Used Guns--How to evaluate?

Bank Vault tight. Any slop will only get looser.
No rust/pits/minimal blue wear may be OK.
Clean shiny bores
Dry un-oilstained wood where metal meets
Choke tubes that easily come out; undamaged threads
dry or better, live fire; make sure of primer indents, both barrels firing sequentially as selected.
No cracks in stock
Nothing falls out when dissambled to three parts.
Site pins are tight in rib (I've shot a few loose on my glock)
Make sure if doing internet auction there is a 3 day inspection no questions asked money back guarantee.

Thanks Dr.S for the prompt reply

What are the 3 main parts when an O/U is disassembled?

fcamd said:

Thanks Dr.S for the prompt reply

What are the 3 main parts when an O/U is disassembled?

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Barrel,
Forarm-stock assembly
Stock-and-action assembly

Another thing to look at is the action where the firing pins pop out to ignight the primer. Assuming the gun wasn't re-blued, you will see where the bluing has worn off from the imprint of all of the shells that were shot from the gun. If there is plenty of bluing there, not many shells have gone through the gun, If you can see raw steel, that gun has been around.

Of course if the receiver is nickel plated all bets are off. You won't be able to tell

This isn't a make or break thing to look for, just something else to consider.

Dr S. is right on the money.

Budd Lake said:

Assuming the gun wasn't re-blued, you will see where the bluing has worn off from the imprint of all of the shells that were shot from the gun. If there is plenty of bluing there, not many shells have gone through the gun, If you can see raw steel, that gun has been around.

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Not always. My BT-99 Plus has a nice shiny, non-blued (and not stainless) breech face.

Unless I'm misunderstanding your point, which is entirely possible, of course.

-- Sam

also, when you find a gun you like do a search in the forum about that specific gun.

That way you will get a lot more information on it, before you go and pay for it.

Dr Strangelove said:

Choke tubes that easily come out; undamaged threads
dry or better, live fire; make sure of primer indents, both barrels
Nothing falls out when dissambled to three parts.

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How much can you really do? When I am looking at a gun, I get the feeling that all I can do is examine the outside , cock it a few times and shoulder it. Most shops I find nowadays I have to ask just to see the gun and then the guy stands there watching me. Choke tubes are never displayed with the gun for me to inspect. I get the sense that it is 'wrong' to dry fire the thing in the store and wouldn't feel right breaking the gun down to inspect it (no matter how much I want to). Am I being paranoid? Do most places allow this and/or encourage it? The common sense approach would be to just ask.. but I just assumed they would think I am crazy.

It has been my experience in the past that the previous comments are right on the mark when looking over a new gun. My used gun purchases, however, have all been strictly handguns. I certainly have not felt guilty about walking away from a potential purchase if the seller of a used gun prevented me from examining the gun thoroughly to my satisfaction.