Do gun dealers inspect new firearms that have been shipped to them

S

SkinnyJoe

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..before the buyer stops by to pick them up?

The reason I ask is when I picked up mine from a dealer (he had to order it, didn't have it in the store) he told me that the laser was slightly off from the point of aim, so I assume he handled the firearm.

Accepted practice in the industry and a good idea?

Thanks.
 
I am guessing that it depends on the store. I have two friends that owned gun shops in the past, and I know that they would open and inspect every gun that came in, to make sure there was no damage, and on special orders, to make sure they received the correct gun, and to log in the serial numbers.

As far as them knowing the laser was off, I really can't say
 
As much as i dislike strangers touching anything of mine ("lighten up, Francis"), it is comforting that a professional took a quick look to see if there are any obvious defects, that would save me the exercise of shipping things back and forth to the manufacturer.

So it's not an uncommon practice?
 
Dealers must log in the firearm, I believe within 24 hours of receiving it, so he will have to take it out of the case to get the number off of the gun (can't just take the number off of the box. He probably was just checkin your new gun out while he had it out to log it in
 
one time i had a shotgun shipped to me and my FFL completely manhandled it -- i could tell. they had it on the rack and when other people were coming in they were handling it too. they also kept the box and presumably the rifle container that it came in.

my other FFL had my pistol still in shipping packaging when i got to the store, and they let me open it up and sift through the mountain of packing peanuts to get the serial #'s.


so it varies by FFL.
 
aperdue said:
Dealers must log in the firearm, I believe within 24 hours of receiving it, so he will have to take it out of the case to get the number off of the gun (can't just take the number off of the box. He probably was just checkin your new gun out while he had it out to log it in
Click to expand...

:thumbup: true aperdue. It has to be checked against the serial number on the box/carton/case to make sure it matches, & has to be logged in the firearm's register. The gun store I do business at, Ron will usually do a quick inspection on the bluing, stock, bolt, safety, etc. just to make sure there is no damage & everything is working properly.
Be safe.
 
Did you ask how he found the laser to be a bit off.... no way of knowing unless you actually shoot the thing..
 
Incahiker said:
Did you ask how he found the laser to be a bit off.... no way of knowing unless you actually shoot the thing..
Click to expand...

No, I didn't. I assume he wasn't that of an asshole as he was recommended and seemed like a friendly and respectful guy (Tennessee Gun Country on Fort Campbell Blvd in Clarksville, TN).

With a laser (at least across the room distances) you can tell where you are looking at with the iron sights and where the red dot is.

I was so excited to pick it up, I drove immediately after work, and didn't ask too many questions (inexperienced, not the typical gun buyer), went through the check, bought some ammo and went home.
 
I'm a long time FFL holder and NO ordered firearm comes into my premises that is not opened within minutes, the SN verified from the firearm, NOT from the invoice or box, and entered into my bound book. I suspect most other FFLs do the same. I do not, BTW, stock new firearms so any coming in new are custom orders.

Something I long ago learned to do in this regard is to look carefully at how the firearm, especially a rifle or shotgun, is packed in its container. The boxmakers have gotten real tricky over the years and if you just quickly pull parts from the box you can have a hell of a time figuring out how they go back. No kidding.

Out of respect to the buyer, I always wipe off any fingerprints I may have made getting to the SN and ensure the manual, warranty card, and accessories are in place. I also always tell the buyer I opened the box to verify the SN AND to ensure what he ordered was in fact what was received. I also advise the buyer to keep the box and for damned sure fill out and send in the warranty!

On a few occasions, I have come up with errors between the SN on the shipper's invoice and the actual firearm. The shippers are always grateful when you call and advise them of the error. No FFL wants to run afoul of the ATF in this regard. A couple of times I've taken digital photos of the SN area and emailed it to the shipper. Confusion as to the correct SN can arise with some foreign firearms, e.g., Russian, where they have, to us, weird letter and number characters.
 
Mine does not. Mine purposely opens the package only after the buyer is at the store so the buyer can see nothing was damaged by the dealer.

Once upon a time, my dealer got a transfer for an AK-47. The gun came in a big wooden crate with the business end sticking out of the wood that was shattered on impact. He was out for lunch and the UPS guy just left it with the new guy that was working there minding the store at the time.

This is why he doesn't open guns before the customer is there.
 
The store in MO I use to use played with the guns before I got them and stole my beretta mag bumpers... I quit using them and I live in NC now... They also tryed grip switching
 
Old CW4 said:
I'm a long time FFL holder and NO ordered firearm comes into my premises that is not opened within minutes, the SN verified from the firearm, NOT from the invoice or box, and entered into my bound book. I suspect most other FFLs do the same. I do not, BTW, stock new firearms so any coming in new are custom orders.

Something I long ago learned to do in this regard is to look carefully at how the firearm, especially a rifle or shotgun, is packed in its container. The boxmakers have gotten real tricky over the years and if you just quickly pull parts from the box you can have a hell of a time figuring out how they go back. No kidding.

Out of respect to the buyer, I always wipe off any fingerprints I may have made getting to the SN and ensure the manual, warranty card, and accessories are in place. I also always tell the buyer I opened the box to verify the SN AND to ensure what he ordered was in fact what was received. I also advise the buyer to keep the box and for damned sure fill out and send in the warranty!

On a few occasions, I have come up with errors between the SN on the shipper's invoice and the actual firearm. The shippers are always grateful when you call and advise them of the error. No FFL wants to run afoul of the ATF in this regard. A couple of times I've taken digital photos of the SN area and emailed it to the shipper. Confusion as to the correct SN can arise with some foreign firearms, e.g., Russian, where they have, to us, weird letter and number characters.
Click to expand...

Now that we have the revolver man here, let me ask something. On Ruger double-action revolvers, is it normal for the extractor rod to have some play/wobble when it is within its slot under the barrel and while the cylinder is out? Also, and please forgive my gun illiteracy here, looking back inside the frame face when the cylinder is out, there is a small circle with an even smaller round hole in it. Inside this hole there is something that looks like a pin, and this area I am guessing interacts with the star-shaped thing on the posterior end of the cylinder (below the firing pin). Anyway, this little pin-like thing in the area on the frame that I just described, is it ok for it to be off-center, i.e. it's not in the center of the little hole.

Thanks. :)

Haven't had any problems with the gun that I can tell, fired only 50 or so rounds so far.
 
Check your newspaper. There was probably a shooting last night, victim shot just a few inches below center-of-mass.





Seriously, I, myself, wouldn't want to buy through a dealer who did not inspect the gu before calling me to waste my time coming to the store only to find the wrong gun in the box, shipping damage, out-of-box defect, etc. Better for him to find the problem and call me and let me know that there will be a delay and then handle the whole return process; that is part of what I pay him for.
 
I'm pretty sure that all FFLs will inspect special orders. They like guns don't they?
 
Skinny Joe,

I believe you're describing a Ruger DA and when you said 'cylinder out' you meant the cylinder was rotated out on the cylinder 'crane' from its closed position...?

If so, the rear pin you describe is a spring loaded device that secures the rear of the cylinder when closed. It is free to 'wobble' a bit but does not wobble when the cylinder is closed.

The front cylinder 'axle' for want of a better word is an ingenious design improvement by Ruger. With Smiths and Colts, the cylinder 'axle' is a critical part. The tip of it is the only lockup for the front of the cylinder and the slightest kink or bend in it can put those revolvers out of action.

Not so with a Ruger, where it is merely a 'push rod' for the star extractor. In a Ruger, the real lock up for the front of the cylinder is a sort of door latch, a spring loaded mini 'door bolt' right where the cylinder 'crane' swings into the frame. This is much stronger than most other double action revolvers and firmly locks up the front of the cylinder without depending on the axle.

You might also notice that the recesses or notches for the bolt lockup near each cylinder chamber are offset in Rugers so as to not compromise the thickness of the chamber walls at that point. Smiths and Colts, however, have their notches cut directly in line with the chambers which could weaken them. I have never personally seen this happen but it is a possibility I always have in mind when I cook up fairly warm hand loads for my Rugers---loads I will not fire in my Smiths or Colts but have no qualms at all with them in my Rugers.

I do love my Rugers and I have a bunch of them. However, please note that my absolute, number ONE revolver and handgun, my pride and joy, is my S&W 41 mag with six inch barrel. I carry this gem on and off duty, hunt deer and elk with it, and I guess, if it was still possible to have sex at my age, I'd probably sleep with it....! Just kidding but not all that much. An old soldier and gunsmith shouldn't fall in love with any gun but I do love my Smith 41 and I wish to hell Ruger would again make their Redhawk in 41 mag, I'd buy several.....

BTW, a test of proper revolver lockup is to fully pull the trigger and keep it pulled (OF COURSE WITH AN EMPTY GUN) while easing the hammer down part way. When you do this, the cylinder bolt, which projects up from the inside bottom of the frame, should push a bit farther up to lock the cylinder more firmly in place during firing. With the hammer down and trigger not pulled, most revolvers will have some cylinder free play.

Hope I answered your question without boring you to tears......?
 
Old CW4 said:
Skinny Joe,

I believe you're describing a Ruger DA and when you said 'cylinder out' you meant the cylinder was rotated out on the cylinder 'crane' from its closed position...?

If so, the rear pin you describe is a spring loaded device that secures the rear of the cylinder when closed. It is free to 'wobble' a bit but does not wobble when the cylinder is closed.

The front cylinder 'axle' for want of a better word is an ingenious design improvement by Ruger. With Smiths and Colts, the cylinder 'axle' is a critical part. The tip of it is the only lockup for the front of the cylinder and the slightest kink or bend in it can put those revolvers out of action.

Not so with a Ruger, where it is merely a 'push rod' for the star extractor. In a Ruger, the real lock up for the front of the cylinder is a sort of door latch, a spring loaded mini 'door bolt' right where the cylinder 'crane' swings into the frame. This is much stronger than most other double action revolvers and firmly locks up the front of the cylinder without depending on the axle.

You might also notice that the recesses or notches for the bolt lockup near each cylinder chamber are offset in Rugers so as to not compromise the thickness of the chamber walls at that point. Smiths and Colts, however, have their notches cut directly in line with the chambers which could weaken them. I have never personally seen this happen but it is a possibility I always have in mind when I cook up fairly warm hand loads for my Rugers---loads I will not fire in my Smiths or Colts but have no qualms at all with them in my Rugers.

I do love my Rugers and I have a bunch of them. However, please note that my absolute, number ONE revolver and handgun, my pride and joy, is my S&W 41 mag with six inch barrel. I carry this gem on and off duty, hunt deer and elk with it, and I guess, if it was still possible to have sex at my age, I'd probably sleep with it....! Just kidding but not all that much. An old soldier and gunsmith shouldn't fall in love with any gun but I do love my Smith 41 and I wish to hell Ruger would again make their Redhawk in 41 mag, I'd buy several.....

BTW, a test of proper revolver lockup is to fully pull the trigger and keep it pulled (OF COURSE WITH AN EMPTY GUN) while easing the hammer down part way. When you do this, the cylinder bolt, which projects up from the inside bottom of the frame, should push a bit farther up to lock the cylinder more firmly in place during firing. With the hammer down and trigger not pulled, most revolvers will have some cylinder free play.

Hope I answered your question without boring you to tears......?
Click to expand...

thanks for writing, good info and especially useful to us who know little about firearms. :)

So it's ok for the extractor rod to wobble a little? I noticed it both with the gun closed (cylinder inside) and with the cylinder out. I was holding the grip with my right hand and was being able to wobble the rod gently up and down (not just front and back) with my left hand in both of those positions.
 
Skinny Joe, Yes, it's okay for the Ruger cylinder 'axle' to flop and wobble. Like I said in my main reply, it's really only a push rod to eject spent or loaded cartridges. Look at your Ruger DA with the cylinder open and you'll see that nifty 'door lock' mechanism at the front I so crudely described. It really does the job. Be well my friend....
 
Old CW4 said:
Skinny Joe, Yes, it's okay for the Ruger cylinder 'axle' to flop and wobble. Like I said in my main reply, it's really only a push rod to eject spent or loaded cartridges. Look at your Ruger DA with the cylinder open and you'll see that nifty 'door lock' mechanism at the front I so crudely described. It really does the job. Be well my friend....
Click to expand...

Thanks for sharing your knowledge with the rest of us. :thumbup:
 
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