by Chuck Papp, Contributing Writer
New or used. You can buy a car, you can buy a house, motorcycle, ATV, boat, the list goes on and on. There always seems to be a question on a lot of people’s minds when they come in and look at a new firearm to a used one. For some reason they think it’s not as good as a new one, but that is far from the truth.
You can get a great deal on a used firearm over a new one almost all the time. Let’s look at a Smith and Wesson 686 4-inch bbl 357/38 caliber revolver. New this handgun runs around $850.00, a used one however $500.00 to $600.00 depending on the overall condition. Yes, the condition means a lot. If it was cared for the more it will bring. The person who didn’t clean it, maintain it properly or abuse it the less it will bring.
You don’t need to be a certified gunsmith to know what you are looking at. Look at the overall shape of it. Are there a lot of scratches or blemishes on it? Pull back the hammer fell the cylinder lock up is it nice and tight or loose. Look at the sights are they in good shape or does it look like they are bent. A sign the gun might have been dropped on a hard surface. Open the cylinder and see if it looks clean. If there is a lot of carbon build up on the frame it may not have been cleaned properly. The most important. Buy from a dealer that knows what they are doing. We stand behind our firearms new or used, but one of the biggest problems out there. The Gun Show. Folks bring in guns they buy there all the time and over half have problems. It is a dumping ground for broken firearms. You buy one there you take a chance. That simple.
So, give a used one a try, you can save money and you really will not know or see the difference between a good used one and a factory new one.
Chuck Papp
Delray Shooting Center.