We do not have a "gun shop" and nobody "fondles" our inventory. And if we list a rifle as NIB that means New In Box, never out of the box, not even for photographs; and if it was sealed at the factory it's still sealed. If, as in this case, we list a rifle "As New" that means it appears to be new and unfired or test fired only, but the box has been opened and the gun may have been been handled but not damaged in any significant way. Not by me, I never cut seals, but by some prior owner or dealer.
The Caprivi rifle in question was sold to another customer shortly after this strange episode. The customer was happy with it, I assume, as he exercised his 3 day inspection and kept the rifle. Every item we sell, other than NIB items, has a 3 day inspection to be exercised at the premises of the receiving dealer or gunsmith.
A Kimber Caprivi in 458 Lott is not something you come across every day, and the price was not, as stated, "full retail". The MSRP on a Caprivi in 375 is $3648. I don't see an MSRP on a Lott as these are NLA. The OP who complained that the price of my "as new" rifle being "full retail" at $2750, later advertised a rifle of the same make, model and caliber, in clearly used condition, on this website for $2900
here ; perhaps the rifle he bought from someone else with a "cracked stock". I don't read any disclosure about the stock being cracked when he sold it on .......
If the OP's problem is that I answered his question with a good deal of sarcasm, that is accurate; however, his question, in my mind, fell into the "dumb question" category. I have never been asked, before or after, whether an item advertised as NIB or As New is "still new". Nor am in in the habit of taking a firearm that is new, and using it, for that would be self-defeating. In fact we don't fire 99% of the used firearms that we handle, unless it is to regulate a double for a particular load or to mount a scope on request of a customer. Our inventory sits in a secure gunroom, and only I have access to it. We don't do walk-ins and we almost never do in person transactions, so there is no fondling. We very almost never attend gunshows, ditto.
The person who stated that he returned a rifle, "Rookhawk", is TM. He purchased a Griffin and Howe 375 described as as a "Full custom G&H rifle built on a 64 (as in 1964 not pre-64) Win 70 action" from me, for $3475. He misinterpreted the listing as being a "pre 64" action and did not look at the several photos closely enough to note that this was a "transition" push feed action. It was not a case of my not "accurately" describing the rifle, rather it was a case of his wanting it to be something it was not. It was such a pretty rifle, in such high condition, at a very good price, that I was indeed a bit surprised when he asked to return it. I asked him why, thinking that perhaps there was some shipping damage, which has to be reported immediately. His issue was that it was not a pre-64 action; and he also found the custom integral peep sight too low for his eye. There was no "mantrum" as he states, unless he is referring to his own state of mind. In any case he did return it for a refund and it sold later to another customer, at a higher price than he paid.
That is not to say that I have never sold something with a latent defect. Used firearms are, well, used; and sometimes I miss something. That's why there is a 3 day inspection. It is also not honest to say I never have an unhappy customer. About once a year, I have an unhappy transaction. And it's not one-sided. I have had more than one instance where a customer has taken a gun hunting (as in a new gun returned with mud on the buttpad), or has modified the gun in some way (filing on the forend lug in the wrong place to make a forend latch easier to operate, and then complaining the forend is loose; in a few cases, customers have inspected the item, passed the background check, taken it home, slept on it; and then, in these and similar cases, wanting to return the item for a refund.
I have been in this business for 25 years now and have sold maybe 5000 high dollar guns in that time. I can probably count on two hands and one foot the number that have been returned.
