Buying second-hand handguns is a great way to save a little money or to add to your collection. There are a lot of reasons to buy used guns, and today we are going to make it even easier to buy used guns. We’ll dig through the pros and cons of buying second-hand handguns and how you can get the best bang for your buck.
Why Buy Second-Hand?
There are two main reasons why someone will buy a second-hand firearm.
Saving Money—Guns are like cars. They depreciate as soon as they leave the gun store, and only a few ever appreciate. A second-hand handgun will be cheaper than a new handgun. A lot of times, the savings can be significant, and money saved means more ammo purchased.
It’s the Only Way—If I want to buy an S&W 1006, I can’t go to any S&W dealer and pick one up. It’s been out of production for years and years. If I want one, I’m not finding one new, so I must hit the second-hand market.
The same goes for historic handguns. I’m only getting a Savage M1907 on the second-hand market.
Pros
– Cheaper Guns
– Out-of-Production Guns
What are Our Downsides?
Problematic Guns – Guns can be problematic. Most modern guns are built quite well and often backed by warranties. I’m not that concerned with getting a factory dud but with getting a Bubba special with ‘custom’ mods from a guy who shouldn’t be allowed to own a Dremel.
Worn Out Guns—I would never buy a second-hand competition pistol from a serious competitor. Those guns have seen miles of lead and are likely to give out sooner rather than later.
Broken Guns—Guns do break. If you own a West German P220, you know the roll pins need to be replaced more frequently than other guns, and if you don’t, bad things can happen. This can apply to any number of guns, and if you can’t visually inspect or test-fire the gun, it can be tough to know what you’ll get.
Our cons all have to do with the condition of the gun, and that’s where people get hung up on buying second-hand guns.
Thoughts On the Cons
Let’s mitigate those problems and start by identifying your needs.
- Identify Why You’re Buying It
There are two types of handgun purposes.
We have serious-use firearms. These are the guns you use for concealed carry, home defense, duty, and competition. They must be completely reliable, accurate, ergonomic, and capable.
Most people buying handguns are looking for a serious-use firearm. They don’t want a collectible or wall hanger. They cannot and should not compromise on their firearm selection. This doesn’t mean they can’t purchase a second-hand handgun; it just means they need to be more discerning.
The second type is the just-for-fun gun. This could involve guns you want to own, like a retro-style 1911. It can also be a collectible gun, like an antique Colt Pocket Automatic.
Most of us still want a reliable, accurate, and ergonomic firearm, but we are more willing to compromise. We aren’t buying these guns for serious use, so we can deal with more issues. I enjoy buying problematic fun guns for the opportunity to fix them, or at least try to fix them.
Your first step is to identify the type of purchase you’re making. Is it for serious use? Or is it just for fun?
Research The Aftermarket
If you’re buying a firearm for serious use, I suggest you do extensive research into its aftermarket. If you’re buying a collectible, especially a project, you’ll still want to look at the aftermarket.
For a serious-use gun, you want to first see if it’s out of production. If a firearm is out of production, you’ll rely solely on the aftermarket for repair parts. For some guns, this is easy. There will always be Glock Gen 3 parts around.
I can’t say the same for a S&W Third-Gen gun like the 4506. Finding replacement parts can be difficult, so it might not be the best gun to invest in if I want a duty, competition, or defensive gun. Parts like magazines can become quite expensive due to a lack of production.
More folks collecting guns acknowledge the risk of purchasing a century-old firearm, but the aftermarket might surprise you if the firearm was popular. For example, you can purchase new Colt Pocket Hammerless magazines right now.
Regardless of why you’re buying the gun, you’re doing yourself a service by spending a few minutes researching any aftermarket that might exist.
Research The Gun
One of the most important things you can do is research the gun. Most guns are solid these days; even budget guns have gotten surprisingly nice. However, companies still release lemons.
If you see a Remington R51, you might think, “Why? Remington’s a big company, and this is a cheap gun, so why not pick it up?” A quick search online shows that the Remington R51 was plagued with problems out of the gate.
It doesn’t matter if they make parts for your gun if it sucks, regardless. This research could lead you to learn the gun works great but sucks with hollow points, which might make a difference to you.
Second-Hand Gun Research Suggestions
You can find specific problems with specific handguns and research things like recalls. Even good guns can be subject to recalls, and it’s wise to know if that might be a problem for you.
Additionally, you can research a gun’s warranty. Some companies offer excellent warranties and customer service. I bought a SIG 556R that was ten years old at the time and had issues. I contacted SIG, and they fixed it, even though I wasn’t the first owner.
If a gun is out of production, you can research why it’s out of production. Was it like the Remington R51 and just sucked? Or the company could have transitioned from a steel frame to a more modern polymer frame design.
You should look into potential safety issues when it comes to old guns. Old guns weren’t always built to modern standards. Some second-hand handguns aren’t drop-safe, while others take the Nambu Type 94 route and have an exposed sear that can make the gun fire without touching the trigger.
Finally, when it comes to old guns, make sure you research ammo availability and price. You can get a cheap .32 S&W revolver, but you can’t get a cheap .32 S&W. Sometimes the caliber just doesn’t exist anymore; good luck finding a .32 Rimfire.
Research, research, research!
Find Reputable Dealers
You’ll need to rely on reputable dealers when shopping for second-hand guns. You want honest dealers with a good reputation. If shopping online, like at GunsAmerica, you can research a dealer through their reviews.
You can easily see what the dealer has done and what they have done wrong. A big thing that convinces me to shop with a dealer online is their attention to detail. How many photos do they post?
What are the photos of? Are they close-ups of the gun’s wear parts? With handguns, I want to see the slide open, the barrel, and possibly the slide separated from the frame. I want to see a revolver’s cylinder, the forcing cone, and small parts.
Outside of photos, I want to read detailed overviews of the firearm and its conditions and see notations of potential problems.
Combining the photos and detailed overviews with the dealer’s individual reviews gives me a solid idea of how this dealer sells firearms. If the reviewers comment that the pictures and overview are accurate, I can assume this is an honest dealer.
Inspect It If Possible
If shopping in person, the easiest way to guarantee you’ll purchase a good second-hand gun is to give it a once-over in person. This isn’t always easy, but you should look for a few things if you can.
First, it’s pretty easy to see when a gun is well-worn. Look for frame damage and rust inside and out. Test the controls and ensure the safety moves, the cylinder swings out, and the hammer cocks.
Inspect the slide and slide rails or the forcing cone of a revolver. You don’t need to break out the calipers and gauges. Seeing flakes, rust, and cracks is easy. Make sure you inspect the gun inside and out.
Some guns might be rough on the outside but super clean on the inside. Police trade-ins, for example, are often beaten up outside but rarely shot. Inspecting inside and out can get you a great deal.
Second-Hand Guns – First-Class Experience
Buying second-hand guns is rarely a risk. Guns hold up remarkably well; unlike cars, the problems are often evident and easy to see. It requires a bit of a keen eye and some discerning research, but if you play your cards right, you can save a chunk of money.
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