Why do people buy new guns?

[wyohome]

I buy used whenever possible. 3 of the 5 new weapons I have purchased did not operate correctly. These were good names (S&W, Kimber, Savage) the S&W was sent back and they could find nothing wrong with it...except it sometimes would not fire. A friend took it apart and cleaned up the sear so the hammer would drop. Savage BS-E had 2 eject springs where one belonged and none in the other hole. Kimber Longmaster Classic bolt was so over greased that the firing pin would make a half-assed attempt at striking the primer.

 

[xxjumbojimboxx]

I buy used whenever possible. 3 of the 5 new weapons I have purchased did not operate correctly. These were good names (S&W, Kimber, Savage) the S&W was sent back and they could find nothing wrong with it...except it sometimes would not fire. A friend took it apart and cleaned up the sear so the hammer would drop. Savage BS-E had 2 eject springs where one belonged and none in the other hole. Kimber Longmaster Classic bolt was so over greased that the firing pin would make a half-assed attempt at striking the primer.

So what your saying, is you got these guns at a deep discount and fixed them for zero money and got awesome guns in return?!!?!?

Good work sir.

 

[wyohome]

I am saying I bought them new and they did not work correctly. No discount involved.

 

[xxjumbojimboxx]

I am saying I bought them new and they did not work correctly. No discount involved.

Oh lordy, Misread that one At least they were easy issues to deal with... My experience has been the opposite... I find people who think their guns are broken, buy them cheap, and fix their stupid mistake. Too much grease on a firing pin is a common one.

 

[wyohome]

Easy but annoying. Used guns are seldom broken and I am never in a hurry. Usually it is something being sold by someone I know, family guns with signs of honest use. I do not get into semi autos or many handguns so things are more straightforward.

 

[Jackal1]

I buy new because I'm tired of buying used and everything functionally checks out, but as time goes by I stumble upon little 'tweaks' the previous owner performed that were not disclosed at time of sale and which negatively affect the proper functioning of the firearm. Examples would be like an extractor ground to a wrong angle or a wrong sized roll pin failing to properly hold something in place.

I'm an engineer so maybe butchered garage fixes bother me more than it would a nonengineer... I have a friend that believes all of his firearms are great but I personally think they're all boogered up. I guess its in the eye of the beholder. I like knowing what I've done to my firearms without wondering what joe schmo might have done beforehand that I haven't discovered yet.

I do buy my lawnmowers and cars used, but I usually plan a budget to fix prior owners transgressions. Similarly, I don't want to buy my firearms used and try to figure out the prior owners transgressions because the firearms are meant to save my life.

 

[Praxidike]

I buy new guns either because I can't find a good used one that I'm looking for, and/or It might sound strange, if I brought a new gun that I plan on keeping for a long time, I know the history behind it.

 

[Boxhead]

'Cuz I wanted both a DD and PSA AR and none used were to be found.

 

[SnowBlaZeR2]

Easy but annoying. Used guns are seldom broken and I am never in a hurry. Usually it is something being sold by someone I know, family guns with signs of honest use. I do not get into semi autos or many handguns so things are more straightforward.

In my experience, new guns are seldom broken as well.

I buy new. People generally ask nearly the cost of new anyways, and I like knowing where it's been and that I'm the only one who's owned it. Family is the exception. My brother and I swap guns more than our wives swap gossip.

 

[baz]

There is an "economic" explanation for the phenomenon under discussion. Knowing whether a used firearm is "worth it" requires knowledge that not all have. Those who have it expended time, energy, and probably $$$ -- all valuable economically -- acquiring it. When the economic value of that knowledge and skill is factored in, and added to the cost of used firearms, it might even exceed the cost of a new one. Those that don't have this skill and knowledge face three choices: (1) trust the opinion of someone who does have the knowledge, if they have access to such a person, (2) buy in ignorance, and hope for the best, or (3) buy a new firearm, where the uncertainties are less, and usually covered by warranty. The latter is a perfectly rational response under the circumstances.

All of my handguns were purchased new, for just this reason. I'm a shooter, not a gunsmith, collector or one who otherwise imagines himself skilled in assessing whether used firearms are "worth it." Several of my rifles are used, but it is typically difficult to purchase milsurps in any other condition. Like some, I've purchased used firearms where what I wanted was not available new, and I just hoped for the best. I picked up a pre-cross bolt safety Marlin 1894C .357 at a gun show a few years ago. But ignoring the milsurps, I tend to purchase my rifles new, rather than used, for the reason stated above. These range from a Ruger 10-22, purchased almost 40 years ago, to my newest rifle, a Ruger GSR bought NIB at a gun show last December.

Does that answer the question?

 

[Warp]

I buy used whenever possible. 3 of the 5 new weapons I have purchased did not operate correctly. These were good names (S&W, Kimber, Savage) the S&W was sent back and they could find nothing wrong with it...except it sometimes would not fire. A friend took it apart and cleaned up the sear so the hammer would drop. Savage BS-E had 2 eject springs where one belonged and none in the other hole. Kimber Longmaster Classic bolt was so over greased that the firing pin would make a half-assed attempt at striking the primer.

Kimbers not operating correctly seems quite common/to be expected.

 

[Ohio Gun Guy]

Many places i look, the cost of a new gun and used gun do not differ much, it's also not uncommon for guns in demand to be selling used for more than new.

 

[JohnBT]

"Kimbers not operating correctly seems quite common/to be expected."

There have been a lot, but it seems to be an illusion. Based on the last ATF Manufacturing Report I looked at, Kimber made more 1911-style pistols that year than ALL the other manufacturers combined.

www.atf.gov/statistics/index.html

Scroll down to the Annual Firearms Manufacturers And Export Report and pick a year.

 

[Art Eatman]

I did the gunshow table thing for some thirty years. Took in a lot of rifles as trade-ins. I usually shot them at my home range, and did whatever tweaking might have been necessary to ensure reasonable accuracy. All in all, I found no notable number of problems, and none that were serious. If I saw a particular "good used" rifle of interest to me, I'd have no qualms about buying after inspecting for condition.

 

[CornCod]

Arkansas is a very wierd place when it comes to guns. The used guns are just slightly less expensive than the new ones. The congoscenti are convinced that since most used guns are sold here in pawn shops, that for some reason the shop owners tend to overvalue them when they are put up for sale. Most people I know almost never buy guns at Arkansas gun shows and just go for the sake of buying ammo.

 

[Sheepdog1968]

You never know for certain if the prior owner(s) did something that will make it unsafe that may not be noticed.

 

[AKElroy]

With regard to rifles and shotguns, I really don't buy much new anymore. new is fine for tactical or duty type stuff, but more and more I don't like modern manufacture techniques. Ugly wood, poor wood to metal fit, low rent finishes. We rant about post '64 Winchester quality, but frankly the stuff they made until the early 90's was far better than Most stuff i see today. This trapper was made 33 years ago. No proud wood, nicely figured walnut, decent finish. Got it last week off GB. Today most stuff seems to have plastic trigger guards, beech or birch furniture, parkerized, just not my thing. I like the older stuff.

 

[AKElroy]

You never know for certain if the prior owner(s) did something that will make it unsafe that may not be noticed.

True, but that is why it is a good idea to only buy with an inspection period. Stuff that is messed with is pretty easy to spot, boogered screw heads, scratches around assembly points, etc.., the bore,action and breechface are easy enough to inspect.

I have purchased maybe 25+ used guns on-line, and have only sent one back. The rest are great shooters, and for the most part, better looking than I expected.

 

[InkEd]

I buy mostly new because it's rare for me to find a good enough deal on a used one that's in good condition. Out of all the guns in the house, IIRC only three of them were bought used. However, they were all LNIB and priced way below the cost of a new one. I would prefer to get used if they are in good shape but most used ones I see around for sale are either in poor condition or only a few dollars less than a new one.

 

[tomrkba]

Sometimes a used gun is really a problem gun. That problem is likely mechanical failure, but it could also be a gun used in a crime or stolen. Buying new alleviates that worry.

 

[two gun charlie]

I don't own a single new rifle (although they all look new) all inherited.
I bought a second hand semi-auto shotgun very happy with it
only my pistol was bought new , I am not too keen on buying handguns second hand.

 

[beatledog7]

I have about an equal mix of firearms I bought new and firearms I bought used, and they get about an equal mix of use. There's no reason to shy away from used if one knows how to spot bad ones, and there's a ton of good guidance on the topic that's readily accessible.

I love the used firearms market. Many people trade off guns like they change their shorts just because they're always seeking the latest thing. Some get into financial stress and have to sell a few guns quickly for bill-paying cash. Many sell what was too much gun in a too-light package when they find they can't manage its recoil. Others ditch a gun if it has a malfunction or two because they don't trust it.

That puts a lot of great, virtually new and often not fully worn-in guns on the used market. Those are the ones I look for.

 

[Maj Dad]

...for some reason the (pawn) shop owners tend to overvalue them when they are put up for sale.

I think they over-price the hell out of them; value is determined by the buyer, price by the haggle...
The last two new guns I bought both had/have issues: a Rossi M92 20" carbine in 44 mag would not feed, period. No matter which bullet or what COAL, 44 mag or 44 spl, it would not feed from the magazine. After some research on the Rossi Rifleman forum (rossi-rifleman.com), I took the stock off, flooded the action and all the contents with brake cleaner, let it dry overnight then flooded it with an aerosol lube. Dried it out, and now everything feeds, even SWCs. Never would have believed it. The second is a Remington 1911 R1 what would lock up and not feed Win 230 JHPs. Turns out the slide stop lip that catches on the magazine tab to lock it back is square and not angled, and catches on the top bullet in the mag, forcing it down and locking it up (you cannot insert a loaded clip with that round - it stops before locking up). Feeds FMJs (still bump the lip) and 2 different lead bullets fine, but as it came from the factory, it is flawed.
I will fix it...

 

[nastynatesfish]

Ill buy a used gun in a heart beat so long as it passes a good visual. Don't know round count? There's money off it. Barrel pitted? Bamm some more. I only buy used rifles to build off of.
Got this m77 243 for 350, he wanted 579.


Just got a remmy 700 3006 for 450 with a nikon monarch on it I sold for 300 that day

Stripped it and now it's a 260


I think it depends if you want a project or a take out and hunt gun. I've bought new but only when I couldn't find what I wanted used