About J&G Sales: Is "hand select" worth paying for?
- Thread starter WVGunman
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Sistema1927
Member
I have bought from them a number of times, and, if memory serves me right, I have paid for "hand select" twice. I don't know if I received better than the average for those particular items, but I do know that I wasn't disappointed. But then again, I wasn't disappointed in those items for which I did not pay extra.
I believe their hand select is best of 3. They pill 3 guns out and send you the best one. Meaning if they pull 3 dogs you still get a dog. If they pull 2 dogs and a gem, you get the gem.
I've foung J&G generally has decent used firearms a decent price without payingvthe extra.
Could depend what you are looking at.
I've foung J&G generally has decent used firearms a decent price without payingvthe extra.
Could depend what you are looking at.
wally
Member
IMHO if you are planning to shoot it don't pay the extra hand select fee. If you plan to "collect" it, condition will be a large factor it its value many years from now so paying the fee will likely be worthwhile.
It also matters a lot on the "grading" they are offering Almost certainly worthwhile to get the best of three "very good" guns, marginal for the best of three "good" condition rated guns
It also matters a lot on the "grading" they are offering Almost certainly worthwhile to get the best of three "very good" guns, marginal for the best of three "good" condition rated guns
BSA1
member
Ditto all three comments.
I have a C&R License and my experience has been much the same although I have never got a "dog."
I have a C&R License and my experience has been much the same although I have never got a "dog."
fallout mike
Member
I believe it's the best of 5.
GBExpat
Member
I have heard that some companies do 3 and others 5. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that in some cases a few companies, following initial cursory inspection of new stock, sequester a certain number of the better-looking examples for use with "hand select" orders.
O'course, if they are reselling products from, like, Century, that come to them pre-inspected/-graded/-boxed, the Picker only has to be able to read what is written on the end-flap of the box.
FWIW, I have almost always paid the "hand select" fees in the hope that it may help me avoid being sent one of the (F)Uglies. I have always figured that $5-$10 is a reasonable cost for "insurance" against such.
O'course, if they are reselling products from, like, Century, that come to them pre-inspected/-graded/-boxed, the Picker only has to be able to read what is written on the end-flap of the box.
FWIW, I have almost always paid the "hand select" fees in the hope that it may help me avoid being sent one of the (F)Uglies. I have always figured that $5-$10 is a reasonable cost for "insurance" against such.
One thing to bear in mind, if the description says something like "good" condition, then don't expect to get a pristine unfired firearm. You will get the best of what is considered "good" or "very good" from the sample that they choose. This is particularly true if you are getting military surplus firearms such as their 1916 Spanish Mausers. Good may simply mean less pitting and finish loss than the others or a slightly less frosty barrel. Or it could mean a slightly less beat up stock with less pitted fittings.
GBExpat
Member
Oh yeah ... if you go into such an online purchase with your expectations set unreasonably high, you, almost certainly, will be disappointed.
Jim Watson
Member
In the Golden Years. pre GCA 68, I hung around a shop that did a bit of mailorder business.
They got in a pallet of Spanish Mausers, cut down "sporters" and advertised them.
Since the rifles were literally stacked on a shipping pallet, "hand picked" got you the best looking one from the top layer. $5 for about 15 seconds of "picking."
They got in a pallet of Spanish Mausers, cut down "sporters" and advertised them.
Since the rifles were literally stacked on a shipping pallet, "hand picked" got you the best looking one from the top layer. $5 for about 15 seconds of "picking."
22250Rem
Member
I can recall in bygone times that the hand selected rifles were the best appearing externally and at least had matching numbers on the receiver and bolt and a quick visual check of the bore. If it passed those tests it qualified as hand select for a little more money.
tark
Member
I've been happy with J&G over the years. I buy with my C&R licence. Not much buying lately, as the number of their C&R offerings has gone down. I have always asked for "Hand Select" and every gun I have gotten is a little bit better than their description. I ordered a Yugo Tokarev a few years back. The description stated that the bores were "Dark but very shootable with strong rifling." What I got was a gun with a rather good bore, not dark and very little pitting.
hemiram
Member
I've done it a few times. Once, A friend and I both ordered traded in S&W 4006's and I paid $10 for a "picked" one, he didn't. Mine was almost perfect, the grip was the only place any wear was visible on mine, on his, he had several shiny spots and the grip was in much worse shape. I was happy. He wasn't as much.
AZAndy
Member
I don't know how it works with delivery ordering, but in person they pull out three and let you choose. As to whether it's worth it, I guess that depends on what you're buying. I pay the extra with revolvers so that I can get the best lockup and bore, not so much the best finish. I got a Model 64 a couple of months ago that way that looks like it was thrown into a gravel pile, but was mechanically like new. The other two were pretty, but not nearly as tight. For surplus military stuff, I don't think I'd bother unless it was something I wanted as a collector and not a shooter.
toivo
Member
I have bought about half-a-dozen handguns from J&G, and I always pay for hand-select. I've only been disappointed once, and that was pretty mild: It was a S&W Model 10 that had some buckle-rash on the right side of the frame (probably from a thumb-break or similar strap) and a ding/burr on the top of the barrel. The gunsmith who did the transfer for me was kind enough to grind out the burr and touch it up with cold blue, no extra charge, and the buckle-rash just gives it character. The gun is otherwise pristine and mechanically excellent.
JONWILL
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I went to SOG to pick up a Russian Capture 98K years ago. Found out they do not sort the good ones from the bad ones. They just open random boxes and you get the best pick of them. They only look at external not the bore, at least that is what I saw with the picker I worked with. I wouldn't pay the extra after seeing that.
GBExpat
Member
Just one of the reasons why "SOG" entered the milsurpers' lexicon, as in, "Rats, they SOGged me."
Dazen
Member
Bought a bayonet from them years ago. I did not pay for the hand-select and I received one that had 3\4 of an inch broken off the tip. Looking back if I had paid for the band-select i feel I would have had a little more ground to stand on when I called them asking why in the hell would they send crap like that to customers at full price.
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