Ok, What's the proper ediquette when shopping for a Used Gun"

R

Rome

New member
I've purchased new and I've purchased used. When I was looking at a particluarly nice used .45, I decided to pull the slide off to look at the barrel, bushing, and receiver innards only to be politely told that "that's not proper! Never take a gun apart. We check all of them and you shouldn't take them apart until you've purchased it!" Well, I'm the kind of guy who likes to open the hood and check the oil, ya know? Just kicking the tires doesn't really tell you much. So, what is the proper ediquette for looking at used guns. New guns don't need taking apart. They should be perfect from the factory. Used guns, however, are, well, used and I should think that a reputible gun shop wouldn't mind proving that it is worth the money being asked.
Can any of you long-time shooter shed some light on this?
Rome
 
I'm with you ROME! Not only do I completely field strip any used gun that I might be considering to buy, but I ask for a new one just like it (if it is still made) to compare wear on the internals.

I also disassemble every new gun that I buy. I cant imagine purchasing any gun, new or used, rifle or pistol if the proprietor would not show me how to disassemble it and let me do it on my own.

Maybe he was "walking" you for some reason?

In any case, I sure wouldnt buy that gun or any gun from him.

as always, IMHO, FWIW, YMMV and all that!

J.T.
 
I agree that you should take it apart before buying but ask first. If they say no, hand it back to the clerk and politely leave and never go back. They just lost a paying customer and they don't grow on trees...7th

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SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL POLICE, KEEP THEM INDEPENDENT.
 
I'd think the proper etiquette would be to ask the clerk to field strip it for you. The person behind the counter has no way of knowing if you have a clue about a weapon's manual of arms. I saw a guy somehow manage to screw up a new Beretta. The shop owner had to send the gun back to Beretta to get it unf@&%!d. This was managed by a guy of seemingly normal inteligence in a manner of seconds. The moral of that story is, always ask.

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Guns cause crime like spoons cause Rosie O'Donnell to be fat!

I hunt, therefore I am.
 
I agree that you should ask first before field stripping; if they say OK or if they offer to do it for you, fine. If they say no, then tell them they can stick it ... back in the display counter.
 
Having worked at a gun store in the past gives me some insight.......
always ask if you can fieldstrip the gun, IF YOU ARE CONSIDERING BUYING THE GUN...if your just browsing dont do it, its extremely annoying and rude to have someone who "should" know better take apart a pistol and as in the case of a 45acp scratch the frame putting it back together....or losing parts, or flat out stealing parts..Remember the Gun isnt yours, it belongs to the store...so be courteous and ask....most people I know will take it apart for you, and be willing to work with you and show you how to do it. Some like to show you what they know and take one apart and try to get it back together---they rarely win friendship points with that---Ive
had a customer steal a hi-cap magazine while I was distracted by another customer or the phone, I wiped the pistol down and put it back in the case and later realized when showing the pistol that it had no magazine---att this was not a common hi-cap pistol and the mags were rare att....I received a call from an employee that used to work there that had since gone to work at one of the department store gun depts,,,,,,,he called to get the price of the mag cause the thief was there trying to sell it. When I got the guys description, I knew what had happened and had the guy put on the phone, ...he returned the magazine. .....fubsy.
 
Rome,

FWIW it always helps to know who you're dealing with.
There are only two local 'shops' that I deal with, and if the clerks/owners see me come in with my trusty bore light in front pocket, I'm usually waved to a secluded corner of a counter...
I've never had to ask, nor do I expect their undivided attention.
But if I'm there, I'm there for a reason.
And yes, I breakdown before I buy.
But both places have excellent return policies, if or when, so again its best to know who you're dealing with.
May you always find what you're looking for... :)

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...defend the 2nd., it protects us all.
No fate but what we make...
 
There's only a couple local shops that I do any serious buying. They know me well enough that it's no problem for me to disassemble and inspect a prospective purchase. They also know me well enough that by the time I get to that point, I'm serious about buying it! They're only too happy to comply. :D
I rarely ask at other shops, as I've had too many clerks show off their ignorance. :mad:

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johnnyb
A slow hit beats a fast miss.
 
I agree that maybe I should have been a little clearer with this clerk and will make it a point to ask him/her to field strip if for me in the future. I very much appreciate your inputs, here, and now know how not to embarass myself again.
Rome
 
I am a retailer and the best thing to do is ask.

Many times the customer can't spell gun two out of three times and wants to impress the guys or girl he/she is with his/her expertise.

End case your product is scratched and damaged and you lost your profit.

Many serious used gun buyers can be easily be seen by they always ask and the fact they carry small items like a borelight or some other items (toothpick or q-tip, etc).

I work a store and a lot of gunshows and work for another retailer.

Store policy; gun is always under glass and there is a sales person with the customer. Basic field strip used guns only by sales person.

Gun show policy; No disassembly and used gun sold as is. It does put some people or potential buyers off but after we totaled the cost of damage, lost parts, time, and theft, bottom line has required the policy.

Mostly it is the growing lack of knowledge and respect for another's property that has caused this and similar retail policies.

The awareness and responsibility of buying public has changed quite a bit.

Readers and Posters on this forum are the exception and not the rule. I don't say this to be patronizing.

Remember I said earlier the buying public has changed significantly and more and more are not as responsible as they were ten/twenty years ago. Younger folks are not taught as much respect/responsibility as us older (40plus) were. They are not safety/gun wise as 40 plus types were.

Be safe and keep the brass flying

Terry Peters
http://www.pt-partners.com
 
Dear Terry
40+. Ah, yes. I fit into that catagory and you are right: the "younger" generations do have some needed educating when it comes to dealing with customer decorum.

I understand completely about damage to your merchandise and in the earlier posts about theft of parts. The salesman in my case, however, was simply a jerk, to be blunt about it. All I did was ask him if in order to break this .45 down all you did was flip the release. You'd thought I was asking for trade secrets. And I was very interested in the gun which was used, but retailed out for almost $500. This was at a gunshop I had not been to before and I drove 60 miles to get to it. I ended up driving 30 miles back to my "regular" shop where I had no difficulties examining a pistol I was serious about. I wouldn't think of wasting anyone's time taking down a piece I wasn't interested in buying. I'm glad to have heard your side of the story, however, and with this knowlege won't be embarassed again.

Thanks!
Rome
 
Always ask first but do not buy without field-stripping. I have been burned even on new guns when I took one apart but missed some details. Could be more so with used items.
 
I am also a retailer. I not only encourage inspection, but also demand it. I want the customer to know that everything I say about a product is true. I sell many diamonds because I show customers how to look through a loupe and also show them the clarity grading book so by the end of the activity, they know something. I find an educated customer is a very easy sale if they are actually looking for something to buy and are looking for a fair deal.

There is one thing I insist on though. I will not waste time if someone is not a buyer. I politely ask them what it is they want to inspect and if it meets their approval will they buy it?
 
Hi, folks,

I agree that if you are known at a shop, it is not out of line to ask to field strip a firearm before buying. If you are a stranger, the clerk may very well either refuse or strip it himself.

But there is a third way. I believe that (no modesty here) I can detect almost any handgun problem and most rifle or shotgun problems by normal handling without field stripping. Unless you are a collector looking for specific parts (e.g., an all- Winchester carbine), this should suffice to alert you to 98% of problems.

Look first for battered screw heads and scratches indicating amateur disassembly. Then look for the safety that moves with difficulty; the hammer that can be pushed off cock or that falls at a touch of the trigger; the barrel that is loose in the slide; the slide that won't lock back on an empty magazine; the revolver cylinder yoke that doesn't close up completely; the excess play in a cylinder or slide. These and a dozen other problem areas are easily detectable in a few seconds of normal handling without field stripping.

Jim
 
rome,
What everyone has said is right in my experience, if we knew the customer and his level of knowledge or skill we were less inclined to be as concerned. By all means check the firearms out. Even if you hadnt asked the clerk should not have acted like a "jerk",...there are ways to get the point accross with out offending......fubsy.
 
Lavan I am also a pawnbroker and agree with you there is always the customer that no matter how good a deal you give them, they are never happy. If I am selling something I always check it out, test it, whatever. If there is a problem, you find out right away. Also, they cant come back and say you sold them something bad. I deal with crooks everyday, and it has only made me smarter.
 
You may suggest to your dealer that if you damage it, you will buy it. By default, you should only ask to disassemble something that you are serious about buying to avoid accidently having to buy something you don't want. I buy used cars all the time, many more things to go wrong than in a gun. I always tell em before a test drive that if I wreck it I buy it. But if it breaks down on me on the test drive, I'll leave it where it sits. You have to feel for the dealers on this one. If I even expect that a new piece has been taken apart since leaving the factory I will move on in search of a true virgin. ddt
 
You're only mistake was not asking if you could take it apart to look at it. I know people who have ran gunshops in the past where a customer walks in and takes a gun apart and either damages it or it falls all over the place in pieces because they don't know what they're doing.

At the same time I don't blame you for wanting to take a used gun apart to check it. You don't get a warranty with a used gun like you do with a new gun........ I myself do the same thing. If they wouldn't let me or at least had someone there do it so I could look at it I wouldn't buy it......
 
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