Buying Used Guns

[smk]

Hey everyone,

I was wondering who herre has had experience buying a used gun. I have been looking at gunbroker and trying to find police returns (can't seem to find a good site), and wondering if I should just buy new. Just wondering if anyone has any stories or advice to offer up.

[theshoer]

If you cant find what your looking for here on Calguns then it probally doesnt exist.

[shakes88]

Look at local gun shops for police trade ins... I found a Sig P226 with very little wear (mostly cosmetic from holstering) for under $500... Nothing wrong with browsing different shops...

[Saym14]

depends how picky you are buying a gun you have not seen. you can get burned. on the other hand I have boght two on GB and got great deals. but this was before the great panic of 2012

[smk]

Originally Posted by Saym14

depends how picky you are buying a gun you have not seen. you can get burned. on the other hand I have boght two on GB and got great deals. but this was before the great panic of 2012

Yeah, that's what I am trying to get around! I have seen some online but the majority won't ship to CA. Looking for a G19, but can't seem to find a decent price on one. LGS said I can order one, but it will be a +/- 3 month wait. May order one and wait...maybe it won't be a big hit if I can make payments.

[Wicked Pete]

Back in the day of Buckboards and Cowboys, you could trade, sell and buy guns without restriction.

I've been burned a couple times, comes with the "territory" of the used market. Little things can be fixed, if a gun has a major problem (who knows?), it's can be a money pit.

[GunHo]

Buying a used gun is sort of like window shopping. If your specific goal is to buy a used gun only, you'll likely get a bum deal. Used guns should be something you stumble on and decide then if it's worth it. A few years ago, when guns weren't so scarce, I went to Target Master and they had a lot of "red tag" used guns. I came across a used M1 Beretta with very little wear for $390.00; about $450.00 OTD. It stands today as one of my favorites.

[gds23]

I have bought at least 6 used guns from fellow calgunners and have never been disappointed with a purchase

[KeepItCal]

Bought my first and only handgun from a fellow Calgunner and couldn't be happier. Check out the classified section and see if you find something you like!

[littlejake]

SMK: Used guns can be a good deal -- it's best if you can hold it and feel it before you buy. You're not likely to find a used G19 in a LGS right now. It would be spoken for before it ever got in the display case.

If I may make a suggestion -- put your approximate location in your profile. You never know when someone near you might have what you want.

[BoJackUSMC]

Nothing wrong with buying used guns at all. Happy searching at private firearm section.

[edgalang]

I bought 2 used guns here on CalGuns. My positive experience so far has been 50%.

[Chaos47]

When buying handguns online at places such as gunbroker make sure the handgun is on the DOJ list..
http://certguns.doj.ca.gov/
Or that it is exempt or you are exempt or you have a shop to do a SSE...

[shooting4life]

Who buys new guns? Out of the 20 or so handguns I own none of them have been purchased new.
After all, people only shoot 200 rounds through their new guns.

[thomashoward]

Originally Posted by gds23

I have bought at least 6 used guns from fellow calgunners and have never been disappointed with a purchase

If you know what you are doing ,buying guns here is a positive experience.
The flakes are recognizable. Some great people have had no feedback, until our transaction.

[doh31672]

I've bought a couple through CG, and have been fortunate to have good experiences so far. Pay attention to the seller's rating, sort of like eBay feedback. I would say that when you meet for the buy, make sure you know how to take the gun down and do an internal inspection. I bring ammo and ask to put at least a magazine or two through it as well. Don't be afraid to walk if something doesn't look right.

[esartori]

Bought a handgun on consignment at Turner's. Just make sure either you or someone competent with firearms takes a look to ensure there are no MAJOR issues. I feel like saving a few hundred on a gun and having to replace a spring or two is worth it.

[Cyc Wid It]

Almost all of my guns have been bought through the Calguns marketplace or Gunbroker.

[Nevermore]

Most of my purchases have been through the Calguns private sales board. Look for someone local and ask to meet them at a shop. Obviously the more feedback they have here, the better you can feel about them not being someone out to just get your money. I've had great interactions with fellow Calgunners.

[smk]

Thanks everyone, I do feel a little more comfortable buying a used gun...Looks at the springs, any wear and tear, barrel condition etc. I guess if the price is right, may be worth a shot if everything looks legit.

[BoJackUSMC]

Dont forget to field strip the weapon before purchasing it. If buyer says, "No" then something might be wrong with firearm. I had great experience buying firearms and firearms related stuff from Calgun.

[Firerescuebatt07]

I've never purchased a used gun but I have no problems with doing it. I really like gunbroker, even though you are stuck paying fees for transfers it does guarantee most of the time you will find the gun you want without calling all over california looking for it. I agree with the other brothers here who have sated face to face deals break the weapon down and look at it closely. if anyone gives you bad vibes just pass on the deal. good luck

[morrcarr67]

I have had a C&R FFL for 12 years. At least 90% of the guns I've bought in the last 12 years have been "used"

[bsg]

most of my gun purchases have been of used guns; my preference is usually for an older variant of a current production gun, or one that is obsolete and no longer being manufactured.

[razr]

Some of the best guns I have purchased were used.

[thomashoward]

Originally Posted by doh31672

I've bought a couple through CG, and have been fortunate to have good experiences so far. Pay attention to the seller's rating, sort of like eBay feedback. I would say that when you meet for the buy, make sure you know how to take the gun down and do an internal inspection. I bring ammo and ask to put at least a magazine or two through it as well. Don't be afraid to walk if something doesn't look right.

I have never done live fire in a gun-shop parking lot. That behavior is frowned on

[CrippledPidgeon]

Originally Posted by smk

Hey everyone,

I was wondering who herre has had experience buying a used gun. I have been looking at gunbroker and trying to find police returns (can't seem to find a good site), and wondering if I should just buy new. Just wondering if anyone has any stories or advice to offer up.

Used guns are like buying used cars. They can be a great deal as long as you know what to look for, so you can differentiate guns that are worth buying, or guns that should be passed on. You need to know areas of common wear, what abnormal wear looks like, what poor maintenance (as opposed to just being dirty) looks like, and indications of cracking and anything that could become expensive or dangerous in the future.

[GeeDog]

I got my last 3 guns from fellow Calgunners and I'm very happy with each of them. I didn't see something and decide to buy it, but wanted specific things and found them at a good price. Do the needed research to know what you're buying, ask the right questions, and inspect a used gun carefully after you receive it. It's great to have a new gun, but you can get one that's "like new" at a discount and typically broken in already. More of my guns I bought used than new, and love every one of them.

[uhlan1]

I've bought new and used.
I've always done well buying used guns here, and I've bought far more than my iTrader indicates. Always had good experiences. Check out a seller's iTrader rating. Check his posts to get a feel for the seller. Both parties should be willing to exchange phone and email.
Have met a bunch of great folk transacting here.

[Icypu]

Only buy a used gun if you know exactly the type you want. Research first, and also try to buy guns off the roster, as they are quickly bought.

[sfhondapilot]

I have bought 3 used guns. I would only recommend purchasing used if done via PPT. I would not buy used any other way as you cannot inspect the weapon and you would likely have to pay a higher transactional cost to acquire the weapon (vs PPT's regulated pricing) to push all in price to almost the level of a new gun.

[ElDub1950]

Originally Posted by shakes88

Look at local gun shops for police trade ins... I found a Sig P226 with very little wear (mostly cosmetic from holstering) for under $500... Nothing wrong with browsing different shops...

^^Yep. There seems to be only one or two stores in any area that get the police trade ins and it's sporadic when they get them.

Call around your local stores and find out who routinely gets them then check back often.

[Zerorye351w]

Since joining Calguns, if I can't find it used here, I buy new.

[smk]

I'm considering a Glock 19 for my fiancee. She wants to get more into shooting, but my .40 cal pistols seem a bit much for her to shoot more than a few magazines. When test feeling pistols, she liked the Glock, so I am hoping to get to the range and rent one this weekend. If she likes it, I may look for one more seriously.

I'm not too experienced with Glocks, I have a Sig and a Beretta, so I will have to do some research on the differences in generations. I can start shopping the WTS threads once I know more.

[smk]

BTW, thank you everyone for the responses. I knew I could count on the forum to ease my nerves about buying used!

[halon101]

sometimes police tradeins are kind of beat. but most used guns i have bought are NEW. people dont shoot as much as they want to. 5 years old only 300 rds shot........

[morrcarr67]

Originally Posted by halon101

sometimes police tradeins are kind of beat. but most used guns i have bought are NEW. people dont shoot as much as they want to. 5 years old only 300 rds shot........

That's the truth. I have 6 new to me; 3 used and 3 new, guns that I haven't shot yet. And, one of them I've had for like 6 months.

[smk]

I have a former coworker with a G23 that he is looking to sell. It looks pretty old, but if the price is right, I may take a chance on it. Will an older Glock still be as reliable? No experience with them

[Rickrock1]

You can find some good deals at local pawn shops. Central gold and pawn has tons of hand guns new and used

[diveRN]

Originally Posted by smk

Yeah, that's what I am trying to get around! I have seen some online but the majority won't ship to CA. Looking for a G19, but can't seem to find a decent price on one. LGS said I can order one, but it will be a +/- 3 month wait. May order one and wait...maybe it won't be a big hit if I can make payments.

If you really want one, inventory is out there. You just have to hunt it down.

I was looking for an MP15-22 and was willing to drive 3 hours in any direction. I got on the phone on a day off and called every gun store I could find via Google. It took 22 calls and the store was a little over 2 hours away, but I finally found one.

As soon as the guy said he had one, I asked his price, which was reasonable, told him how far I was driving, reconfirmed that he had one, and got in the truck.

Sure enough, he had one. Was a display model ... but in good shape. He also had several Glocks, a couple of Sigs, and a few others I don't remember in the case. To my surprise, he even had 2 ARs hanging on the wall. I bought the gun and a handful of reloading components.

Point is, if you want a gun now, there are still some out there. You just gotta hunt for them.

Same goes for reloading components. I couldn't find bulk, jacketed .45acp bullets for reloading at any of my usual places. I found a couple of smaller gun stores back east that still had them in stock. They were a little higher priced than what I'm used to, but still reasonable. I bought 2,000.

The power of the intarweb.