I would appreciate your opinions, as well:

I bought a Daisy 853 from someone on another forum and just received it - just. He advertised it as practically new. At $125 plus $20 s/h, I figured it wasn't a bad deal and would be nice to have for indoor shooting. My club also has a youth airgun team and, since my daughter has been expressing an interest, thought it might be a good entry level gun for her.

The seller emailed my a picture (only showing one side) and without the spacers. I said, if he had the spacers, ok, looked good.

Well, the first thing I see when I open the box is it has only one spacer. Not such a big deal, as Daisy sells them. I picked it up to look over the stock and then I see along the belly of the butt where it's been scuffed, as if benched a few times. Examined the pistol grip and now I am seeing the full edge worn through the finish. Couple of spots where paint is flaking. Rear sight is ok but doesn't look pristine, especially the whiteout witness mark. No sight inserts (did they come with?) Put three rounds through it and it does work.

OK, my question is, does this sound like a gun that "I bought to shoot, but put it away and didn't use it", or does it sound like someone's entry level gun that they used a while back and outgrew? Oh, I forgot. The off-side from that picture he sent has his name painted down the butt in white. Can you say club or team gun???

Should I:

A) Eat the postage and return for a refund?

B) Ask for something off, since it's obviously got some wear? (How much would be fair? CMP is selling these for $189.)

C) Call it a day plus post something negative, but fair, over on the other forum?

What'll it be guys? Let's hear the voice of the people!

PS - If it's option C, I will be sure to post a BIG picture of that buttstock!

That really sucks. An angry (but polite) email is warranted at least, he clearly consealed the gun's condition. That said:

If the gun, in it's current condition, satisfies your needs, Option B first, failing that, option C.

If the gun will not satisfy your needs, due to undisclosed condition problems, A.

JMHO!

Jason

So far on the Yellow, I'm getting the "Well, it's only $50, so what's the big deal?" I don't think they get that he said it was like new in the box. If it were a Daystate instead of a Daisy, I think there would be a much different current of thought. I'm just plain po'd, as I wouldn't have bought it, especially monogramed.

I think mello already said what I was going to say. No, there is no magic answer here. they all kinda stink.

Red Feather it your not happy send it back and if you have to eat the postage eat it. But remember in this day and age sight un seen requires pictures of all sides or angles of the item. Marvin

I agree with Marvin.

Unhappy is Unhappy.
Not as expected is Not expected.

And here's the ringer: Do whatever your daughter says.

ctruth

I told him I would like to send it back and eat the return shipping. Just refund my money order. He says "Oh, I sold it as is and sent you pictures. I hardly used it. Just get some turpentine and rub the name off. I just bought a gun that someone had scribed their SSN on the receiver and I'm not sending it back. That gun cost $250. You got a great deal. Yadda, yadda, yadda."

Yep, I'm PO'd. If replied that, if it's such a good deal and I am paying the freight, he ought to have no trouble recouping his selling price. One thing is for sure. I'm not buying anything more like this without a full photo op and a mutually agreed upon three day return policy.

Not even going to discuss this with my daughter. Likely as not will sell it off for what I can get. I'ld just as soon not have it.

I recently got a 753 New from the Factory and it was 'less than an RWS' for sure. Actually, it was rude for a new gun. Metalwork was fine for a non-blued finish, I guess. But, no heirloom finish here for sure.

Stock was actually dismal. Spotty, blotchy finish with patches looking like they didn't have any finish at all! I scraped the thing down and refinished it and found that there WAS finish on it all...just some was really not nice. Sags, and (insert blemish here) were all over the place. Not pretty at all.

As sad as I was over all this, I shot it and it is now a keeper. What an accurate little rifle! One hole 10M groups if I do my part (which,sadly,is normally NOT the case. But, I have rested it and it WILL one hole all day long W/Gamo Match). Trigger needed some work..well, a LOT of work...but ended up not too bad. Did I mention it ONE HOLES @ 10M?

Long story short, the new 853's are going for $289!!!at Midway so the price you paid is a bit short of new...now. Cosmetically...I'd take that with a grain of big salt. Brandy new from the boxes are nothing to write home about in the beauty dept. A chip in the paint or bad stock wouldn't bother me a whit if it shot well. Missing a spacer?? Cheap fix. Sight inserts? Again, a few dollars and you are good to go.

Which brings me to the big (and important question). How does it shoot? My gun shoots better than I can shoot it. And, now that I have worked on it a bit, is one of my favorites.

If the gun you got shoots well, I'd say you need to 'personalise' it a bit and enjoy a fantastic little rifle! If it DOESN'T shoot well...then, all the evil things you are thinking are valid and let them take their proper course. Good luck and please give the little guy a chance to win you over.

Red Feather The above thread makes sence as well but you dont need me to tell you that . So what I want to metion is if you keep it I have been able to polish paint off of stocks befor with a dremnel tool and polishing pad .With care yoy will not hurt the finish . You might have to polish the hole stock. Marvin

Never pay by Money Order or check,pay by Paypal and with Credit Card;if paypal don't cover you in the dispute[most of the time they take only their fees and don't cover you]you can call the Credit Card and start a Claim,and stop the payment.

As I said over there, I went and took a hard look at it in a better light. (Really didn't have much time for more than a cursory once-over and three test shots earlier.) The finish is about as described, above. What I took to be edge wear, especially in the usual place along the wrist edge, was some fluke where the finish didn't take or go right. I'm assuming this because the stock really has no signs of scratches/dings. And the Daisy's metal work added little encouragement. Upon second examination, the guy's name was painted on in fairly small print which should come off ok. I finally emailed the seller and apologized for jumping the gun.

In my own defense I will add that I was becoming a bit concerned about this deal. Guy said he was going to give me the UPS tracking number Sunday night. Didn't get anything nor replies to my follow ups. The box just showed up unexpectedly and it was the original Daisy shipping box with only the thinnest of styrofoam padding. He was lucky the barrel didn't end up a pretzel. So I was sort of predisposed to see things in a negative context.

I did put about eight more through it tonight with the peep sight in place. It is missing the inserts for the front and only has a post (or is that the mounting piece for the globe sight?) Seemed to group ok but I had a very hard time seeing as I need a better light on the target in my basement. The trigger is not too good, but it seemed to show potential for grouping. If I keep it I am likely going to scope it.

Over all, I think I would have been better passing on this one. And now it is time for me to

I held back resonding to you on this because I didn't know what to say. The internet is not generally the place to take sides, as it were, unless one feels they know enough about it. I commend you for coming back and straightening things out the way you did. I honestly didn't know how to respond to what you wrote initially although I felt for you at the same time.

Still not certain you're totally alright with how things went, but those are the risks of buying things one can't touch and look over. If there's still some residue regret I would probably let it pass without bringing the story up again in the very near future. Let the dust settle a little. The rifle you got is going to be a nice shooter imo and at a nice price too.

Be well,
Harv

ps I almost never buy over the internet because I know how I am. I'll drive an hour and a half just to pass on something I can hold in my grubby hands rather than go through the trouble of wondering if what I got is what I was expecting by buying it over the internet. The exception I can see in the future is finding a gently used FWB 600 series ssp. Have a pretty good idea where that puppy might end up coming from lol.

Got my fingers crossed on the 54 I have coming, though. Life goes on. This wasn't even a pebble in a bump in the road of life.

RF,
Now that things are sorta settled down I'll interject a few opinions.
You are undoubtedly just a bit soured on the 853 at this point. {understandably!)
So let me make a suggestion. For the nonce just bury it in the back of a closet out of sight and out of mind until the bad taste in your mouth goes away.
The little guns are just too good to allow a bad buying experience prevent you taking pleasure in the one you have acquired. As someone else has already pointed out, with a bit of massaging they will stack pellets in the same hole all day long if you hold up your end of the deal. Your daughter may find she has a hard time prying it away from Dad once you get accustomed to it.
If the one you bought is one of the older all-metal models then everything previously said applies in spades. Keep it!
The only caveat I have stems from my own experience with an early one over many years. I bought mine used from Paul Landrith many years before he passed away. It had a bad gouge in the stock and by keeping my eyes peeled I picked up a better stock from the 753 series to replace it. Then somewhat later down the road Gun Parts had the full-bore walnut adjustable target stocks available for $20 IIRC. (you might want to check to see if they still do) While I haven't yet got the action mounted in it I have made the modifications I wanted to make it even better and all that is left is to work up the energy to do the final sanding and apply a finish. That seems to keep getting pushed down my 'to-do' list by 'emergencies', but I have vowed that I WILL make it happen soon.
OK----I lied. I DO have one further caveat. The *&^%$#@ thing is so consistantly accurate that it is too easy to get bored with it and set it aside for more challenging wares. That is a serious mistake. I recently found myself backing out of an offer to sell mine. On giving it more careful consideration after the impulsive offer I realized that I might well spend hundreds, if not thousands, of $ trying to find an equally accurate, lightweight and 'friendly' equivilent. So I shamefully called the prospect, apologized and admitted that I had found that I couldn't live up to my hasty offer.
So hang in there! It will prove worth the effort in the long run. Tom

Well, I tried that 853 and, to tell the truth, wasn't crazy about it. Not too bad to cock, but my old Benjamin Sheridan with three pumps isn't much more plus it has a superior trigger. Anywho, I figured I would just hang on to the Daisy and see how it goes. Next day I see a guy on Brad's classifieds looking for a used one to set up for club use. Contacted him and it will be on its way where it will be doing a whole lot more good. Hope the kids enjoy it.

Now to sell some more stuff....

Good news and Im sure the kids will love it. What else is up for grabs. Marvin

Maybe a BAM B20 in .177. Picked it up at a recent show. Little bit used with a few dings/scratches. Had no sights and a fellow airgunner swapped me a new take-off set for a tin of pellets. I put them on today and didn't care for how it handles. (Untuned) That one will probably go. Then some black powder rifles. Maybe a rimfire or two. Got to do some spring cleaning of the safe queens to make some room.