DODGING LEMONS

Tips for Buying a Used Firearm

- John Brooks

Are you getting ready to buy another firearm, or maybe your first? Where do you look? Gun stores, pawn shops, or the internet? Should you buy new or try used? You sit down at your computer, head swirling with questions, and start your search. Droves of options fill your screen and forum chatter makes you second-guess yourself, until you finally decide on a specific model. New gun prices make your eyes water, so you decide to look for a used one. You find a listing with blurry, poorly lit pictures of the gun atop filthy salmon carpet and framed by the tips of New Balance sneakers. The description is sparse, but the price is reasonable. You arrange a meeting and find yourself in a parking lot down by the interstate. You’re approached by a greasy individual and do the awkward meet and greet before he leads you to the back of his ’96 Nissan Altima, complete with blackout tint and multicolored body panels. Your quarry is nestled in a dirty bath towel in the trunk. To your surprise, it seems pretty nice, except for the quart of oil dripping out of every seam. You produce the cash and quickly return to the safety of your vehicle to inspect your new prize. As you begin to disassemble it under your dim dome light, you see things that quickly form a pit in your stomach — buyer’s remorse. Welcome to the exciting world of used gun purchases!

While this scenario might be a stretch, some will find it resoundingly familiar. Sure, you could just buy new guns from respectable establishments, but where’s your sense of adventure? If you plan on actually shooting the thing, aren’t anal-retentive, and don’t mind a few dings and scuffs, a quality preowned firearm can be had for a lot less.