Dry firing used guns at gun shows/auctions,,,

[km101]

Simple!

Dealer has his policies, I have mine. If he won't let me inspect/test the firearm, then I walk and there is no hard feelings or discussion.

But I have never been refused when I made a serious offer, and had money in hand.

 

[sequins]

There are definitely two kinds of buyers in my opinion, cash in hand interested and walk on by lookers. I look at all the guns I can at a show but rarely buy to be honest, maybe 4 guns out of two dozen shows, but I got to work the action on every gun I bought and I cant imagine buying a gun without doing that. I can see why some sellers wouldn't want a gun known to have firing pin issues to be dry fired even a single time. However an exception must be made for a cash in hand buyer with the understanding that if it works it will be bought, otherwise I can always find another example which I can try at least once.

Although online from a manufacturer with a good warranty is different as you get such a deal and you have the warranty so it's not such a big deal to just get a replacement in the rare case of a dud. Not all makers offer this though, and I would never buy a Taurus or other "dubious" brand known for hit or miss quality and bad CS online for example.

 

[Manny]

I won't buy a gun without being able to do a function check/dryfire. I've found a number of guns over the years, brand new with defects from miner to serious. One time I ignored it and took a boxed gun as ordered (Marlin 1894 Cowboy in .45 Colt) and the gun was a total piece of crap. The dealer made good and replaced it, but never again.

 

[newfalguy101]

I can see why some sellers wouldn't want a gun known to have firing pin issues to be dry fired even a single time.

However an exception must be made for a cash in hand buyer with the understanding that if it works it will be bought, otherwise I can always find another example which I can try at least once.

So how would this actually work in your world??

You dry fire the gun breaking the FP, then you buy it because it "worked", of course you don't even know the firing pin is broken because it "worked"

When you get the gun home and try to shoot it you then discover the FP is broken, do you just say OOOPs and replace it??

Or do you blame the blankety blank "gun dealer" who ripped you off by selling you a broken gun??

Methinks the second is considerably more likely..........

Again, just because the firing pin/striker falls is NO guarantee the gun will function.......

 

[evan price]

I buy guns on gunbroker half a continent away. Can't test the action.
Some guns you don't want a turn ring, or handling.
There are lots of guns, lots of buyers and sellers. Everybody should be able to find a situation to make them happy.

 

[ThomasT]

If I were selling at a gunshow I would not be too keen on you dry firing my guns. The simple matter is if I thought a gun I had for sale had the slightest function issue it just wouldn't be for sale. But I would offer a full refund after you bought it if you tried it in front of me and it didn't work.

I guess I have owned over 200 firearms and many of those bought off gunbroker and only one gun, an SP-101 had a problem.

The trigger was draggy. I bought wolfe springs and it was still draggy. I polished every part and it was still draggy. About the 10th time I had it apart I spotted a line on the top of the trigger group. The dang hammer was rubbing on the trigger group frame. A few seconds with a file on the bottom of the hammer fixed the problem. Now it has the sweetest trigger you have ever felt on a ruger. This was a factory problem and I have never seen it in any other ruger revolver I have owned.

So I would think the odds of getting a broke gun from a dealer would be rare. One the other hand a person walking the floor with a 1911 would need for me to check the gun fully. Way too many people think they can mod a 1911 and may goof it up and want to dump it. Thats a gun that needs a close inspection.

 

[BSA1]

KimI was at a LGS that had some used rifes sitting out on the sales floor for customers to look and handle. I kid you not when I saw one guy.pickup every rifle, work the action and dry fire it.

He dry fired every rifle on the rack.

Did.he buy anything?

Not a thing. Not even a cleaning brush.

What a jerk.

Imagine the condition after a bunch of people handled and dry fired.it.