Here's a weird one for ya...

[TTSH]

The other day I was doing one of those things that I often do... namely, stopping into a gun shop I happened to be passing while out and about and checking for any interesting used handguns for sale. It's a shop I haven't bought anything from so far... but they aren't super-nutty expensive and I'm sure I'll find something to buy there sooner or later.

The first thing I noticed was that a bunch of pistols from a certain well-known manufacturer (not S&W) were back in stock again. It was nice to see the display case full of them again since the last time I was there, stock was kind of low. Then I spotted something I thought was very unusual.

In between all the shiny new pistols laid out was one pistol marked "used" and priced somewhat cheaper than all it's brand spanking new brethren. It was exactly the same model in exactly the same finish and condition as all the others... but it was marked "used with box" and was much cheaper.

But here's the really weird part: The serial number on the "used with box" gun showed it was right in the middle of the sequence of serial numbers for the other identical (but brand new) guns in the display case. If the used gun was XXXX4 (I forget exactly), it was right in between new guns XXXX3 and XXXX5. What the heck???

Okay, so maybe it was bought and then immediately returned by an unhappy customer for something else... right? That would make perfect sense I thought.

No!!! Or so says the shop owner/manager. He said it was not bought from him and returned... but rather that it just happened to be the coincidence of coincidences that the serial number of the used gun he took in just happened to be right in-between the serial numbers of the brand new guns sitting on either side in his display case. And he stuck rigidly to that story.

What the heck would you make of this? Was I just being goofed on by this guy? Or could he have actually been telling the truth? If so, it would have had to have been the ultimate coincidence I've ever seen in my entire sorry gun-shopping life!!!

 

[Arik]

You look at S# of all the guns you look at?

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

 

[NMPinNYC]

Too cool... please put me in for this great karma!

 

[TTSH]

You look at S# of all the guns you look at?

The dealer in question has the serial numbers written right on the price tags... they'd be very hard to miss.

Then once I saw that one of the identical guns was mucho cheaper than all the others, I looked even more closely.

It stuck out like a sore thumb. Even a blind man would have caught the fact that the supposedly "used" gun was right in sequence to the last digit with the brand new ones.

 

[TTSH]

Too cool... please put me in for this great karma!

I'm not sure this is a "Karma" kind of thing. I think it's more of a dealer honesty/dishonesty question. Something is terribly fishy about the owner/manager's tale on this. Bottom line is that I don't believe his "coincidence of coincidences" story.

Would you?

 

[Joe Hohmann]

The tags probably didn't match the guns. The dealer just wanted to have some "fun", and/or see who was paying attention.

 

[TTSH]

The tags probably didn't match the guns. The dealer just wanted to have some "fun", and/or see who was paying attention.

Wouldn't that have been a hoot.

A little more to the story: I had him take out three of the guns for me to inspect... the used one and the brand new guns with serial numbers immediately before and after the used gun. They were all immaculate and identical with the one exception that the "used" gun showed a little more magazine insertion wear and the magazine was noticeably harder to seat securely.

Hopefully, I am not a total fool. That gun was sold and returned... maybe because of the magazine seating issue.

So why the tall tale? Why not admit the truth (and potential flaw) and maybe make a sale instead of leaving a customer feeling that he had been lied to.

 

[BAM-BAM]

Stranger things have been known to happen................ remember, it's been posted here so it must be true; S&W doesn't necessarily ship in order.

Over the years a number of my purchases from a LGS have been guns bought buy a couple of gentlemen ........ who buy,fondle and "maybe" shoot it once or twice and trade it in within six months.........for the next latest and greatest...........

Didn't buy this one ( you can get a CZ which I think are better guns for $200-300 less); about 12-14 months ago the LGS had a Stainless Ruger 77/22 (?) with mannlicher stock .......about $725 IIRC......at the end of summer it was back "used" with a decent scope for $500................

don't understand ....... but hey.............

 

[jimmyj]

In my era of "Keeping The Wolf From The Door" I worked as many part time jobs as I could get. One part time was working in a large gun shop. It was not unusual for one of the "Regular" customers to purchase a new firearm, take it home and detect a blemish, spot of faded bluing, small scratch, etc and return it without using / firing it and trade it in for another "Toy". The firearm was still "New" in the sense was technically had to be listed as "Used" as it had been previously sold "New". Also when a new monthly gun magazine came out and one of the magazine writers wrote an article on a certain firearm, these "Used/New firearms would be returned for trade toward the "Gun Of The Month".

 

[Dennis The B]

It may not be a "tale" at all. Dealers don't always get their stock in exact serial number sequence. As you noted Serial nos. XXXX3 and XXXX5 were new in the display case. Serial number XXXX4 may well have been shipped to a different dealer. The stock clerk at the wholesaler may have just grabbed the first two in his hands to ship to your LGS; the other may have gone to another LGS down the street.

The original buyer may have bought the XXXX4 "down the street" from the other LGS, and saw something he liked better at the LGS you visited. Money and guns were traded, and your LGS ended up with all three.

Not seen everyday, but I'd tend to give your LGS the benefit of the doubt, absent any other reasons to doubt him.

 

[TTSH]

In my era of "Keeping The Wolf From The Door" I worked as many part time jobs as I could get. One part time was working in a large gun shop. It was not unusual for one of the "Regular" customers to purchase a new firearm, take it home and detect a blemish, spot of faded bluing, small scratch, etc and return it without using / firing it and trade it in for another "Toy". The firearm was still "New" in the sense was technically had to be listed as "Used" as it had been previously sold "New". Also when a new monthly gun magazine came out and one of the magazine writers wrote an article on a certain firearm, these "Used/New firearms would be returned for trade toward the "Gun Of The Month".

Oh yeah, I get all that. In fact, I see it all the time with a few folks I know. But it would seem that an honest dealer wouldn't try to hide the story of a gun that was bought and returned for something else.

There is another possibility: Could it be that the "used" gun in question was, in fact, a "used" gun in some sense or for some reason before it even left the factory? Could it be that the dealer bought it from the factory at a nice discount because of it's technically "used" status?

The dealer didn't suggest that or anything of the sort. To him it was just another "used" gun that he had in stock (and was specifically not a customer return) that happened to be the same and in the same serial number sequence as his other brand spanking new guns. Go figure.

 

[TTSH]

It may not be a "tale" at all. Dealers don't always get their stock in exact serial number sequence. As you noted Serial nos. XXXX3 and XXXX5 were new in the display case. Serial number XXXX4 may well have been shipped to a different dealer. The stock clerk at the wholesaler may have just grabbed the first two in his hands to ship to your LGS; the other may have gone to another LGS down the street.

The original buyer may have bought the XXXX4 "down the street" from the other LGS, and saw something he liked better at the LGS you visited. Money and guns were traded, and your LGS ended up with all three.

Not seen everyday, but I'd tend to give your LGS the benefit of the doubt, absent any other reasons to doubt him.

Oh, I acknowledge the possibility. I'm not saying his story is or was impossible. I'm just saying it would have had to been one very weird "coincidence of coincidences" to have played out that way.

As you can probably tell, I am more than a little interested in getting a sweet discount on what appears to be a brand new gun being sold as used. But the possible (or probable?) dealer dishonesty here is very troubling.

As I said above, this isn't a dealer I've bought from before. It would be nice to get a good feeling about the gun, the people and the sale... and not have the suspicion that I was being lied to, goofed on or played for a fool.

But I think that ship may have already sailed.

 

[Jessie]

A conspiracy can be found wherever you look for it.

 

[LimaCharlie]

I work at a LGS and do most of the inventory work. It is rare to receive two of the same guns with consecutive serial numbers. It would be extremely rare to get three or more with consecutive serial numbers.

We have customers who change guns more often than they change their underwear. I sold a center-fire handgun to a frequent buyer recently. He brought it back unfired two days later and traded it on a rim-fire handgun. The following day, he brought that handgun back saying it was too loud when shooting it. He traded that handgun, with maybe ten rounds through it, on a rim-fire rifle.

 

[TTSH]

A conspiracy can be found wherever you look for it.

Conspiracies are certainly plentiful. Good, truthful explanations are not.

 

[TTSH]

I work at a LGS and do most of the inventory work. It is rare to receive two of the same guns with consecutive serial numbers. It would be extremely rare to get three or more with consecutive serial numbers.

If I named the manufacturer and model, you might say it is not as rare as it otherwise might be. But then consider this is Massachusetts and the guns in question must be MA-compliant (a relatively small subset of the model in question). Then consider that the particular manufacturer apparently has a policy which gives ordering & shipping priority to certain "preferred" dealers (this dealer being one of them) of which there are only a handful in this loony little moonbat state. Bottom line: It's not such a surprise after all. The big surprise and mystery was the discounted "used" one sitting there in the middle of the new gun serial number sequence.

We have customers who change guns more often than they change their underwear. I sold a center-fire handgun to a frequent buyer recently. He brought it back unfired two days later and traded it on a rim-fire handgun. The following day, he brought that handgun back saying it was too loud when shooting it. He traded that handgun, with maybe ten rounds through it, on a rim-fire rifle.

Yep. I call them frequent flyers! I try to take advantage of the exploits of these fine folks every chance I get.

 

[Grayfox]

Do you have any reason not to believe this dealer? Maybe something you've heard about him or perhaps just a gut feeling?
Admittedly his story is odd, but stranger things have happened.

If you're interested in the gun, I say go for it. If there is something wrong, you can always bring it back.

 

[model70hunter]

Like Jimmy I have worked part time jobs. Once in one of the largest in the STL area before Cabelas and Bass Pro arrived.

Jimmy and Limacharlie do mention folks who change guns more often that underwear. Don't know about their under wear but if you have not seen it it is hard to believe, buy/trade for gun X, trade it in as soon as the next day.

Over the years I've bought a Beretta Onyx 686 light weight and should'a kept it, they guy bought it hunted with it Sat AM, it kicked too hard, he was in the shop about noon, traded it in on nice used Rem 100. The owner was a freind, asked if I wanted it at about half of what he had sold it for new. Yes I do, I watched that guy buy and trade it in on a used gun and pay boot. It is unbelievable.

At the STL shop there wre similar folks. I ended up with quite a few guns that were not owned a week and never shot. And way below what they paid.

On the other big name handguns. It is possible a run went to a Jobber/wholesaler and he shipped some to another gun shop close. a day later he shipped some to your LGS. The other gun was bought, and someone didn't like the recoil or perhaps one clip satisfied his need/want and traded it for something there.

Perhaps the dealer wanted it, shot it and changed his mind.

None of the speculation matters, if there are 3 Colt 1911's with consecutive serial numbers there one probably should buy them.

After you buy them, all 3 will technically be a used gun. Some collectors go GAGA over consecutive SN's.

 

[jimmyj]

IMHO: Forget the "Conspiracy"/ Bump In The Road.
If you are interested in purchasing the weapon, Check it over and if everything appears ok and the price is what you want to pay----BUY IT !

 

[TTSH]

Do you have any reason not to believe this dealer? Maybe something you've heard about him or perhaps just a gut feeling?

Admittedly his story is odd, but stranger things have happened.

If you're interested in the gun, I say go for it. If there is something wrong, you can always bring it back.

Well, the only thing I could tell that is possibly problematic with the gun is that difficulty I had getting the magazine to lock into place. The identical "new" guns on either side of the "used" one did not have that issue. Not sure how serious that issue is, but I did see it as one possible explanation for someone returning the gun for a different one.

You'd think it might have just been a bad magazine... ... but then again, maybe not?

Anyway, I have no other reason to not trust the dealer. Like I said above, I've actually been looking for an opportunity to do some business with them. This might be that opportunity but that visit was pretty weird... so I haven't decided yet.