Just What Does LNIB Mean?

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k4swb

k4swb

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I see ads for guns listing them as LNIB after they have been shot as much as 100 times. I thought LNIB meant it was NEW. How many rounds can one fire through a gun and still call it LNIB?
 
Like
New
In
Box

101 rounds is the limit for LNIB. Zero rounds since the manufacturer put the gun in the box is the limit for NIB.

I am just kidding about 101 rounds. LNIB is whatever the buyer and seller agree that it is.
 
Depends on the gun.

What's a hundred rounds through a quality handgun? That's like 1 range trip. It's not even broken in, yet. If the surface finish is still 100%, there's no peening or worn out parts, and it comes in the original box, it's LNIB, no matter if it has shot 1 round or a thousand.

OTOH, for a high power, small bore rifle, 100 rounds might make a difference to the bore.
 
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My .22 rifle is severely worn, corroded, and is missing a few parts. Some things have broken due to extensive wear and heavy use.

I consider it "AS NEW" / LNIB. Let's start the bidding. :D
 
To me this describes a used gun that is in like new condition. It would have very few if any rounds fired through it, must have no finish wear or other blemishes and have its box with its papers and whatever else came with it (e.g., spare magazines for a pistol, cleaning kit, lock) when it was sold new. But it is still a used gun.
 
Yep. What Haranguer said. Like New is basically looks good, almost no wear, etc. But again, thats all relative based on the guy selling/describing it
 
If you can clean it up, get the brass skid marks off the bolt face and follower, and nobody but maybe an expert could tell it has ever been fired is what it means to me. Of course, if you are buying you are at the mercy of whatever it means to the seller.
 
Haranguer said

To me this describes a used gun that is in like new condition. It would have very few if any rounds fired through it, must have no finish wear or other blemishes and have its box with its papers and whatever else came with it (e.g., spare magazines for a pistol, cleaning kit, lock) when it was sold new. But it is still a used gun.
Click to expand...

This with my emphasis added. However, it has become clear to me that MY "LNIB" expectations are definitely not the same as 95% of those selling guns as "LNIB" It irks me that people use LNIB for a clearly used gun with wear on it. I've sent back 4 or 5 guns I've bought off gunbroker for being not LNIB. And then they wonder why. I just tell them to advertise Like Used in the Box.
 
You mean my Ruger 10/22 which is only 8 months old and looks perfect...except I have 10k rounds through it without much cleaning. LNIB unless you take it apart, than it looks like death.:D
 
My .22 rifle is severely worn, corroded, and is missing a few parts. Some things have broken due to extensive wear and heavy use.

I consider it "AS NEW" / LNIB. Let's start the bidding.
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$1 - you pay shipping. :D
 
LNIB = only 16 monkeys beat on it with a rat tailed file while under the influence of methamphetamines and pop rocks.
 
Any gun purchased RETAIL is used the moment it is logged out of the books... the best possible condition a used gun (see aforementioned definition) can be in is LNIB....
 
Dr. Rob is correct. 17-20 monkeys and it's just 98%.

Seriously though, while "LNIB" can be a marketing gimmick, I have seen some honest LNIB guns in the case at local gun stores that are great values. One guy bought a gen 4 Glock 23, put night sights on it, fired maybe 50 rounds through it, and sold it back to the same shop. It had a $489 price tag on it. Didn't last a day.

You'd be surprised how many people do that. There are people at that same store who have done the same thing with multiple guns. Apparently they have no problem losing hundreds on a new 1911 just to try it out. To add to the irony, this same store had a range rental case where these guys could have rented the gun for $7, to see whether or not they liked it in the first place!

There is, of course, no standard for LNIB. Generally it pertains to finish wear, though some used guns that have been well cared for can have a better finish than a new one of lesser quality straight from the factory.
 
To me, like new in box means there are no scratches or scuffs or marks on the weapon. A safe queen, with the original box and all the stuff that came from the factory.
I don't care if it's been fired, because I will.
If you want it unfired, that's what it should say.
 
LNIB is supposed to be equated to NRA (modern gun rating system) 'PERFECT' - sold to a consumer but never used.

NRA Modern Gun Condition Standards

NEW: Not previously sold at retail, in same condition as current factory production.

PERFECT: In New condition in every respect. (Many collectors & dealers use "As New" to describe this condition).

EXCELLENT: New condition, used but little, no noticeable marring of wood or metal, bluing perfect, (except at muzzle or sharp edges).

VERY GOOD: In perfect working condition, no appreciable wear on working surfaces, no corrosion or pitting, only minor surface dents or scratches.

GOOD: In safe working condition, minor wear on working surfaces, no broken parts, no corrosion or pitting that will interfere with proper functioning.

FAIR: In safe working condition but well worn, perhaps requiring replacement of minor parts or adjustments which should be indicated in advertisement, no rust, but may have corrosion pits which do not render article unsafe or inoperable.
Click to expand...

http://www.armchairgunshow.com/Condition-NRA-Guns.htm
http://www.armsbid.com/nra_grading.php#modern

If the gun has been fired since it left the factory, it's NOT capable of being LNIB (or PERFECT) but should be graded as EXCELLENT.
 
LNIB

Thanks for all the replys. Looks as if inserting the L(ike) it actually means it may not be actually new. I'm also an Amateur radio operator and see others listing equipment as LNIB after it has be operated. Dealers usually list these slightly used electronics as demos. I don't think I could ever list a gun as LNIB if I had shot it even once. Seems like a bad term to me.
 
Officially it is...Like New In Box

However I think it is more accurate to think of it as....Looks New In Box

LNIB does not mean the item is new, otherwise it would simply be NIB.

Saying something "looks" new is basically saying that it is used but in such good condition that it appears to be new.

When I advertise something on GB or Ebay and describe it as LNIB I assume that the person buying it has enough common sense to understand that I'm saying the item is used but looks like it has never been used. If I list something that is new then I will state that it is brand new and never used.
 
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there is a lot of people who expect a LNIB gun to be exactly the same as a NIB straight from the factory gun....people need to get a dictionary..."like new" does not equal "absolutely new".

Whenever I list a gun for sale and if it's in "LNIB", I list the number of rounds I put through it as well. It's up to the buyer to decide whether the price and condition is fair and competitive than something that is NIB straight from the factory.
 
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