What do I need to look for when buying used?

ragingbull454 · August 28, 2001, 02:37 PM

Hello,

I've always shied away from buying a used gun, because I'm not sure who the previous owner was, and if they took care of it, are selling it because it doesn't function properly, or is not safe. What do you all think? What do I need to look for when buying a used gun, because I think it would be very rare for someone to let me use it before I bought it to make sure it functioned ok. Can anyone provide any help?

Thanks,

Erick

blades67 · August 28, 2001, 05:59 PM

I think your post would get a better responce in the General Handgun Forum.

Some of the things to look for :

condition of the bore
breachface condition
overall condition
is the firingpin hole concentric
are the slide rails galled or peened
is the cylinder crane straight
etc.

Randy63 · August 28, 2001, 09:00 PM

Check out this thread Erick.

http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/...uying+revolver

ragingbull454 · August 28, 2001, 09:22 PM

Any tips for buying a used shotgun?

Thanks,

Erick

UK2TX · August 31, 2001, 02:31 PM

Hello ragingbull454,

The same things as most firearms, however as shotguns tend to have harder lives than sidearms and rifles you need to check for rust in odd places.

For example, drop out the trigger assemble and look for rust ( I've seen NEW Remington 870 with rust on the trigger assembly ).
I went through several before I found one that had a "nice" trigger ( Academy Sports have hundreds and they don't mine you checking such things - try doing that it at WalMart! ) FWIW my last 870 had a 2 3/4 lbs pull with a little creep.

Rust will sit under the plastic wadding in the forcing cone of a barrel so that the breech and chokes ends are shiny but the forcing cone is pitted. So always take a small flashlight!

Always have the owner unscrew the choke before you buy as they can be rusted in place and will cost $'s to fix.

Check that the choke in a fix barrel matches your needs.

Remember, any thing that makes you stop to think is a good enough reason to walk, there are lots of great guns out there with the local classifieds turning up the odd gem.

This link will help with the anatomy of a shotgun:

http://www.bluebookinc.com/PDF/firearms/shotgun.pdf

and this link will help you understand the grading systems used to describe the condition of the piece:

http://www.bluebookinc.com/weblink/menu.htm

Regards,

UK2TX

August 28, 2001, 02:37 PM	#1
ragingbull454 Senior Member Join Date: May 18, 2001 Location: Portage, IN Posts: 255	What do I need to look for when buying used? Hello, I've always shied away from buying a used gun, because I'm not sure who the previous owner was, and if they took care of it, are selling it because it doesn't function properly, or is not safe. What do you all think? What do I need to look for when buying a used gun, because I think it would be very rare for someone to let me use it before I bought it to make sure it functioned ok. Can anyone provide any help? Thanks, Erick

August 28, 2001, 05:59 PM	#2
blades67 Senior Member Join Date: April 22, 1999 Location: Chandler, Arizona, USA Posts: 6,014	I think your post would get a better responce in the General Handgun Forum. Some of the things to look for : condition of the bore breachface condition overall condition is the firingpin hole concentric are the slide rails galled or peened is the cylinder crane straight etc. __________________ Guns cause crime like spoons cause Rosie O'Donnell to be fat! I hunt, therefore I am.

August 28, 2001, 09:00 PM	#3
Randy63 Senior Member Join Date: April 17, 2001 Location: Scranton, PA Posts: 118	Check out this thread Erick. http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/...uying+revolver

August 28, 2001, 09:22 PM	#4
ragingbull454 Senior Member Join Date: May 18, 2001 Location: Portage, IN Posts: 255	Any tips for buying a used shotgun? Thanks, Erick

August 31, 2001, 02:31 PM	#5
UK2TX Senior Member Join Date: November 12, 2000 Location: Austin,TX Posts: 274	Hello ragingbull454, The same things as most firearms, however as shotguns tend to have harder lives than sidearms and rifles you need to check for rust in odd places. For example, drop out the trigger assemble and look for rust ( I've seen NEW Remington 870 with rust on the trigger assembly ). I went through several before I found one that had a "nice" trigger ( Academy Sports have hundreds and they don't mine you checking such things - try doing that it at WalMart! ) FWIW my last 870 had a 2 3/4 lbs pull with a little creep. Rust will sit under the plastic wadding in the forcing cone of a barrel so that the breech and chokes ends are shiny but the forcing cone is pitted. So always take a small flashlight! Always have the owner unscrew the choke before you buy as they can be rusted in place and will cost $'s to fix. Check that the choke in a fix barrel matches your needs. Remember, any thing that makes you stop to think is a good enough reason to walk, there are lots of great guns out there with the local classifieds turning up the odd gem. This link will help with the anatomy of a shotgun: http://www.bluebookinc.com/PDF/firearms/shotgun.pdf and this link will help you understand the grading systems used to describe the condition of the piece: http://www.bluebookinc.com/weblink/menu.htm Regards, UK2TX