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Used RPR Sold as New?

WilliamH4

Private
Minuteman
Oct 6, 2021
18
10
Indiana
I bought an RPR .300 PRC recently, still have not used it. EVERYTHING about it suggests it's used. When it arrived at the FFL dealer, he called to tell me the entire inside of the box was covered with styrofoam pieces. His words "looks like the styrofoam blew up". I didn't think much about until I got home and started cleaning all the little styrofoam balls from the nooks, crannies and crevasses. I put on a head lights so I could see everything as I cleaned. The bottom of the muzzle brake has scratches (not bad, but there are scratches). There are dings here and there, again, nothing bad (but dings on a new gun?). Tonight, I pulled the gun out just to look it over again as it's bugged me thinking it might be used. When I flipped the gun upside down, I can see where it appears there was a scope mounted to the rail. Thinking back to when the gun arrived, the shipping box nor the Ruger box was damaged on the outside (how would the styrofoam be damaged?). I asked the retailer previously if this gun was used as the styrofoam encasement was ripped apart and pieces scattered about. He said "It's brand new, UPS can be rough". That was the extent of his response. What makes more sense to me is, the styrofoam was compromised by someone forcing the gun back down into the encasement. I can live with the dings, etc. but if someone damaged the gun in some way affecting its precision or firing, that's a problem. Have any of you ever had to return a gun? How does that process work, assuming I can?
 
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Maybe you can get the sale history from ruger to the distributor etc.

Not sure if legal?

Does the bore look to be cleaned?
 
Display model the shop mounted a scope on and let people handle?
Also thought about this. I emailed the retailer again tonight. Told him I could see where a scope was mounted, asked if it was a display. I'm okay with a display, just want this guy to be straight with me. I didn't buy what was advertised as used.
 
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Both my RPR's came with that Styrofoam everywhere. Pain in the ass to clean them all up. Neither came without slight marks and scratches. I think it's just part of that finish.
 
Both my RPR's came with that Styrofoam everywhere. Pain in the ass to clean them all up. Neither came without slight marks and scratches. I think it's just part of that finish.
I was curious if anyone else received theie RPR as I did. Yeah, that styrofoam was a pain in the ass to clean. Took a minimum of 90 minutes to get it out of everything. Had to remove a few parts in the process.
 
Stick a borescope down the barrel and check.
Yup ... or run a patch through it and see if it's dirtier than it would be with just a couple of verification rounds. Maybe if they were unethical enough to sell it as "used" ... they'd also be lazy enough to not clean it prior to delivery.
 
Been a long time ago and far away (was visiting my son in Florida) but, in 2017, my RPR was on the rack, but the rifle and the packing (which I still have ) were both appearing as new and there was nothing to make one think otherwise. As said, five years and many rounds down the barrel ago.
 
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Thanks for the responses and suggestions. I'll take a close look this weekend to see if I can determine anything additional.
 
You might also see evidence on the bolt lugs and bolt face. Look at the magazines also, you might see evidence of scratches of it being pulled in and out of the mag well and/or bullets being fed into the mag.
 
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Ed's Gun Shop out of North Carolina. They have mostly good reviews. They sell used guns, so it would make sense that it could be used.

When I was at Bragg I lived a couple miles from Ed's, I know him really well. He wouldn't sell you a used gun as new knowingly, he and his staff have always been really good folks. I suppose anything is possible, but I've always seen him err on the side of the customer and be very fair with people.
 
The stryofoam for both my RPRs was fine.. not torn up or broken and even when I sold them both, I repackaged them in their original boxes with all the original packing material in tact.
 
Anyone have an opinion(s) as to how these marks/blemishes may have happened if not from a scope and bi-pod? Per my initial post, there are other tell-tale signs of use (scratches, dings, etc.). I think the scratches, etc. could be explained if that was all, but what possible explanation for these pictures? The mark on the side of the rail lines up with the marks on the top of the rail. The image of the bottom side of the handguard appears to have had something attached.
 

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Those Mark's make it look used not just assembled and displayed.
That's what I thought. I emailed the images to the retailer. He's reaching out to his Ruger rep. Don't know how the whole process goes but apparently the firearm never passed through Ed's? I think Ed is starting to see what I've been saying all along.
 
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I believe they use a drop-ship program from a distributor/buyers group on new guns for online sales (the definitely don't have all those new guns in the shop), so that makes sense.
 
Ok possibly stupid question.

If "Ed's gun shop " never received / took possesion of the firearm how did they sell it?

They were just a proxy in the system? I'm missing something here. They are selling things drop shipped from distriburors?

Is someone at distributor leval demmoing these products, testing and taking the pick of the litter?
 
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Yeah, lots of dealers drop ship from distributors or buyers group warehouses. MGE, RSR, Bill Hicks, Sportsouth, and a bunch of others offer it. It's a backside link the wholesaler's inventory, when it's purchased it generates an automatic PO from the dealer and ships to the selected FFL.
 
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Yeah, lots of dealers drop ship from distributors or buyers group warehouses. MGE, RSR, Bill Hicks, Sportsouth, and a bunch of others offer it. It's a backside link the wholesaler's inventory, when it's purchased it generates an automatic PO from the dealer and ships to the selected FFL.
If you haven't already done so, I would give Ed a call and explain your situation. I have known Ed for quite a few years and can't imagine him allowing a used gun to go out as new. Best of luck in resolving this issue.
 
If you haven't already done so, I would give Ed a call and explain your situation. I have known Ed for quite a few years and can't imagine him allowing a used gun to go out as new. Best of luck in resolving this issue.
Ed has contacted his Ruger rep. He said the rep will contact me directly. Exactly what has been suggested, the gun was drop shipped, never passed through Ed's. Shipped directly to the FFL. He didn't know, until I provided the pictures, the extent of the tell-tale signs (except my written description).
 
Chain of custody for my RPR, for a lack of a better description, was Ruger to Bangers L.P. to my FFL guy. Between Ruger and Bangers, someone used my gun. Ed referred me to his Ruger rep, we'll see what happens.

I feel a bit crappy now as I was getting a little annoyed with Ed. He never even handled the RPR, but he didn't tell me it was drop shipped. Although that seems to be a commonplace, maybe they don't want to come right out and advertise the practice.

Maybe/probably the RPR is fine, but I bought what I thought was a new gun.
 
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Sounds like they will make it right for you in some manner or another.

A "demo item" with slight signs of use would not bother me but I
would expect a price discount or something extra to come with it.
 
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Ed deals with hundreds of guns, probably in the top 5 of moving the most product in NC. If it never physically went through his shop and was not advertised to him as used, not on him.

Sounds like the issue is with Ruger or bangers. Distributors sell used guns, may have been mistakenly sold as new.
 
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Ruger has reached out to me to "make sure I'm happy", we'll see, LOL. They have asked me to ship the RPR to them for inspection.

Still not quite sure I have this flow down (Ruger to my FFL). The image of the record I have from Ed's Gun Shop, if I understand correctly, appears to show the gun going from Ruger to Bangers LP/Iron Valley to my FFL. Never passed through Ed's Gun Shop (according the the image I see). The RPR had a price tag on it from Ed's Gun Shop. I guess Ed's sends blank price tags to the wholesale storehouse?

Even this tag is beat up and dirty, LOL. It was like this when it arrived.

I appreciate Ruger stepping up but I would guess, assuming the gun was used, it happed while in the possession of Bangers LP.
 

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Nothing to add other than my first "precision" rifle was from Ed's. Drove my grandmother's Lexus down there from High Point, thinking I was a badass. Got a speeding ticket on the way home. That fancy new pew didn't get glass on it for another few months while I paid off the lawyer's bill.
 
I have mentioned this already, Ruger agreed to inspect my RPR to be sure it's good to go. They're paying for shipping, etc. Since I tossed the box the RPR came in, they said they would send me a new box. The box arrived today, but if I recall, I think the original box was a little bigger. Even if I fold the stock, Daisy and I could not figure out how to make this one work, LOL.
Ruger Box.jpg
 
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a) whole situation sucks, good luck getting it sorted
b) that box is hilarious
c) cute dog