Public Announcement ...Clean your gun when you sell it!

[axeman_g]

I am sorry, but this sort of burns my ass. I clean my guns often, and if and when I sell them I ALWAYS clean them before delivery/shipping. Am I the only person that does this?

I just spent some days looking for a high end o/u 12g. 80% of the used guns in all of the gun stores I visited were dirty. I think the "staff" could grab a bore brush or CLP rag and do a litte maintenance.

Here is another. I purchased a 870 through gunbroker, pictures look nice and this 870 has some nice wood. Well the wood is nice, bore is good, needed cleaning to see it, but the gun has not seen a cleaning item or oiled rag in years and there is an orange cast to all the metal. I takes me hours to clean the gun to acceptable levels.

If I buy a gun from you I expect it to be maintained and cleaned, that is what you will get from me.

I am only anal about two things, house painting and guns. Thanks for letting me vent.

 

[scott.cr]

Yeah!! Last used firearm I purchased (Glock 26) looked like it'd NEVER been cleaned. All of the firearms I've sold in the past left my house cleaned, lubed, ready to shoot and neatly and securely packed (if mailorder). I mean heck, all you really have to do is make the gun LOOK clean, and that simple job only requires an oily rag and an oiled patch!

 

[FPrice]

One of the part-time clerks at my local FFL took in a bunch of guns from an occassional customer the other day. My FFL is pissed. Not only were the guns uniformly dirty - many of them were loaded.

OOPS!

 

[Standing Wolf]

All but one of two of the used firearms I've bought have been filthy. I'd be embarrassed to sell a dirty gun, but lots of people apparently aren't.

 

[ALASKACAJUN]

I thought the cleaning after the shooting was half the fun....

- Clint

 

[LeonCarr]

For me, a dirty gun gives me an opportunity to negotiate on the price.

Any gun I sell or trade will be spotless, and most dealers and individuals will give you more for a clean gun than a dirty one. Why retailers, especially pawn shops, won't spend the time to clean up dirty guns they take in baffles me also. The better it looks, the faster it will sell.

Just my .02,
LeonCarr

 

[pax]

It just underlines the fact that most guns belong to people who aren't really "into" guns the way people on this board are.

I have met a lot of gun owners who are just flat afraid to take down their guns for cleaning, certain that they'd be unable to get the gun back together again. And maybe they're right; I'm told that one of the more common things a busy gunsmith sees is the gun-in-a-ziploc pile o' parts brought in by someone who took their gun apart for cleaning & didn't know how to get it back together.

Do your bit for human knowledge: If you've taken a new shooter to the range and that person turns around and buys a gun for himself, do him a favor and teach him how to disassemble, clean, and reassemble it, too.

pax

 

[michael_aos]

I have met a lot of gun owners who are just flat afraid to take down their guns for cleaning, certain that they'd be unable to get the gun back together again. Do your bit for human knowledge: If you've taken a new shooter to the range and that person turns around and buys a gun for himself, do him a favor and teach him how to disassemble, clean, and reassemble it, too.

pax

Yep. I stopped by a friends house when he was "cleaning" his CZ75B. I field-stripped it for him, and he wouldn't let me leave until I put it back together for him!

Mike

 

[thereisnospoon]

You're supposed to clean guns? Can you just run them through the dishwasher, or is that considered "bad form"?

I always thought that you bought a gun, shot it until it was dirty, then sold it when it needed cleaning?????

Oh, well. I learn something new every time I visit THR

 

[mnrivrat]

You're supposed to clean guns? Can you just run them through the dishwasher, or is that considered "bad form"?

I had a friend that would in fact consider the dishwasher bad form - he could show you the correct way which was taking the gun out to the deisel barrel at the beginning of the hunting season and work the action a few times as he ran deisel into the action. When the action loosened up - it was clean enough !

 

[Black Majik]

I always clean any guns I sell. In fact, the Colt .380 Government leaving my hands tomrorow is cleaned, lubed and ready to go.

I remember buying one shotgun once, it had mud and leaves in the action. That was a pain to clean, but wow is it super smooth now...

Shameless plug: All guns I sell are clean.

 

[af1acura]

I bought a SAR-1 used that was pretty dirty and missing the cleaning rod and cleaning kit. But the previous owner probably threw the cleaning kit away becuase AK's never need cleaning.

 

[Nathanael_Greene]

I had a conversation with a pawnshop manager the other day; we were discussing the fact that guns in pawnshops are universally dirty.

He said, "Well, people who don't take care of their stuff--that tells you something about why they have to sell it in a pawnshop."

 

[mindpilot]

lights

I very much agree with this thread. I am the same way with my knives. I hate to see rust, pitted, and dullness on a good knife or Rust in a barrel when I look into it. I bought one of those little periscope flashlights that light the barrel up as you look into it to show any dirt or flaws...they are worth the $5 to bring to a show or FFL before buying,,,Trust me!!!!

 

[GRB]

Axeman G,


I clean guns I sell before selling them. I get ravingly great feedback on guns I sell through online auctions. That said, when I buy a gun through something like an online auction or an online dealer, I ask questions before buying it. One of those questions should be - 'Is the gun clean?' If you did not ask before buying that is not the fault of the person selling the dirty gun. If they told you yes it is clean and it was not, that is their fault. If they state the gun is in excellent condition and send it in the condition in which you just received the shotgun that is also their fault and is probably worth complaining to them if they advertised it otherwise. However, plenty of online dealers readily state in item descriptions that the gun needs cleaning or, the bore looks as if it will clean up nicely and so forth. These guys, I think, are in the business of selling guns and are looking for a fast turnaround on them. My guess would be that if a dealer took the time to clean all of the guns he was selling, he may not have a lot of time to do all the other things that need doing. Sure it would be nice for you and me but, if he gives an accurate description of the gun being sold other than it needing a cleaning - so what if you neglected to ask whether or not it was clean or dirty and the dealer neglected to tell you.

If you do ask whether or not a gun is clean before buying it, that can be a consideration in whether or not you make the purchase or, as someone else already noted it can be a bargaining point (in face to face sale or online sale but probably not in an auction, although in an auction it can effect how much you bid). The thing is you need to ask questions and hope the seller is honest, at least online when you cannot see the gun. If the seller is dishonest in an online auction, you usualy have the option of leaving feedback on the seller. If you are dissatissfied with the purchase in any way, let the seller know it right away. They may offer a refund, or if you still want the gun, they may offer a partial refund - enough to make up for your having to clean the thing. Of course if they say, screw you, you can always leave bad feedback for them.


Don't get me wrong, I can still empathize with you. Yes, it would upset me too if I bought what was advertised as an excelent condition firearm only to receive it dirty filthy. Of course, if it was in excellent condition under all that dirt things would wind up ok. Then again, you have to wonder with some guns that are extremely filthy - how in Hades did the dealer know the gun was in excellent condition in the first place.

Rember this whenever you buy a gun: Caveat emptor.

 

[LoadedDrum]

+1

The model 60-4 I just bought was lowered to a give away price (in the local market). I think if they had just cleaned it, they could have easily moved it for the price initially marked on the tag. Oh well, their choice. The best part is that they actually cleaned it before I picked it up.

 

[middy]

It doesn't really bother me as long as there's no corrosion. I mean, even if it looks clean I'm going to take any new gun apart and clean and lube it again anyway...

 

[kfranz]

I am sorry, but this sort of burns my ass. I clean my guns often, and if and when I sell them I ALWAYS clean them before delivery/shipping. Am I the only person that does this?

Get some burn cream. I've only sold a couple firearms, one was clean 'cause that's the way I bought it. Surplus stuff I've sold has been unfired by me, and has left in the condition I got it in, which is to say full of third world warehouse stuff. My descripiton of the item in the FS ad was accurate however.

I just spent some days looking for a high end o/u 12g. 80% of the used guns in all of the gun stores I visited were dirty. I think the "staff" could grab a bore brush or CLP rag and do a litte maintenance.

You aren't paying the staff, and it literally is none of your business.

Here is another. I purchased a 870 through gunbroker, pictures look nice and this 870 has some nice wood. Well the wood is nice, bore is good, needed cleaning to see it, but the gun has not seen a cleaning item or oiled rag in years and there is an orange cast to all the metal. I takes me hours to clean the gun to acceptable levels.

It took you hours to clean it to YOUR level of acceptable. I'd be unhappy were I to receive something that was not as advertised, but I generally ask those kinds of questions prior to purchase.

If I buy a gun from you I expect it to be maintained and cleaned, that is what you will get from me.

Unless you are doing a piece for piece trade, nobody but you gives a damn about your expectations. Thanks for letting me vent, as I struggle with people that figure I should do things the same way they do....

 

[HankB]

Dirt helps to hide scratches and rust on the outside. Copper and powder fouling helps camouflage pitting in the bore.

 

[ID_shooting]

I don't mind buying dirty guns, even though every one I trade in is spotless. I know the dealer will give a bit less for a dirty gun and he knows that I know this and I can squeeze a few dollars off because of it.

Plus side, he knows I am in a buying mood if I bring a bag of cleaning supplies with me when I walk in the door.

 

[Richardson]

Here is another. I purchased a 870 through gunbroker, pictures look nice and this 870 has some nice wood. Well the wood is nice, bore is good, needed cleaning to see it, but the gun has not seen a cleaning item or oiled rag in years and there is an orange cast to all the metal. I takes me hours to clean the gun to acceptable levels.

I went into a Gander Mountain to look over the used guns. Most rifles had dirty bores. Several had bores so clogged that I'd think they were unsafe to shoot - I couldn't see the ID of the barrel because of the build-up - no visible rifling, just dark black with a peep of white light at the end. For this they were charging premium "used gun" prices.

No thanks,

Richardson

 

[svtruth]

My LGS's

stock is always squeeky clean.

 

[gulogulo1970]

A clean gun will get you more money if trying to sell it in person. I pretty much know I've made money selling perfectly clean guns to people. To me it is worth the time to make 25-50bucks for 30 minutes of work. If you were selling a car wouldn't you wash it and clean out the interior?

I've bought some on Auction Arms that I personally would have been ashamed to send off in that condition. They cleaned up well so I guess I was lucky.

 

[R.H. Lee]

I'd rather a used firearm have a little carbon fouling than be buggered up by some anal retentive clean freak thanks just the same.

 

[Spot77]

I've bought three used pistols, two of them from users here at THR.

The guns were spotless (no pun intended). I'm proud to tell you who they were: Chaim, and Greyhound (Former MD resident, since escaped). Thanks for the great deals; both guns are still shooting just fine!

The third used pistol was on consignment at a local shop and was 99% clean.


Then there's the Remington rifle that I got for a song. It was pretty filthy, but I got what I paid for.


As users of "The High Road," we probably take better care of our gear and show more respect to buyers of our guns than many others.