PPT/Used Gun Inspection Process

[riceman]

I bought two used items off grainy potatoed cell phone photos. One of the items looked like it was stored in a garage and had bits of rust on it, shrugged and just took it apart and cleaned it.

I think acquiring or getting rid of things through classifieds is a pain.

Even when I get rid of junk for free on FB marketplace it's a pain.

I offered a guy an extra $200 on an item because I didn't want to drive far away twice to an FFL out of town, it worked.

I did it once for a Jerry Miculrk 625-5". It was 2 hours one way = 8 hours total. Never again.

 

[jclusin]

I did it once for a Jerry Miculrk 625-5". It was 2 hours one way = 8 hours total. Never again.

Funny you mention that model, the gun I paid $200 extra for was a S&W 25-2 in .45 acp.

He was 2 hours away and happened to be driving south for a holiday weekend.

After the deal was done I asked if he would have driven it down if I didn't offer extra money, he looked at me and laughed (then said no, of course not).

 

[dawgsnbrass_lbc]

I’ve had people ask me why I buy used but the fact is that most gun owners don’t shoot that many rounds. Either bc they have multiple firearms, cost of ammo nowadays, the move up buyer, etc. I haven’t had any issues purchasing this way mostly thru the old calguns site but I always check the ratings (goes against me now bc I’m new to this site).
Tool marks, rail wear (like when someone says I only have 100 rds thru when it looks like 1k), cosmetics, rack and dry fire.

At the end of the day it’s hard to really tell. I have some pistols that have a couple thousand thru the pipe and looks beat up bc of holster wear. But I have some that have 5k+ rds and they look fine. Rack it, dry fire it, if it feels good buy it. Worse case you have to get a new part or have some work done but still better than paying all the taxes/fees that drive cost up.

 

[RustyIron]

Curious what process y’all have (if any) for inspecting a gun when doing a PPT or just buying used in general? What kind of things do you check? Does anyone insist on shooting the gun first? Curious where everyone stands on this

It's just a gun. It's not that big of a deal. If there's a gun that piques my interest, I look at pictures and ask a couple questions. If everything is to my liking and the seller strikes me as being solid, I make the deal. We meet, confirm the gun is as described and my stack of cash is as described, and then we proceed according to the law.

It's the opposite when selling a gun. I take a couple pictures and describe it as well as I can. It the other interested party wants it, we agree upon a deal and figure out the details. If someone wants a bunch more pictures or to "see it first" before deciding, then maybe my gun isn't for him and he needs to keep shopping around.

As for shooting a gun, I never ask. If I was asked, the answer would be no. The world is filled with time-wasting chain-jerkers. I don't have the patience to waste my time on indecisive people.

 

[Gawernator]

I’ve had people ask me why I buy used but the fact is that most gun owners don’t shoot that many rounds. Either bc they have multiple firearms, cost of ammo nowadays, the move up buyer, etc. I haven’t had any issues purchasing this way mostly thru the old calguns site but I always check the ratings (goes against me now bc I’m new to this site).
Tool marks, rail wear (like when someone says I only have 100 rds thru when it looks like 1k), cosmetics, rack and dry fire.

At the end of the day it’s hard to really tell. I have some pistols that have a couple thousand thru the pipe and looks beat up bc of holster wear. But I have some that have 5k+ rds and they look fine. Rack it, dry fire it, if it feels good buy it. Worse case you have to get a new part or have some work done but still better than paying all the taxes/fees that drive cost up.

Other than my MK25 every used gun I've bought looked like new still

 

[Wolkenflieger]

Just like buying a vehicle, the vibe from the seller is about as important as inspecting the item itself. Every used motorcycle I bought I knew 90% how the bike's condition would be just by who the seller was

100%. Choosing the right seller gets one most of the way there.

 

[decius_mus]

1. Check feedback
2. Inspect outside of the gun for any evidence of the gun being dropped, any cracks in the polymer, serial numbers match, pull trigger and listen for weird noises
3. Field strip and look at how the rails are worn, slide hood slot wear pattern (should be generally uniform), any aftermarket components, polished surfaces that shouldn't be polished, or any other general weirdness.
4. If the gun is optics ready and does not come with an optic already mounted, remove the optics cover and inspect the pocket / screw holes.


Most striker fired guns will generally be fine, and this inspection can be done in less than 5 minutes if you watch a video of how a gun is supposed to look like internally before meeting the seller.

Personally i think the only thing that is going to be difficult to recover from is if there's a crack in the polymer of a non FCU gun since that is the serialized part. Everything else can be replaced without that much of an issue.

 

[nescott24]

Only once had a seller given me the opportunity to fire his rifle before purchasing.

He said he goes to Piru once a month to shoot and if I came on that day he would allow me to fire some rounds.

We meet up and allowed me to shoot 10 rounds. The rifle performed flawlessly. He gave me tips and advice on how to better manage the firearm and the sling that came with it.

A week later we met up again and he sold it to me.

Super nice gentleman that wanted to sell it, we were in the same location, and had the same desire to make the transaction work.

This type of transaction is uncommon but can happen. As a buyer I would never ask as it is a great deal for both parties to commit.

 

[nescott24]

revolver_checkout.pdf

drive.google.com

^The Revolver Checkout

By Jim March