Rental Guns - Anyone buy them?

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SundownRider

New member
My local range has from time to time put their rental guns up for sale. These guns start out as new and then get sold later as used. Some of them at pretty good prices. I know round count is a lost cause, but has anyone bought a former rental?
The reason I'm asking is they recently had a Springfield Mil-Spec (Stainless) from their rentals in their used case and were asking $465. It comes with everything a new gun would, SPringfield case, holster, mag holder and paperwork, plus an additional magazine.

Any thoughts? I was thinking about making this a base gun for a custom build, the price being right. (I think.)
 
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raven11

New member
if your using it as a base for a custom build aka your going to replace all the parts anyways. i'd buy it
 
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EdInk

New member
Depends on how well then care for them and how much use. I wouldn't buy too many rentals I've seen but if the price was super cheap maybe.
 
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461

New member
I'd say it depends on the gun and the range itself. Some ranges take good care of their rentals and others only touch them when they hand them off to another shooter.

I bought one once, a Ruger MKII and have been quite happy with it. The range I bought it from forced rental customers to buy their ammo with rental guns so they knew how many rounds had been through it. Mine had approx. 20,000 rounds through it and is as accurate as another MKII I own that has been babied since new with only a few thousand rounds through it.

I got it for less than half the price of a new one and it needed a $3.00 extractor to function perfectly.
 
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BigAl1958

New member
Age and abUse

If you are that tempted get the serial # and find out when it was built, that will give you a basis for how much abuse it's taken. To the credit of my local range I asked and they are cleaning & checking their rentals about every 3-4 hours of use. To me that would result in a reasonable condition used pistol.
 
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Sevens

New member
I'm a h-u-g-e fan of seeking out and buying good used guns. Doesn't matter if one person owned it for 20 years or if it's been bought and sold a dozen times.

A range rental gun? That's going too dang far, IMO. Cleaned how often, if ever? Run hard by people who don't have any stake in them, much like a rental car? Some of them eating range ammo... okay if it's WWB or American Eagle, but what about the ranges that sell their own re-man crap?

It would have to be a colossal steal for me to ever consider one. I don't think that's a steal whatsoever.

I'd skip it.
 
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45Gunner

New member
If you would buy a rental car, then I suppose you could buy a rental gun.

Personally, I would not buy anything that was a rental because people today have absolutely no respect for anything they don't own. The attitude seems to be if it ain't mine, screw it and screw them. I'll do what I want.

I don't mean to infer that everyone thinks that way but a fair majority do and I would just as soon stick with that which I know has not been abused.
 
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armoredman

New member
Having worked a rental counter, no way. I tried to keep them cleaned and lubricated, loosing battle. Most rentals are beat, rode hard and put away wet, not good.
 
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FrankSoCal

New member
guns, vehicles......

I've bought a number of used (like new) and have been a happy camper. I've also bought Hertz mini vans (Dodge and Plymouth) and new ones and the Hertz were like new-They're not over 25000 miles, usually 18000. I was told that Hertz is the best for keeping up on maintenance. These have saved me THOUSANDS of dollars and, yes, I always buy extended warranties and they have paid for themselves plus.
 
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SundownRider

New member
Well, after consideration, even though the price is pretty good, I have decided against picking up the gun. There could be a lot of things to go wrong with a gun that could have been seriously used. For what it would cost me to upgrade and customize, I could get a new Springfield Loaded model. May as well save my pennies.

Thanks guys. Always can count on the FLF's (Firing Line Frequenters!)
 
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Superhouse 15

New member
I have several, and my eyes on a couple more. My dedicated HD gun is a Glock 17 with who knows how many rounds through it. The 3 letters of the SN were my name, I couldn't pass it up. I have a S&W .22 that was a rental and is now a suppressor host. Many many people learned to shoot on that gun with who knows how many rounds. Got my eye on another of those (a 2213) and an old Beretta 96D that has a huge round count, and is a beat up retired cop gun anyway, but shoots like a rifle. I maintain most of them anyway, and I can pick out prospects from time to time.
 
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James K

Member In Memoriam
I would have no hesitation once I checked the gun over. (But then I think I know how to do that and admit not everyone does.) :D

To some guns, 10,000 rounds is small potatoes; to others it would be destruction if the gun ever made it that far. That 20,000 round Ruger should give a lot more good service, but most 9mm's with 20,000 would be iffy.

Jim
 
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Skans

Active member
I stay away from buying rental guns - they will have a staggeringly high round count compared to most used semi-auto pistols. The ranges don't discount them appropriately for high round count.

Would you buy a three year old 200,000 mile Ford F150 for the same price as a three year old 45,000 mile F150?.....I didn't think so, walk away, it's not a good deal!!!
 
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CraigC

Moderator
Absolutely not, unless it was just as a project gun. When I worked for a gunshop part of my duties was to clean the range rentals. It's true that people use and abuse things that do not belong to them and guns are no different. Personally, I never thought they discounted them enough considering how much use they'd seen. All the maintenance in the world cannot make up for abuse.
 
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kiov

New member
That is not a good price for a used mil spec springer period. they were selling them new for not much more than that a couple years back. that price is way off for a rental gun, IMO.
 
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Skans

Active member
Used guns can be a good way to go if they are "lightly" used - i.e. under 3,000 rounds. You could find an individual who will give you a fair deal, appropriately discounted for being used. You could even find a fair deal from a gun dealer. But, I would only pay 1/3rd at most of a competitive new retail price for a range rental, and dealers don't sell them for that.
 
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