[m102404]

It might be your first airsoft gun...it might not be...but eventually, sooner or later...you're going to see a used gun for sale that you're going to consider buying.

Here are some points to consider about any used airsoft gun...and at the end I'll note a couple of points to keep in mind right before plunking down your cash:

1. All airsoft guns wear out...the hopup rubber, the motor, the spring, the gears, etc... Even the most expensive, tricked out, super-uber fancy parts build MIGHT fail on the next shot. All you do with top notch parts is hedge your bets that it fails later rather than sooner. Sometimes much, much later.

2. Running a gun hard (i.e. high FPS power levels) and fast (i.e. high Rate Of Fire)...wears it out faster. Again..it might slowly wear out...or it might catastrophically fail.

3. Plastic is not metal...bumps/falls/rough handling might crack, bend, break parts of the gun. Plastic can be glued back together sometimes...the cheap pot metals often can't. It's really, really hard to see cosmetic problems in some pictures. The best pictures of a used gun that you're going to buy are the "worst" pictures...where the gun looks absolutely its worst. That way there's no surprises when you finally have it in hand.

4. It's often very hard to tell what make/brand/'how new" a part is after it's been used. "old" cylinders look mirror smooth after years of use....nozzles look old pretty quick. So take "new part" this or that with a grain of salt. To a large extent you're going to have to take the sellers word for it.

Buying a used gun.
- Whenever possible...get your hands on it and shoot it before you buy it. If someone won't let you shoot a couple of mags through it...walk away from the deal. The only leverage you as the buyer has...is keeping your money in your pocket.
- that means it's best if you can buy locally. You're going to have to have more blind faith in someone if you're ordering from across the country.
- Remember for person-to-person sales...there can be a lot of finger pointing and he-said, she-said if your not getting what you expect in the end. And....there's pretty much nothing you can do about it. You could end up being stuck with something ranging from crap to not-quite-what you thought it would be....and if the seller says "tough titties" then that's about all you'll get. See how nice buying locally is?
- if you can...check out the scope/optics/mags/etc...if they're part of the package...don't over look them.
- if you can't meet up with the guy locally...see if there's a reputable guy who will check it out in person for you. Could be just a guy with a solid reputation, or maybe a local gun doc. Even if it costs you a couple of bucks to have a gun doc look at it...it's excellent "insurance" that you're starting off as best as you can with your new shooter!

Now...if you meet up locally and shoot a couple of mags...and are satisfied enough with it that you plunk down the cash for it and walk away with it...then it's yours.

If you get home, slap in a mag and it breaks....then it's your broken gun.

Buyer Beware. Expect that once you pay for it and take possession....it's yours, good or bad.

Have fun!