How can I tell if a 8-inch blued Ruger Vaquero in .45 Colt is worth $300?  There are no obvious signs of wear, in fact it looked prestine, so what do you look for when buying a used revolver?

Cheers

One thing is to cock the hammer back and feel the cylinder for play. It should have very little or no movement. The tighter the better. There are other things to look for but that is the most important when buying a used revolver.  If in as good shape as you describe, $300 is a fair price.

There is a write up on this in my Combat Handgunnery book by Ayoob.
Things I remember:
Cock the hammer and then give the cylinder a little wiggle and see if it moves and clicks into place.  If it does, the timing is off.  It should not rotate once the hammer is back.
I think you can look at the gap between the cylinder and the barrel.  It should be positively tiny.
Too much cylinder play in any direction is bad.
Cock the hammer, then press on the hammer with your thumb and see if it drops.  If it does, I believe it's a weak sear engagement.

If I remember I'll check the book tonight for all his tips.

Check out this site.

Purchasing a used revolver

If it looks new and is in good shape, it seems like a good deal. MSRP is around $555 new.

BTW:For those of you who do not know, vaquero is Spanish for cowboy.

Hey fellas,

Thanks for all the tips.  Long story short; I didn't go through with it.  Nothing wrong with the pistol, pretty sweet specimen, 7 1/2 inches is just a little long for my taste.  

Someone should tack that 'buying a revolver thread' (or at least the info) in the revolver forum; that's helpful stuff.  Thanks again.

Cheers

Quoted: How can I tell if a 8-inch blued Ruger Vaquero in .45 Colt is worth $300?  There are no obvious signs of wear, in fact it looked prestine, so what do you look for when buying a used revolver? Cheers

seemed like a high price to me, $325 to 350 new