Used guns can be excellent value, but a quick look and a few questions can save you from buying someone else’s problem. This checklist covers what to examine in person — at a shop, at your FFL dealer during a transfer, or at a lawful private sale — and what to ask for when you’re buying online from photos.
First: make it safe
Ask permission before handling. Remove the magazine, open the action, and visually and physically confirm the chamber (and every cylinder chamber or tube) is empty. Keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction and your finger off the trigger throughout. Never dry-fire without the owner’s permission — some guns, especially many rimfires, shouldn’t be dry-fired at all.
The checklist for every firearm
- Serial number — present, legible and unaltered. A gun with an obliterated or altered serial number is illegal to possess under federal law. Walk away.
- Bore — shine a light down the barrel (a bore light or phone flashlight from the breech end works). Look for bright, crisp rifling. Dark patches, pitting, rings or bulges are red flags.
- Muzzle crown — the very end of the bore should be even and undamaged. Dings here hurt accuracy.
- Exterior finish — note holster wear, scratches and especially rust or pitting. Check under grips, around the trigger guard and anywhere hands sweat.
- Frame and receiver — look for cracks, especially around high-stress areas (frame rails, locking lugs, the tang on rifles and shotguns).
- Screws and pins — buggered screw heads and mismatched pins suggest amateur disassembly.
- Stock and grips — cracks at the wrist of a rifle or shotgun stock, loose recoil pads, cracked polymer.
- Safety — operates crisply and actually blocks the trigger or firing mechanism as designed.
- Sights — present, tight, undamaged; optics hold zero only if mounts are solid.
- Modifications — aftermarket triggers, springs or parts aren’t necessarily bad, but ask what was changed, by whom, and whether original parts are included.
Semi-automatic pistols
- Rack the slide several times — it should move smoothly without grinding or catching.
- Check slide-to-frame fit for excessive wobble, and look at the frame rails for peening or wear.
- Inspect the barrel hood and locking surfaces for unusual wear.
- Lock the slide back with an empty magazine to test the slide stop, then confirm magazines drop free when released.
- Inspect each magazine: feed lips uncracked, spring strong, follower intact.
Revolvers
- Timing — slowly cock the hammer (or press the trigger) for each chamber; the cylinder should lock into place before the hammer falls.
- Lockup — with the hammer down and trigger held back, the cylinder should have minimal rotational and front-to-back play.
- Cylinder gap — the gap between the cylinder face and the barrel should be small and even.
- End shake and flame cutting on the top strap — signs of heavy use, especially with magnum loads.
- Check that the ejector rod is straight and the crane isn’t sprung.
Rifles and shotguns
- Cycle the action through its full stroke; bolt, lever or pump should move smoothly and lock positively.
- On bolt actions, inspect the bolt face and locking lugs; on AR-pattern rifles, check the bolt and gas key for wear and correct staking.
- Look for pitting at the chamber and throat; high round counts erode the throat on many rifle calibers.
- On shotguns, check that chokes (if removable) aren’t stuck and that the barrel is free of dents and bulges.
- On break-actions, look for gaps when closed and check that the action locks up tight.
Headspace and function: when to involve a gunsmith
Some problems — incorrect headspace, worn sears, internal cracks — require gauges or disassembly. For expensive, collectible or older firearms, or any gun that will be used for self-defense, a gunsmith’s inspection is cheap insurance. If you’re buying online, ask whether the seller will accept a return if your FFL or gunsmith finds a defect that wasn’t disclosed.
Buying online: what to ask for
- Clear, well-lit photos of both sides, the muzzle, the bore (a photo down the barrel), the bolt or slide, markings and any wear.
- A photo showing the serial number area is intact (sellers may reasonably obscure the number itself in public photos).
- Round count estimate, cleaning history and any repairs.
- What’s included: magazines, box, manual, original parts.
- The seller’s inspection and return policy.
Paying through escrow gives you leverage if the gun isn’t as described. With GunTab escrow, the seller isn’t paid until the firearm arrives at your dealer and the inspection period passes. When it arrives, inspect it at the counter before you complete the transfer paperwork.
Red flags — walk away
- Altered, missing or obscured-in-person serial numbers.
- Seller refuses an FFL transfer or pushes to skip the background check.
- Pressure to pay by wire, gift card or cryptocurrency instead of a traceable method or escrow.
- Cracks in the frame, slide or receiver; bulged barrels.
- A price far below market with an urgent story attached.
Find used firearms from verified FFL dealers and private sellers on the Liberty Gun Trader marketplace, and read how to buy a gun online for the full buying process.
General information only, not legal or gunsmithing advice. Always follow safe handling rules and federal, state and local law. When in doubt about a firearm’s condition, have it inspected by a qualified gunsmith before firing it.