THE CRAIGSLIST DO'S AND DONT'S

I'm not the first person who has been burned from buying airsoft parts/guns from craigslist, Kjiji, ASC, and I most certainly wont be the last. My general rule of thumb is, buy new and don't trust people you don't know. if you are getting something shipped to you, I would work out a 60% 40% deal where you pay 60% of the asking price up front and 40% once you get it and confirmed that it is in the correct condition.


there are a lot of reputable players that I would trust in buying a used AEG, players that have made a name for themselves. But there are also a LOT of people who use craigslist and other internet based forums as a way to sell broken or soon to be broken Airsoft guns/parts.


I'm curious to hear about peoples positive and negative experiences with buying used good from different social medias.

I purchased my TM Glock 17 from a local guy on craigslist. this was back in the day long before that exact model was so readily available in Canada. I paid $350 (good price back then) for this fully upgraded metal slide GBB. I took it for a test drive and it shot fine. I was brand new in the sport at the time so I didn't know exactly what was looking for.

few months went by and I realized that the frame was broken, the past owner obviously tightened the screw too much and stripped the only screw that holds all the gust of the TM glock into the frame. New frames were available but are illegal to ship to Canada. and in Canada frames were $200+ dollars at the time.....

long story short I got burned.......

First airsoft gun I purchased was a mostly plastic KWC M92 from craigslist for $80. I didn't know what I was looking for really and after getting home realized it wouldn't shoot, it would just dump gas. Not only was the rubber seal on the top of the mag missing completely, but there were 2 springs missing from the inner workings of the gun. After a huge amount of searching and about $50 later I had a working KWC M92. Found the same gun on sale brand new at milsig 2 weeks after getting it together and working for $100.... I sold the working gun to a guy who had just turned 18 and wanted to plink in his basement, I think I got $70 for it.
Lesson learned: test guns before buying

Traded a JG G36 with a ton of accessories (approximate value of $250 used including everything I traded it with) for a "brand new" king arms P90. It was far from new.. Also the guy had changed our meeting place last minute to a parking lot, where we weren't able to test the guns before trading.
Gunny later bought this P90 from me and fixed it up but it was very used as the internal wear showed.
Lesson(s) learned: don't trust guys who call their guns "brand new", it's probably a lie
don't meet in a place where you can't test a gun

My only bad dealing was on Op-For with a chairsofter. I had broken the slide on my TM Hi-cappa 5.1 and posted up looking for one. Plastic or metal didnt matter. Got a message to meet a guy at Metrotown, a 45 min drive from Abby. Met him inside the busy mall and just wanted to get out of there with what looked like gun parts. Looked it over quickly, too quickly, only to get home and find out it was for a 4.3 not 5.1. $25.00 for nothing! Plus gas. That was 3 years ago.
Anyone need a plastic slide with inner barrel for a 4.3 hi-cappa?

a buddy of mine wanted to get into airsoft and knew that I had experience so he brought me along as a reference to check out the gun he was buying. He got a little excited (as we ALL DO). He wanted to trade some mid quality paintball gear and a paintball marker/gun for it. We went to meet the guy in some neighborhood that the guy claimed was where he lived but the fact that he arrived 20 minutes late and then drove off immediately after determined that was a lie. This meant that surprise, surprise we had no where to test the gun and the guy stepped out in broad day light in a residential street with an ak 74 (airsoft) before I threw a cloth over it. I warned him about some quality and wear concerns as well as some personal distaste to the manufacturer but the trade went through anyway.
Long story short, the metal plates in the stock snapped off IN STORAGE before he even got a chance to try her out.It did function though, or at least when the electric blow back didnt jam it up...

moral of the story: If you bring someone to give you a second opinion, take them into account. Also sketchy is sketchy, the gun is only as sturdy as the seller's honor.

I've never had one because I always purchased brand new

I've never had one because I always purchased brand new

remind me to show you how my rock chucker (MSK) feels shooting .32's

Cmag just purchased a PTS masada what was "BNIB" it came in with a broken folding stock, which is a $100 part.......

Cmag just purchased a PTS masada what was "BNIB" it came in with a broken folding stock, which is a $100 part.......

What!!! I want one!, damn it

Craigslist Do's : Do resist the urge to buy stuff on craigslist
Craigslist Don'ts : Don't buy stuff on craigslist

Boom. Science.