All modern guns are fired at the factory.
Yes, but factory test firing is not considered the same as the gun being fired after that. It is similar to ownership, in that a gun is "new" until the first time it is sold to a person, after that, it is never "new" again.
The gun can be validly described "as new in the box" or "Like new in the box" but it is not "new in the box" if it was sold to a private owner.
Sure, its a matter of terms, but those are the conventions in current use. Unfired means not fired after leaving the factory. New means never sold to a private person.
An old gun that looks new, may never have been fired, but unless you know (and can document) the history of the gun from the day it was first sold, you cannot prove the gun is unfired. All you can say with certainty is it LOOKS unfired, and every gun takes some amount of firing before visible signs of firing exist. Finish wear on moving parts is generally the first sign, but it is possible to create that wear without firing, if the action is worked enough times.
There was a fellow on here a while back who was most upset, because he had purchased an "unfired and unturned" collector's piece revolver. The photos supported the description. The gun was shipped to his dealer, but he wasn't able to pick it up for several days. When he did get to pick it up, there was a turn ring in the cylinder finish. Turned out the seller had shipped the gun in the condition described (and paid for!) but in the time between the FFL receiving it, and the buyer being able to pick it up, some of the "countermonkeys" in the shop had played with it, cycling the action enough to wear a turn ring in the cylinder bluing, destroying the collector value as the gun's finish was no longer pristine.
I don't recall how that was resolved, but I believe the shop owner was responsible for damaging the gun's value.
Point here is that visible signs of use happen if the action is worked enough, but rarely appear right away, so a gun could have been fired a few times, and still appear unfired. And if played with enough a gun could appear to have been fired when it actually never was.
If someone claims a gun is unfired, and puts a $ on that, they best be able to prove it. If they claim the gun appears to be unfired, and put a $ on that, then its up to you to decide if its worth the money.
If you get an old gun in like new condition, and plan to sell it at some point, firing it (or just working the action) enough to leave visible evidence WILL reduce what people are willing to pay for it.
If that doesn't matter to you, shoot it and enjoy it. IF it does matter, don't shoot it.
