This is the first time I ever felt the need to return a gun that I purchased on GB. I actually left the seller great feedback before I removed the Hogue grips to reveal all the rust which is why I returned it under the 3 day inspection.

I got stuck with shipping both ways! Just curious to know if this is customary? I thought the seller (FFL) should have split the shipping. When he contacted GB for a refund on his fees he stated to GB that there reason for the return was a little dirt!

I'm considering editing my feedback to prevent another buyer from having this same situation. Note: he relisted without any reference to the rust. Even if he cleaned it further than I did. He also removed the 3 day return policy.

That's why I like doing business with my LGS. He makes sure I get just what I want. Also it helps the local economy. By the way, I'm sorry your purchase didn't work out. I hope things go better next time.

The shipping policy you describe is pretty standard for auctions, for better or worse.

You can certainly try contacting the auction site but it will likely turn into a "you said/he said" situation, and the seller pays the fees in their system so they are unlikely to do anything about it. You can give lower feedback but he may retaliate.

A good reason to note any seller's policies in the future, not that this was your fault in any way.

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

I'm pretty sure GB feedback cannot be edited. But why didn't you just clean off the surface rust? It's not difficult and normally doesn't result in permanent damage.

Ed

Every auction is different. GB is the avenue for sellers and buyers to meet and they have no skin in the game. We all know that my 95% may be your 85%, etc. Look at the pics, ask good questions and look at previous reviews. It can be a **** shoot.

Sadly, you are not alone in that rowboat. I've had the same on a 1911 that was listed as no return. Scratches on the slide and frame but figured I'd just Parkerize it. A shooter, not a collector piece. No picture of the barrel, or of it disassembled. They said fair condition, and I'd bought two other guns from them so I wasn't expecting anything outrageous. Total rust-bucket inside, and they never responded to my emails about it. So they've lost any future business they might have had from me. Fortunately I can get a new barrel for a 1911.

It was my first revolver rodeo. I did not know the long term affect of removing the rust. The FFL admitted this is a known issue. That bothered me. So either he chose to not look or... Not the kind of person I do business with.

It already has! I posted pics of my 629-5 earlier today. Great condition and less expensive.

I believe GB returned his fees which is why they emailed me to confirm I shipped it back. I didn’t appreciate him throwing me under the bus by giving them a reason that was not true. I’m not a person looking for revenge. Just didn’t want someone else to fall into the same situation.

Hey try not to take it personal, after all it’s Gun Broker
“Caveat emptor” . I think the seller was at least credible enough
to offer a 3 days return. Lately I’ve seen GB pushing that on sellers. Shipping is down the tubes , but you weren’t stuck with a gun that you will never be happy with.
Vinny

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"GUNS UP"

It's always important to ask all the right questions when buying anything sight unseen. Rust under the grips & good mechanical shape are the two most common questions I ask when buying a stainless gun. Buying blued guns always make me nervous but I've been lucky so far.

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Don't You Ever Wash That Thing

I agree with the above posters. Over the years, I have purchased more than 20 guns on GunBroker with just two concerns, both of which were relatively minor and were taken care of promptly by the sellers. Accordingly, I harbor no fears about doing business on GB - you just have to look at a seller's reviews, study his/her photos and make sure you have a return period if needed.

I once placed the minimum bid on a 2-1/2" Model 66-4 just to get the bidding started for the seller as it had gone without a bid for four days or so and looked nice in the photos. When another day went by with no other bids, I downloaded his photos and blew them up on my HD 27" desktop monitor to see what flaw I had missed. The gun still looked new but was advertised as being an "average" condition. In the end, I wound up with a mint-condition Model 66 snubbie for $416 so it can go both ways.

Ed

A couple things....

The guns from the early 90's are now getting old. If they wear rubber grips, they VERY likely have surface rust underneath....and it's no big deal on a stainless gun. It cleans up. 98% of the -4 66's, 686's and 629's in my area all have crud under the grips. Nothing oil a copper wool doesn't fix.

I'm glad you got what wanted OP, but be prepared to roll with a couple punched when buying older stuff. Knowing how mitigate the issues of older guns actually opens purchasing opportunities.

My feedback with GB sits @257... All positive. All buys.. A GB member

since 2000, l have returned a total of T W O guns over the years..

Seller paid return postage in both sales.. First was a 4'' reblue Model 28.

Bad pics and a low price made me bait... He said it was a MODEL 27..

Second was a 629 Classic.. Seller claimed it was an 8 3/8''. Just a bit

shorter when l measured it:-(... l no longer buy AS IS off GB...

Lately l have favored Auction Arms for my gun purchases. lts the NRA site..

Guaranteed 3day lnspection.. Nice ''EDSEL'' kwesi...

Thanks sw!

The era of Hogue grips is starting to rear it's ugly head. All my stainless guns wearing factory Hogue's seem to have came with some sort of rust under the grips. I hate to say it but I almost expect it.

I avoid paying top dollar for guns I can't see in person also. So when it comes in and it's not the mint piece I was hoping for I'm not too disappointed. I have gotten some very nice guns for the money and I don't feel like I overpaid for any of them. None of them were accidentally mint.

Thanks to y’all I’m beginning to learn some of the right questions!

I have bought several guns off of GunBroker. I only had one bad experience. I bought a revolver that looked really nice and the description was very positive and mentioned nothing about any alteration or damage to the revolver.

When I got the revolver someone drilled the top strap (No Pictures of) and had even broken a screw off in one of the drilled holes. The guy was away for three days and I could not talk directly to him. I was very mad because he definitely had to know the top strap was drilled. I took it to the LGS and traded it at a big loss. I gave him negative feedback and he returned the favor to me with negative feedback. GunBroker would not retract my negative feedback even though I paid same day. I don't use GunBroker anymore. My last two were bought on GunsAmerica.
Sometimes the LGS can't get what you are looking for guns not made anymore. I did not want to mess with sending it back, took a week to get. I did show the damage to the LGS.

Most gun shops I know would never take the time to remove the grips on a trade in, or pull a long gun out of the stock unless you specifically asked them to (some wouldn't even do it then!). They're just flipping the gun the profit. I'd say the seller had no idea about rust under the grips.

You may be correct. I never said he did because I don’t know. Don’t you think it’s odd that he has it relisted with no mention of the rust or that he removed it ( he told me he would clean it up ) and now it’s As Is and no returns?

Perhaps. But if the rust easily cleaned off, he probably wouldn't feel obligated to tell it no more than cleaning up a heavily leaded bore, or just an extremely filthy gun. The As Is part could just be frustration with the return process he just went through. I really don't have all the facts to know for sure.

I would've just grabbed some Rem Oil and rubbed off the surface rust. If you guys were to take the rubber grips off of pretty much any pistol that has seen the outdoors or have been carried for a year or more and take a peek under, you're going to see some minor surface rust. A little rubbing with some Rem oil and a cloth and it will come right off.

This is true for any pistol with rubber grips

I don't use GB. . .never have, never will. There are enough Smiths right here in Middle Georgia to keep me and my bank accounts busy forever.

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Dr. B

I totally agree sdb321, I also have no desire to deal with buying used anything from "on line".

I much prefer to give my business to my LGS's and keep my money local.

They (LGS's) know what I am looking for and call me when they get things in that I might like, now that's service!

It may be that I need to look longer, and a bit harder, for what I want, but to me that is part of the fun!

I understand your frustration, especially with the shipping cost since the seller provided an inspection period. Glad to hear you got an even better deal on a 629!

I have had two instances where I was slightly annoyed, but one turned out to be my own ignorance and another was only noticeable with a close inspection and with certain lighting (which the camera flash hid well)

1. I got a stainless Ruger New Vaquero Bisley .45 Colt that was advertised as excellent condition and only fired a few times. It arrived with black marks all over the cylinder, swirls, and several light scratches.

The seller thought I was being nitpicky, even though all I was doing was asking if he thought those marks would polish out. I did a break down and detail cleaning and it removed the black marks, which were most likely lead deposits (which don't seem to occur since reaming the cylinder throats). The swirls went away as well, which makes me think it was oil/lube and handling from my FFL. The light scratches were still there though but only obvious in certain lighting.

I did contact the seller and apologized for my ignorance and thanked him again for the sale (he was helpful about using a different payment method than what was listed). He didn't respond. I got it for at least $100 less than a brand new one at the time, so the light scratches aren't a huge deal.

2. I got a S&W 500 7.5" Performance Center model that was said to be 95+% in condition. When it arrived, I noticed numerous brown specks (I assume that was rust) all throughout the finish, most likely because it was stored long term in the S&W bag. I removed the grips and found the Hogue clip was pretty rusted, and several more spots on the grip of the frame.

ATF and a brass brush took care of at least 95% of the specks and the Hogue clip. Maybe this is acceptable for a gun rated at 95% condition, but had it been a blued finish I would have been very angry.

I did send the seller an e-mail about it and never received a response. That angered me more than the finish since I called them prior to bidding to inquire about the condition. I let it go since I scored the gun for $960 instead of the $1,200-1,600 I see it listed for.

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Authorized AMSOIL Dealer

I'm no longer in any frustration. I only wanted to understand the typical policy on a return re shipping. I've moved on and embracing the 629 that was exactly as described. Thanks to all for your opinions.

The return policy really depends on the seller. If they really wanted to protect their seller rating, eg. Feedback. Then they would be more willing to split the costs. Some are more willing to work it out more than others. That is why I suggest next time you shop around also be sure to read the "fine print" and also pay attention to their seller rating and maybe read on some of the feedback to get a better idea of how they conduct business before commiting to a bid.

I've bought several new guns off GB, but only 2 used ones, a 3" 64, and a 3" 65.

I asked both sellers to send me pics with the grips removed...both did. No surprises.

Another thing the rubber grips do is hold grit. I've got a PD trade model 64
that has bad side plate marring and ground in grit from the rubber holding
"sand". Gun is the typical carried forever and hardly shot cop special.

I was a little unhappy when I got it but decided Caveat Emptor rules. I've
only bought about 70 items off the broker and the one 1893 mauser I
thought about returning ended up with a nice remington barrel in 7mm
mauser so I let it go.

I agree with diyj98 there are quite a few peddlers who buy guns to sell quickly
and other than looking down the bore to see if there is one they flip them as
fast as possible. This last January I won a Sig 229 and was sent a 226.
I told the peddler I was happy with it if they were. They never answered
so I guess they were. That is the latest example.

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never get out of the boat

While I will ultimately side with the buyer there is also some responsibility on the seller with this scenario. I have purchased near a 100 firearms online the last decade out of necessity, most on GB. What I have learned is that most sellers couldn't write and support with a sufficient number of photos (30) a listing to save their soul. As a buyer you really have to be your own advocate and ask for a photo of the firearm without the grips if the seller is not astute enough to have provided one. This is just one omission of many I have had to asked a seller in the past to provide for a clear assessment. If they are unwilling to do so on any request that is my Que to move on. There will be other opportunities and yes I do believe some sellers omit important details or offer sub standard photos intentionally, you just have to be aware when entering the lions den.

lf l didn't buy online l would have virtually ''NO'' revolvers...

Being a Military Town, Augusta, Fort Gordon Ga has got to be

the ''BOTTOM FEEDER CAPITOL OF THE WORLD'' :-(

I knew there were reasons to hate rubber grips other than that they are butt ugly and diminish the appearance of anything they are on... except a motorcycle.

To me, if it was a shooter grade piece and the rust was confined to under the grips I wouldn't have worried about it.Cleaned it up and called it good. As others have stated most gun shops don't take a gun apart ( many don't even bother to clean them ).

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1st smiles,lies.Last,gunfire.

One thing I always avoid is a seller who says to just study the photo's as they are the description. How in the world can you look at a left side and a right side photo taken from 3 feet away and get any sense of condition. To me that's a red flag if I ever saw one.

Edit it. I have not purchased off of GB, I do look at Guns International, and there is one guy that has the same wording for everything, and the description is excellent, when it is fair to good. If something is wrong, it should be so noted. However, I bet he did not pull the grips, which s/b a part of reviewing any handgun for a proper representative description. I have bought off of this forum, and I ask for pics of the forcing cone, recoil shield, and both sides of the frame if they are not in the original pics. Got to kick the tires

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Pete
I ain't no fortunate son

I'M SORRY TO READ THIS. I ENCOURAGE YOU TO CHANGE YOUR FEEDBACK. DON'T BE AN ENABLER OF THIS UNSCRUPULOUS DEALER.....

AN ACCUMULATION OF NEGATIVE RATINGS WILL SPARE OTHER POTENTIAL VICTIMS. CONTINUING ALONG THIS PATH WILL EVENTUALLY HARM HIS ABILITY TO MAKE SALES.....

THE VAST MAJORITY OF US BUYERS AND SELLERS ON GUN BROKER, DEAL HONESTLY IN ALL OF OUR TRANSACTIONS. ALL WE HAVE IS OUR REPUTATIONS, AND WE GUARD THEM JEALOUSLY......

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'Nam 1968-69.DAV,VFW,NRA Inst.

I’ve bought several guns off GunBroker. Only two have not been satisfactorily. Both sellers were great photographers. Good at hiding blemishes. The first a 625-4 with some deep scratches. Called seller he offered to discount pistol. Which I did.
The second was a Colt gold cup . It’s was advertised as nearly new. It arrived looking like it was issued in WW2. Complete with a deep idiot scratch. Had to pay shipping both ways.

I've only bought one gun off of Gunbroker - a 1977 Remington 700 BDL "Varmint Special" .308 w/heavy barrel - because they literally NEVER show up in any of the LGS or pawn shops I frequent. Bought a lot of parts and other items on GB, though. There is always a certain amount of risk involved with these online purchases - like the last one I made where I ordered a set of grips for my Star Model BM 9mm. I could have bought some aftermarket grips but I wanted original Star grips. Well, turns out the seller must have been using a black and white camera because when they got here they were brown - not black like in the picture. I used black ceramic paint on them and they look fine, but still.