Dirty guns

[potmetal]

Does anyone shop at a gun store that cleans handguns they take in on trade? I worked in a store quite a few years ago that was run by a guy who did. He didn't do a deep cleaning, but he made the gun look clean for people who were inspecting it.
I can't think of a single store around here that does that anymore. If I stick my finger in the chamber and bring it out black from soot, no salesman seems to care.
Am I missing something? Is there a reason to leave the gun as is? Are they afraid I'll blame them if the gun malfunctions, saying they broke something when they cleaned it? Or are they too busy looking at the high prices on Gunbroker to be bothered with taking care of the stock?

 

[WheelGunMan]

You could look at that a couple different ways. If they leave it uncleaned it gives you an idea of how well the previous owner took care of it. If they clean it you may have to ask "What are they trying to hide?". It's a double edged sword.

 

[stonebuster]

I ask myself that question when I look at some photos on GB. Looking at the bores and cylinder pictures you can't tell sometimes if they're just dirty or pitted or fouled with lead. Seems to me if you want top dollar selling you'd clean it up. Others obviously differ.

 

[someguy2800]

It amazes me every time I go in a gun shop and all the used guns are filthy or rusty and not even a trace of oil on the wood or metal. Meanwhile the employees are standing around with nothing to do. I feel like telling them if you paid me $25/hr cash I would sit in the back on a Saturday and clean and oil everything, I'll steam the dents out of the stocks, touch up the bluing, touch up the stock finish, and I'll probably improve the value of most of your used guns by about $50-100 each in about 20 minutes
.

 

[entropy]

I'd settle for one that makes sure all the parts are there. I bought an SKB 600 Trap O/U, and the lower barrel hammer and spring were missing. I replaced both firing pins, springs, and bushings, the lower firing pin was broken.
I told the owner that when I picked up the Ithaca 37 Trap that came in with it, and jokingly said, " I hope this one is OK!" It worked, but when I took it down for a good cleaning, the front of the firing pin slid out the hole!
I've dealt with him for a long time, so he'll do right by me. Still irks me a bit though.

 

[Bazoo]

My local store gives a cursory cleaning if the guns are dirty.

I don’t really care either way when I go gun shopping.

 

[TarDevil]

I want a gun clean so I can inspect it.

 

[Electrod47]

Dirty guns means they got it cheap. No matter what they wind up selling it for, it will be 3X what they paid. They figure, why waste the elbow grease .

 

[Seedy Character]

It's not just LGS.

I bought a Marlin 57M from a Distributor that had taken the inventory of an out of business LGS.

The firing pin was broken, they would not acknowledge the rifle wasn't NEW, even though it obviously over 25 years old.

 

[Riomouse911]

I’ve seen both. I prefer it when people put the effort into cleaning a gun they are selling, as I do.

But I have bought enough dirty used guns over the years that my preference may be a fast-fading rarity.

Stay safe.

 

[FL-NC]

When I worked at a gun shop, we cleaned them so that the customer could inspect their possible purchase at least knowing someone at some point took care of it. I do the same when I sell one of my own. Or anything else I am selling. Its just courtesy to the person thinking about parting with their $, IMO.

 

[Speedo66]

When I sell a gun, I want it to look the best it can, so it gets a cleaning, coat of preservative, etc.

Same with people selling cars, geez, clean it, vacuum it, some just sell it filthy. My offer will reflect its condition.

 

[JKP]

The last 2 used guns I bought at a LGS were clean. Likewise when I've trade or put one one on consignment l alway brought them in clean.

 

[Barbaroja]

This has always bothered me. At least wipe them down with an oiled rag.

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

It amazes me every time I go in a gun shop and all the used guns are filthy or rusty and not even a trace of oil on the wood or metal. Meanwhile the employees are standing around with nothing to do. I feel like telling them if you paid me $25/hr cash I would sit in the back on a Saturday and clean and oil everything, I'll steam the dents out of the stocks, touch up the bluing, touch up the stock finish, and I'll probably improve the value of most of your used guns by about $50-100 each in about 20 minutes
.

Me too!

The only shops I know that clean and care for the guns are mom and pop shops.

 

[Tallball]

My LGS still cleans all of the used ones.

 

[hemiram]

Most of the guns I've bought used off of GB and other sites are reasobably clean, but wow, some were just amazingly nasty. The all time champ of all my guns that went from "pig pen" to "palace" is my Dan Wesson 15-2 that came so full of unburned giant flaked powder it could barely be cocked for SA shooting. I wish I had taken a pic of it when I started cleaning it, but it came out really nice after a lot of CLP and rubbing..Maybe all that crud preserved it? Barely a mark on it.

 

[halfmoonclip]

Always give mine a pretty good cleaning before trading them. I have a rep for taking good care of stuff, and telling a prospective buyer that it was mine often helps the price.
Moon

 

[Mosin77]

I work for an FFL and we clean used guns if they’re obviously quite dirty or function is impeded. We don’t clean visibly presentable guns though. Why pay someone $25 an hour to scrub carbon out of the chamber when it will sell for just as much as-is?