Does this NIB gun looked used?

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Aim1

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This is a supposedly NIB condition old stock Smith & Wesson 629 Mountain Gun that I just got from Gunbroker. I just picked it up today and it I have not fired or loaded it yet, just took it out of the box.

It has fingerprints on it and has been handled but that's fine. It's 1999 vintage so I expect it to be handled. It appears to have rings in the cylinder which would have been made by live rounds. There also seems to be a bur or gouge on the chamber which could be from use or manufacturing. The bur/gouge doesn't appear to affect cycling. The bur is actually sharper and bigger than the photos let on. I am not accurately able to show it with my cellphone camera.

I know that manufacturers sometimes fire guns at the factory to test them so perhaps this is that. However I thought they would have cleaned it better inside afterward such as the rings in the cylinder.


Does this NIB firearm appeared to have been used?


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The burr looks like a manufacturing issue. Missed on inspection if it's even looked at as an inspection point.

The chambers look like they might have had a round or two through them but it's hard to tell on photos.

Is the outside of the barrel as marred as it looks or is that just photography?

in any case, is seems to appear close enough to call it that, for the most part.

Todd.
 
Looks used to me. Burr on the forcing cone is likely just sloppy machine work. The dirt, smudge behind the trigger guard etc looks like use to me.
 
Hard to say for sure. Is there any dirt under the ejection star? It is in really good shape either way. As stated they will run a cylinder or two through at the factory to test it. So NIB is subjective at best. My thought is if you are the first owner after it is shipped to the FFL from factory I would call it NIB unless they have a rental range and possibly used it there.
 
To me, it looks like it may have been factory fired. That burr appears to be clean. If the gun had been fired it would expect more build up. That burr is poor workmanship if anything. It looks like it has fingerprints and some dust but looks new to me.

If the burr bothers you call S&W to have it removed.

Nice revolver! :thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:
 
A couple sloppy spots, but nothing that doesn't look like it couldn't be general fitting sloppiness, handling, and accumulated box/testing floor crud to me.
I consider the cylinder face a giveaway. It seems that it's always got discolored rings there after anything more than test firing a load or two, and any successful attempts to clean it leave an equally obvious change in the finish.
I might complain about that burr if I had bought it new from a shop, but I can't think of much but that anyone but the manufacturer could do to leave the burr without ruining the gap.
 
It’s looks good to me. If I suspected it may not be “NIB” (what constitutes NIB is a whole other thread) and I was going to shoot it anyway, I wouldn’t care at this point.

As it is, it looks good enough to may be NIB and that is as good as you can reasonably get with most GB transactions.

I like underpaying on any item I get online so that when (not if) it doesn’t meet my expectations I won’t care as much.
 
To me, it's definitely been fired. But, like others said, the factory does that. The Burr has nothing to do with use. Within 200 rounds, all my stainless guns get this smokey tint around the muzzle. So I'd say you have an extremely low round count at a minimum.
The biggest question is are you planning on using it as a safe queen? Or doing what I do and try to wear it out?
Either way you have a beautiful revolver that many would love to have.
 
A couple sloppy spots, but nothing that doesn't look like it couldn't be general fitting sloppiness, handling, and accumulated box/testing floor crud to me.
I consider the cylinder face a giveaway. It seems that it's always got discolored rings there after anything more than test firing a load or two, and any successful attempts to clean it leave an equally obvious change in the finish.
I might complain about that burr if I had bought it new from a shop, but I can't think of much but that anyone but the manufacturer could do to leave the burr without ruining the gap.


So you're saying looks new?
 
As said earlier, I can never get one to look like that after firing much at all. I don’t believe it was more than test fired but I’m no expert. From a machining standpoint, that bur is crap. Have you researched and checked clearances? I would check just to make sure it hasn’t been jacked with by a wanna be gun smith.
 
The front of the cylinder looks very clean. None of my revolvers ever look like that again after I take them to the range for the first time.
A little action with a Scotch-Brite pad will bring it back to a factory-original appearance (fyi- i'm not condoning this practice, just stating what can be done)

It has some obvious classic S&W fit and finish issues. You have a borescope? Any erosion under the strap?
 
The minor metallic imperfections do not appear to be discharge related. The recoil shield (nicely shown in the top picture in post #18) and cylinder look unfired to me.

Keep that picture. Run a box of ammunition through your revolver. After shooting compare the recoil shield with the picture. It will never look quite like that again.
 
If that gun isn't new it's awfully close to it. The burr might be obnoxious to look at but it isn't going to affect function.

If I'd bought the gun to use I'd put it into the holster and get on with it.
 
As pointed out earlier the cylinder face looks excellent so if it has been used someone did an exceptional cleaning job there. I have no idea what is in the cylinders but wouldn't expect that in a NIB revolver. The scratch marks on the side plate don't look good and I'd be curious to know how they came about? The forcing cone, like the cylinder face, in excellent condition so again if it was used someone did an excellent cleaning job. I have no idea what that is on the trigger perhaps you could explain that in more detail but it looks like it hasn't been wiped clean? The bore doesn't look as clean as one would expect on a NIB revolver. From what I've seen I definitely would not call it a NIB revolver. My opinion it that it is a used weapon but in really good shape!
 
IMO, it's a bit of a mystery. The back end looks minty, but the muzzle looks like it spent a week at the range, and was put away dirty.
I have a 2 year old 629 with about three boxes of regular ammo thru it, and is doesn't have any muzzle scorch, but has a fair amount
of marking aroung the forcing cone, and top strap.
 
Looks like sloppy manufacturing, mediocre quality control and it was shot at least at the factory but never cleaned properly.
Think I'll rethink selling my K frame after seeing what is being churned out of the factories.

Possible burn ring around firing pin. Dirty lube dripping on trigger. Possible powder debris in cylinder. It was probably test shot at factory which means NIB.
 
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