Need opinions of my ODT family on what to do

[Fatal_Bert]

The second he left the meet up it became 100% his gun and no longer yours.

 

[DanKATL]

I had a new ODT member ask if I would PLEASE sell him one my Colts from my private collection. I had a 1977 Colt Cobra .38 that was LNIB. The previous seller said in his communications "Shot once. Clean as a whistle. No flaws. Cycles and shoots perfectly." I bought it 5 years ago, never loaded or fired the gun, and put in storage until pulled out to show this Buyer. We met where he looked it over and he purchased the gun after I told him I had never so much as put a bullet in it. Days later, he said he shot 100 rounds through the Cobra at the range and occasionally the revolver would "lock up". He said he couldn't pull the hammer back until he "wiggled it a little" and then he could cock the gun and fire. He showed in a video, he fired through 6 rounds without issue, each time pulling the hammer back and pulling the trigger to fire it. On the 7th try, the hammer barely pulled back and he had put pressure on it to get it to release. Then he may fire 3-6 rounds and it happens again. Multiple people on the COLT forum said it could be old factory lube that dried up or be so dry with 25 years of sitting, a part could have slight rust and needs to be cleaned and lubed. 95% of Colt members said to clean the ejector star and underneath it to be sure it seats properly but this fellow hasn't tried either. HERE'S MY DILEMMA AND NEED ALL OF YOUR OPINIONS:

I never would intentionally do anyone wrong. I never even dry fired it to avoid turn lines and keep it looking new so of course I had no idea there could be an issue. I'm not even sure there was a problem when I sold it since I have no idea what happened from the time it left my possession. He wants to return the gun to get all of his money back or "trade it" for a full value credit towards another nice gun in my collection. This worries me after he has been messing with it and firing it for days. I didn't offer a warranty or guarantee and feel like he should have asked me when he said round 7 locked up and before taking it to the range shooting it all day and letting so many people mess with it. He said he also had multiple people look it over and try it and it happened to them but now I have no idea who all has handled it or would could have happened to my gun. I offered him to to take it to a gunsmith I met in Griffin GA but he doesn't want to drive that far from Douglasville! I said I would pay the initial inspection fee and split the repair costs up to $200 which I thought was beyond fair but he said it's too much trouble. WHAT WOULD YOU DO???

"We met where he looked it over" You have met your obligation to him; unless you offered him some kind of a guarantee in writing. You have no idea what happened to it after you parted ways.

 

[Fatal_Bert]

I would stand behind it. I would hope that anyone would do the same…

Good to know, so I'll buy a gun from you then shoot bubba's pissing hot reloads through it and make you pay for the repairs.

 

[Rusty Shakleford]

you tried to make it right if buyer don’t like the terms he can put salt and pepper on the pistol.

 

[Psilloh1]

Good to know, so I'll buy a gun from you then shoot bubba's pissing hot reloads through it and make you pay for the repairs.

I wouldn’t sell you a gun….

 

[TommyT]

I had a Colt do the same thing. Gunsmith pulled the panel cleaned it all up and it was good to go. But I found it prior to sale. What concerns me is the new owner putting all that pressure on the trigger and other parts

That was my thought too but of course he said he didn't do anything to it. Know any good COLT gunsmiths on the west side of Atlanta like around Douglasville?

 

[WallsGa]

I think you made a fair offer above and beyond what you owe him.

There is absolutely no way to know what he’s done to it since he purchased it. You’ve been quite fair in your offer to pay to fix it. Case closed.

You’ve offered a generous deal to make things better….stand tall and move on

What they said.

My additional opinion: I’d pay for a cleaning / inspection only . Anything else was/is his problem.

 

[Overwatch1]

You’ve been more than fair in your offer to have inspected and repaired. Anything above and beyond that would be unacceptable and not in good faith by the new owner, in my opinion.

 

[TommyT]

I understand him not wanting to drive far for a Gunsmith to check the gun but it is further to come to me than where I asked him to go to get it looked at. I am trying but not getting anywhere on a compromise!

 

[MuleShoe]

Your offer is fair in my opinion on repair up to $200.00 . I’ve bought a few with little problems and fixed and went on as I knew they were used guns with no implied warranty from seller!