22lr is kinda dirty. If you're going to shoot 20 rounds, might as well shoot 200. I think most manufacturers fire two rounds in their pistols before they leave the factory and include the casings with the gun in box and sometimes the target. If they shot lead bullets, you should barely be able to tell use from looking into the barrel with the naked eye. You might be able to tell something with a bore light, or if copper jacket bullets were used. By the way you describe things--sounds possible that the range had let someone try the pistol before in which case it would be a used pistol and should be discounted as such. Maybe a better way to tell on a semi-auto is to look at the slide rails on the slide and on the frame to see if that's more telling. Thing is, you should have said something about this when you were there, before you purchased--(buyer beware). If you took it back now, they could say you shot 2000 rounds through it and just didn't like it. Sometimes the facts aren't what we want to hear. I hope you figure out what's going on, and I hope you like your new-to-you pistol.

This issue comes down to Trust in whom you bought your gun from ??

Would they sell you a used gun ?? I can promise you S&W will not send "used guns" to their distributors and claim they are NEW.

Like the other poster has mentioned 22's are very dirty rounds and because there are cheap........the factory may be tempted to fire more than just 2 rounds from the pistol. If this pistol needed some extra fine tuning before it left the factory, many more rounds could have been fired.

S&W warrants their handguns for life ............. so don't worry about wear and tear, unless you bought the gun as a collectors piece. The important thing is how the pistol functions ..........being an auto ...........does it shoot 100% without problems ??

S&W didn't sell you a used gun ........... can you make the same claim about whom you bought the gun from ??

JF.

Did someone else look at this guna and ask to fire it before bying? I dont mean a range rental, but like a test drive in a car? some places will do this, some wont. But In my mind a test driven car is still new. Just a thought.

I thought about it for a while, and read your replies. I should have inspected the gun before leaving with it. The quy that sold it to me worked in another department I think, so I could have gotten a 'used' gun.

It really does not matter. As long as the gun shoots properly, I don't care. This is a .22 plinker I got for around $200. Not a collector.

Thanks.

E

Look at the plastic buffer. If it's beat up, then I would conclude that the pistol has indeed been used.

Also, a well-used .22lr auto will have residue in all sorts of nooks and crannies that is not easy to clean out. Two or three factory test shots is not enough to send bits of residue into other places. If your pistol has a lot of residue within the receiver, then I would also think it is used.

PhilR.

PhilR, what plastic buffer do you mean? Do you mean the little platic tab that goes on the end of the spring?

E

Originally Posted by Fred_G

PhilR, what plastic buffer do you mean? Do you mean the little platic tab that goes on the end of the spring?

E

Hello again E,

Yes, the buffer is the small white plastic plate at the end of the recoil spring. Your pistol should have come with two additional new replacements as well, since they are a wear item. Look under the foam padding in the case if you haven't found them yet.

hth,
PhilR.

Thanks for the info PhilR. I found all the stuff in the case the first day, even came with a lock for the case.... The buffer was a little dirty, but not worn.

If this was an expensive gun, or a collector type, I would take it back and try to exchange it. I think the gun is lightly used. But I plan on putting a ton of rounds through this gun! I will most definantly check every gun I purchase before I leave the store from now on. Lesson learned.

Heading to the range Sunday! Looking forward to punching some holes in some paper!

E

Originally Posted by Fred_G

Heading to the range Sunday! Looking forward to punching some holes in some paper!
E

I'm going to the range with mine as well. I just got a red-dot scope for mine -- should be fun as it seems to be accurate. Also just got a Ruger MKIII Hunter as well, so I'm going to be running a bunch of rounds through them tomorrow.

PhilR.