Buyer Beware

[fatelk]

A friend brought his new (used) pistol over to show me yesterday. He was pleased with the good price he got it for off of Gunbroker, but he said the bore looked a little odd to him.

It's a Walther P22. The bore indeed looked funky, especially the last 1/2" or so. It has a thin inner barrel and an outer barrel bushing. The barrel is threaded at the muzzle and held on by a nut. He took it apart and I noticed that the threads looked very odd. Instead of clean, fine threads like you normally see on a firearm, this had rough 1/4-20 threads obviously cut by hand with a die. It was so bad that the threads had pulled on the inside of the muzzle.

This gun comes with either a longer barrel and "slide extension", or a shorter barrel and normal muzzle nut. I expect someone decided to just cut their longer barrel and crudely thread it themselves, to where the rough, coarse threads kind of jam into the fine threads in the muzzle nut. I told him he should contact the seller, but he just said the listing made it clear as-is, no returns.

Live and learn; at least a new barrel isn't terribly expensive. I'm not a big fan of buying things like that sight unseen.

[nagantguy]

Sometimes you get a gem sometimes a bubba special. I always like to touch and inspect and the few times I haven’t I’ve regretted it

[D Crockett]

if I can not hold it in my hands before I buy it I do not buy it. gun shops I look at a lot of guns and at gun shows I look at some there to . but I never buy a gun off line it is just to risky for me especially if there is a no return notice on the item that in it's self is a red flag to me D Crockett

[MrWolf]

I learned that the hard way also from Gunbroker. Now on if I can't touch, I don't buy.

[WebMonkey]

i only buy c&r stuff off gunbroker.
i expect to get beat up stuff and i'm not disappointed.
;)

i use my p22 a LOT.
i bought it new though.
it wears a huntertown arms suppressor constantly.

[marlin39a]

That clause "as is, no returns" would have scared me off. I've always purchased with an inspection period.

[RU shooter]

That clause "as is, no returns" would have scared me off. I've always purchased with an inspection period.
Yep ! I've bought and sold a few on GB over the years, I won't sell or buy without a 3 day non firing return period clause in the agreement . If someone is selling anything as is well chances are they know nothing about the item or they know it's buggered up and and are trying to unload it .

[dubber123]

Bought a bunch off GB, only got hosed once, and it was avoidable if my eyes were fully open when I bid ;)

[Pressman]

I just have to share this story, beware it's eBay not Gunbroker. about 2008 I found an early SAECO lubesizer listed, only one picture and it was so bad I could not make out the details. Opening price was fair enough. No other bidders, and I wanted/needed a SAECO anyway so I laid my money down and won it.
Busy with life the box arrived in fine shape and say around for a couple of weeks till I had time to open it. All I see is those stupid packing peanuts, I hate the things. Reaching down into the peanuts I grabbed onto something, what ever it was a SAECO it was not. Pulled it out carefully so as not to get those peanuts everywhere and - and I am holding the most beautiful Modern Bond lubsizer I have ever seen. Even better it was complete with die, top punch and the little cast iron wrench. This is the later second model, painted gray. I was wishin' I had bought a lottery ticket that day.

Ken

[Blackwater]

A new barrel is probably the best/least costly option?

[evoevil]

I have bought a lot off gunbroker, take time to read and email back and fourth. I have got some really nice stuff off the site

[Tatume]

Sorry to hear you were taken. I've had good results from GunBroker, but the risk is always there.

[tinsnips]

I live where there is not a lot of good used guns so I have used GB a lot. Never had a bad deal yet.But the odds are not in my favor .

[Geezer in NH]

GB used to require a 3 day return period. Did that change? sold and bought many there have over 1400 good feed backs on firearms and no Neg.

Feedback means everything buying on the net. How was the sellers?

[AllanD]

My LGS learned that handing me a firearm ANY FIREARM, but in particular any that I really want to adopt and take home is going to be dismantled, as-if by magic like a "rapid un-scheduled disassembly" (as best exemplified by an aircraft crash or an Indy car hitting the wall at speed)

I can personally dismantle an M1911 fast enough that you feel like you are watching it on film with 1/2 the frames removed.

A friend commented that it was like watching the ladies at White Castle unfolding the cardboard sleeves they put the hamburgers in...
Something you get dizzy watching!

[fatelk]

Sorry for the slow reply. I've been gone for a few days.

I haven't heard back from him as to what he's decided to do. I told him he should contact the seller and at least let them know. In my opinion "functions fine but as-is" shouldn't mean "seriously messed up damage to barrel" unless declared as such. Any reputable seller would make some attempt to make things right, at least a few bucks back towards a replacement barrel or something. I know I certainly would if I inadvertently sold something that bad.

Honestly though, I suspect he'll just let it go and buy a barrel, and that's fine if that's what he wants to do. A new barrel is $90 shipped on ebay. We looked and he had just missed a used one for $50. I think he wanted to wait and watch for another used one to come up, as money's pretty tight for them. All in all, a $50 mistake isn't the end of the world, a pretty cheap lesson really.

If anyone has a used Walther P22 barrel for sale, let me know. If he brings it over again I'll take a photo of the "Bubba gunsmithing" on the barrel. I don't know that I've ever seen anything quite that bad before.

[aws1963]

That's a bummer. I have bought a couple of firearms off GB, but all have been long guns. I'm a nervous about buying a handgun. No many who have had fine experiences though.