I'm new to the world of AR's and to this board. It has been enlightening and informative, but I am not that knowledgeable about guns and I need some advice.
A few weeks ago, a customer came to my store and we started talking guns. He said he had some old military rifles he wanted to get rid of. He rattled off the list and when he said an AR-15, I asked what he wanted for it. He said $500. He bought it back in the 70's and used to coon hunt with it. He said it had been in his closet about 15 years. He went home, got the gun, and left it with me overnight to check out.
I looked up the SN on the internet and found out it was an SP-1 mfg. in 1965. It had a lot of dust and cat hair on it, but not a speck of rust except on the flash suppressor. Bore and bolt were immaculate. I cleaned it up and when he came in the next day, he brought me 500 rounds of ammo, 10 Colt 20-round mags, stripper clips, and mag pouches. I gave him $500 cash and we shook hands.
OK, I know I got a great deal, but here is my quandary.
1. What should I check for 1st before firing the gun? (ie. will any of the critical parts have deteriorated due to the rifle not being used for so long)
2. Does this particular model have any inherent problems as far as reliability or is there certain types of ammo I should not use?
3. Should I try and sell this gun and get a post ban (and a new pistol), newer model that has been improved upon (I assume) since this gun came out in '65?
4. Would the smart thing be to keep this gun, with no paper trail leading to me, and customize it however I would like?
I know that I will now always want to own an AR-15, but is there anything really special about this gun besides the pre-ban features/customization options and non-registration issues?
Any and all input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.