General question and concensus - "Only fired 50 rds, 200 rds"

[GeeZer81]

I'm new to firearms, having been exposed as of 10/2014. It's been a fun ride so far, shooting 357's, 9mm's, plinking 22's. It's been even more fun with the SSE fire drill getting myself into a couple of pistols that I wouldn't have gotten into.

Been browsing around the forum and noticed that there's guns for sale in the market place that have under 100rds. Most generally around 500rds.

My question, is it because firearm owners have so many firearms that they don't have time or money to shoot rounds through them? Do most buy just to run a BOX of 50 rds, to then turn and sell their firearm?

Or, are most of them sellers just BS'ing?

I find it tough to believe. I've put over 2k 22 rounds through my 22 pistol in under 90 days. Over 500rds of 38spc and 100rds of 357 through my revolver. Over 500 rds of 9mm one 9mm pistol.

Are people not actually enjoying their guns and just keeping them locked away? Is it like "the guy" that owns a ZR1 vette that won't even take it out on the backroads? Or a Rubicon that is a grocery getter?

Thoughts? How many rounds do you run through in 3 months?

[Marquand]

If an experienced firearms owner buys a new firearm, tries it, doesn't like it, and decides to sell it chances are good that he can make that determination within a few boxes of ammo.

Then again, folks will say just about anything to make their firearm look better in the marketplace. Honestly, there is no way to determine the truth of these statements without either physically examining the firearm or knowing the person.

Round count through a firearm is largely irrelevant if the firearm in question is one of quality to begin with. If someone offers me a pistol with 200 rounds through it and someone else offers me the same pistol with 2000 rounds through it, my first thought is that the second seller has already broken that pistol in for me. Honestly, it's not nearly as important as the condition of the gun.

My two pence, anyway.

Oh, almost forgot. I generally put about 500 rounds downrange at any given shooting session and I try to shoot at least once every other week. So I go through approximately 3000 rounds in a three month period.

[uhlan1]

Yea, if one used the marketplace as a gauge, no one shoots here shoots much.
I think it's a mix. Some are just full of it. But others bought guns they just don't like and want to move.
I have a G21c I put 50 rounds through and haven't touched since. Not for me.


Others desire some ready cash and pull out of their safes the guns they don't shoot much. Heck, I have at least 3 that are BNIB, never gotten around to firing.

[CK_32]

I've found it to be 50/50.


I have some friends who have tons of rifles and only go shooting maybe all of once a year or a few years. But they buy, sell and trade guns like it's going out of style.


Then I have other friends, most of which aren't in this hobby anymore who shoot hundreds of rounds and claim a fraction of that to make a sale. Or shoot 25 rounds and claim 2,000 to claim operator status.

Most of the time you can tell by the person, usually the fast timers and arm chair types are the scammers and out for them selves.

[Hot Holster]

Ammo is so expensive and sometimes hard to find so I rarely shoot any of my guns except my hunting rifle and a shotgun I take hunting. What I have in stock at home, I don't want to use up. MY AR pistol I doubt if it has 100 rounds through it and I've had it almost two years, my first AR might have 500 rounds fired, a couple others have 100 or less rounds. I bought a Mossberg 500 with a pistol grip back in 2001, and its only had 5 rounds fired just to make sure it worked.

I have two AR rifles and a SBR that I built recently, yet haven't shot at all, partially because I had two knees replaced over the last four months and haven't been able to go to the range or the hunting lease.

So there are probably more like me who don't shoot much so they will have low round counts.

[brianm767]

Can't speak for others, but many guns I sell I have never fired, Or as you mentioned have 50 RD's or two mags through etc. I own RAW's that I've had for 25 years that have less than 50 RD's through them

Honestly I collect guns, I rarely shoot them I often joke I just buy them and put them in the safe, I can't afford to actually shoot them.

[Fjold]

My hunting and competition guns get shot all the time but other guns rarely get shot.

I have a Savage 99 in 243 that I've owned for 20+ years that I've never shot even though I bought it used.

[Outdoor1904]

Im sure some if not a lot are using it as a selling point rather than being truthful but ya never know. Ive got a 9mm from the early 90's that has a couple hundred rounds thru it, if that.

[vintagearms]

Ones that I have bought and then put in the marketplace have had accurate round counts. Buying too many items then wanting to sell them.

[Garv]

My .357 was bought from a guy who loves his 1911s.
He tried the 686+ and it was not for him.
Good for me because I dig it.
The gun is a good one and it was pretty clean so I believe his low round count was close enough to make no difference to me.

[drutledge79]

I've never lied about round count through a firearm. I don't see the point. If it's worn out you can tell and if it's not then it doesn't matter.

I've shot 3-4000 rounds through my first pistol and probably 100 or less through a few more and one is still unfired after 6 months. Ammo is expensive. I go through phases of spending lots of time on firearms and other phases where I don't.

In any case, the other posters are right: you can't really tell if they are telling the truth or not so don't rely on that number for much of anything.

[67goat]

At current "low" prices, you are going at a rate of more than $100 a month just in ammo. Add in range fees, targets, and other things you start wanting to buy as you get more interested, and it becomes expensive to keep up.

Add into that that many people (whether it is a beginning shooter or an experienced shooter with a new toy) tend to lose enthusiasm quickly. Some put a bunch of rounds down the barrel pretty quickly, and then a steep decline.

On top of that, many of the members here buy a lot of guns. It takes longer to build up round counts when you're buying a new gun every month or two.

[Loubot10]

Some people (more with SSE ending) purchase a weapon expecting to shoot it a few times and sell it without losing money.

[RandyD]

I have several backup handguns, and usually test fire them with one box of ammo, clean them and put them away and resume shooting my primary handgun.

[Mr. Beretta]

How many rounds do you run through in 3 months?

Well during December I kinda lacked a little bit.

I average about 450 rds of 9mm, 150 to 200 rds of .38spl, 100 rds of .223 / 5/56mm & 100 rds of buck in 3 months.

Now that is thru my favorite guns. I own other guns that I haven't shot in 20 to 30 years!

Yep, some gun sellers aren't very accurate sometimes when it comes to round use but you either believe them or not.

FYI....I just sold a gun I owned for over 30 years and I never shot it more than 200 times & I can prove it!

So the bottom line IMHO is like anything thing else you buy used, you take a risk. The seller's reputation is a big deal & their longevity on the forum is another thing I look for when purchasing a used gun.