"Big Ed Says"

BY Perry Conrad -SMOKE-N-GUNS

Here at the store sometimes we get asked whether it is worth buying a new gun rather than a good looking used gun. There is never a one answer fits all to that question.

As I have found over the years is that a well cared for used gun will many times be a great bargain for you but you need to look at a few things first.  One thing to remember is that many new guns will have a factory warranty on them and some will have a lifetime warranty so that no matter how or when you bought the gun the factory will repair it for free or send you a new gun. For my money that’s a much better deal than the price of a gunsmith.

Now the finish is just the exterior look of the gun. It may be less than perfect but if all you want is a good, accurate gun it really doesn’t matter. First it is necessary to check out the tightness of the cylinder on a revolver when the trigger is held back and the hammer is in the firing position. It should move very little to the left and right or front to back. It should have a clean, non-pitted bore and don’t forget or be afraid to ask, “does it go bang every time?” and what is the seller’s policy on returns if it does not.

Now this is very important to remember before purchasing any gun. The older the gun the more important it is. Odd caliber and old guns many times cannot be repaired because of a lack of parts for that one gun.  At this point the gun is worth parts, is a wall hanger or makes a great $100.00 buy and is regretfully an expensive paperweight.  Something else to consider is that old guns are sometimes in an odd caliber, especially from a European manufacture. Before you buy is the time to make sure to your own satisfaction that you can find the caliber locally and that it is not extremely expensive. Even an American older revolver or rifle can be very expensive to buy ammo for if you can even find it. 

I guess what I am trying to say here is to think about the use of the gun or rifle before you buy and if you have a hunt planned please do not wait to the week before to find the correct ammo.

SMOKE-N-GUNS usually has many of the older, unique and rare calibers in stock, but if we do not, we have several suppliers that we can check and order from.  

IF YOU NEED IT, WE WILL DO OUR BEST TO FIND IT FOR YOU AND THAT IS A PROMISE!

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Check out how much you can save on our website: www.smokenguns.com