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Badger Arms · February 18, 2001, 01:44 PM

There is really no defnintive set of standards, as there are with revolvers. I usually check a number of things. I check first to see if any garage-gunsmiths have tinkered with the gun. Next I check the condition of the face of the chamber. I put my finger in the muzzle and wiggle the barrel to see how solid the lockup is. I do the same thing with the breech. I wiggle the slide side-to-side at the front and rear to see how tight the rails are. That's about it.

Problem is, each gun differs in tolerances and design. A gun that has a tight barrel might be inaccurate because of poor design. A Glock wiggles much more than a Kimber, for instance, but neither gun is defective. You have to know the gun type you are dealing with. I've had people come up to my table and fiddle with NEW guns for five minutes before telling me that my gun had been shot too much.

Even with revolvers, you get the people who read these descriptions on how to rate the condition of revolvers. It's comical at times how meticulous they are in their inspection yet how inept they are at actually rating the pistol. It's like playing the stock-market. You can read all you want, but there is no golden guide to how much a gun is worth or what condition it is in. I stick with what I know and try not to get burned. That's it.

From what I've observed, the majority of people use these inspections as a way of talking down the quality of the gun. "Well, the cylinder wiggles side-to-side. That means it's been shot alot. I'll give ya' $100 bucks for it." Why are they buying it if it's been shot alot!? My advice is to know a defective or 'shot out' gun when you see one. Know how to spot damage or UNUSUAL wear. Everything else is just normal, for the most part.

February 18, 2001, 01:44 PM	#2
Badger Arms Senior Member Join Date: July 2, 2000 Location: Harnett County, NC Posts: 1,700	NO, we aren't!!!! There is really no defnintive set of standards, as there are with revolvers. I usually check a number of things. I check first to see if any garage-gunsmiths have tinkered with the gun. Next I check the condition of the face of the chamber. I put my finger in the muzzle and wiggle the barrel to see how solid the lockup is. I do the same thing with the breech. I wiggle the slide side-to-side at the front and rear to see how tight the rails are. That's about it. Problem is, each gun differs in tolerances and design. A gun that has a tight barrel might be inaccurate because of poor design. A Glock wiggles much more than a Kimber, for instance, but neither gun is defective. You have to know the gun type you are dealing with. I've had people come up to my table and fiddle with NEW guns for five minutes before telling me that my gun had been shot too much. Even with revolvers, you get the people who read these descriptions on how to rate the condition of revolvers. It's comical at times how meticulous they are in their inspection yet how inept they are at actually rating the pistol. It's like playing the stock-market. You can read all you want, but there is no golden guide to how much a gun is worth or what condition it is in. I stick with what I know and try not to get burned. That's it. From what I've observed, the majority of people use these inspections as a way of talking down the quality of the gun. "Well, the cylinder wiggles side-to-side. That means it's been shot alot. I'll give ya' $100 bucks for it." Why are they buying it if it's been shot alot!? My advice is to know a defective or 'shot out' gun when you see one. Know how to spot damage or UNUSUAL wear. Everything else is just normal, for the most part.