Would you buy a used gun with surface rust?

[andy t]

I was at a local gunshop today. They have a SW 1911 SC for a very good price. However, it's in very bad condition. It looks like it has never been cleaned, and there is some rust on the rails.
Is it worth buying this gun and cleaning it/sending to SW or should I look for something new/in better condition?

Thanks.

 

[firtree]

Personally, if I liked the pistol I would negotiate really hard and take it only at
bottom dollar. An ugly gun in their case does not make them look good.
I would push for a bargain basement price and send it off to S&W, or better yet, one of
the custom refinishers/1911 smiths and have the work done to it. Perhaps you
could walk away with a semi-custom gun for the price of a new factory model
because it was beaten up.

F

I was at a local gunshop today. They have a SW 1911 SC for a very good price. However, it's in very bad condition. It looks like it has never been cleaned, and there is some rust on the rails.
Is it worth buying this gun and cleaning it/sending to SW or should I look for something new/in better condition?

Thanks.

 

[TY43215]

Don't know what you consider a really good price, but a little rust never stopped me. Corrosion X will allow you to remove the rust and see what you need from there.

Anything can be refinished. It was probably carried IWB a lot by a sweaty person and not wiped down.

If you pass on it let me know where it is. I have a friend looking for one.

 

[Rob Boudrie]

Always have the seller remove the grips when examining a used gun. I've seen guns that appear in pristine condition until the grips were removed revealing that the owner may have cleaned the gun meticulously but never took the grips off. This might be even worse on a gun that looks bad.

 

[Finalygotabeltfed]

Any gun is worth buying if the price is right and the desire to own it is strong enough.

Would you buy any other tool that was rusty if the price was right? I would and have.

If the price of the gun were reduced by the price of a refinish and postage, and if it were somethng not otherwise available in better condition, I'd buy it.


This is one reason why I like "parkerized" guns, they are easy to refinish and look brand new when done.

 

[Pilgrim]

You must mean the rust is on the rails of the slide and not the frame right? Cuz if it's an 1911 SC, the frame is scandium and that doesn't rust.

That said, if the price was right, it wouldn't bother me.

 

[Rob Boudrie]

Cuz if it's an 1911 SC, the frame is scandium and that doesn't rust.

I see you've bought into the marketing speak.

"Scandium" guns are actually an Aluminum/Scandium alloy. I don't have the specs on what S&W uses, but a web search seems to indicate that typical concentrations are 1% or 2% scandium.

But, I guess marketing a "2% scandium aluminum alloy" doesn't have the same buzz as simply saying, inaccurately, "The gun is made of scandium".

The concentration of copper in 22K yellow gold is twice the SC concentration in a typical SC/AL alloy (and even more than that for 18K and 22K yellow gold),. but you don't see jewelers touting their copper wedding rings

 

[Thor67]

I guess it does depend on the condition and the price.

Never been cleaned and rust tells me that you don't know what kind of problems you're inhereting. If it's just surface rust that be cleaned off, you may be good to go. If it's a deeper pitting, you may have larger issues.

As others have said, see if the shop will strip it for you and show the internals, including the grips and if it's OK looking go for it. If they won't do it, or if it looks sketchy, all in all, I'd probably pass. You can end up spending what you saved in replacement parts.

 

[Rockrivr1]

I never understood why a dealer would allow an obviously dirty and rusted gun in his cabinet. It just screams neglect and makes it so that he has to lower his price. A prime example was the gun show last weekend in Holbrook. One vendor had a S&W 629 that I was looking at. That thing was so dirty that I walked away with spent gunpowder all over my hands once I was done looking at it. Why not spend the extra couple minutes to clean it up.

Now I'm not talking about cleaning it up enough so that he's trying to pass something over on you, but a real cleaning. To me this also includes taking off the surface rust. If this gun had no surface rust, Andy here would probably be the proud new owner.

 

[Patriot]

I bought a S&W M19 with pitting on the cylinder for $250. It is absolutely
in the best mechanical condition of any revolver I have ever owned that I
bought used. I still have it and wouldn't part with it for the world. If you want
it then negotiate. If the seller won't meet your price, walk away. If you have
any work done to the gun think carefully about what you are going to pay for it
as it might wind up costing you more than the price of a new gun.

Sometimes they call these guns 'beaters' and that is because they come cheap
and you likely won't do any more damage to the gun that the DPO (dumb
previous owner) has done already. As a result you can be a bit more cavalier
with it than if you purchased a new or shiny used piece.

I like to pick up used guns with a bit of wear and tear on them, especially if it
is cosmetic. I know I am not going to have to think about shooting it or if I
decide to toss it in the safe w/o cleaning it for a couple of days (yes I am guilty
as charged) I am not going to lose any sleep over it.

I just looked at a M36 that I would have loved to own in really good
mechanical condition but had a ton of cosmetic problems. Blueing wear,
pitting, rust, and filthy. The guy did not want to move off the price he was
asking which would have been a good price if he had the box, papers, and
cosmetically it was in better condition so I walked (it hurt though!).

Restraint is your friend in situations like this. Be firm but flexible on your price
target and if it isn't what you think is a good deal for you, walk. It takes two
satisfied people to make a good deal. Win-win results are always the best
deals I have ever made.

Just MHO. YMMV.

 

[Pilgrim]

Scandium" guns are actually an Aluminum/Scandium alloy.

I thought most everyone knew that. I posted to point out that the frame would not 'rust' as it is not steel.

 

[drgrant]

Andy T- I think I was there when you were examining that one....

IMO I would pass... I have seen 1911SCs floating around for $600 or
so that don't have that kind of wear. That gun would be something
I would have bought at $450-500 maybe but not $550.

FWIW, I thought it was still mechanically sound but the price was a
bit high for something in that kind of shape. That gun has been
there for a couple of weeks now at least... so I think other people
have come to the same conclusion.

Edit: With the 1911SC/PD 4.25 in, just hop around to different shops... you
will find a better one. A lot of people buy the scandium commander on a
lark and then dump it because they don't like the slightly higher level of
recoil. (It's not a bad gun, but some people buy it with the wrong expectations).

-Mike