Selling rifles & the Bullet Test?

[roysclockgun]

Since the early 1960s, I have, on occasion, manned gun show tables. Tire kickers who pick up and abuse gun show table firearms are thankfully, in the minority. One of pet peeves is the famous "bullet test" to check for muzzle wear. We have no way of knowing how much grit is sticking to the bullet as it is shoved into the muzzle end of the bore. How many times would it take for "tire kickers" to jam bullets into the muzzle and out again, before muzzle damage would begin to occur just from all those bullet test being conducted by "lookers" who 99 times out a hundred end up not buying anything at all?
Steven

 

[Dwh7271]

Don't know the answer to that one.
My personal pet peeve is those that dry Fire them

 

[salmonchaser]

Really, kinda like walking up to someone's house and kicking their dog. Some people's manners.

 

[Wyo7200]

One of the pleasures of working nightshift is the ability to watch late night tv. Well, since I don't like pop tv programming, I put it on the sportsmans channel. They have this show, about a guy who moved from New York to Montana to open a gun shop. I'm not a fan of it but watching him go through guns at gun shows is so irritating. I'm sure the show scripted, but I've personally never heard some of the rules that they throw out there while about gun shows etiquette, or lack thereof. Maybe it's just me and I'm more courteous and would ask if someone is done looking at a firearm before snatching it. I don't know. So many things wrong with that show and I'm sure he'd be "that guy". And while I'm speaking about tv shows, someone needs to get that guy on Jim shockeys uncharted a new Nosler hat.

 

[JD338]

I've never heard of a bullet test like that.
Sounds like someone with enough brains to be dangerous!

If I worked a gun show, I'd PO a few people like that because they are just tire kickers
and are not going to buy it anyways.

JD338

 

[DrMike]

I have not heard of a "bullet test." I do know that if someone tries to shove anything in the muzzle of my rifle, I get a mite touchy! I don't like the muzzle of my rifle to touch the ground not do I permit anyone to shove things into the muzzle of the rifle.

 

[roysclockgun]

A while ago, I bought a Pre-'64 Win. Mod. 12, 12gauge shotgun to resell. I had gotten it well below what it was worth. I put it on my table at a very low price, considering it's condition. I looked down my table to see a man taking the Mod. 12 down. I told him not to take any guns apart without asking the owner first. His only response was to say, "I am a collector!" I told him that if he was indeed a collector he must know that the Mod. 12 take down parts can only be taken apart a finite number of times and eventually the gun will be loose from too many "take downs". This, especially if every "looker" at a gun show took the Mod. 12 apart. I asked him if he wanted to make me an offer. He said, " I will think about it!" A little while later, I noticed someone hunkered down at the end of my table. It was the same moron who had again taken the Mod. 12 apart. I not too gently grabbed the gun and said, "Are you buying this gun? Otherwise, do not pick it up again!" He again said, "I will think about it!" and left. He came by a few more times that afternoon and under my severe glare, he looked at the Mod. 12 lying there. Later an older gentleman came by and asked to look at the Mod. 12. I told him, "Sure, go ahead and pick it up!" He looked it over and when he went to put it down I asked, "Are interested in buying that gun?" He said that he'd love to have it, but could not afford my marked price. I asked what he could pay. He offered right at what I had in the gun. After doing the paperwork, the gentleman walked away grinning. In only a few minutes. the "tire kicker" again came by and looked shocked when he saw the empty spot where the Mod. 12 had been on my table. "Where's the Mod. 12?" he asked. "Mister" I said, "This is not a petting zoo! I sold that Mod. 12!" He looked very sad and walked away. There is a God!
Steven

 

[Anonymous]

I've never heard of the "bullet test" and have to admit, have no idea what such a test would even show the potential buyer...but there are a ton of "experts" suggesting many things.

I know after reading this, it has reaffirmed my opinion that a gun show is perhaps the worst place to sell a rifle, and perhaps the worst place to buy one as well.

 

[DrMike]

I know after reading this, it has reaffirmed my opinion that a gun show is perhaps the worst place to sell a rifle, and perhaps the worst place to buy one as well.

I have never sold a rifle at a gun show, though I have sold some unneeded reloading components on one occasion. I have purchased one rifle at a gun show, and it turned out quite well. Most tables here in the north have very optimistic ideas concerning the value of the wares displayed.

 

[roysclockgun]

Most gun show sellers do have an inflated idea of what a firearm will fetch. This especially when gun show prices should only be a tad over what items bring at live auctions. 20 years ago and more, I did the Baltimore Arms Collector's Show in Baltimore. I was at the low end of almost every other table, plus I knew to engage the lookers and in doing that I sometimes found a buyer. When Sov. capture K98k rifles were being wholesaled by importers for $100 or less, I was glad to get $150 at the gun show. The K98k and other milsurp pieces from around the world, were coming into the US dirt cheap. By having old milsurp priced at around $150, I sold many as impulse buys. The prospective buyers had been looking at nothing under $1000. There were over 900 tables at that show. Finally, they stood in front of my table and saw complete, shootable firearms for under $200. In those days, I always did between $3000 and $4000 for that two day show. I had fun and made some bucks. One of my favorite lines was, "You cannot buy a decent print of that rifle for what I am asking for the actual rifle!" Many people responded to that, and many of them had $150 in their pockets or on their credit card. At the end, during clean up I heard lots of other dealers saying that they had sold nothing! Maybe they needed to study "How to Sell at Gun Shows 101!" <8^))
Steven

 

[HomerOz]

G'Day Fella's,

Roysclockgun/Steven, it appears people are the same, on both sides of the Pacific!
My personal peeve, is people sticking their fingers in the muzzle of brand new and used shotguns and double rifles (with $3K to $9K price tags), that are sitting in the display racks!

As to your situation, I just politely say, "When you own the firearm, you can do what you want with it but until then, please only touch the stock and bolt handle/lever/top lever (etc), (with your sweaty and sticky little food covered fingers/hands). I always have a roll of paper hand towel available, just in case they are a serious buyer (with sweaty, and sticky little food covered fingers/hands)
I do expect all potential buyers and rubber necker's/Butt Kickers to also ask my permission, prior to handling any firearm that's on display. As to sticking bullets into the muzzle of a rifle, I can usually verbally undermine any reasoning for a persons theoretical strategy for doing this! Also, I know the used firearms I'm selling and if the bore is less than "Very Good", this will be indicated in it's asking price!
If they choose to ignore the sign- "Please ask for permission to handle the firearms" and not ask for permission, can I please mention, that they won't forget to do this a second time!
If I get a polite inquiring reply back from the potential buyer, I'm happy to go into more details and they almost always agree with me, once they understand my reasoning behind this.

Hope that helps

Doh!
Homer

 

[SJB358]

Wow. That's some crazy stuff. Can't imagine handling someone's firearms like that.

Bullet into the muzzle? That just sounds dumb....

 

[preacher]

The guy probably read about the bore gauge the Military used to use to check '03s and M14s. A bullet means nothing...he's a wannabe....just be gracious and tell him to STOP THAT!! Say it loud enough to make everyone look around...he'll stop.