New guns not really...new?

[kazaam]

So I was asking around in a different forum, and (I'm completely new to guns) what I was wondering was, since I had just been to the Indianapolis gun show, whether the new guns that they put on display and people handle are the ones they sell new.

Turns out that in stores and shows, these guns are sold as new unless they have more in the back (like for more popular guns).

Coming from a nerdy computer background, I thought this was kind of lame. Someone likened it to clothes and I guess that made a bit more sense. But if dry firing can damage a gun, and people constantly do that, wouldn't it not be in prime shape? Not to mention potential drops, oil/other substances from people's hands, and a bunch of other things.

Am I completely crazy for not liking this? Or did the other forum give me incorrect information?

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Eh, it's that way with anything from produce to clothes to cars. People touch stuff and try stuff on, and test drive cars...

 

[daddymikey1975]

To me, new = unfired.

I suppose lots of dry firing can damage some firearms but when I get a new gun, I take it home, break it down, give it a good look over and clean it up anyway before I go out and shoot it. My reasoning is to be familiar with teardown (field stripping or detail strip) so in the event I'm at the range and have a malfunction (which can sometimes happen) I'm familiar with the new pistol's inner workings.

Stuff on people's hands don't bother me unless they handle my beer or food

 

[Dr.Midnight]

I will admit that I was bothered by the same thing when I first got in to firearms. I hated the idea that someone who just picked their nose and scratched their butt had handled the gun I had fallen in love with.

Now that I'm old and fat, I just don't have the energy to worry about things like that anymore.

 

[netsecurity]

I dry fire all my guns, except 22's hundreds of times. And at he gun show what you see on the table is what you get usually. I have no problem with that, especially since they are about $100 less than LGS.

 

[Burnsy]

Guns are not computers, just because someone picked it up doesn't mean it's not "new". Computers are built to last years and then be recycled as new technology has rendered them pointless. Guns are built to last on the order of decades and then some.

As the above post mentioned, if you test drove a car and didn't like it, would you expect the car dealer to have to sell the car as a used car? Of course not. It's the same with a firearm, a dealer doesn't have to sell a gun as "used" just becuase they took it out of the box and a customer handled it. It is now not of lesser value. If I walked into a store and dropped a new gun on the floor, I would pretty much expect that I just bought that gun.

Dry fireing as I understand it causes almost no wear and tear on most guns. Some manufacturers do recommend against it due to model design but for the vast majority it certainly doesn't make the gun "used" and it's a recommended practice for training.

If you want a completely untouched gun, have your LGS order direct from the dealer specifically for you but even then the manufacturer has already ran at least two rounds through it to obtain the required forensics brass.

 

[Lupin3rd]

Dry firing will not damage a modern centerfire firearm as the firing pin will hit only air in such a case. The only type of firearm you really need to worry about when it comes to dry firing is any rimfire gun. A rimfire firing pin will strike the casing horizontally and, if it doesn't have something soft like brass to stop it, will slam into a steel backstop. Repeated dry firing of a rimfire gun will ruin the pin.

 

[GBuck]

I hate to tell ya, but your NEW gun isn't unfired either. Every gun is fired before it leaves the factory now days.

 

[kazaam]

Yeah, I knew that the guns are fired at the factory for forensics/testing, just curious about the other stuff (I HAVE been reading ingo like its my job haha)! Appreciate the replies guys!

 

[Jpfledderer]

I haven't seen anyone dry fire a gun at a gun show, the handguns have zip strips on them, when I purchase a handgun or long gun I look over it like its my job. If its not up to your standards, don't purchase it.

 

[Mr Evilwrench]

To me, new = I'm the first owner after the distribution chain. I want it to have been fired, probably several times, for function. Not forensics, though. I don't worry about cooties on them from J Random Loser unless his twigs & berries have been involved; the solvents and lubrications are going to take care of all that soon enough.

 

[dnurk]

I haven't seen anyone dry fire a gun at a gun show, the handguns have zip strips on them, when I purchase a handgun or long gun I look over it like its my job. If its not up to your standards, don't purchase it.

This actually raises a really good point. I have never purchased a handgun at a gunshow but I'd be curious about those who do....do you not want to feel the trigger and firing mechanism before buying? Or have you already dry fired the model you are looking at in a LGS and go to the show knowing exactly what you want?

 

[churchmouse]

I usually dry fire any potential purchase. If it has an exposed hammer I will block it from full drop onto the pin when I feel the trigger. If not I will ask the seller if I can dry fire. Most always it is a yes. I do not do this with rim fire guns unless I have a spent casing to put in the chamber for the pin to hit. I repeat....spent casing.

 

[bman1903]

This actually raises a really good point. I have never purchased a handgun at a gunshow but I'd be curious about those who do....do you not want to feel the trigger and firing mechanism before buying? Or have you already dry fired the model you are looking at in a LGS and go to the show knowing exactly what you want?

If your really interested in checking out a gun they usually let you cut the zip tie

 

[fireman28]

When my wife got her bersa thunder, they gave her the display. It bothered me at first because all the marks on the clip from people taking it in and out, but I figured it will look that way after a while anyway.