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

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Some interesting responses here,,,

Some interesting responses here,,,
And I've read them all.

What I'm reading is
  • The sellers don't want Bubba destroying their guns.
  • The buyers want to be able to check a gun before laying out the cash.
The firearm industry is somewhat unique about that,,,
If you go to Wal Mart and buy an air conditioner,,,
If it doesn't work they hand you another one.

Buy a rifle there that is bad out of the box,,,
They tell you to send it to the manufacturer for repair.

What other industry gets away with that?

I did find out that if you argue politely and don't go away,,,
And write letters to their corporate office,,,
They will waive that policy.

So my next question for you sellers with very strict policies,,,
Such as "Buy it first and I'll refund you if it isn't working."

Do you really sell very many guns like this?

What would you really do if I handed you the cash for the gun,,,
We did the whole filling out the 4473 thing and I'm okay,,,
Then I dry fire my gun and the trigger is terrible.

Would you really refund my cash?

I'm sorry to say that I won't trust any person at a table to do this.

And really, it's okay,,,
I'm not trying to tell you that you must change.

I honestly don't see how some of them make any sales at all.

I grew up in a household where buying and reselling used items paid the bills,,,
A spent the better part of 25 years of my adult life in retail management,,,
And in all those years I've never seen anyone like gun-show dealers.

If my Mom and Pop had policies like that,,,
We would have starved and been homeless.

Aarond

.
 
To the OP,,,
Maybe you did something,,,
that the gun owner found annoying,,,
and caused him not to like you,,,


On a personal level,,,

Or maybe the gun was broken?
 
Maybe you did something,,,
that the gun owner found annoying,,,
Click to expand...

It's possible,,,
I have always said that if anyone didn't like me,,,
It's entirely possible that I gave them a good reason. :eek:

In this case I couldn't think what I could have said,,,
It was something on the order of:

"I'm interested in this Smith,,,
Could you cut the Zip tie so I can check it out?"

But in reality this thread isn't just about that one incident,,,
It's about curmudgeon behavior from a large amount of vendors.

Like the guy last month with a Do Not Touch The Guns sign,,,
I reached down and turned over a price tag that was face down.

The man yelled at me and actually came out from behind the dealers table.

I just ignored him and walked away,,,
Event security had to come and calm him down,,,
When I walked down that aisle an hour later he (and his stuff) were gone.

I know things like that are rare,,,
But they happen more at gun shows,,,
Than any other open market place I frequent.

It's weird ain't it.

Aarond

.
 
Because of aggressive states and pandering attorney generals (Cali, NY, MASS) who like to make blanket threats against gun manufacturers for political points with gun-grabbers, capitulating manufacturers (Smth & Wesson, Kahr, Walther) have been putting absurdly heavy triggers (12-16 pounds!) that make the guns less safe as those heavy triggers will move the muzzle off target when firing.

Since trigger jobs cost an additional $60-150 bucks, depending on the model, it's a factor to consider.

Moreover, with the advent of the striker-fired pistol design, most polymer pistols are unharmed with dry-firing.

I always ask a dealer or shop before I dryfire a weapon. Then I safety check it to make sure it's not loaded (even after the clerk does). Then I point it towards the ground not to unnerve others in the vicinity.
 
Tell you what Aarond,

How about this, you buy a table at the next gunshow and put your guns out for display, heck even put a sign with BIG BOLD letters saying DISPLAY ONLY NOT FOR SALE and just sit back and see how many guys pick up and handle your guns without asking, and then throw a hissy fit, and DROP the gun back onto the table, when you tell them they are not for sale.

For what its worth, if someone appears to be serious about buying, I don't have an issue with letting them try the trigger.............the problem is, there are soo many people who are just out killing time and not serious about buying, just looking, which is fine, but looking doesn't include dry firing MY guns.

Also, just an FYI, just because the hammer/striker falls, doesn't in any way guarantee the gun will function, and assuming so is fool hardy.
 
WardenWolf said:
One way of doing it subtly is I will work the action, but instead of just dry firing, I'll hold the cocking piece or hammer with one hand and let it down gently, making sure the seller sees I'm doing this. This still lets me test for function, but also shows respect for their gun. It makes everyone happy when you do it that way.

Obviously, this doesn't work with striker-fired pistols, but the odds of me buying one of those used is slim to none (or buying one at all, for that matter; all my pistols have hammers).
Click to expand...
+1. At that point I'll ask if I can dry fire it, if I'm serious about buying. Last gun show I went to, I looked at a Glock 43 with no intention of buying, but I told the dealer that up front, and he was fine with that. Something new I haven't handled before is the only time I'll even ask to handle one if I'm not serious.
Now the guys that see you eyeing a gun and volunteer, "go ahead, pick it up..." sure, I'll indulge them.:)
 
aarondhgraham said:
... What do you gentlemen think? ...
Click to expand...
I think that the current owners of the firearms get to make such rules governing their property.

If not being allowed to dry fire the firearm prior to purchase is unacceptable to you, move along and find someone who will allow you to dryfire their firearms prior to making a purchasing decision.

If I ever rented a table at a gunshow, I would take my selection of snapcaps for just this purpose, assuming gunshow rules allowed.
 
The last gun show I went to I asked to dry fire a EAA Witness. Seller said no, I walked, was prepared to buy the gun at that point. His loss. At my local gun/pawn establishment they will let you dry fire without asking. But on occasion they will have a specimen zip tied and tell you no dry fire when they hand it too you. Usually it is a revolver that has not been turned and rarely occurs.
 
Maybe I should have written function check,,,

Maybe I should have written function check,,,
Rather than dry fire.

I'm not advocating that a rule be made where sellers must allow it,,,
This entire thread is simply to determine how you feel about it.

What I'm seeing is this:
  • Sellers (for the most part) say no.
  • Buyers (for the most part) say yes.
Nothing surprising there I guess.

For you gentlemen who say I should do a table someday,,,
Remember that I stated I've been in and around this type of business all my life.

I've done everything from small flea markets to high end trade shows,,,
I'm very aware of the Lookie-Lou's who just want to touch and feel everything.

The type of person I am referring to is one like me,,,
A serious buyer with cash in hand who is interested in a particular gun.

My original statement still stands.

If a seller won't untie a gun to allow me to do a function check,,,
I don't stand there and argue with him about it.

I will try to convince him I am a sincere buyer,,,
But if I can't do that, I simply walk on down the aisle.

One thing I do believe though,,,
The risk in buying a gun (new or used) seems to be all on the buyer,,,
Much more so than in any other industry and I don't understand how this got to be the norm.

Aarond

.
 
While it hasn't been mentioned, some dealers will put out guns (or whatever) they have no intention selling. :what:

They are bait, intended to lure in visitors who may have something they want to sell or trade. Sometimes this can set up an advantageous situation for the guy on the other side of the table. :evil:
 
I've encountered this too with headspace and GO/NO GO gauges with milsurps. When i go to a show or a store i bring my gauges in case i find a nice C+R, and if the sellers don't let me gauge the gun in question i say, "i'm not going to buy it then." In my experience, most sellers turn around then and say, "Oh, OK, you can check it."

BUT, i've also had the experience of having a rifle totally fail the test and the seller looks on cluelessly, and get annoyed when i then don't buy it after all the brouhaha... and i don't want to waste my gunshow time explaining headspace to a DEALER.
 
You have a prospective buyer and a seller. The seller sets his or her rules and the buyer has the option of playing by the seller rules or just keep on walking. It really does not get any simpler. You either play by the seller's rules or keep on walking. The seller knows it and the buyer knows it, again, it does not get any simpler.

Ron
 
I've been going to Gun Shows since about 1981 or so. I've attended Shows in California, Arizona, Oregon, Washington (state), Nevada, Nebraska, South Dakota, Florida that I remember - I think a couple of others.

I still go in various places. I've never been anywhere the organizers allow arms to be dry-fired. I've never been anywhere in the last several years where guns are not required to be 'tied' so they cannot be loaded and or dry-fired.

For the last four years or so I've been on the staff running a local Gun Show. All guns are tied, no ties can be removed - in the show area - and no loose ammunition is allowed, however, we don't do a full patdown and body cavity search of each patron.

If the dealer and buyer agree, we will allow both to go outside and remove ties and such. Since we're in the limits of a 'city', no loading or shooting is allowed. The arm has to be rechecked and re-tied prior to re-entering the show.

Seriously, there's too much information about intentional troublemakers who attempt to cause problems and bad publicity for Gun Shows and firearms owners in general. Loading what should be an empty, display gun is one of the techniques used.

I suppose this gets in the way of any number of decent folks. I am truly sorry, but the villains don't have a bar-code printed on their foreheads, so they are not easy to identify.
 
I had two as new Pythons, no marks on the cylinders, If you think I would let anyone, no matter how much gun knowledge he says he has, load snap caps and test them, you are crazy. I sold both, with the ties still on them, and no problems. Joe know it all could have left cylinder marks on the guns screwing with them, suddenly, value goes way down.
 
Old Fuff said:
While it hasn't been mentioned, some dealers will put out guns (or whatever) they have no intention selling. :what:
Click to expand...

I have one on my table that's very clearly marked NOT FOR Sale.

The top is the side of a DPMS LR-308 magwell, the bottom is the paper that rests directly below the magwell on the table, with Casie's, (my daughter) picture set up directly above the rifle.......
 

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I understand, and offer condolences considering your loss.

Fortunately the reason behind your action is not common.
 
I've been going to gun shows for years and around here the handling etiquette of firearms in a mass of people is much more disturbing than whether or not a dealer lets you inspect the gun to your liking.

I personally don't buy used firearms, I only go to shows to buy ammo or accessories.

I can understand both sides of the fence on handling and checking the gun, but I'm much more concerned about all of the pointing that goes on in shoulder to shoulder shows than whether or not it's being dry fired.

Bottom line, if the seller won't let you inspect it to your liking move on. Like the saying goes, there's a butt for every seat.
 
the handling etiquette of firearms in a mass of people is much more disturbing than whether or not a dealer lets you inspect the gun to your liking.
Click to expand...


THIS!!!

Muzzle control still matters, even with a zip-tie (let's all recite the first rule of firearm safety, right?) And as mentioned, ask before fondling someone else's firearms. I've seen folks walk up, pick up and plunk down guns at shows like they were checking eggs. Respect goes a long way. My .02.
 
The only proper way to know... Bring ammo in all calibers. If you find gun you like load it and fire at light. If you miss don't buy gun. :)
 
Ha back in the late 80's there was a gun store in Tucson, Az (Swan&22nd) that had the same policy! Owner was a strange little man, who fallback line was, "bought em in a box-sell em in a box!" All were tie strapped. Was only in his store once not sure if his doors were still open when I left in 93.
 
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