LGS won't show take down on a gun?

[Deadeye Dick]

If the gun I'm interested in is new then a look at the manual will tell me all I need to know about the takedown process.

If the gun I'm interested in is used then I want to field strip it so that I can inspect the condition of it's internals.

If I was the LGS owner I would not allow it either. Too much potential to scratch or loose something, screwing up a brand new gun

Most of the new car dealerships I have dealt with have "show models" for prospective buyers to test drive. You don't actually get that car when you purchase. Often times you can buy the show model at the end of the season discounted price because it is in essence a used vehicle with maybe several hundred miles on the odometer if it is a popular model.

I have also purchased "display/floor models" of tools and electronics in the past and have always worked a discounted price on the item even if they have all the original parts, packaging and paperwork for the item. If the retailer is not willing to cut his price on the display model then they can keep it.

 

[71velle]

While the Mark I, II, III guns are notoriously difficult to field strip, they're not that hard. If the instructions in the manual are followed, it's fairly easy. If you're like most guys and deign to read the manual, it's easy to get wrong. Still, if it were my store, I'd take it down for you.

Many comments have been made like, "I'd never shop in that store!" Y'all have no clue what it takes to run a gun store.

Would you buy a gun with this scratch on it? No, you wouldn't. Or you'd ask for a discount. If a customer put a scratch on it, the store just lost pretty much all their profit on that gun.

You see, gun stores make very little on guns. Most stores make their money on accessories. So, before you bash a store for a particular policy, understand what the consequences are of what you're asking.

I wish you were not on the other side of the country.lol
I did not ask to see the field strip until I had paid for it. I also wanted to buy extra magazines and replace the sights, they had neither in stock. I understand every accessory cant be in stock but, they did not seem interested in ordering them in for me either.

 

[M3Stuart]

Did he also say; "hey, close that door, you're letting all the air conditioning out!", "get off my lawn!", or anything else like that?

Maybe he's just a crotchety type. Maybe his dog just died.

It's not a big deal.

 

[A.O.]

And possibly scratch the gun like the 1911 shown above. You can strip it all you want when you take it home. GARY

Maybe if I don't like the way it strips down I don't want to take it home.. Maybe I'll want a different one..

 

[A.O.]

Do any of you guys ask a car dealer to show you how to use the jack and change a tire, put it up on the rack and check the fluids and lube fittings when buying a new car?

If you are buying a new power tool at Lowes or Home Depot do you take it out of the box and inspect it. (granted they have display models for you to "play with")


I've asked for and been given the opportunity to read the manual that comes with a new gun.... which usually covers field stripping and cleaning.

Nope, but I'm sure going to take it for a test drive.. or go elsewhere if they wont let me!!

 

[turbo38gn]

Sitting on my hands.... so I won't type something I will getting a warning for...
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-................ ok.... I have to say something.. Obviously, we all have computors and the WHOLE WORLD WIDE INTERNET AT OUR FINGERTIPS!!!!

I have bought a lot of new and used guns the last several years. For the most part, I always do my homework, Youtube, reviews, gun BB's... you name it, I can find all the info I need to make a purchase. Demanding to break down a new gun without committing to purchase is just down right...
ridiculous. I will use a car comparison here.... would you ask to take the heads of a motor off to be sure it's all good... didn't think so, cause we all know that it's under warrantee like our guns are. Yep, I know that is an extreme comparison, but none the less... it's no different.

A used gun is a totally different situation... although, I trust my LGD to stand behind anything he sells me. One last opinion... I'm sure the guys demanding a complete takedown before purchase are the same guys that wouldn't buy the new gun with a scrapE, ding, nic on it.. not to mention a few fingerprints..

Lighten up guys, give the LGS a break.... oh ya.... I think I saw a few guys complaining here that also said, they'll just purchase from Bud's or wherever else online....... you know.... a place where not only you can't break it down.... you can't even see what your buying!!!!! NOW THAT SPEAKS VOLUMNES.. MAKES SENSE TOO...

 

[A.O.]

Sitting on my hands.... so I won't type something I will getting a warning for...
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-................ ok.... I have to say something.. Obviously, we all have computors and the WHOLE WORLD WIDE INTERNET AT OUR FINGERTIPS!!!!

I will use a car comparison here.... would you ask to take the heads of a motor off to be sure it's all good... didn't think so, cause we all know that it's under warrantee like our guns are. Yep, I know that is an extreme comparison, but none the less... it's no different.



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Interesting... do you take the heads off a used car when you are shopping for one?? Its WAY different!

 

[BAM-BAM]

Nope, but I'm sure going to take it for a test drive.. or go elsewhere if they wont let me!!

I don't know of any LGS that will allow you to "test drive"/shoot a new gun!

by that logic....." well let me put 100 rounds of the .45acp "flying ashtray" through to make sure it will feed my carry round."......." I'll pass on this one ........I got a stove pipe on round 87........ let me see that M&P!"

Does anyone here ask to take the side plate off a new revolver? If I saw a new gun with a "buggered screw"....."forget about it!"

99% of gun buyers "looking under the hood" have no idea what they are looking at....heck we have seen enough examples of "bubba/backyard" gunsmiths to prove it..... and they consider themselves part of the 1%.

Again "used guns" are a whole different ballgame.

 

[Rastoff]

In this modern day there are a lot of people with no scruples. They go to a local store to "play" with a product knowing full well that they will buy it on line. That's foul in my mind.

If I owned a small store, I'd do it this way. If you buy the gun, I'd show you how to field strip it and clean it. I'd take all the time necessary to make sure you understood how to maintain your gun, if you asked. However, to just start field stripping every gun you want to look at is not necessary.

I also understand that not all guns are created equal. Take the SIG 1911-22. Field stripping that gun is not simple and requires a couple of screws come out. That one I would definitely not disassemble until after it was purchased. Too much opportunity for damage and lost parts.

 

[JM4151]

Take down on a gun offered for sale

Years ago I want into a LGS to purchase a used Winchester model 63, which is a gun that has one take down screw or bolt on the side. I asked to see the bbl to be sure that it wasn't rusted or other wise flawed. The salesman would not take it down so that I could look at it. I passed on it, and it was a $1K gun. I can see his reasoning now, but at the time I was not pleased. I have since purchased one, unfired with the hang tag. A beautiful gun.

 

[TTSH]

Put me down solidly in the camp that prefers their new guns not to have been screwed with... either by curious customers or by the LGS staff or both... before I get my dirty little mitts on them. In fact, I do most of my new gun shopping at shops that have dedicated display guns for exactly that reason.

Doesn't mean I won't closely inspect and take a good deal on a handled or even disassembled display gun under some circumstances, but I sure as heck will look it over carefully for signs of negligent handling or accidental abuse.

And as others have said, used guns are a whole different story... and what I might require would depend on the specific gun itself. The more questionable the condition of the used gun, the farther I might want to go inspection-wise. That said, I would never question shop policy and would go elsewhere if I had any inkling that the gun were not fully as represented.

 

[Trons]

Okay, I didn't realize what I was starting, but i'd like to clarify a few things:

A) This will be my third pistol purchase, neither of the other two did I ask to field strip the gun. I had already researched and was aware of the process. In this case, the gun is really new and I had only found a small handful of reviews on it, and none of them had shown how to take it down. I've since found one and there are new ones popping up, almost daily, it seems.

B) I was serious about purchasing the gun, this was the second time I was in there, within a span of about an hour, looking at only the one gun. I walked in the first time, went right to their Smith display and asked for one gun. I wasn't man handling multiple guns, going back and forth between them. One gun, one focus. Since he didn't help me the first time, he might not have known that, but when I walked in, the second time, I specifically said that I had been there earlier and was seriously considering buying the gun, but was curious about the take down.

C) I was curious as to the take down. Both my other guns are M&P and the take down is different from each other. This one is like neither, but seems to be a hybrid of both, so to reply "it's standard" is asinine, in my opinion and reflects he really didn't know the gun. That's fine, I don't expect him to know every thing about every gun, but if you don't know, you don't, I appreciate honesty.

D) The purpose of the thread was more about his statement of taking down a new gun makes it a used gun. If he said "I can't do that till you buy it, store policy." I can understand that. But to say taking it down makes it a used gun is where I'm calling it into question.

I will say that the car analogies don't really apply. I wanted to see the inside of the gun and the way to get inside the gun. If you're going to go with cars, this would be, in my opinion, more like "does this door open, can you open it for me and let me look inside it." or "can we pop the hood and see what the engine looks like?" I wasn't asking for a full take down or dismantle. I was mainly looking to see if the take down lever needed to be pulled out, like the FS M&P22 (it doesn't, it just rotates down), and whether the slide pops up at the rear (it does). I really didn't think it was a big deal.

I will also say that I do fully research any potential weapon purchase. Unfortunately, since this was a new one, there isn't a lot on the web for it.

 

[A.O.]

I don't know of any LGS that will allow you to "test drive"/shoot a new gun!

by that logic....." well let me put 100 rounds of the .

.

So now you have stretched it from basic disassembly procedures of one particular gun, to shooting one one hundred times... whats up with that?? He only wanted to know how it came apart!!!

 

[turbo38gn]

Interesting... do you take the heads off a used car when you are shopping for one?? Its WAY different!

Did I say I take down a used gun before buying it.... maybe you ought to reread what I wrote...

But, As a matter of fact, not usually, but then when I buy a used car, I buy it figuring in the cost of repairs and rebuilding... based on the overall visual appearance, mileage and history. Buying a used gun I would use a similar strategy, approach. And of course, be certain what the warrantee is from the seller.

 

[TTSH]

The purpose of the thread was more about his statement of taking down a new gun makes it a used gun. If he said "I can't do that till you buy it, store policy." I can understand that. But to say taking it down makes it a used gun is where I'm calling it into question.

No question about that being an overstatement. Sounds like something he was told to say to make the point very strongly. He probably could have been more tactful about it. I'll agree with that.

 

[N4KVE]

The LGS does allow prospective buyers to test fire a used gun on the range if they are serious. While they don't charge for range time, you are required to purchase a box of ammo there, as they don't want unknown ammo shot in their guns. And yes, customers search the trash cans to find empty Winchester boxes so they can put Bubba reloads in them & smuggle them onto the range where reloads are not allowed. GARY

 

[BAM-BAM]

So now you have stretched it from basic disassembly procedures of one particular gun, to shooting one one hundred times... whats up with that?? He only wanted to know how it came apart!!!

The OP has added a lot of new info to his post.........OP as I stated in my original post in this now twisted thread...LOL... S&W has a video on taking down the M&P compact .22 as part of there "display" on this new gun.

Also don't hesitate to ask to see the "Manual" on any new gun you are unfamiliar with....and would answer your questions in points B,C and paragraph 6.... even though real men don't ask for directions.......

Your car analogies IMO are more in line with ....... removing/inserting the magazine, racking the slide (by the way these are both safety checks one should do anytime someone hands you a gun) and dry firing.......



A.O ..... you made the comment (post #65) about your need to test drive a car (which is the standard and I would expect to do the same) before buying ......but

"test driving" a gun, to me, is shooting it not "popping the slide and looking under the hood"........ how's that for a mixed metaphor. LOL

 

[RobzGuns]

If I owned a small store, I'd do it this way. If you buy the gun, I'd show you how to field strip it and clean it. I'd take all the time necessary to make sure you understood how to maintain your gun, if you asked.

That's how I choose my LGS/FFLs. Most of the time, I don't NEED to go over the basics, but it's nice to see them offer. That's how every store used to work... Decades ago... and they wouldn't take 'No Thanks' as an answer. They wanted to know you were familiar with the firearm before you left the store. That's what used to be known as standard Customer Service.

As mentioned in my earlier reply, the LGSs/FFLs I deal with do allow me to Field Strip to check for defects before writing the serial number on the sales receipt. They know the sale is a done deal. In all my years, I've only refused one due to having a defect, but 'Once Bitten, Twice Shy'.

 

[A.O.]

The OP has added a lot of new info to his post.........OP as I stated in my original post in this now twisted thread...LOL... S&W has a video on taking down the M&P compact .22 as part of there "display" on this new gun.

Also don't hesitate to ask to see the "Manual" on any new gun you are unfamiliar with....and would answer your questions in points B,C and paragraph 6.... even though real men don't ask for directions.......

Your car analogies IMO are more in line with ....... removing/inserting the magazine, racking the slide (by the way these are both safety checks one should do anytime someone hands you a gun) and dry firing.......



A.O ..... you made the comment (post #65) about your need to test drive a car (which is the standard and I would expect to do the same) before buying ......but

"test driving" a gun, to me, is shooting it not "popping the slide and looking under the hood"........ how's that for a mixed metaphor. LOL

Yes, it has become a twisted thread that's for sure! Is there a forum somewhere where the threads don't become twisted? I remember back on the KTOG forum........

The OP was looking at one gun and only one gun, never asked to shoot it I don't think, but I wasn't there. Just to understand takedown procedures, as someone that used to be behind the counter I just see no problems with that

 

[Rastoff]

C) I was curious as to the take down. Both my other guns are M&P and the take down is different from each other. This one is like neither, but seems to be a hybrid of both,...

OK, I'm going to drift this a little further. As far as I know, there are only two different take down methods. One for the M&P .22 and one for the others. What is this third method you speak of?