Buying milsurp rifles

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Super GunNutz
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Ok......going to go on a bit of a rant here!!!! As a collector, shooter of milsurp rifles especially Enfields, it's puzzling to me when the seller describes the item they are selling with so minimal information that one cannot make a decision to purchase. I've seen this time and time again and not only on low $ rifles but even top $ ones. Not only does it piss me off but the seller is only making life hard for themselves....he/she must flooded with questions and have numerous people to respond too. I've seen seller's descriptions as basic as " 1944 Enfield for sale....$500", now how is a buyer supposed to make a informed decision on whether to purchase???? Condition of bore's are really bad....."dirty bore".....well if you really want to sell the thing get the bloody cleaning rod out after all rifles are just clubs if they don't shoot straight. I'm generally not interested in a rifle with a bad bore unless if it's rare as hen's teeth!!! Others will do to their best to describe exterior condition and when it comes to the bore....."needs cleaning", that's when I start banging my head against the wall.
I guess some people get lucky sometimes, I will not make a purchase unless I have the required info....and by the time you're informed it's possible that the sale has already happened.
Well that's all for today folks.
 
Yep, and usually they're all pissy because they've answered a pile of emails and no one wants it after they've "done all the work" emailing pictures out individually, if at all.

Ah well, if they won't cooperate and give a good description then haggle the hell out of it and buy it for the cost of the parts - either way you'll end up ok.
 
How did we ever get this done in the dark ages before Internet photos when a lot of us bought out of "The Gunrunner" paper and used snail mail or a phone call. Actually most of those deals worked out pretty well.
 
It's not just the average seller doing that. Some sponsors' details are pretty sketchy and as a collector, we all want the same info to make a decision. It makes you wonder what they are hiding. When you ask for some of the details, some wouldn't even return your emails, then its time to take your money else where and stop looking.
 
What description one can expect from vendors when they treat all rifles the same?
Should private sellers that do not possess basic knowledge about Lee Enfield be restricted from selling them?
 
On a related note, is there a reason that people on the EE don't post pictures and only send them to my e-mail? Photobucket and flickr are free and it must be easier to upload than e-mail everyone pictures. If it says "pics to e-mail" I typically don't bother because I feel if I don't buy after that point I've just wasted the seller's time
 
DiMP said:
On a related note, is there a reason that people on the EE don't post pictures and only send them to my e-mail? Photobucket and flickr are free and it must be easier to upload than e-mail everyone pictures. If it says "pics to e-mail" I typically don't bother because I feel if I don't buy after that point I've just wasted the seller's time
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If sellers are too lazy to figure out how to post picture I just pass right over the ad, unless it is a great deal on something I am specifically interested in, so probably 99.9% of the time. I think a lot of people are the same way. Really good way to lose interest in your sale, especially posting pictures is really quite straightforward.
 
DiMP said:
On a related note, is there a reason that people on the EE don't post pictures and only send them to my e-mail? Photobucket and flickr are free and it must be easier to upload than e-mail everyone pictures. If it says "pics to e-mail" I typically don't bother because I feel if I don't buy after that point I've just wasted the seller's time
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Yes. The reason is that they don't care to. Just like you typically don't care to ask for the pictures to be e-mailed to you. It works out just as it should.
 
Some of the best deals I have gotten because they haven't posted pictures. Things that would have been snatched up quickly otherwise I got for a pretty good price.

OP I can understand where you are coming from in regards to the information but you have to remember some people really don't care about whatever rifle it is they are selling. Remember just a little while ago all Enfields were called '.303s' (and still are by a fair bit of people), and some people really have no clue in regards to model number and such.
 
Andy said:
Just another rant thread..........
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Not really- it's super-easy to upload large numbers of photos right on to your post and it's a mystery why some sellers won't do it. If you're annoyed with providing photos via e-mail to "tire kickers" then make the minor effort to include adequate photos with the WTS post. I pretty much ignore WTS posts (even for models I really want) if the add includes a statement like "photos e-mailed only to truly serious, genuine buyers".

milsurpo
 
Well the OP has been on this board for almost 8 years with only 4 transactions, so he really sticks to his principles ...... OR he is such a pain in the ass that no one wants to deal with him. Either way, meh.
 
purple said:
How did we ever get this done in the dark ages before Internet photos when a lot of us bought out of "The Gunrunner" paper and used snail mail or a phone call. Actually most of those deals worked out pretty well.
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I guess us fossils didn't know any better at the time. I bought a good many milsurps via phone call to an ad in the old Gunrunner or access. The only time I felt screwed was when I received a "mint" Swede 42, and found it to have deteriorated significantly in the mail. The gun was purchased from one of the elite exporters to the US of our good stuff. Needless to say, I never considered anything he advertised after that.
 
not everyone knows how to post pics and are maybe only just learning their way around the world wide web.There are those who have not spent much time at the key board and are relative new comers,its all a bit over whelming for some .
There is nothing better than a add with nice clear pics ,they pretty much describe the article thats for sale and 90 percent of the time will get the buyers attention more so than a want to sell add without pics.So for those who dont know, its in there best interest to learn how to post pics.They make it better all the way arround
 
Light Infantry said:
Well the OP has been on this board for almost 8 years with only 4 transactions, so he really sticks to his principles ...... OR he is such a pain in the ass that no one wants to deal with him. Either way, meh.
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Only 4 documented transactions.

I know I have done more than 11 here...
 
It can be a two way street on the EE. Some of the worst guns I have bought had good clear pictures, just not of the areas that had issues. On the other hand some of the best were from simple ads that had no pictures whatsoever. The trader rating of the person that you are dealing with tells me more than a few pictures.
 
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