Did I miss something here? The gun should go for an inspection by your gunsmith or a mutually agreed on 'smith. If the seller doesn't want to without full payment then the hell with him. You pick up the tab on this cost but do not pay for the gun till you have that report.
That's not reasonable. at all. Can you do that at a gun store? no, of course not.
You pay for it, you can take it for 3 days (unfired) and if there is something wrong with it that was not revealed, then you can return it. There's a reason private gun sales cost less than buying from a store and it's the risk factor.
BTW, I've never been burned by a long distance buying/selling.
