Scratch-and-Dent guns? Factory 2ds?

[yhtomit]

Hi there! Another in my chain of naive questions, pray forgive me.

For many products, from shoes to cars to cereal boxes with defective package labeling, there's a healthy market for liquidating factory mistakes and cosmetic boo-boos on otherwise working new products; namely, by selling them through specialty resellers

Surely gun makers make mistakes, too (witness recent thread on the fellow who's being bugged to return a gun -- slightly different type of mistake, but illustrative); so ... where's the "reduced for quick sale" shelf for factory-new guns with accidental marks, or backwards printing, etc?

Is there one?

Maybe not: I "know" (suspect) that mistakes aren't all that common in modern manufacture, and that companies might not *want* anything even cosmetically inferior to be out there in the world. (Lawsuits, loss of reputation, etc.)

And maybe this is the sort of thing that only company insiders, friends-and-family ever get to take advantage of.

But I'd sure love to get a slight discount off the NIB MSRP if it means a scratch or two. Or at least to know the right price for that, as a data point in looking at other guns, incl. both new and used.

Am I nuts? (About this, specifically.)

timothy

 

[DoubleTapDrew]

Dunno if this is still going on but Noveske was offering a free "blem" lower receiver with the purchase of an upper. I saw some pictures of these blem receivers and it was usually something ridiculous like a faint mold line inside the triggerguard. I wish I could have gotten in on that deal!

You may want to contact any manufacturers of interest and ask them. Advertising money is usually in very short supply and I suspect many companies don't want to spend money advertising 2nds that they make very little, zero, or negative money on.

 

[wgaynor]

Not sure I'd want a firearm that contained a "mistake". A scratch, maybe, but not a "mistake".

 

[Davek1977]

There are occasional deals out there, but due to the nature of firearms, no manufacturer wants something truely defective to hit the market becasue of the massive liability concerns. However, I know tat one company (Cmmg maybe?) occasionally offers "blemished" guns with slight, sometimes even unnoticeable (due to reports I've read...no personal experience) cosmetic blemishes. I got an awesome deal on a Model 70 7mm because the checkering on the pistol grip was damaged oh so slightly at some point. Theres deals to be had here and there, but you won't typically find them being liquidated at any one place.....you're more likely to find a factory blemish and use it as a negotiating point in some random gun shop actually....at least in my experience

 

[seanie!]

It happens sometimes. As pointed out above, CMMG has their bargain bin, which are usually blemished upper/lower receivers that are assembled into rifles. FN also released some blemished SCARs where the lower receivers were off color, if I recall correctly. There have been others, but those are the only I remember off the top of my head.

 

[HGM22]

I'd almost think it'd be cheaper to destroy the blemished merchandise rather than take the risk of consumers seeing your product and thinking ALL of your products are sloppily made. My guess is the smaller guys can't afford to toss away all the blemished guns, but the bigger guys like Smith&Wesson can.

 

[Shadow 7D]

century arms has a section
many large dealers and wholesalers have 'gunsmith specials'
check out Samco Global, the have a section, I think they ran blem 1911 frames for 39 dollar last year.

 

[2 Wild Dueces]

The gun sales reps frequently sell their sample guns (typically to dealers or friends). Those guns often have some handling dings on em and get sold a bit cheaper.

 

[M-Cameron]

well the thing is......they do QC on each part along they way......not only when the gun is completed.....

so 99% of the time they end up with a box full of bad barrels, triggers, frames, ect......and not with a box full of completed guns.

 

[JoeMal]

Spikes offers 'blemished' parts for their ARs, sometimes complete guns. I once asked how bad they are in an email, and the reply back said, "They are not pretty". Take that as you wish

Now for non-firearms, as far as factory 2nds, Midway sometimes offers 'factory seconds' of their Caldwell Shoot 'N See sticky targets, and I can't even notice a difference from the regular ones. They worth every penny...especially when they sell them something like $5 for 50 of the 5" targets

 

[rellascout]

Lots of manufacturers sell blem guns. IIRC Dan Wesson sold a fair amount of blem 1911s at one time. I also remember Beretta doing the same. Everyone I have ever seen was hard to spot the blem. Most are surface issues, pits or finish unevenness.

 

[armoredman]

Check with WalMart, as they used to store guns that got dinged in transport to ship back, but would haul them out for a deeply discounted price if you asked, or so I was told by a lucky few who scored that way.

 

[Zach S]

I've heard Caspian offers blem frames and slides, but for local sale only. Seems like a read a post a few years ago where someone got a Recon frame with some botched checkering for dirt cheap.

I've got a few non-firearm blem items for a song. Most of the time I have to look for the blemish, and in some cases, like my guitar, I couldn't find it (although my three year old quickly added one).

It wouldn't surprise me if a lot of blem guns are being sold for full price since the blemish is so small.

 

[Justin]

I've bought blemished AR lowers in the past. The problems with them were wholly cosmetic. Frankly, I couldn't care less if there's a spot of improperly applied finish, or a scratch on a lower. It's a gun. If it gets run in enough 3 Gun matches, or run hard in a training session, it's going to get scratched anyway.

 

[Zach S]

It's a gun. If it gets run in enough 3 Gun matches, or run hard in a training session, it's going to get scratched anyway.

 

[nofishbob]

Scratch and dent sale? I wish!

The last S&W revolver I bought was like a factory second, but at full price!

A quick trip back to the factory put things right, but the notion that only "perfect" guns get sold at retail is overly optimistic.

Bob

 

[scythefwd]

I am running a second 20ga barre. Scope rail was offset. Saved me 60 bucks.

 

[DoubleTapDrew]

I saw a totally beat up AR at a gun show that I hoped to get a great deal on. Then I saw the tag said $10,000 and "SOLD". Must've had something to do with that extra selector position on the receiver

 

[Sooner1911]

I was able to get my blemished Stainless Laminated Tikka 25-06 from Gander Mountain for a $200 discount. It was already $75 off the regular price and the blemish was only a very slight ding on the stock. Not bad for $400. I am sure the ding happened at the store, but don't be afraid to ask for a discount. I really would have settled for $50, but, hey, the guy volunteered the $200.

 

[daorhgih]

Finders / keepers

I make a weekly circuit out to about 50-mi. to encompass every gun-store in the area. I have bought 2 Glocks from the store that is farthest away, because his prices in new guns are unbeatable. He says he sells more than anyone in two states besides this one. And Gaston shows him the "remanuf" list before any other shop in those states. Example: same guarantee as new gun, G-30 w two mags. $355, cash/carry. He had re-done Glocks in every caliber that could interest me (hint: all have ".4" as the starting cal. number.) He included a safariland holster also. He sells "remanuf" Dillon and Lee equipment also, at tremendous savings. He is the best kept secret in the state! He may have other "remanuf" pistol brands also, but I'm saving up for a refurbed Dillon-RL550B at $375. Dao.

 

[Carl N. Brown]

I got at least 10% discount from a dealer on a new .22 magnum rifle that had a slight mark on the buttstock (I guess what you call a floor sample). Since then I have put a few scratches or dings in the stock myself.