another question. You are at a gun show and sitting in front of you is

[joem]

I have a S&W bought new and has had one round fired through it so as to provide a sample fired case. Other than that it's not been fired.

[mike24d20]

There is only one way a gun has been proofed an not had any ammo run thru it................................................ You hire a CHENO GIRL ( the type who can suck the crome off a trailer hitch ) an have her pull a slug thru the bbl.

[mack]

People have come to rely on "NIB" or "unfired" as substitutes for their own sad lack of knowledge about firearms. Not knowing how to judge a firearm's condition comes from simply not handling enough firearms of a particular type to make reasonable judgments. And, of course, all firearms are test-fired, so none meet the qualification of "unfired." NIB is a different matter and what I think most would assume is "unfired."

Knowledge of finishes, markings from working the bolt or action, being able to look at a barrel and make some sort of determination as to barrel wear and subtle telltales of stock wear are things that make successful firearms purchasing possible. The only solution for those challenges is spending time looking at and handling firearms. Can you spot a re-park military piece or re-blued Winchesters by the color or the swirl marks in the metal? Many can and do and make decisions based on those skillsets. And, finally, do you honestly rate firearms using a known scale like the old and reliable NRA scale? Do you know the difference between NRA "Excellent" and NRA "New"? "Unissued" is about as good as it gets for military firearms with "NIB" being a commercial standard for the elusive unfired piece.

[Doug Douglass]

Well I have several U.S. C&R's that have not been fired since leaving the factory. Nothing to unusual or argumentative about that, they are around if you know what you are looking at.

[dave]

I have never purchased a new gun with a dirty bore! And I have purchased a few over the years!

[Dave Waits]

Two brand-new Kimbers, a Colt and two Rugers, all new in the box, all testfired and not cleaned afterwards. A call to Kimber and a call to Colt was all it took to get that fact.

[Guamsst]

I have never purchased a new gun with a dirty bore! And I have purchased a few over the years!

I put 100rds through an AR I built up and the bore was as bright as it could be. The rest of it was dirty in all the usual places, but the bore was in "unfired" condition.

[JB White]

I have never sold any firearm labeled as NIB. Once it enters the private sector it's a used gun. EC/LNIB yes, I have used that as I'm not a dealer. Anything I got had been transfered away from any FFL's at least once. If I try it and don't like it then it goes on the block. It may sit in storage for a while, earmarked for future trade all cleaned up and beautiful in the box but it's always used AFAIC. It was used the second the dealer transfered it to me.