What do you need to look for when buying a used handgun?

[etep513]

This is a question for experienced pistol shooters. Whenever you consider buying a pistol that is used, what types of things do you look out for? How do you know if you are getting a good deal? What are the most common problems that people have with used pistols (performance-wise)? Is there any way to tell how heavily used a pistol is? When people sell their used guns, do they typically lie about how many rounds they fired with the pistol? I look forward to your input. Feel free to talk about your personal experiences with used handguns. Thanks in advance.

[normanvin]

Here is a sticky that should answer some of your questions.
http://forum.pafoa.org/pistols-41/17...g-handgun.html

I generally buy used. I have not had any real issues yet. Sometimes you can find some real gems. People buy them then realize they can't handle them, or the wife says no. Do your research and visit the shops often. Because its there today does not mean it will be there tomorrow.

[LittleRedToyota]

What do you need to look for when buying a used handgun?

a glock logo.

seriously, though...i have never bought any other brand of pistol used, but pretty much have no fear of buying used glocks.

what i check for on glocks--i would imagine most of it is applicable to other brands as well:

1. field strip it and check for obvious cracks, gouges, bent pieces, etc. anywhere on the gun. check that the locking block, trigger bar, etc. are solidly in place and don't move around (except in ways they are supposed to move, of course).

2. the barrel isn't bulged (discolored is generally OK), the crown has no obvious nicks.

3. cycle the slide...make sure it feels smooth and locks up tight. ride it almost all the way back into battery and then let go. make sure it will put itself back into battery from even a few millimeters out of battery. also rack it and let it go to make sure it slams itself home without causing any issues.

4. dry fire it. make sure the trigger feels smooth and has a crisp break. cycle the slide while holding the tigger "back" and then let it reset. make sure the reset is positive and crisp.

5. insert the mag. make sure it goes in cleanly and locks into place positively. rack the slide--make sure the slide stop engages the cut in the slide and locks it open. hit the mag release--make sure the mag drops free.

6. with the pistol field stripped, push the striker back as far as it will go and then ride it forward. make sure the movement is smooth and the spring pushing it back foward is strong. make sure the firing pin block prevents the striker from actually poking through the breech face. then holding the breech face toward the ground, push the firing pin block in and make sure the striker falls through and pokes through the breech face (this can sometimes require a little shake).

7. make sure the sights do not move around at all when you push on them.

that's about all i can think of off the top of my head.

and, if it is a glock, know that even if it turns out that pretty much every part in the entire gun is broken (and you somehow just missed that) that you can send it to glock, and they will completely rebuild it for free.

[etep513]

Here is a sticky that should answer some of your questions.
http://forum.pafoa.org/pistols-41/17...g-handgun.html

I generally buy used. I have not had any real issues yet. Sometimes you can find some real gems. People buy them then realize they can't handle them, or the wife says no. Do your research and visit the shops often. Because its there today does not mean it will be there tomorrow.

I already read that sticky before. I didn't see anything about buying used firearms. It basically just talked about caliber, magazine capacity, concealed carry, and situations where you might have to use your pistol.

a glock logo.

seriously, though...i have never bought any other brand of pistol used, but pretty much have no fear of buying used glocks.

what i check for on glocks--i would imagine most of it is applicable to other brands as well:

1. field strip it and check for obvious cracks, gouges, bent pieces, etc. anywhere on the gun. check that the locking block, trigger bar, etc. are solidly in place and don't move around (except in ways they are supposed to move, of course).

How do you know if something moves around correctly? I'm a novice when it comes to pistols, so I don't know

2. the barrel isn't bulged (discolored is generally OK), the crown has no obvious nicks.

What does a bulged out barrel look like? Is that when the end of the barrel (around the crown) is so worn out that it is pointing outward?

3. cycle the slide...make sure it feels smooth and locks up tight. ride it almost all the way back into battery and then let go. make sure it will put itself back into battery from even a few millimeters out of battery. also rack it and let it go to make sure it slams itself home without causing any issues.

4. dry fire it. make sure the trigger feels smooth and has a crisp break. cycle the slide while holding the tigger "back" and then let it reset. make sure the reset is positive and crisp.

5. insert the mag. make sure it goes in cleanly and locks into place positively. rack the slide--make sure the slide stop engages the cut in the slide and locks it open. hit the mag release--make sure the mag drops free.

6. with the pistol field stripped, push the striker back as far as it will go and then ride it forward. make sure the movement is smooth and the spring pushing it back foward is strong. make sure the firing pin block prevents the striker from actually poking through the breech face. then holding the breech face toward the ground, push the firing pin block in and make sure the striker falls through and pokes through the breech face (this can sometimes require a little shake).

7. make sure the sights do not move around at all when you push on them.

that's about all i can think of off the top of my head.

and, if it is a glock, know that even if it turns out that pretty much every part in the entire gun is broken (and you somehow just missed that) that you can send it to glock, and they will completely rebuild it for free.

Really, does the warranty ever expire on those things? If the glock is indeed broken, do you just call the company and tell them that you got a used piece that doesn't work? Does it matter what generation it is?

[LittleRedToyota]

How do you know if something moves around correctly? I'm a novice when it comes to pistols, so I don't know

the locking block should not move at all. the trigger bar should move smoothly back and forth (along with the trigger), but not side to side at all. the ejector should not move at all. the slide stop should move up and down smoothly. it will have some some side to side play in it, but it should not be excessive.

What does a bulged out barrel look like? Is that when the end of the barrel (around the crown) is so worn out that it is pointing outward?

just the barrel has an actual bulge in it. it could be at the muzzle, but could also be anywhere along the barrel. this is not something you are likely to run into, but ya never know.

Really, does the warranty ever expire on those things? If the glock is indeed broken, do you just call the company and tell them that you got a used piece that doesn't work? Does it matter what generation it is?

i don't even know if it is part of their official warranty, but, in practice, you can send them pretty much any glock and they will replace anything that needs to be replaced for free (with the possible exception of night sights that are just too old and have lot their brightness--i doubt they would replace those for free). yeah, you just call them and tell them you have a glock that is not working correctly...and then send it to them and they fix it.

[synergy]

The lifespan on most modern firearms FAR exceeds what most shooters put through firearms.

Glocks are good for 10,000's of rounds...most people who shoot a handgun for anything over 5k rounds aren't going to just decide to part with it, one day.
So most of the used guns you see are just guns that people didn't like.

As for what to look for....it depends on the model. A Sig will wear differently than a Glock, than a 1911, etc.

Most small parts are cheap to replace, other than general wear and tear (springs, extractors, etc) most companies will fix broken parts. Don't say it was used, just get the shop to send it back for you. Then they'll have no idea if it's on its 1st or 5th owner.

Check external wear, if you care about that kind of stuff. Check barrel to slide lockup (how much movement there is between the muzzle and the slide - strongly affect accuracy). Other than that, it just kinda depends on the model.

[etep513]

the locking block should not move at all. the trigger bar should move smoothly back and forth (along with the trigger), but not side to side at all. the ejector should not move at all. the slide stop should move up and down smoothly. it will have some some side to side play in it, but it should not be excessive.

just the barrel has an actual bulge in it. it could be at the muzzle, but could also be anywhere along the barrel. this is not something you are likely to run into, but ya never know.

i don't even know if it is part of their official warranty, but, in practice, you can send them pretty much any glock and they will replace anything that needs to be replaced for free (with the possible exception of night sights that are just too old and have lot their brightness--i doubt they would replace those for free). yeah, you just call them and tell them you have a glock that is not working correctly...and then send it to them and they fix it.

The lifespan on most modern firearms FAR exceeds what most shooters put through firearms.

Glocks are good for 10,000's of rounds...most people who shoot a handgun for anything over 5k rounds aren't going to just decide to part with it, one day.
So most of the used guns you see are just guns that people didn't like.

As for what to look for....it depends on the model. A Sig will wear differently than a Glock, than a 1911, etc.

Most small parts are cheap to replace, other than general wear and tear (springs, extractors, etc) most companies will fix broken parts. Don't say it was used, just get the shop to send it back for you. Then they'll have no idea if it's on its 1st or 5th owner.

Check external wear, if you care about that kind of stuff. Check barrel to slide lockup (how much movement there is between the muzzle and the slide - strongly affect accuracy). Other than that, it just kinda depends on the model.

Thanks, both of your answers helped a lot.

[tlgpa]

Try looking at some new handguns and then compare them to used ones. If there's something wrong internally, unless you're an expert, you'll probably never know it.
But a good used handgun should look, feel, and operate like a new one. Also look for scratches, knicks, dings, dirt, grime, etc. (Beyond normal use) Typically someone who allows excessive scratches/dirt in their gun, probably isn't routinely cleaning and maintaining it either.
Check the classifieds on here. Many honest people will tell you how many rounds were fired. People sell used guns with just a couple dozen, to couple hundred rounds fired. That's just broken in and practically new.

[cybersurf]

Check the classifieds on here. Many honest people will tell you how many rounds were fired. People sell used guns with just a couple dozen, to couple hundred rounds fired. That's just broken in and practically new.

I can attest to this as I have purchased a used pistol that was in the classified area on the forum here. I would trust someone of good standing here in the forum before I would trust an unknown dealer or chain store, but that is just my opinion.

[etep513]

Try looking at some new handguns and then compare them to used ones. If there's something wrong internally, unless you're an expert, you'll probably never know it.
But a good used handgun should look, feel, and operate like a new one. Also look for scratches, knicks, dings, dirt, grime, etc. (Beyond normal use) Typically someone who allows excessive scratches/dirt in their gun, probably isn't routinely cleaning and maintaining it either.
Check the classifieds on here. Many honest people will tell you how many rounds were fired. People sell used guns with just a couple dozen, to couple hundred rounds fired. That's just broken in and practically new.

Thanks, I'll make sure to do that.

I can attest to this as I have purchased a used pistol that was in the classified area on the forum here. I would trust someone of good standing here in the forum before I would trust an unknown dealer or chain store, but that is just my opinion.

Thanks, I'll check out the classified section here to see if there is anything that I want to buy.