishing needed?

BTW, years ago I saw a relatively rare rifle. When I looked at it, it seemed dirty so I asked for some rags and CLP. I dissassembled it (field strip) with the store's permission and wiped down the bolt face and then the chamber. No cleaning rod for the barrel. It looked good (no rust, pitting in areas I cleaned). Afterward I reassembled it and handed it back to the clerk who was slightly irritated that I didn't buy it after the inspection. I returned the following day and negotiated a price $50 cheaper that what they asked. We haggled and I had an extra thrown in and so I bought it.
 
BTW, I once bought a sporterized K98 only because of its Weaver 330 scope. Scope look good and the rifle happened to be attached to it.
 
Bought a Beretta Silver Pigeon in a Bass Pro Shop in Ohio. I asked to look at all three that they had on display so I could pick out the one with the nicest wood. The guy then tried to bring me one in a box that I hadn't even looked at....


My own father dropped the slide on an empty chamber on one of my 1911s. We don't talk much anymore.
 
My own father dropped the slide on an empty chamber on one of my 1911s.
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Being able to drop the slide on an empty chamber (without damage) is one of my requirements for a 1911A1. :D

However if someone were to dry fire (snap) my Grandfather's shotgun, they would need surgical assistance to remove my boot from their butt!
 
Possible Urban Legend here:

One time at a large gun store (LGS) I saw a handgun I was interested in on "clearance reduced" price. The clerk said the gun was new even though it's outward appearance might be described as "distressed".

Here's the possible urban legend part.

The clerk at the LGS said they had to take all the guns out of the display cases every night and lock them up some where else in the store. Some nights they were very careful handling the guns, other nights (particularly Friday and Saturday) they were less careful.

All the inards of the gun looked good and the clerk even gave me a "display model" discount so I took it and have been please with my purchase ever since.

I still wonder though...is it plausible they take ALL the guns out of ALL the display cases EVERY NIGHT?
 
Expectations

I still wonder though...is it plausible they take ALL the guns out of ALL the display cases EVERY NIGHT?
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I'm rather doubt it and instead, take other measures to protect their inventory.:rolleyes:

On the subject of inspection of "others" firearms, especially Gun-Stores, is usually acceptable by both parties on used or some that are sold as new. One that we could all agree on, is;

1) Bore, muzzle and crown condition.

I know we have dealers/smiths and other sellers not to mention plenty of buyers, in this forum. What points of inspections are acceptable to you. As mentioned before, I once witnessed a customer ask a dealer if he could disassemble a 1911 and inspect the parts, dealer allowed it and personally I wouldn't even ask. .. :eek:

Be Safe !!!
 
I once witnessed a customer ask a dealer if he could disassemble a 1911 and inspect the parts, dealer allowed it
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That's interesting.

Maybe the dealer knew the guy or maybe he didn't care or maybe it was just a salesperson that didn't care but it's VERY easy to get an idiot scratch on a 1911 during reassembly (don't ask me how I know).

1911 Idiot Scratch
https://www.google.com/search?hl=en...Mtd2l6LWltZw&sclient=img#imgrc=AT4_4DzRaSJqLM

I always put on a show of looking down the barrel but a friend that was with me one time said dryly, "Guess the hole goes all the way thru, huh?" and it occurred to me that's pretty much all I was doing.

I still do it though and I DO look for irregularities in the rifling, gouge marks on the crown and maybe roughness in the chamber or bore...but a dirty bore doesn't bother me and I once bought a shotgun with a ding in the outside of the barrel that could be seen on the inside of the barrel too...and the shotgun shot as well as any other I've shot and I still have it to this day. (The ding...picture somebody slamming a car door and catching the barrel. Not horrible, but noticeable.)
 
Degree of trust ??? !!

Maybe the dealer knew the guy or maybe he didn't care or maybe it was just a salesperson that didn't care but it's VERY easy to get an idiot scratch on a 1911 during reassembly (don't ask me how I know).
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Yes, he knew the customer well and although not common, that is the kind of relationship, they had. ...... :rolleyes:

Be Safe !!!
 
Of course you check the inside of the barrel. I’ve had a couple of occasions that I neglected to do this and the bores had terrible chatter marks. Both of these were Taurus products, one a snub nose revolver, and the other a small semiauto. Can’t say it affected accuracy or reliability since both guns were reliable and fairly accurate as far as group size. It was where that group always landed in relation to where I was aiming that caused me to get rid of them. I don’t attribute this to the condition of the barrel, but to the way they fit my hand and trigger position. For me some guns work and I keep them, and some don’t and I get rid of them.
 
What happened to it?
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Nothing as far as I can tell. But that isn't something you do to another person's 1911 without asking. You especially don't make a comment about how strong the recoil spring is after you do it (I know its strong, I replace them every 2000 rounds).
 
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