Why do people sell guns that are allegely "NIB" and "never fired"

[yakkingallover]

As to the original post, yes people do buy guns and never shoot them. I bought my Ruger Blackhawk that way, It was in the used case at my local dealer. They informed me that because it had been sold before it had to be resold as used regardless of condition. After careful inspection I came to the conclusion that the one round fired at the factory was the only round to ever go through that gun. They were having a store wide sale that day and I walked out with a "new" gun for less than half what a true new would have cost.

 

[Balrog]

When you take inflation into account you need to approximately double your money every ten years just to get back your original value.

That is traditional wisdom anyway. Few have done that in the last 10 years.

 

[BruM]

Easy, somebody buys a gun but for variety of reasons doesn’t use it. Later a gun fan gets a hold of it and realizes that unfired in the original box has some value. He has other guns so no strong need to shoot it. later it is passed to someone else who also realizes the gun's virginity has value and decides to pass it on to someone who values it more that he does. At least that’s what happened to an unfired 40 YO H&R I inherited.

 

[wlewisiii]

My Taurus 650SS was purchased by me as like new & unfired. The first buyer picked it up, took it home, wife had a fit, he sold it back & I got it for used price instead at the end of last month. Since then I've made sure, several hundred times, that it won't be sold as "unfired" again...

William

 

[Mags]

With all modern firearms (non collectible) I always steer away from the never fired or only 1 box of ammo guns for the following reasons.

1. I don't believe it.
2. They normally want MSRP for a gun I consider used.
3. They fired enough rounds for it to be used and not enough to break in the barrel or action.

The main reason is they normally want what they paid new when I could just get me a new one from a dealer for that price.

 

[Omaha-BeenGlockin]

There's some that I got a great deal on---I put it away--realize 2 two years later that there's something I want more and trade back to that same dealer for more than I paid for it----didn't set out to do that--it just happened that way a few times.

Right at the moment I have 6 unfired guns----mainly because we still have 6ft snowdrifts in the front yard-plus a young child--job and girlfriend---I'm kinda thinking about trading a couple for something else---call me fickle.

Other than the ones I got from grandpa---I don't particularly get attached to any of them and consider them all trading fodder if there's something else I want.

You lose money most of the time--sometimes not---I just consider it an expense of my hobby and addiction.

 

[Mike J]

I saw an ad recently on another forum. They were selling off 70 unfired firearms all owned by the same person. The manufacturerer had even given all the guns the same 3 number prefix to the serial number (they will do that for collectors or would then anyway I don't know about now), I enjoy my guns by using them. Some people enjoy knowing they own them, some just buy them so they know they have a gun if they need it & don't worry about developing skill. I don't understand collectors but thats okay-it's their money.

 

[Z-Michigan]

Are we to really believe that someone went out and bought a gun from an FFL brand new only to decide later that they wanted to turn around and sell it, probably at a small loss?

Yes, really. I currently own two un-fired guns. I'll probably keep (and shoot) both of them, but who knows? One is more than a year old now. If you're a collector and you have more money than free time, it's pretty easy to have this happen. I have also, one time, sold an unfired ANIB gun - I had bought two of the same model at a price I thought was terrific, and after shooting one I decided I didn't need two of them, so I sold the unfired one and kept the one I had tried out (which I still have today).

 

[Magic_Man]

I just bought a 10/22 that sat in the guy's safe for years. It looks to be unfired.

 

[MichaelK]

My last handgun purchase was a 50th anniversary Ruger Super BlackHawk. That is the one gun in my possession that I have not shot and aren't planning on shooting, keeping it for its collector value. And I only payed 350$ for it!

 

[Magic_Man]

Speaking of collecting, we should get a list going of what is hoped/thought to be worth money 20 or so years from now.

 

[jmr40]

I can't speak for others but let me give you an example. About 3 weeks ago I took a Glock 19 and an old Winchester 70 Ranger to a gunshow to try to sell. I had only $250 tied up in each gun and was willing to part with them at that price just to get my money back.

I found no takers, but found a dealer with a brand new Ruger Hawkeye in 35 Whelen priced at $500. About $50-$100 less than they are currently selling for. We made a trade and he gave me $100. So in real money I have a new rifle setting in my safe with the hang tags still attached that I have $400 invested in.

I have not decided If I am going to keep it or not. I will keep the tags on it and if someone offers me enough for it between now and August it is sold. If not I probably will buy a set of dies and start loading for it and keep it.

 

[jakemccoy]

My rant has something to do with this.

Quite a few folks are out there selling guns that they bought, never been fired (their claim) and want to sell for the same price as a new gun.

But isn't it like a car? If it's been titled, or in the firearms case, the ATF form filled out, it's used, right?

What trips me up even more are the guys who claim that they've never even taken the gun out of the box. Seriously?

They can charge whatever they want, and I want them to have that right because I would want that right. You have a choice of not to buy. The value of the gun is the price somebody is willing to pay for it.

I would never believe somebody who claims they never took the gun out the box. Does that mean nobody has come around and taken the gun out to look at it? And am I not allowed to take the gun out the box? That's B.S. I also wouldn't believe a seller who told me the trigger has never been pulled.

 

[Boba Fett]

I would never believe somebody who claims they never took the gun out the box. Does that mean nobody has come around and taken the gun out to look at it? And am I not allowed to take the gun out the box? That's B.S. I also wouldn't believe a seller who told me the trigger has never been pulled.

I agree that never taking it out of the box seems unlikely. Whenever I've purchased a firearm, they always open it, show me that the contents are all there, and close it back up.

As for not pulling the trigger, the pistol I mentioned in my earlier post had never had the trigger pulled. It had been opened just long enough to check the contents at the show and then once more to put the special slide release and extra mag in the box.


As to the believability, I'm with you on that. If a guy on GunBroker.com said it had never been taken out of the box or the trigger had never been pulled then he'd better be a dealer and not just some guy. But I'd be pretty skeptical anyway.

 

[Ed Ames]

New In Box doesn't mean "never removed from box" ... guns typically go in and out of their boxes several times between manufacturing and final sale as serial numbers are checked and contents are inspected.

 

[bhp9mm]

i have a smith and wesson 610-2 3 inch lew horton that has not been shot

 

[AirplaneDoc]

My grandfather purchased a Winchester 94 about 6 months before he died he never took it out of the box after he brought it home. My grandmother had it for a few decades, and I eventually got it about 13 years ago. I don't even own a box of 30-30's so I have never shot it. It is packed away with the original reciept, in the original box never fired. I am guessing if I chose to sell it, I could make a buck or 2 over the original price.

 

[thebigc]

i could see it happening i have a 45/70 i bought and its like 9 months later and i still havent got out to shoot it i ran some snap caps through it and played with it a little but no live fireing. its easy to do around here i dont belong to a range with hipower rifle and cant use it hunting and only shoot my pistols a few times a year

 

[Waffen tragen]

I have several guns that are unfired, however, I have no plans to sell them.
I have my "shooters" and my "safe queens". I have to say I'm always leery of NIB unless I buy it NIB.

 

[Erik M]

Seems like I saw a thread on the Transactions forum where a buyer argued with the seller about the firearm not appearing 'unfired' because it was dirtier than ones he had looked at in a store. Personally I dont think you could refer to any weapon as truly unfired with no exception due to the fact that the factory test fires them.

 

[ElToro]

jmr40.. see, i'd buy that rifle right now at $400 if it was private party. $35 at the FFL, no tax. But by the time you add shipping and my FFL inbound fee were up to $550. and sometimes they want to add sales tax. the deal kind of lust some luster.

i guess the semantics falls on which side of the deal your on. when im buying, oh you took it out once and fondled it? its used. if im selling, its been hermetically selaed since it left the makers plant.

My shooting buddy gave me a Ruger Mark 11 .22 that he won at a NRA dinner. box, papers, everything all there. he never fired it after picking it up from the FFL. should i have kept it virginal ? i have shot a box of 50 through it but you wouldnt know the differnce.

i have been buying all kinds of stuff lately just becuase. i intend to shoot all of it, just havnt found time

 

[redneck2]

I worked part time in a gun shop for a couple of years. Maybe 25% of the guns we took back in trade were unfired. Many of them came back with the original box of ammo. Maybe most common were the uber-magnums like .500 S&W or .458 Win Mags, but common calibers were seen quite regularly.

Guns are a funny deal. People want them just because they want them. We had one guy that would buy as many as five a week, then bring back dozens at a time to get money. I guess it's no different than someone buying something like a NASCAR model car. There's really nothing you can do with it other than look at it. My wife has over 100 Longaberger baskets that cost well over $100 average. Nothing you can do with them either.

And, there is no such thing as a gun that's never been taken out of the box. We ALWAYS checked the SN of the gun versus the one printed on the box.

 

[NMGonzo]

I rather have an aquiantance to tell me "It has not given me any problems in 500 rounds"

That is a gun I am willing to buy.

And never haggle with a friend.

Well. ... I never haggle with anybody regarding guns.

A good price (for me) is spotted; I make my move.

 

[StarDust1]

With all modern firearms (non collectible) I always steer away from the never fired or only 1 box of ammo guns for the following reasons.

1. I don't believe it.
2. They normally want MSRP for a gun I consider used.
3. They fired enough rounds for it to be used and not enough to break in the barrel or action.

The main reason is they normally want what they paid new when I could just get me a new one from a dealer for that price.

I sure as hell don't, if you know what to look for it's ridiculously simple to establish the truth of the claim, many, many people buy a firearm, shoot one box or less through them, then sell them off!
I see this all the time, particularly with large caliber handguns and I'm always checking the newspapers for their inevitable advertisments.
If they've been less then honest about the condition and use(common)it becomes an instant bartering point, one that I cannot ever remember not winning!
Best deals I've ever had, and more importantly, ever will have, come from this type of seller, who is usually just desperate for the money, or have been ordered(law, family, spouse)to get rid of it....

 

[jcwit]

Couple things:

1) Yep, people do indeed buy guns and never shoot them. Then they need cash or get some version of buyer's remorse.

2) Technically, those aren't "NIB" guns. Only guns new from a dealer are "New." Even if they take it home and wrap it up, it's used. If they go to sell it, they can advertise it as "ANIB" - meaning as new in the box, but not NIB.

Not real sure about the "ANIB" as new in box not being correct. Back in the '60's, '70's, '80's, I worked in our local hardware and we had a gentleman that bought/ordered every Winchester Commemorative 94's we could get from the factory. These were delivered to him unopened. Was at his house years later before he passed and asked him about them, at that time he still hd them all, and none were opened, still sealed as from the factory.

BTW his collection was in the 20 plus pices IIRC.

I would say those were "New In Box" no questions asked.