I think this is a real tough one. The 3 day no shoot no tear down convention that is common in gun sales is to me like buying a used car without a test drive. A gun (or car) can look like its in mint condition, but until it is tested for functionality its still a pig in a poke.
Exactly! And when you buy a gun (or a car) under those terms, you have to be prepared to live with possible bad consequences. Years ago, a friend bought a Mercedes Benz that I had looked at and test driven a couple days earlier. A connecting rod broke three days later. I was kicking myself about not buying it up until that point. Private sale--- no warranty--- my friend ate the cost of rebuilding the motor. I did say earlier that I agree about the goodwill that would be generated by a dealer who was a stand-up guy and went above and beyond his stated return policy, but there should be no expectation that any dealer would go the extra mile. And there is no reason to lambaste a dealer just because he went strictly by his stated policy. Both buyer and seller should be honorable enough to abide by the terms of the sale. The doubles I like best are all over 100 years old. I always understand that the very next time I open one may be the day that something breaks. I'd probably feel a bit different about a one year old Perazzi, but even new guns work right up until the moment they break. It happens, and that's why they make replacement parts for Perazzi's. I've gotten a few bad surprises, but overall, most I've bought have equalled or exceeded the sellers descriptions. The dealers of guns (or cars) who offer long and comprehensive warranties also usually charge higher prices to protect themselves.
