How do you buy 2nd hand guns, do you haggle with gun dealers?

[halamrose 24]

Just heard from FEO he is approving me for 22lr and 17hmr, now I'm exited! Looking for bolt guns in both calibres

 

So 2 questions:

1. Do you expect to try before you buy? At least I'd like to see that a used gun is rabbit headshot accurate. People always seem to claim a gun is accurate but rarely say what they mean.

 

2. Then do you haggle? if so how much reduction do you look for? an example is this CZ: http://www.guntrader.co.uk/Guns-For-Sale/CZ_Rifle_452-Style_For-Sale_121024105609001

 

The guys have got to make a living but I need to know if I should bother looking at guns I think are a bit pricey or just not mess about?

 

Cheers,

 

Halam

[RossGym 1]

You always want to feel some love from the person selling. Normally it would be ammo/slings/mods/mounts/scopes etc I would have though, so if it is already full of the aforementioned, it can only be price.

 

As a retailer you would always rather add value than give discount. For example if you wanted a new coat, you'd be able to save more by getting that into the deal than you ever would with a cash discount, as the £200 coat probably cost £50 to buy in, so you can have £200 in value to you, for only £50 cost to them. Obviously I have no idea what the margin is on coats, so it is just an example!

 

With second hand you'll also be at the mercy of whether they managed to get what they wanted for the gun they sold to the old owner, and then the 'trade in' is pretty much just bonus to them, or if they had to go heavy ont he price to move the new gun, and they have profit tied up in the old one.

 

That all being said, I am always inclined to not taint the karma of a new product I am buying with my heart (ie because I want it and it is exciting rather than just being something I need) with a buying experience where there was awkwardness. I'll always ask what they can do it for, but am less likely to really get stuck in to the whole pretending I'm going to walk away/'I'll write a number on a peice of paper and you have a look at it' nonsense. These days you can check the actual market value of things very quickly via your phone, so retailers now have to be much sharper on the ticket than they used to.

[jackinbox99 41]

All depends on the store. Ive not been to that shop before, although its just down the road from me by the looks of it.

 

Some shops will let you try before you buy - I remember when I bought my Beretta 391 the gun shop happily let me take it away and try it at my local clay range over the weekend, before I went back the next week and bought it. Extremely trusting of them I thought.

 

With regards to price.... some places will refuse to budge. Others will maybe knock a bit off. In general they price up guns with quite a high profit margin so they can afford to knock them down a bit. If its a brand new gun they usually wont have as much margin to play with as they would if its a 2nd hand gun they took in part ex.

 

Id certainly shop around though. I bought my last gun from that gunshop near Warboys as they offered 10% discount for BASC members as well as being about 25% cheaper than the other gun shops I looked at for the particular gun I was after.

[stubby 175]

I certainly wouldn't haggle on price, theres lots of second hand guns out there, you find one that you like and pay the money

when I was after my ruger 10/22, eastern sporting had 3 in stock, ranging from £145, £190 and £245, the highest one did look and feel the best so I took that, didn't ask for a discount, but did ask if they had a set of scope mounts to fit a scope that I took with me, and if they could sight it in with the laser

I ended up having all that done free of charge, including the mounts which came to £48, plus 2 extra 10 shot mags (new) at £15 each

[nod 285]

glad it came through halam, unless i knew where the rifle had come from i dont think i would buy 2nd hand, i know alot do and dont have no trouble with them.

you have seen what anshutz rifles are like and you shot well with it, might be bit more but they are nice short guns,

[PLEDGEY 493]

I haggle over EVERY thing. Don't let them think you're too interested when you look at it, do lots of ummming and arring, If they won't knock off any money ask what you're gonna' get for free. A CZ 452, in .22, is between £400 and £450 (ish) depending on whether you have the silhouett or the American. Add a cheap scope, like a Mamba Lite, and a SAK Mod, and you could be looking at around £600-£650. If it DOES shoot OK, and the scope and Mod are Ok, then it sounds like a good deal......but i would still try and get a couple of boxes of rounds for free if they won't knock a bit off. At the end of the day they don't want to keep the same old second hand guns taking up space in their shop.

[TWOTWOTHREE 152]

Hi

Pledgey said it mate,I've never managed money off but ive never not come away without something its usually mags and ammo once i managrd to blag a fairly decent bipod and ammo on the same purchase,just shop around for the best deal,but be carefull as by the time you have added fuel costs on to fetch a cheaper gun the one local would be pretty close anyway,as for second hand I've never gone there with the rimfires I've just saved that bit longer and never had to worry about the what ifs,it's worth a bit of extra overtime at work and a little wait for the right gun,saying that I did buy my 223 second hand but I knew its history from new so I wasn't too worried,hope you get what you want

Atb

223