Harrisburg Gun Show........BAD DEALER

Diablo

Went to the Harrisburg gun show today.I saw a Springfield Armory SAR-48 with bipod and walnut stock.(FN FAL style gun) The gun was in excellent conditon.I have been looking for one in excellent condition for a long time. Anyway, I asked to see it. The first person at the stand said he believe it is "UNFIRED".Upon inpection I saw brass marks on the reciever. Occasionally a gun will have a tiny brass mark from being fired at the factory. But most of the time there isn't a test fire brass mark. This particular gun had a noticable concentration of brass marks. My guess is the gun had 100 rounds throught it. Maybe more, maybe less. The rest of the gun was mint. I started to pull back the bolt to inspect the rest of the gun, when the other man at that booth snap "DON'T DO THAT, IT WILL MAKE MARKS AND THEY WILL THINK IS HAS BEEN FIRED"So bascially these A$$HOLES were trying to pass this baby off as "UNFIRED" Guess who lost that sale? What an idiot!I would have bought it too(fired or unfired) if he wasn't such an *. I told him "THAT GUN IS DEFINITE NOT IN UNFIRED CONDITION" .....very loudly and snappy.A little sales wisdom......let the customer check it out and become fascinated...because they will buy it.Example.....the last three cars I bought...the Dealer tossed me the keys...no questions asked....and I was off by myself for a test drive.....guess who ended up buying those cars that same day.What do you all think?

thunderbolt

If you were serious about buying the gun and said so, I'm sure the dealer would have been happy to allow a more complete inspection.Having been on the other side of the table, though, I can tell you even a new gun would look ratty if the dealer allowed everyone that happened by to handle it. I still get emails from folks who ask if they can test fire new guns to see if they like them enough to buy one. If the gun was priced right and passed inspection, I wouldn't have worried about the brass markings.

sandman2234

Friend owns a Pawn Shop. Another friend has a few "new in the box" collectors guns. Thought he might leave one there for him to sell. He said "no". But if you get a full size picture of it, I will leave the picture out and let them buy the gun unseen. Then they can cut the tape and handle it all they want. But if they cut the tape...its theirs. So we are going to post a picture. Passed a table at a gun show. Just a tag saying "Colt Mustang" and a price. Asked the guy what was with the tag. He said it was under the table. Didn't want everybody handling it. Serious buyers (we were looking for the goverment) would know what it was and what it was worth. Ended up taking it home with us.

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Have Gun, will travel

Diablo

I definitely understand a dealer trying to protect his merchandise. That is noble.But don't try to pass something off as unfired when there are unmistakable marks that prove otherwise.Thunderbolt..... I wasnt worried about the brass marks. I would probably fire the gun anyway. Its all about a matter of principle.If the dealer said "like new".....thats fineI just didn't appreciate him getting snotty towards me, especially since he was wrong about the gun. I estimate the gun at 2500 NIB, he had it for 2300. So the price was right. That definitely was not the issue.So he can sit on it. Maybe he should have come over and talk to me about it. He defintely had no sales skills. But he was too busy playing with himself.If I don't find one in a year or so,....I can always buy a new DS Arms fal rifle.[This message has been edited by Diablo (edited 12-09-2001).]