Why buy a used rifle?

[rajb123]

I've bought a few used clunkers in my day so now I avoid used guns unless I can test them which in not possible in most cases.

I ran across a used CZ 22 Win mag heavy barrel yesterday at a gun store that may not have been shot before.

Anyway, I turned it down at $399.

 

[MMCSRET]

I buy used because they don't makem like that no more!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[christcorp]

Some buy used because they are much cheaper. And unlike a car, most gun owners who sell a gun, rarely put many rounds through it. Also; if you're paranoid, most states allow person to person sales without any paperwork. So for those who don't want uncle Sam to know they bought the gun, they buy used.

 

[deimos256]

What they said plus if anyone is like my father, it may have been shot on about 4 occasions, cleaned and never touched again. When he passed away I basically inherited an arsenal of new guns, which fetched me a lot of good offers when I sold a bunch of them.

 

[jmr40]

Almost all of my guns are purchased used. If you make wise choices you can save a lot of money. I trade a lot and will often buy a gun I have no need of or even want if I know I can trade it later at a profit to buy something I want.

I bought a Colt 1911 off a kid who needed rent money about 10 years ago for $250. Sold it last fall for $600. Took that $600, put $100 of my money with it and bought a slightly used Winchester Extreme Weather rifle for $700. I have $350 in a gun that sells for $1,000 new.

Buying used allows you to try different guns you may not otherwise try. If you buy carefully and if you don't like it, you can sell a gun you bought used for about the same as you paid for it. Sometimes I make a small profit. I rarely lose more than the sales tax I paid for the gun. Buy a new gun and decide you don't like it and it will sell for about what you would have paid for the same gun used.

 

[rajb123]

These purchases for good value occur in private sales; right? Where do you track these down?

Anyway, the used guns I have seen recently in gun stores or at gun shows are not selling cheap. Is it customary for the potential buyer to make a lower counter offer for a used gun at a gun shop?

Examples:
CZ 22WM = $399, new $450
Beratta O/U = $1400, new $1700

 

[jmr40]

I have found that you never find a good deal when you are looking for something specific. I keep cash on hand and take as much as $1,000 in cash with me to a gunshow. When you find a good deal and have cash you will often get a much better deal.

Over the last 15-20 years I've also developed a close personal relationship with the guy who owns a local Pawn and Gunshop. He has passed on some good deals to me on guns he has taken in on pawn and customers have lost.

Many times it is in the pawnshops interest to sell a gun for far less than it is worth. They usually loan no more than 50% of what they think they can sell it for. They may loan $100 on a gun worth $400 and then try to sell it for $300. But the gun may have to sit for 9-12 months before they can sell it. A smart pawn shop operator will gladly take $200 for it to sell it now. He can then have another $200 in the till to loan out at 20% interest. In a years time he could make an extra $100 on the gun OR he could earn $480 in interest by selling the gun now at a reduced price.

If you want to actually make any money you usually have to keep the gun for several years. The Colt I bought for $250 was probably actually worth around $350 at the time, but I stumbled across a guy in a bind for money and got it at a bargain. All gun prices have gone up in the last 10 years, so I was able to make a profit at this time.

 

[zhyla]

Gee, cause used guns are perfectly usable, hopefully well broken in, and cheaper?

 

[JR47]

There is also the matter of availability. Some excellent guns are no longer made, so used is the only way to get them. Same goes for rifles chambered in certain calibers.

 

[KodiakBeer]

The best deals seem to be in rifles and shotguns. Many store shelves are lined with perfectly good long guns at half the cost of new ones. It makes no sense to me to plunk down $700 for a new rifle with a plastic stock and other cheap manufacturing shortcuts, when there are used rifles on the shelf for far less.

Most rifles need little more than some aggressive bore brushing to be brought into like new condition.

 

[CraigC]

No reason NOT to buy used!!! If you're afraid of used guns, the answer is not avoidance but education. Unlike a used car, which could have had the piss run out of it by an angry teenager, used guns rarely tell lies. Learn what to look for because some used guns shoot like this one:

 

[zoom6zoom]

I've had more issues with brand new in the box firearms than any I purchased used.

 

[GLShooter]

I bought this one for $300 from Cabelas a couple years ago. Rust all over the barrel and scope bell. The bluing on the bolt looked like it had never been cycled. The object was to get a donor action for a tube gun down the road. I figured the Leupold rings and mounts were worth $40.00 so to a swing at it.



Then after two years I decided to shoot it testing out some new reloading gear a fellow was developing and this is what happened:



Now I have to go get ANOTHER rifle!!

Greg

 

[gun addict]

owner buys a NIB rifle for $900 retail, shoot a box of ammo through it, decides it isnt for him

i buy it off of him for $600

profit?

 

[Arkansas Paul]

And unlike a car, most gun owners who sell a gun, rarely put many rounds through it.

I've found this to be true as well. The majority of people shoot once or twice a year. Especially deer rifles. They throw 4 or 5 shots down range before season, and that's about it. There are great deals to be had on used stuff.

 

[prid93]

Savage FVT .22lr new = $350-$400
What I paid for that model rifle that had been shot twice = $200
It shoots better than I can. I'd say its worth it.

 

[rajb123]

How about the used guns that you got burned on?

My examples:
Browning 22LR with screw on barrel - cant hit side of barn for $245
Mossberg 500 12 ga. - fell apart
S&W 270 - shot barrel

 

[wanderinwalker]

I honestly can't say I've ever purchased a used rifle, but the signs of what to look for aren't too difficult.

Bore: Is it clear and sharp? Check the crown at the muzzle, is it even and sharp? If so, it's probably good. If the bore is dark, it needs to be cleaned or could harbor rust. If the muzzle is green, it needs to be CLEANED and probably got traded because it "doesn't shoot" anymore.

Stock: Is it even around the barrel? Consistent gap? Any obvious CRACKS and splits?

Action: This will tell you if the rifle has really been used. If there is little wear and polishing on the bolt and other moving parts, it hasn't been used much.

The biggest reason I haven't bought a used rifle is the ones that turn up that I am interested in are beat to snot. The ones that aren't beat up are usually in super-douper MAGNUMS, and I really don't want anything that big.

Question: How is the barrel on the .270 shot? Rusty? Dirty? Won't shoot? It may be a simple fix, or does it need a new barrel?

 

[Hillbillyz]

GLShooter what would posses you to go outdoors and shoot when the air temperature is 102? -10 I can understand but 102?

 

[GLShooter]

Well it had cooled down somewhat. When it gets to 50 here I get the fireplace going big time.

Greg

 

[Abel]

I buy used because the new ones that are made to standard are pricey!

 

[bamarobbie]

Easy, I bought a 40 yr. old Rem 760 30- '06 for $250 on Gunbroker, slick as glass. A peep sight from Brownell's and it's a real deerslayer.

 

[Cosmoline]

If you can inspect the firearm and you know what to look for, there is no risk in buying used. I've bought and shot 100 year old+ rifles without problems. Something ten or fifteen years old barely seems used at all in comparison. Plus they really don't make them like they used to.

That said, I'm not doing it because I'm after a bargain. Sometimes I find one, but I'd be willing to pay as much or more for many used firearms than the modern equivalent. From a classic Winchester 94 to a Speed Six, I would absolutely spend more for them because I know the quality is there. New really doesn't mean much in firearms. People just think it does.

 

[content]

Hello friends and neighbors// Why buy an old rifle? For me there are many reasons and most places I go have a 30 day warranty.

I guess we have all seen the, "deer season special" ,beat up Marlin 336 for $50.00 more than new and chuckled or shook our heads.

I picked up this 336AS at a local pawn shop just after "deer season", they were glad to move it and I am glad to have it. Just ate a burger from a Whitetail it/we dropped with one shot last fall.

For me it is fun to stop by the local gun stores and pawn shops just to see what might pop up.
I usually ask them what they "need" to get for a gun or two to feel satisfied. If I think the price is fair I buy, if not just jot it down in a note book then the next time I go back if the gun is still there I ask again, armed with the previous price..
After a few years you get a feel for the individuals and them for you.

Some of my best bargins have been so full of dust I asked for the bore to be cleaned before I decided. Dust on the guard behind the trigger is a good indicator the gun has been there for a while too, more dust = better price.

Occasionally I wil buy from someone that will not budge on price but they are usually informed and fair. These are hard to find guns, in better than average condition, I would not take a chance buying online. YMMV
Like this Remington model 12 manuf. in 1911

Buying used is also more interesting to me, you never know what migh turn up.
Higher quality furniture for bargin prices is a huge bonus. It is hard to beat a good old U.S. Walnut, 1939, Remington 510 Targetmaster .22 for $25.00. Even if someone, sometime in the last 70+ years, took a few liberties with a pocket knife.

I buy new too but with much less frequency.
I hope you have great success in the future buying new or used.

 

[Babarsac]

They don't make new Mosins