Is "new-unfired" more desirable than "sighted in"?

[Hemo]

Hello, all,

I have a couple of guns I made, basically for my own pleasure but also "on spec". I have not fired either one. If I were to sell one or both of these, is "new-unfired" condition more desirable to a potential buyer than "test-fired only" or "sighted in"?

Gregg

[tallbear]

Gregg

I like to shoot all my guns before I send them to customers and think it's beneficial .I like to make sure everything works smoothly through multiple shots after finishing before I send them out.I then can check for lock funtion as sometimes wood swells or gremlins show up. and I like to care of it before shipping.I have had a couple of customers request to "be the first" to shoot them which I honored.

I also just spent a couple of months sighting in and working up a load for a customers new gun which included sending him patching material and lube.


Mitch

[Black Jaque Janaviac]

I'm not real certain of this but I think the guns from Spain and Italy come through proof houses, so every barrel is proofed yet they sell them as new.

If it were me, I would choose the "sighted in" gun over the "new unfired" if all else was equal and I had some level of confidence that "sighted in" didn't mean "nearly shot out".  If someone were asking more for the sighted in version it would then come down to how much more.  I'd maybe pay an extra $20, beyond that I'll keep the cash and do it myself.

[bama]

I always test fire to make sure the rifle is functioning like I want and to at least get the rifle on paper at 50 yards.

I have never had anyone ask for an unfired rifle. The only problem with doing this is you have to be careful not to ding the rifle during the test firing and then tearing the rifle down to get the rifle good and clean before packing it up. I also include the sighting in target with the rifle.

[Daryl]

I got in here before Taylor - LOL.   As Mitch and Bama noted, everything must work to perfection. 

All Taylor's rifles have the sights 'roughed in' with a load we know will work. It is up to the new owner to use the suggested load and they do if they want the rifle to shoot well - and they do.  I do enjoy this range day with these 'special' rifles.  

There are not marks scars or tattoos when we are finished - all appear unshot - it only takes a short time at the range- 10 or so shots - EACH!
  
I especially liked shooting Tammy's little Jaeger.

[Dave B]

I had the opportunity check one of my Old unfired rifles. I had consigned a number of years ago and had recently pick back up when they decided to get out of the rifle selling business. I built the rifle but had never shot it back in 2004. I thought what the heck I had sold my hunting gun might as well put this one to work. I had never installed a touch hole liner in this rifle just used a straight hole. Its good to test fire things as mentioned before, Just to make sure things are working well. Sure enough I had a noticeable delay with ignition. I have breached the gun to check the touch hole placement and to use one of the cool counter sink burs made by Snyder? from our breatheren here at ALR. It worked like a charm right up to the point I got a little carried away and broke off the shaft of the burr. It will be taken back out this coming weekend to check the ignition time.

[Mike Brooks]

I never shoot them. I do sight them in and work up a load if the customer desires at $200 per day of @$#%&*@ around, but then again I can't see. Would you want somebody who can't see sighting in your gun? I wouldn't. It took me 100 rounds to sight in my .36, that was probably about three days worth or about $600. I also don't keep a large inventory of various sizes of RB and patches on hand either.
After several hundreds of guns I'm pretty confident I can build a gun that will work, It isn't that hard.

I have many times had customers call me back and tell me their gun shoots dead on. Pure coincidence.

[flehto]

Mike's right as far as sighting in w/ iron sights.....people have varying eyesight and hold differently so it can be a waste of time.

On all my builds, before the final finish is applied, 3 function shots are fired. The bbl is then thoroughly cleaned,  the rifle finished and  is then  sold as new. No sighting in.....Fred

[rfd]

not sighted in, that's a waste of time and effort and money.  perhaps "proofed" for function would be more acceptable to the buyer.  all the offshore barrels (save india, i think) have proof marks, i think it might be a mandatory export/import thingy.  whatever.

[Boompa]

   I don't think very many new guns are sighted in for the customer.  Most I've seen shoot very low and need to have much of the front sight filed down to get them on the paper.

[EC121]

I think his question is what is the best way to advertise them for sale.  As a buyer I look at over all condition not whether the piece has been fired.  99% of buyers won't shoot one enough to put any wear on it.  Fired or not is immaterial to me since it will be fired shortly after I unpack it.  I would like a new gun to at least be function fired.  Most of my new guns needed the lock mortise cleaned up due to lock parts rubbing and the lock settling in the mortise after some shooting.  Like Boompa said most have a high front sight so sighting in is individual due to vision differences.     

[Hemo]

I had the opportunity check one of my Old unfired rifles. I had consigned a number of years ago and had recently pick back up when they decided to get out of the rifle selling business. I built the rifle but had never shot it back in 2004. I thought what the heck I had sold my hunting gun might as well put this one to work. I had never installed a touch hole liner in this rifle just used a straight hole. Its good to test fire things as mentioned before, Just to make sure things are working well. Sure enough I had a noticeable delay with ignition. I have breached the gun to check the touch hole placement and to use one of the cool counter sink burs made by Snyder? from our breatheren here at ALR. It worked like a charm right up to the point I got a little carried away and broke off the shaft of the burr. It will be taken back out this coming weekend to check the ignition time.

One of the two guns I made but never fired was also internally coned with Tom Snyder's tool, and I had the same experience of the shaft breaking off in the burr, but fortunately I was within a whisker of where I wanted to be when it broke, so I think it will be okay.

Thanks for everyone's input-- I know both of these guns have good sparking locks, but I think at least a test firing for function would be in order.

Gregg

[KentSmith]

I would make sure they shoot and all.  Me sighting in your gun, doesn't make sense.  I couldn't hit the broad side of a barn at 10 paces anymore anyway.

[Daryl]

not sighted in, that's a waste of time and effort and money.  perhaps "proofed" for function would be more acceptable to the buyer.  all the offshore barrels (save india, i think) have proof marks, i think it might be a mandatory export/import thingy.  whatever.

I do believe most all guns made in India have proof marks - just someone else's & quite meaningless.

[Nate McKenzie]

I always sight them in with a standard load at 25yds. It usually takes 10-15 shots so I know things are working properly and the customer gets the target with the load specs written on it.

[Dennis Glazener]

I get them "on paper" with correct windage and low where the front sight can be filed down to be dead on. Let other's sight in to their eyes and loads.
Dennis