Generally speaking most used firearms are in good shape. Many have actually rarely or even never been fired. Firearms tend to be impulse purchases by people looking for protection, and they aren't likely to take said weapon to the range. When shopping for a used gun, the first thing you need to do is define the mission of said gun. Will this be a duty weapon, are you collecting the weapon, or are you going to rebuild it into a full custom piece. Used handguns are often more worn than used long guns. Therefore, it's a good idea to establish criteria for judging them before you go shopping.