Firing new rifle to test accuracy before offering for sale?

[ronas]

Would it be a good idea or bad idea to test fire a new rifle to determine group size before offering for sale.

My friend is a collector and has a never fired TRG-22, with Near Alphamount , Premier Heritage 5-25x56 scope and Near muzzle brake. He purchased his rifle new from Alex at Europtic.

I know this is very ammo dependent. I too have same rifle and shoot, 175s and 155s loaded with base to ogive measurement of 2.225"

 

[jashmore1234]

There is nothing wrong with asking for proof of group for an expensive rifle. The seller will or won't provide it. If they don't, you should consider moving on.

 

[ORD]

What precisely is your friend shooting groups with the rifle ultimately going to prove to you or anyone else who might be a prospective buyer? That in his/her hands with x-, y- or z-ammo it is capable of performing to x-level? Sure...it always gives a buyer a nice, warm and fuzzy feeling to see sub-1/2 MOA groups allegedly fired with any particular rifle being sold, but...

If it IS indeed a new, never fired TRG-22 (regardless of what optics/mounts/brakes/etc. have been slapped on since he acquired it new)...its still a NEW rifle and as such, anyone serious about it will know what degree of accuracy Sako factory rifles, especially the TRG class rifles, are capable of achieving. Sending rounds downrange is not going to establish anything aside from taking a new rifle and making it a used rifle...albeit a very lightly used one!

Generally, most people who'd be seriously interested in that rifle (i.e. - not a band of tirekicking @#$%-tards found on many gun forums these days) have enough sense when buying a NEW RIFLE to realize that obviously, there have not been any accuracy tests performed or groups measured from it as it is UNFIRED (except perhaps from the factory for function testing purposes). In the case of the rifle in question...I don't see it adding anything to the overall value of the rifle (in fact...likely just the opposite at least to a certain degree).

 

[poison123]

There is nothing wrong with asking for proof of group for an expensive rifle. The seller will or won't provide it. If they don't, you should consider moving on.

That proves nothing. Guy could be a shit group shooter and provide 1moa groups while the rifle is capable of 1/4 moa.

 

[W54/XM-388]

If the rifle is brand new never fired, I wouldn't fire it before selling it.
Being Brand New never fired increases the sale value on well known brands / models, all you would be doing is lowering the value that you will get selling it by firing it.
If you are selling a well known brand / model rifle as brand new never fired, and some guy on the internet wants proof shots, I'd just pass him by and wait for someone who knows what they are doing to buy it. Most likely they are just tire kickers and you'll waste time / money & devalue your gun just to have some 13 year old in their parents basement yank your chain around.


Now if the gun is used, then yes showing a good set of groups with date proof would be an excellent idea as there are a lot of people selling off rifles with shot out barrels, so in that case, having proof groups would help increase your sale price.

 

[ronas]

Thank to all for input. I going with leave it alone it's a new rifle. No test firing by me or anyone else to see how tiny a group I can shoot. Like several have said it's a new TRG-22.

 

[jashmore1234]

What precisely is your friend shooting groups with the rifle ultimately going to prove to you or anyone else who might be a prospective buyer? That in his/her hands with x-, y- or z-ammo it is capable of performing to x-level? Sure...it always gives a buyer a nice, warm and fuzzy feeling to see sub-1/2 MOA groups allegedly fired with any particular rifle being sold, but...

If it IS indeed a new, never fired TRG-22 (regardless of what optics/mounts/brakes/etc. have been slapped on since he acquired it new)...its still a NEW rifle and as such, anyone serious about it will know what degree of accuracy Sako factory rifles, especially the TRG class rifles, are capable of achieving. Sending rounds downrange is not going to establish anything aside from taking a new rifle and making it a used rifle...albeit a very lightly used one!

Generally, most people who'd be seriously interested in that rifle (i.e. - not a band of tirekicking @#$%-tards found on many gun forums these days) have enough sense when buying a NEW RIFLE to realize that obviously, there have not been any accuracy tests performed or groups measured from it as it is UNFIRED (except perhaps from the factory for function testing purposes). In the case of the rifle in question...I don't see it adding anything to the overall value of the rifle (in fact...likely just the opposite at least to a certain degree).

That proves nothing. Guy could be a shit group shooter and provide 1moa groups while the rifle is capable of 1/4 moa.

Actually it proves that the rifle is mechanically sound before transfer. If you are buying from a manufacturer, they will likely stand behind their product.

When buying from an individual, you are required to protect yourself. If you take delivery of an untested rifle from a private seller, it is his word against yours if the rifle is damaged in some way or he might say you have no idea what you are doing. Then you get to pay a gunsmith to diagnose the problem (neutral third party) and then you get to argue over who caused the issue (the buyer, the seller or the shipper).

Further, if he is representing the rifle as sound, but has never fired it, how does he know that it sound or is he just passing a problem on to a new owner.

Protect yourself in any transaction, the Internet marketplace is rip off central.

 

[poison123]

Actually it proves that the rifle is mechanically sound before transfer. If you are buying from a manufacturer, they will likely stand behind their product.

When buying from an individual, you are required to protect yourself. If you take delivery of an untested rifle from a private seller, it is his word against yours if the rifle is damaged in some way or he might say you have no idea what you are doing. Then you get to pay a gunsmith to diagnose the problem (neutral third party) and then you get to argue over who caused the issue (the buyer, the seller or the shipper).

Further, if he is representing the rifle as sound, but has never fired it, how does he know that it sound or is he just passing a problem on to a new owner.

Protect yourself in any transaction, the Internet marketplace is rip off central.

Ok....since we are not treating the seller as nefarious, whats to stop him from providing a target from a different rifle of the same caliber that shoots?

 

[ORD]

Actually it proves that the rifle is mechanically sound before transfer. If you are buying from a manufacturer, they will likely stand behind their product.

When buying from an individual, you are required to protect yourself. If you take delivery of an untested rifle from a private seller, it is his word against yours if the rifle is damaged in some way or he might say you have no idea what you are doing. Then you get to pay a gunsmith to diagnose the problem (neutral third party) and then you get to argue over who caused the issue (the buyer, the seller or the shipper).

Further, if he is representing the rifle as sound, but has never fired it, how does he know that it sound or is he just passing a problem on to a new owner.

Protect yourself in any transaction, the Internet marketplace is rip off central.

You can tell yourself whatever you want to help you sleep better at night or otherwise make you feel all warm and fuzzy about protecting yourself with online purchases (potential or otherwise), but either the rifle is NEW or it isn't...it'll shoot or it won't. If it IS USED, then I don't think that a description, including evidence if such is available, of its accuracy as achieved by the owner is out of line (although it can certainly be "fudged" as poison is trying to tell you), nor is it unreasonable to ask for a round count, a description/photos of any damage/issues whether functional or purely cosmetic, etc., etc. Those are common-sense things to ask when buying any used firearm online, but even then there are no assurances, guarantees, etc. unless the seller provides such to any buyer.

HOWEVER...a new rifle is a new rifle and telling someone to take said new rifle out, fire it for groups, and then report back that data is just an exercise in futility if ever there was one and generally meaningless to most knowledgeable buyers (i.e. - not the aforementioned @#$%-tard tirekickers that would ask a seller to provide such info or engage in such activity with a NEW rifle). A NEW TRG-22 is a NEW TRG-22. If you buy it and determine it is NOT new, then you've got cause for complaint/refund/etc., but asking someone to do group shots with a brand new rifle is about the dumbest @#$%ing thing I have heard in a long time. You either believe it is new as described or you don't (if you don't...move along and quit wasting the seller's time and bandwidth). If it is a NEW TRG-22, it'll shoot like every other NEW TRG-22 on the open market (which is arguably better than 99.9% of the keyboard commandos and aforementioned tirekickers are likely to be able to drive it). But don't ask someone to do something so ridiculous as to take their NEW rifle out, shoot it for groups and report back to you with the results. Just move along if you don't believe its new and buy from a dealer at whatever the best retail price is you can find and sleep better at night knowing that you did the right thing for you.

 

[Cartman]

Jashmore1234 you need to step away from the keyboard and take a time out.

 

[seg_steve]

What if the reason you are selling the rifle is because you don't have a place to shoot it? haha, jk. You can ask for proof of groupings for an expensive rifle but then the gun wouldn't be "new" anymore. Wonder if gun stores would be willing to do that for customers as well.