Buying a Gun Online > Page 1, 2
First Time Buyer
My first experience in buying a gun online was the fulfillment of an old desire. I had wanted a Colt 45 automatic ever since I was thirteen years old. I compared prices and agonized over the decision, until I found just what I wanted.
When I asked the seller why he was selling (an important question!), he said that this gun had been stolen from his vehicle, and he had ransomed it back from a dope dealer, and now had bought a less expensive gun to keep in his car (go figure). No telling how true that tale may be.
The seller told me he had more than $600 in the gun, and assuming his "ransom" amounted to a couple hundred bucks, he had sunk somewhere in the neighborhood of $800 into this pistol, for which I paid $485.
This was more than I had expected to pay when I began my search, but still well below the going rate. It was surely not worth $800, but at the time a new gun of this type would run upwards of $550. I spent about a week and a half to two weeks shopping online and comparing local prices before I decided to go for it. Incidentally, I didn't find any local prices that could compete with what I found on the 'net.
The Waiting is the Hardest Part
The almost two weeks of waiting after the money had left my hands was unbearable. All of the Web sites I've found have an agreement in which you have a few days to decide if you're satisfied after receiving the gun, but when you're dealing with John Doe in another state, things can get anxious.
Make a Call
I recommend speaking with the seller on the phone prior to making any deal, which I did. I found it very reassuring. The risk lies in sending a money order to someone you don't know, trusting him to send the merchandise after he has the money in hand.
Ask Questions
It's important to ask why the gun is being sold. In most cases, the seller simply wants to get rid of it, or may just want the money to put toward a different gun. If your question goes unanswered, or if it isn't answered to your satisfaction, forget it. Any honest seller will answer all your questions with no hesitation.
You can decide whether or not to deal with this person depending on those answers. Maybe someone wasn't happy with the accuracy of a small revolver with a three-inch barrel, but you're looking for a self-defense gun... a short, handy gun that will preserve your hide in close quarters. No problem in a case like that, but if a gun is being sold due to problems with the mechanism, jamming, misfiring, etc, you will do well to look elsewhere.
Custom Features
One very common thing is for folks to have had some kind of "custom" work done to a gun, often costing them hundreds of dollars, and they expect to get this money plus their original purchase price out of it when the time comes to sell. The sad truth is that such work rarely adds to a gun's value, and in fact often detracts from it.
Regarding certain guns, such as 1911-style 45 auto's, the term accurizing is used very loosely, and you should be on the lookout for this. Always ask for an itemized list of just what has been done with/to a gun, and by whom.
Also - if a rifle has had extensive bedding work done on it, this often means that the owner couldn't make the rifle shoot accurately. If you are prepared to deal with possibly undoing what has already been done, then you might want to buy such a rifle... but it's best to know beforehand what you may be getting into.
Value of a Scope on a Used Gun
One other thing to think about is a scope on a rifle. As a rule, I don't consider the cost of the scope when figuring how much to pay for a gun with one on it. But if you're looking at a well-known and well-respected brand of scope, you should be safe to allow that the scope is worth 1/3 to 1/2 of its new purchase price.
Conclusion
In conclusion, shop til you drop, then shop some more. Compare prices. Consult a reference book or someone with firsthand knowledge of gun trading and values. If you're not particular, consider another brand (I could have gotten a double-action Smith & Wesson 45 auto for around $300, but I wanted a single-action Colt). Never make a deal you're unsure about. And always ask why the gun is being sold.
- Russ Chastain
Below are a few links to help get you started.
Gunbroker.com
GunsAmerica
GalleryofGuns.com
For links to these sites and many others, where you can find everything from cleaning rods to pistol grips to gunsights, check out my Places to Shop for Guns and Accessories links.
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