Are the display models of some guns, especially handguns, the only stock many stores have? Do stores generally sell the display models and then replace with backstock? What are your experiences and thoughts on buying display models when shopping for a NEW IN BOX gun? See my experience below.
I've bought 5 guns in the past 2 years and 3 of them were display models. I didn't ask to buy the display models, but that was all the stores had. I am pretty anal about the conditions of my guns and if I am going to spend new gun prices on a gun, I want it to be NIB condition.
One of the guns I bought was special order, so obviously not display model.
The second gun I bought was a present for someone else, they went and got one out of the back without me having to ask and made sure I looked it over before even handing me the 4473.
The third gun I bought was an FNP-40. I was looking at one in desert tan, just to get a feel for the gun. When I said I wanted to purchase it, I told them I wanted one all black. They fumbled around in the display case and finally found one. They didn't even look in the computer to see if there was more stock (but I don't know their system anyway). Although the one he pulled out was not the one I had handled 10+ times while mulling it over and was kind of hidden in the display case, it still showed a little bit of shop wear. The price tag was $599, I paid $550, so either the price tag was wrong, or they knocked off $49 for being a display model, they didn't tell me. I still had a little buyers remorse until I got it to the range and shot it. 1.5 years and 1,800 rounds later, other than an infamous problem with the takedown lever knicking the slide and minor wear on the barrel hood, the gun looks exactly like it did when I bought it.
The fourth gun was a Glock 19 at Gander Mountain. Glock Gen 3s were on sale for $500. If a store had overstock for any one gun, I would have expected it to be a Glock 19, but when I asked to buy one, they ran to the backroom and pulled out a "C" model. I didn't want the ported slide and barrel and was about the walk out when I spotted a non-ported Gen 3 in the display case WAY at the back. I pulled it out and inspected it and I couldn't find a single flaw on it. After my buyers remorse on the FNP, I wasn't going to buy it any way other than perfect. They didn't take anything off of it though. (My dad bought a display model H&R Handi-Rifle and they knocked money off though...but he is more forceful than I am and may have demanded it). 1 year and 1300 rounds later, it only has the absolute most minor of wear on the barrel.
The fifth "gun" I bought was an Armalite AR-15 stripped lower. It was in a plastic bag in the display case, and was in perfect condition. Not much fondling of that I would suspect, and I think all of the stores stock for those was kept in the display case.
I've bought 5 guns in the past 2 years and 3 of them were display models. I didn't ask to buy the display models, but that was all the stores had. I am pretty anal about the conditions of my guns and if I am going to spend new gun prices on a gun, I want it to be NIB condition.
One of the guns I bought was special order, so obviously not display model.
The second gun I bought was a present for someone else, they went and got one out of the back without me having to ask and made sure I looked it over before even handing me the 4473.
The third gun I bought was an FNP-40. I was looking at one in desert tan, just to get a feel for the gun. When I said I wanted to purchase it, I told them I wanted one all black. They fumbled around in the display case and finally found one. They didn't even look in the computer to see if there was more stock (but I don't know their system anyway). Although the one he pulled out was not the one I had handled 10+ times while mulling it over and was kind of hidden in the display case, it still showed a little bit of shop wear. The price tag was $599, I paid $550, so either the price tag was wrong, or they knocked off $49 for being a display model, they didn't tell me. I still had a little buyers remorse until I got it to the range and shot it. 1.5 years and 1,800 rounds later, other than an infamous problem with the takedown lever knicking the slide and minor wear on the barrel hood, the gun looks exactly like it did when I bought it.
The fourth gun was a Glock 19 at Gander Mountain. Glock Gen 3s were on sale for $500. If a store had overstock for any one gun, I would have expected it to be a Glock 19, but when I asked to buy one, they ran to the backroom and pulled out a "C" model. I didn't want the ported slide and barrel and was about the walk out when I spotted a non-ported Gen 3 in the display case WAY at the back. I pulled it out and inspected it and I couldn't find a single flaw on it. After my buyers remorse on the FNP, I wasn't going to buy it any way other than perfect. They didn't take anything off of it though. (My dad bought a display model H&R Handi-Rifle and they knocked money off though...but he is more forceful than I am and may have demanded it). 1 year and 1300 rounds later, it only has the absolute most minor of wear on the barrel.
The fifth "gun" I bought was an Armalite AR-15 stripped lower. It was in a plastic bag in the display case, and was in perfect condition. Not much fondling of that I would suspect, and I think all of the stores stock for those was kept in the display case.
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