I finally decided to give the pre-owned market a shot instead of always going for retail. But now I’m realizing I don’t really know how to tell if something’s been well taken care of or just completely worn down. What do seasoned buyers focus on when they’re checking out a gun that’s been used before?
Pre-owned
- Thread starter TerryLou
- Start date
sheriffjohn
Well-known member
- Joined
- Nov 10, 2025
- Messages
- 62
Buggered screws and missing or non-original parts. Even if a gun has had to have work done on it, competent gunsmiths can dissasemble and re-assemble without messing things up. Buggered screws, vise (sometimes vise grip) scars are bad ju-ju. Bubba has ahold of that one.
Otherwise, it totally depends on what it is. A thorough visual inspection will reveal wear on bearing surfaces, rust, re-blue, dents & dings. The interior of the bore absolutely tells if the gun's been maintained Pits in the bore regardless of other signs tell the story. Hairline cracks in wooden stocks are sometimes easily repaired, but missing wood ...nope.
There are certain calibers that are known to burn out rifle barrels after a relatively few rounds. Research this. Old shotguns (16 gauge for example) were sold in varying chamber lengths - odd sizes are not easily found. Old .22's fired with corrosive .22 shorts often have chambers ruined for longs or long rifles. Anyway ...if in doubt, find someone you know is knowledgeable and ask before you buy.
"Custom" features ...may have cost a previous owner a pretty penny, but usually aren't something the next person is looking for. Generally if, when you cycle the action gently, and everything works smoothly (not sloppy), I will consider it a possibility. Right now, the woods are full of "put-together" AR's. I've heard sellers say "I built this one." Uh ...no, you put a bunch of parts together. What's actually in it and IF everything works is a gamble. I buy as close to factory original as possible Hope that helps.
Otherwise, it totally depends on what it is. A thorough visual inspection will reveal wear on bearing surfaces, rust, re-blue, dents & dings. The interior of the bore absolutely tells if the gun's been maintained Pits in the bore regardless of other signs tell the story. Hairline cracks in wooden stocks are sometimes easily repaired, but missing wood ...nope.
There are certain calibers that are known to burn out rifle barrels after a relatively few rounds. Research this. Old shotguns (16 gauge for example) were sold in varying chamber lengths - odd sizes are not easily found. Old .22's fired with corrosive .22 shorts often have chambers ruined for longs or long rifles. Anyway ...if in doubt, find someone you know is knowledgeable and ask before you buy.
"Custom" features ...may have cost a previous owner a pretty penny, but usually aren't something the next person is looking for. Generally if, when you cycle the action gently, and everything works smoothly (not sloppy), I will consider it a possibility. Right now, the woods are full of "put-together" AR's. I've heard sellers say "I built this one." Uh ...no, you put a bunch of parts together. What's actually in it and IF everything works is a gamble. I buy as close to factory original as possible Hope that helps.
Bobcat
Well-known member
It’s dependent, to some extent, on what sort of gun it is. I bought a Winchester 101 trap gun once that looked really nice at first glance. A little closer look revealed that the gold plating on the trigger was worn completely off. The gun had been very well cared for but the trigger told the story of thousands of rounds fired. Knowing what to expect and pointing it out to the seller, I was able to negotiate the price way down.
More recently, I took something of a bath on a Remington 40XBR, again, beautifully maintained on the outside but the bore of the stainless 6mm Remington barrel looked like a sewer pipe. My guess is that it was taken to the prairie dog towns. Since then, I’ve started putting my bore scope in the car and if I get serious about anything I go get it.
More recently, I took something of a bath on a Remington 40XBR, again, beautifully maintained on the outside but the bore of the stainless 6mm Remington barrel looked like a sewer pipe. My guess is that it was taken to the prairie dog towns. Since then, I’ve started putting my bore scope in the car and if I get serious about anything I go get it.
I start with wear patterns, bore condition, and whether the action feels smooth or loose.
