My wife bought a 9mm shield this morning. They are really hard to find around here and the shop we bought it from received 7 yesterday. They sold the first 6 that afternoon and we bought the last one when they opened this morning.
After we got it home I was surprised to see the test fire date was late September. My .40 that I bought in January was like most of what I see on this forum which is 4 to 8 weeks prior to purchase.
I guess my question is where has this one been for 5 months when they are always sold out at every LGS? And, should I be concerned? Up to this year that would be of no concern but the way they can't keep up with demand makes me wonder...
You could, if this really bothers you, call S&W and ask them when it was shipped and to which distributor. You could then call the distributor and ask them to look it up and see if they would tell you when they got it and shipped it out and to whom, explaining the reason and understanding that they have no obligation to give you the information. That will help you in determining if, for example, your pistol was in inventory at the FFL longer than you think.
Was this a small gun store or a large one? It is always possible the owner was using it for a few months as a carry gun, then decided to clean it up and sell it. Sort of like the way a car dealer drives new cars with a dealer plate for a few months before selling. The difference, of course is that the car dealer pretty much has to disclose as the odometer will have mileage. The gun does not have an odometer.
About the only way you can even hazard a guess is if you are used to seeing how they look truly fresh from the manufacturer and then the distributor and comparing.
There used to be a dealer near where I live that always had tables at one of the gun shows back when revolvers were king. The way a new S&W looks from the factory is almost impossible to duplicate and this dealer always sold as new revolvers with substantial dark black rings around all 6 charge holes - MUCH darker than what they look as they come from the factory. He was a small dealer, and it was obvious that he was firing them before putting them up for sale. Most buyers had no clue. I am always amazed that a dealer is willing to destroy his reputation for honesty in such a manner.
When I say almost impossible, that is true as even with the strange things people on this forum use to clean the burn rings off their used revolvers, they never look like the factory. They are either too clean and over polished or not clean enough. It is a silly practice anyway, but for a dealer to attempt it is just dishonest. Unfortunately, the honesty level seems to go into the tank with individual sellers even more so than with the "LGS."
..that and you have a new Shield in the family.
