When is buying new better than second hand?

[boozybloke]

Following on to a point I made in the "best new rifle for 200 quid" thread; at what point or set of variables does it become better to buy a brand new cheap rifle than it does to buy a more expensive model at similar second hand value?

On one hand, you can get a better quality/brand/spec rifle for the same price as a new "inferior" model. On the other hand you've had to search for it, know the right place to look, or just plain get lucky. You're not the first one to own the gun, and no matter how nice it looks on the outside, you don't know what it's like inside until you strip it, which takes time and effort, or send it to someone to do it for you which takes time and money.
With a new rifle you get a warranty, you can pick it up by just walking into a gunshop that stocks your chosen model, you know it's untouched by any dodgy home fettlers, and with a bit of research you can find one with some decent performance. Yeah, you'll lose some money on it if you sell it on straight away, but you would if you buy a used one from a shop anyway.

So when are you better off buying new?

[tinbum]

Not very often!

I buy new from Europe as the price is generally less than secondhand in the uk, and I bought my wife's HW100 new cos it was a present. I currently want a Steyr H5, they don't come up secondhand!

Other than that, given that I tend to pull a gun apart as soon as I get it, the warrantee is pointless.

[CapitalBee]

Well, to be honest, all my springers have been bought 2nd hand, normally because I enjoy the strip down and fettle and also because I probably wouldn't justify to myself buying the springers I have at new prices. My only new purchase was a pcp. This is because of the warranty and as stated, you know nothing has been done with it and should it go belly up, you just take it back to the rfd you purchased it from.

[Patrick 2]

Never bought a secondhand rifle up till now but think I only would if I new the history of the rifle i.e knew the owner for example therefore knew how the gun had been treated and looked after.Would never do what some people do, that is buy on just a description and photo from someone advertising a gun for sale on a forum or magazine advert.

[Trumpetier]

IMO opinion never. Yes I have done in the past, but no more. If you buy wisely privately and you get bored and fancy a change you shouldnt lose anything if you sell it on. I have had a quick tot up of the value of my 3 secondhand combo,s and roughly they stand me approx half the price of buying everything new. I only buy face to face and you can tell a lot just by the sort of person you are buying off as to whether or not it will be a good gun.

[Hollowpoint]

What exactly does a guarantee cover with a new gun? faulty parts and workmanship thats about all.

If you buy second hand any of those faults should already have been discovered, and if you know what you are looking for its pretty easy to spot a good gun from a bad one so why not save a load of cash and probably get a scope thrown in for free?

[Peter Dunkley]

If it was a plinker anyone is after there are fettled guns around. "Not butchered" which have had many many hours of skilled labour lavished on them. They do come up for sale and they usually are not expensive.

Take my BSA Cadet major for instance. Given to me for free by a neighbour, I hate to think the hours I have spent on it! When I got it it had hardly fired a pellet, just been stored in an allotment shed for rats. Rusty and stock in a mess. but all original.

Stripped and re blued. Stock cleaned and many coats of hand rubbed BLO.

What's it worth? No more than about £80 at most and you would never wear it out. Impossible to match with new.
There are many deals like this you just have to be patient.

Sorry no piccy Photobucket not playing again.

[Barryg]

Think of all the shooters that have unloaded lemons if something is not quite right about a gun it gets unloaded with the genuine sales, if I wanted a particular model to keep I don't want other peoples problems
How do you know how its been treated and what lube has been squirted in it especially older springers.

[J Grainger]

I've bought some guns new and some second hand..
Mostly I've bought new when the model I've been after has been rare or hasn't been out long enough to be 2nd hand.. Lately I bought a new walther lgu due to it's factory state of tune/ used availability/ price compared to the competitors.
There's also the likelihood that the trigger will be coming out to be fitted with a different trigger blade or that the mainspring will be cleaned and greased more sparingly.. Then what's the warranty offer?
Not to mention the increase in prices, take the price of an S410.. Secondhand they now sell for what my brother paid new when we started shooting.. He regrets selling that!

Jonathan

[Rich]

I bought my first Airwolf brand new. Years ago I bought a BSA Supersport Carbine brand new. Everything else has been second hand; some of it almost new but much of it not.

[Rapidnick]

It depends how much you know. If you are relatively knowledgeable on airgun matters then buying used is absolutely fine. If not then buy new with warranty and pay the extra. However bear in mind that airguns are NOT complex machines when compared with, say, cars or motorbikes. If you do buy a turkey it doesn't usually cost very much to put it right.

[Rapidnick]

Think of all the shooters that have unloaded lemons if something is not quite right about a gun it gets unloaded with the genuine sales, if I wanted a particular model to keep I don't want other peoples problems
How do you know how its been treated and what lube has been squirted in it especially older springers.

This is fine Barry BUT how many 'lemons' are really out there being offered for sale? In the real world the savings buying used are generally so large that there is plenty in reserve to put things right in the unlikely event of something being needed. Whenever I have bought a second hand 'desirable' rifle such as a Lazaglided HW80 it has been perfect. Am I lucky?? I don't think so: anyone buying rifles like that tend to be enthusiasts buying from another enthusiast and if they have opened up the rifle to do something like change a spring then it was done properly. Also knowing the reason for sale helps in forming a judgment.

[slugger]

ive probably had over 100 air rifles/ pistols since i was about 8.... only one of those i bought new [and regretted it]....... all the rest have been second hand and never had anything problemwise that cost more than a few quid and a bit of my time to put right

[Biker_Bob]

Following on to a point I made in the "best new rifle for 200 quid" thread; at what point or set of variables does it become better to buy a brand new cheap rifle than it does to buy a more expensive model at similar second hand value?

On one hand, you can get a better quality/brand/spec rifle for the same price as a new "inferior" model. On the other hand you've had to search for it, know the right place to look, or just plain get lucky. You're not the first one to own the gun, and no matter how nice it looks on the outside, you don't know what it's like inside until you strip it, which takes time and effort, or send it to someone to do it for you which takes time and money.
With a new rifle you get a warranty, you can pick it up by just walking into a gunshop that stocks your chosen model, you know it's untouched by any dodgy home fettlers, and with a bit of research you can find one with some decent performance. Yeah, you'll lose some money on it if you sell it on straight away, but you would if you buy a used one from a shop anyway.

So when are you better off buying new?

Almost never.
Especially at the bottom end of the market. Your question about £200 springers for instance, for that £200 you can buy a P.O.S. Chinese "gun shaped object", or you can buy a secondhand German or British gun that was properly built (thinking HW95 / BSA Superstar / HW77 / TX200).
With PCPs it can be more difficult, you don't know what's been done but by picking the right gun there are rarely problems. For instance if you buy an S16 you'd better have a mate / brother in law who is a gunsmith, whereas if you buy an S400/BSA Ultra or similar there will be no problems.
It's just the same as cars, spend £8K on a new Korean/Indonesian wheelie bin with a piddling little petrol engine or spend £8K on a low miles large German Diesel - it's not hard to work out which is better.

Also, as someone else mentioned above, if you buy secondhand you can sell it for the same money you paid for it. You can swap guns as often as you like and you're not loosing money (you might make a bit if you're canny).

[boozybloke]

Some interesting opinions here.
So are we essentally saying that there is no market or real need for the budget airguns?
In which case is there any point in them being made at all? Who buys them? Why do they buy them?
What happens when the supply of second hand air rifles dries up? Will that even happen?