How to Inspect a Used Rifle or Shotgun at the Counter

The ten-minute rule

Used long guns are some of the best values in the gun world. A good rifle or shotgun can last generations, and plenty of people sell perfectly sound guns because they've moved on, stopped hunting or inherited more than they can use.

But a used gun is also a used machine, and some have been dropped, neglected, modified or shot hard. The seller's story may be true, partly true or a guess. The gun itself can't lie. Give it ten minutes, follow the same order every time, and you'll leave with a good gun or your money still in your pocket.

Our new vs used guide covers whether to buy used at all. This guide is the hands-on checklist for rifles and shotguns. Revolvers and lever actions have their own quirks, and our sister sites wheelguns.co and leverguns.co cover those.

What to bring

• A small bright flashlight or a bore light, to see down the barrel and into the action.
• A white card or a fingernail-sized piece of white paper, to bounce light up the bore from the chamber.
• Snap caps in the right gauge or caliber, if you plan to test the trigger. Check that the shop allows it.
• A notebook or phone to write down the model, markings and anything you notice. Keep serial numbers private; don't post them online.

Step 1: Clear it, and keep it pointed safely

Before anything else, make the gun safe. Ask the person behind the counter to show it to you open. Then check it yourself anyway.

• Keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction the entire time, and your finger off the trigger.
• Open the action. On a bolt gun, lift and pull the bolt back. On a pump, press the action release and pull the fore-end back. On a semi-auto, remove any magazine and lock the bolt open. On a break-action, open it fully.
• Look into the chamber, and on a tube-fed gun check the magazine tube and the carrier, too.

Step 2: Muzzle and crown

The crown is the shaped edge where the bore meets the muzzle. It's the last thing the bullet touches, so damage there can hurt accuracy. On a rifle, look for nicks, dings, flattened spots or an uneven, shiny ring (sometimes a sign of cleaning-rod wear from the muzzle end). Run a fingertip gently around the edge; it should feel even all the way round.

On a shotgun, check that the muzzle isn't dented or flared. If it has screw-in chokes, ask for the tubes and the wrench, and look at the threads in the barrel. Damaged threads or a tube that's stuck can be costly to fix.

Step 3: Bore

With the action open, shine your light into the chamber end (or use the white card to bounce light) and look down the barrel from the muzzle, or vice versa where safe.

• Rifles: You want crisp lands and grooves (the rifling) all the way down. Dark, frosty patches or rough, pitted areas mean corrosion. Light fouling isn't a problem; deep pits can be. A bore that looks dark may just be dirty; ask if they'll let you run a patch through it.
• Shotguns: Look for a bright, smooth tube. Dark rings, bulges or ripples are serious warning signs. A ring can indicate the barrel was fired with an obstruction.
• Run your hand along the outside of the barrel. Any bulge you can feel is a reason to walk away.

Step 4: Chamber and the headspace question

Look into the chamber with your light. Pitting or rust here can cause sticky extraction and, in worse cases, case failures.

Headspace is the distance between the bolt face and the point in the chamber that stops the cartridge from going further forward. Too much headspace lets a fired case stretch and possibly rupture, which can damage the gun and injure the shooter. Proper checking uses go, no-go and field gauges, and that's a gunsmith's job, not a counter test.

What you can do at the counter is notice warning signs:

• The bolt closes far more easily or far harder than on similar guns.
• The rifle's been rebarreled or has a custom chamber, especially without paperwork.
• The seller has fired cases from it that show bulges or bright rings near the base.

If you see any of those, or if the gun's a military surplus rifle or an older model with unknown history, ask for a gunsmith inspection before you buy, or make the sale conditional on one.

Step 5: Action, bolt and safety

Work the action slowly several times. It should move smoothly without grinding, catching or excessive wobble.

• Bolt guns: Check that the bolt lifts and closes cleanly, the lugs aren't galled (rough, torn-looking metal), and the extractor claw is intact. Check the bolt and the receiver have matching serial numbers if the model is marked that way.
• Pumps: Cycle it with snap caps if allowed. The action should feed and eject without hanging. Check the action bars aren't bent. Know where the safety and action release sit; on the Mossberg 500 the safety's on the tang and the release is behind the trigger guard, while the Remington 870 uses a crossbolt safety with the release in front of the guard.
• Semi-autos: Look at the gas system area for heavy carbon or corrosion; ask whether it's been cleaned recently. Check that the bolt locks open and releases.
• Break-actions: Close it and check for any wobble between the barrels and the receiver. Check that ejectors or extractors work.

Then test the safety. Engage it, and (with permission, and ideally with a snap cap) press the trigger. Nothing should happen. Disengage it and the gun should fire on the snap cap. A safety that's mushy, doesn't click into place or allows the gun to fire is a no-go.

Step 6: Stock, recoil pad and fit

Stocks crack, especially behind the action and at the wrist (the narrow part where your hand goes) and the tang. Look closely at:

• Behind the receiver and around the tang: hairline cracks here can spread under recoil.
• The fore-end: cracks near the barrel channel or the action.
• The recoil pad: hard, cracked or crumbling rubber means it needs replacing. Not a dealbreaker, but factor it in.
• Synthetic stocks: check for cracks around sling studs and the recoil lug area.

Also check fit. Shoulder it (pointed in a safe direction), and see whether your eye lines up with the sights or rib. A gun that doesn't fit will be hard to shoot well. Length of pull is the easy number to compare.

Step 7: Screws, finish and signs of tinkering

• Screws: Look at action screws, scope base screws and stock screws. Chewed-up or mismatched screw heads suggest someone worked on the gun without the right tools.
• Finish: Wear where hands go is normal. Rust, especially under the fore-end or around the action, is a sign of storage problems. Light surface rust may clean up; pitting won't.
• Modifications: Aftermarket triggers, cut barrels, refinished stocks and drilled receivers all affect value and safety. They can also void a maker's warranty. Ask what has been done, by whom, and whether there are receipts.
• Scope mounts: If it comes with a scope, check the rings and bases are tight and not cracked. A loose mount is a common reason a scope seems to lose zero; see our guide on why scopes won't hold zero.

Step 8: Paperwork, questions and the law

Ask the seller:

• How many rounds, roughly? Any problems?
• Has it been modified or repaired, and by whom?
• Does it come with the original box, manual, choke tubes and wrench, or magazines?

Buying from a dealer means the dealer handles the federal background check and records. Private sales are governed by state law, which varies; some states require private sales to go through a dealer. Check your state's rules as of the date you buy. Our records basics guide explains what to keep.

After you buy

Before the first trip to the range:

1. Strip and clean it thoroughly, following the owner's manual (download one if it didn't come with the gun). A basic gun cleaning kit covers most of it.
2. Have a gunsmith check headspace if you have any doubt, or if it's an older or surplus rifle.
3. Shoot it with standard factory ammo first. If anything seems wrong (unusual recoil, a weak shot, sticky extraction), stop, unload and check the bore before firing again.
4. Store it unloaded in a safe or locked case, with ammunition stored separately. A lockbox or safe matters more than ever if your collection's growing.

Quick pass or fail list

A good used gun will pass these checks easily, and you'll know it when you see it. Take your time, and don't let a counter rush you.

Editorial note: This is an independent editorial overview built from manufacturer specifications, retailer listings and published sources. We have not performed hands-on testing of the products discussed, and nothing here is a performance guarantee. Verify specifications, compatibility and the law where you live.

Affiliate disclosure: Some links on this page are affiliate links to Ammunition Depot. We may earn a commission if you buy through them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial choices are not influenced by commissions. Check current price, stock and specifications directly with the retailer.