Should a firearm be cleaned prior to a PPT?

[Bobby Ricigliano]

I have had great experiences selling, buying, and trading firearms with other Calgunners via PPT, but...

Most (Not all) used weapons I've received via PPT have been atrociously dirty. I have made sure my outgoing trades/sales were reasonably clean, but on the receiving end it has been pretty rough sometimes.

I'd enjoy hearing the experiences of others regarding the condition of guns they've received in trades. I've never considered a dirty gun a dealbreaker because cleaning is easy, but a field stripped and clean trade sure would be nice once in a while.

[triplestack3]

That's odd... pretty much everything I have ever gotten through PPT was incredibly clean. Everything I have sold through PPT has been pretty clean with the exception of a Mosin Nagant 91/30 that still had cosmoline all over it. I'm always under the assumption that the buyer is going to want to field strip and inspect.

[johnthomas]

I take a dirty weapon from a seller as a sign of how he or she took care of it. I agree with killer bee that it could hide defects but not always. There are actually folks here on calguns that are proud that they never clean their guns, lol.

[voiceofreason]

I assume the guy that might buy my gun is going to load it, then stick it in a drawer or closet and not clean it after purchase.

Then the lives of his/her family might depend on that firearm.

I've cleaned and lubricated generously (using grease instead of oil) all firearms I've sold.

I sleep better that way.

[VictorFranko]

I take it as a sign of the times.
People, in general, are becoming increasingly slovenly and disrespectful.
I wouldn't think of selling a weapon without a full cleaning first.

[davbog44]

I agree with pretty much everything that has been posted above. I take care of my possessions and especially my firearms. I would never PPT a dirty gun, and I would tend to look down on a gun owner who tried to sell me a dirty one.

If nothing else, it's simply good manners.

[23 Blast]

All my outgoing PPTs were cleaned first, even if I hadn't fired them in a while.

I've only gotten two guns from PPTs that were dirty. One wasn't greviously so - just a little carbon fouling like you'd expect from maybe a box of rounds (or likely even less). That one cleaned up nicely. The other one was a milsurp that had been fired with corrosive ammo and wasn't cleaned properly prior. Yeah - I didn't deal with that guy again...

[drkphibr]

I've experienced both. Cleaning a gun is easy enough, so I tend to acknowledge how dirty it is against the history/story and my own read on the seller (who may just be a pass through). I focus on tell areas/signs for care and condition. I like my stuff clean when selling as I think it says a lot, but to each their own....

[bruceflinch]

It wouldn't be a deal breaker, but I might tell the guy I wanted to inspect a clean gun before I break out the money clip.

I was in a gun shop awhile back, & 3 racks of C&Rs looked like they hadn't been cleaned since the last war. I would have to swab the barrel a few times to check it out before plunking my $$ down.

[Ziggy91]

Clean both ways, that's how I see it, sell a gun like you would a car. Hell, sell it like anything else, things should always be clean when sold to others. Granted, even if the item is clean, I'll still go thoroughly through it with a fine-tooth comb, not just looking for imperfections, but to get familiar with it, and also clean once again just to make sure.

[Coyote Brown]

Of every single fingerprint .

[semperfidelis354]

Clean no questions. It's just rude not to IMO

[vmwerks]

Agreed - 100% RUDE - ever buy a dirty car?

[Bobby Ricigliano]

As always, the input from this community is appreciated.

[BillCA]

If someone wants to consign or PPT their dirty gun, then they can deduct $$ from their asking price. If they're too lazy to clean the gun, they're telling me their time is too important to maintain their weapons. That means a crap-shoot when buying from them.

It doesn't need to be spotless, but a clean gun implies the owner at least tried to maintain them in good condition. When one picks up a gun with a filthy bore or action, it makes you wonder -- is the seller just lazy or hiding something?