Would you buy a handgun that was on display?

[jlrhiner]

Most of the guns I buy don't have a buddy in the back room.

 

[mg357]

The .22 caliber revolver that I own was the display case gun and I am very happy with it.

 

[kozmic]

Do you buy new cars off the lot or only special order them?

 

[NYlakesider]

Any gun (or most anything else) I buy I look at close. That even goes if the dealer gets one from the back room opens the factory packed case in front of me and takes it out.

Fecal material happens and I want to find in there are any problems before the Master Card comes out. I have found problems with NEW factory stuff before.


I look at used or counter guns close also. If you know what you're looking at you can get some good deals. Of course unless the gun has an obviously bent barrel the only test for accuracy it to buy it, take it to the range and make it go BANG!

 

[Bill Bates]

I gladly buy Smith & Wessons that are old, worn and have been shoot maybe thousands of times; why would I be bothered by buying a gun that has been sitting in a case and handled, maybe dry fired by a few people.

Last week, after 35 plus years of buying nothing but used firearms, I bought a "new" firearm, a Glock 30SF. It was the only one they had and it was the display model. Heck it is just a Glock, I didn't give a thought to it being the "display" model. I'm sure it was fired with proof loads and now it has had 110 rounds through it.

Now if it was say a nice rifle or shotgun with great wood I might ask for a wee discount if it had some shop wear but a plastic fantastic handgun, nope it wouldn't bother me if it was the display model.

 

[mjr]

I'd be a lot more cautious about buying a display revolver than an autoloader--revolvers are more easily damaged--but then I haven't bought a revolver that wasn't second-hand in more than 25 years.

The next handgun I'm likely to buy would be a G19, and I have to agree with redlevel and UncleEd--Glocks come from the factory looking sort of pre-used and are very difficult for idiot customers to mess up, even if they drop them.

What's the big deal anyhow?
It's just a Glop. (I couldn't resist.)

When it comes to a Glock, how can you tell, really, how "used" it is?

 

[Hillbilly77]

My Ruger SR22 was the display gun, and was the last one in the store. As I was doing the paperwork for it, another guy was picking his up - he got the next-to-last one in the store.
I had been wanting a .22 pistol, and I bought it in the early stages of the current frenzy.

I'm glad I bought it when I did - I haven't seen another one for sale locally since.

 

[Kanewpadle]

Bought many a new gun that were on display. Nary a problem. I do look at them closely. Especially a rimfire.

Never bothered me but I did appreciate it when they went and got another in the back room.

Matter of fact, several years ago a guy asked for a discount on a display model. Should have seen the look he got from the salesman!

 

[GKC]

I prefer to buy new guns of current production models (exception: I prefer S&W revolvers that are pre-lock.) I also prefer to buy one that hasn't been on display, if available...if not, then I will buy the display model (inspecting it carefully first.) One gun I'd be concerned about buying the display model is the Ruger P345...the firing pin can be damaged if dry fired with the magazine removed, even once. I'd also be concerned about buying a .22, since dry firing a rim fire can damage them.

Otherwise, if the display model looks good, I'd buy it...I don't usually have the patience to wait! Most of the time, what I want is hard to find anyway, and if you pass on one, who knows when you'll find another?

 

[feralmerril]

Except for huge distributers isnt almost every gun out in a showcase a display gun? I doubt they have a stock of similar guns boxed in the back room. What are you going to do? Say I like this gun. Do you have a stock of 10 or more like it still unopened in the boxs I can fish through and compare and buy the best one that doesnt have a blem on? How about takeing these better wood grips off this one and put on that one? If I was a gunstore owner I would be showing you the door about then.

 

[GKC]

Except for huge distributers isnt almost every gun out in a showcase a display gun? I doubt they have a stock of similar guns boxed in the back room. What are you going to do? Say I like this gun. Do you have a stock of 10 or more like it still unopened in the boxs I can fish through and compare and buy the best one that doesnt have a blem on? How about takeing these better wood grips off this one and put on that one? If I was a gunstore owner I would be showing you the door about then.

The local shops I frequent do get multiples of most guns...now, if something is really new or hot on the market, maybe only one at a time, but something fairly common and available, like say Glocks, Rugers, or S&W M&Ps (other than the Shield), then they usually have one on display and several more in the box.

 

[rwsmith]

If you want new...

I know we all want something NEW/UNUSED. But let's for one second say you don't mind an used gun. Would you take the gun on display? Would you have any safety-concerns being that it was likely handled by various different hands.

I don't see anything wrong with taking the display. I doubt that anyone has taken it out and shot it.

If I want new and pay a new price, then I want new. But actually I prefer to buy used guns. Older guns are great, somebody else takes the depreciation and I get more bang for my buck. Okay, I know that was terrible.

 

[Mickey D]

Anything other than a Glock, I'd wait.
A shovel is a shovel. A tool is a tool.

 

[joesmith357]

Ive bought one based on a good discount for handling marks and passed on another because they wouldn't discount it.

It's a glock, how much handling marks could it have?

 

[rwsmith]

Good analogy

Do you buy new cars off the lot or only special order them?

If somebody else sat in it or even took it for a test drive it would still be 'new'.

 

[Bkreutz]

Most gun shops operating under today's climate only have what's in the display case anyway. If it's not there, they don't have it "in the back". At least that's the way it is here.

 

[Tom K]

It's a glock, how much handling marks could it have?

And why would anyone care? It's not like it's going to hurt its looks any. It's not a Model 27 or a Python. Nobody ever looked at a brand new in-the-box Glock and said, "oh, that's too pretty to shoot."

 

[Arik]

Except for huge distributers isnt almost every gun out in a showcase a display gun? I doubt they have a stock of similar guns boxed in the back room. What are you going to do? Say I like this gun. Do you have a stock of 10 or more like it still unopened in the boxs I can fish through and compare and buy the best one that doesnt have a blem on? How about takeing these better wood grips off this one and put on that one? If I was a gunstore owner I would be showing you the door about then.

Actually yes most here have a back room with a stock of whatever is new behind the counter. They wont change parts for you but will always go to get one from the back room. Im not picky so i rarely pay attention to which they gave me.

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2

 

[arjay]

Several years ago I got an urge for a SAA in 45 colt.Came across a new one in a Gander Mtn that had a fair amount of handling marks(I wanted one to shoot) at full list price.They wouldn't negotiate on the price at all.I made a comment about it here and a member offered me a flawless,nib gun for several hundred dollars less.I bought it and shot it. It really comes down to the price.A display model that's marked up needs a discount IMHO.

 

[Jswiney9]

Certainly I'd buy the display gun. Have many times.

But I have to disagree with this.



No matter how reputable the dealer is, if Joe Customer has the gun in his hand, he might open the cylinder to verify and then do the Bogie Flip. Dealer might snatch it out of his hand, yelling, "Don't do that", but the damage is done. Dry-firing 22s. Flipping the cylinder shut. Locking the slide back and then hitting the slide stop. Trying to spin that new SAA and dropping it to the floor. If the customer is holding the gun, anything can happen.

Apparently my gun shops are a little different than yours. My LGS owner tells the customer as soon as he hands it to them what they CAN and CANT do with that gun. And here in the mountains most people listen quite well.