When I buy a "using" gun used, I am pretty sure it will be OK, because I check them out before buying, so either I know they are right or know what needs to be done to make them right. That may sound a bit like bragging, but I have been a gun hobbyist, gunsmith, and collector for about 65 years, so I do know a little about guns. And any gun I carry has been thoroughly tested and I know it will work if I need it.
Jim
P.S. I never buy any gun sight unseen. Period.
I could have written exactly this, except James has about a 20 year head start.
And come to think about it the next NIB auto pistol I get will be the first in decades (and ain't likely to happen).
Some people are all afraid that a used gun is an automatic lemon. Some are (especially because a lot of people won't get a problem gun fixed, they just sell it), but not all, by any means. And sometimes, a "problem" gun isn't really a problem, or not the problem they think it is.
For example:
A few years back, I found a used Stoeger Luger .22LR, with box, at the local shop. The price was actually low, for that gun, and condition. Counter guy said they had used it as a range rental for a little while, but it ALWAYS jammed. I looked it over, and nothing was obviously wrong. I bought it, thinking, worst comes to worst, its a project...
Took it out and shot it, and the guy was right, it jammed. Then I
oiled it. No more jams!
Easy project!
Bought a used Llama .357 one time, it seemed ok, but shooting it proved that it would reliably only fire 4 out of 6, and not the same 4 each time!
Sold that one to a guy who wanted a project, for cost, with full disclosure.
Used guns are a roll of the dice, but you can get boxcars as often as snake eyes, and something good and usable a lot more often than either extreme.
And, for those of us who collect things that are out of production, used is the only market there is.