Buying the display gun...

[newTexan]

Probably overthinking this, but figured I'd toss it out there just in case.

My friendly neighborhood gun store had a gun that was calling my name. Only problem was the only one they had was the one in the display - the one out there for everybody to play with. Now, they're not a range so it wasn't being actually fired, but everybody I'm sure was racking the slide, trying the trigger etc.

My question is this, assuming its a generally rock solid firearm (say, glock) and not a fine-tuned custom 1911 or such, do you think its of any concern that the gun is the one they had on display? Would you do anything differently if you purchased it?

Thanks!

[carlson1]

If it was a polymer gun I wouldn’t think twice. However if it was a Les Baer, Wilson, etc… you can damage the trigger by letting the slide drop on an empty chamber. I see people do that all the time. I don’t drop any slide on empty chambers, but it probably doesn’t destroy polymer like it does metal.

[C-dub]

I lucked out on this a few years back when I wanted to buy a Gold Cup from Cabelas. I was headed to get it and when I got there it was gone from the display case. I guess I wasn’t supposed to have it. Then someone behind the case asked if I was looking for something in particular. I told him and he said someone just bought it 30 minutes ago.

Then he said the magic words. But I have another one in the back that hasn’t been taken out of its box yet. Would I like to look at that one.Yeah!

I ended up doing the paperwork (electronically) only 20’ away from the other guy as he was paying for his display GC.

[LDB415]

Any way of knowing how long it was on display? If a week or three I probably wouldn't think anything about it. If some number of years I don't know.

[FastCarry]

I paid 3k for a display MPA ds 1911, its been fine and one of my favorites, if not my favorite.

[powerboatr]

my 1967 colt 45 was a display case queen for long long time
i bought it new in 2007
it had been racked but not to many times and the store owner seemed to keep it very well .

its been a rock solid 45 ever since

[LSUTiger]

I’ve worked behind the gun counter at Houston’s favorite big box Sports and Outdoors store and I can tell you that I’d never buy the display model after seeing how they are handled by customers and employees alike.

Some stores simply wheel all the guns behind a lock door in the cart they are in behind the glass case and in other stores they are stacked in a safe and handled roughly and stacked up on each other and the gun get beat to hell.

I would also be suspect about some of the guns not on display being handled roughly because sometimes as employees go through the firearm check in process for new firearms they have to open each gun box and verify the firearm serial numbers and they often play with and mishandle them.

Inspect your firearm thoroughly before making any purchases.

[puma guy]

I’ve worked behind the gun counter at Houston’s favorite big box Sports and Outdoors store and I can tell you that I’d never buy the display model after seeing how they are handled by customers and employees alike.

Some stores simply wheel all the guns behind a lock door in the cart they are in behind the glass case and in other stores they are stacked in a safe and handled roughly and stacked up on each other and the gun get beat to hell.

I would also be suspect about some of the guns not on display being handled roughly because sometimes as employees go through the firearm check in process for new firearms they have to open each gun box and verify the firearm serial numbers and they often play with and mishandle them.

Inspect your firearm thoroughly before making any purchases.

I have purchased quite a few guns that were display models. I've had no issues with any of them. The only one I know for sure wasn't in a showcase long was a SIG P238 at Academy. I won a raffle for it in December 2021 to be picked up at Academy and no stores had one in inventory. Beside the Houston area I checked often all the Academy stores from here to Dallas and San Antonio since I am up in those areas often. One finally showed up at the Webster store in May of the following year. I made a quick trip there and the fellow said they only had it a couple of days. I sold guns from mid 1965 until 1971. If one of my clerks had mishandled a firearm I would have taken them to the stockroom for a talking to. Likewise if I saw a customer mishandling a weapon I would intervene as diplomatically as possible. Didn't always go well, but I didn't really care. I think nowadays stores have such difficulty getting employees they take anyone regardless of experience. For what it's worth we sold many display models and never had any issues or returns for them in all the time I worked there. Your mileage may vary.