How To Buy a Used Gun at a Fair Price

Above, used rifles at Ron Peterson's Firearms in Albuquerque. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Since I moved to New Mexico eight and a half years ago, I have purchased three guns. Two of the three of them I bought used.

I bought my Winchester Model 12 shotgun online. It was made in 1919 and was priced reasonably. The pre-64 Winchester 94 I bought at Ron Peterson's Firearms in Albuquerque. I was in town to catch an early morning flight and was browsing around the gun store for something to do. I spotted the rifle on a rack, checked it over and found it in great shape (I verified that it was made in 1962), and at a good price. I bought it (I had been looking for one anyway). Those are the only two times I bought a used gun. I have no regrets on either of them.

Outdoor Life posted an article on how to buy a used gun. It is titled, "Use the ‘Rule of Why’ to Help You Buy a Used Gun at a Fair Price."

It begins with:

A few months ago I dropped in at a local gun shop and browsed through the racks of used guns, shouldering shotguns, peering through rifle barrels and flipping price tags in search of the occasional hidden treasure. One price tag stopped me in my tracks — it was only about half what is usually asked for a “pre-owned” rifle in that model, caliber and condition, and it even had a scope! Suspecting something fishy, I cautiously slipped the bolt out and peeped into what I expected to be a rust-clogged bore. Nothing. The lands and grooves were as bright and clean as a hound’s tooth.

To read more, go here.