I certainly agree that when negotiating a price for a firearm, that "knocking a seller's wares" is neither professional nor a polite course of conduct for a potential buyer. It is also almost never productive. That being said, I am perplexed how one would bargain for a lower price without politely explainly why the buyer feels [e.g. excessive bore wear] his lower counteroffer is in order and fair. Unless you could intelligently discuss the merits of a firearm [as you both see them] your only argument for a lower price would be "I just don't want to pay your price! or Would you accept $xxxx?" After having grown up in a gun store and seen my father buy and sell thousands of guns I can tell you from experience, that the next response from the potential seller or my father would be "Why?" So to start off with a counteroffer without explanation, is in MY OPINION more offputting to dealers than a polite explanation of what you are basing your counteroffer on, and that while the firearm is nice and you are interested, this is what YOU can pay. I believe in most negotiations, it is more important HOW YOU SAY SOMETHING, THAN THE SOMETHING YOU SAY. JMHO
