Any of you bought a gun without holding/testing it out beforehand?

[kazaam]

So I really want to buy a gun (Sig P226 Elite Stainless), but I don't really have enough time (and I'm kind of lazy lol) to go check it out (and I missed the gun show). I don't need it immediately, so I'm gonna try and get a hold of it before I buy, but I've been wanting this gun for a while and I know I'll eventually get it anyway (it's to be my first gun.

Have any of you bought a gun without holding/firing it, and if so, how did your purchase turn out (good, bad, meh)? How irrational would it be if I did actually buy it? lol

 

[el Godfather]

In fact, I bought 226 Elite few weeks back without ever holding it. I have had regular 226 and knew grips are slimmer and SRT. That was enough for me to pick up the Elite. Amazing gun.

 

[wbwanzer]

I've bought four or five handguns over the internet and if I remember correctly, all were what I expected. Of course it's better if you can hold one and even better if you can fire one first.

Are you planning to buy one over the 'net? If not, then of course you be able to at least hold whatever it is that your interested in. By the way, what is it that you're interested in?

 

[BYJO4]

I've bought 4 or 5 guns without handling or actually seeing except for photo. Thus far, all have worked out well.

 

[MarshallDodge]

Under these types of conditions I typically try to purchase the gun used at a low enough price that if I don't like what I get it will be easy to unload.

Years ago I bought a S&W 4043 off gunbroker for $250. When I took it out to shoot I did not care for it that much so I sold it for $275. I didn't really make any money because of shipping, etc. but the loss was minimal.

That is the only gun I have bought off the internet that I didn't try first.

You can't really go wrong with a Sig and resale on them is pretty strong if you end up not liking the gun.

 

[newfalguy101]

I have bought many a gun online without ever touching it..................only once ( so far ) has the pic not been a fair representation of the item I got

 

[Old Fuff]

I have, and frequently, with no serious problems. The trick is to personally know the seller, or to deal with unquestionably responsible dealers.

 

[kazaam]

I dont mean THAT specific gun...I mean that gun in general. For example I want to get a P226 (new), so obviously no one (except factory) has held or shot the weapon, but I've never even held a P226. Is that crazy?

 

[Upstater]

It is not crazy, last week I bought a Walther PPKS .380 sight unseen. I just called my guy told him to order it, it was just one those had to have type things, what can I say.

 

[LiveLife]

If you haven't tried this before buying a pistol, perhaps you should consider it next time. In fact, you can try with your pistols right now.

I always dry fire new pistols (because I can't shoot it). I watch the front sight while the hammer/striker is released to see if the front sight moves. If it does quite a bit, I dry fire other pistols until I find one that doesn't. For me, this is the foundation I build on for accuracy with trigger components polish/trigger job to follow as necessary. If you plan on using the pistol for USPSA/IDPA match shooting, starting off with the right pistol may just give you that added accuracy advantage. YMMV

I recently bought a new Glock 23 and rejected the first two pistols as the front sight "jumped" but the third pistol did not. After dry firing it several times to verify, I bought it.

For used pistol, I always test fire it after a close examination of stripped parts. I dry fire and verify function and accuracy at 7/10/15 yards. I bought a used Glock 22 earlier this year and it was in near new condition with verified accuracy and operation.

Unless you are buying for collecting purposes, I would be hesitant to buy any new/used pistol without dry firing or range testing it first unless the price was really good for a verified condition of very good-to-excellent for some brand/models.

I consider pistols a very personal tool to defend my life with. I wonder if Formula One/Nascar driver would race without having driven the race car first?

 

[Bobo]

Starting six years ago, all the features that I wanted in a my next handgun were:

1) Caliber .45 ACP.
2) High capacity (double stack)
3) Compact grip that also had an extended capacity magazine available.
4) Interchangeable back straps.
5) No manual thumb safety.
6) An accessory rail.
7) A laser sight that did not require a separate function to activate, and did not increase the overall size of the gun was readily available for it.
8) XS Big Dot tritium sights were available for it.

At the time, all the features that I wanted were not available in any gun.

I waited the six years, finally the Springfield XDm 3.8 Compact came out - ordered one without ever seeing an actual gun let alone handling or shooting it.

Added the XS sights and a Crimson Trace Laserguard - not in the least disappointed - exactly what I wanted!!


Bobo

 

[Auto426]

I bought several of my handguns without ever actually holding or testing them. I've also bought a couple of my handguns because after I held one I knew I wanted one. So far I haven't been dissatisfied with any of my purchases.

 

[coalman]

Yes. Once. Glock 30. Worked out fine. With cookie-cutter, mass produced guns that are still stock I have less issue.

 

[wally]

Only some C&R guns, bought them just because they were, neat, old, and different, never any plans to shoot much more than enough to see how they worked.

Modern stuff I want to handle first, and shoot first if at all possible -- try yours try mine gun exchanges at our club help out a lot.

 

[barnbwt]

TRR8, FNAR, MP161K, FN49, more to come I'm sure

I actually have better luck buying online, since I'm more liable to do a ton or research and ask for opinions around here before buying. The only purchase I've been unhappy (much too strong a word) with was a Franchi I-12 I bought in person with less than the usual research. Come to find it doesn't fit me well (not necessarily the guns' fault) and shakes like crazy as it cycles under recoil (an issue I would have known of and avoided had I done my homework). Sold it to finance a Five-seveN I'd been checking out for months; much happier now

TCB

 

[316SS]

I actually have better luck buying online, since I'm more liable to do a ton or research and ask for opinions around here before buying.

This. I've only done it once, but I spent literally days researching online. Also, it was the universally well-regarded CZ75B (unless you're jmr40), so I felt OK ordering it without having handled it. I live in a somewhat isolated place, so the likelihood of finding one to handle without driving several hours was slim. Worked out great, I love it. It is actually the SAO version, and it is sweet.

 

[Jaymo]

I ordered my new Ruger .44 Special Blackhawk from my LGS without handling one first.
Turns out, I don't like the skinny checkered "cheesegrater" grips. I found out just how badly I dislike them after taking it to the range that same day and shooting fifty rounds through it.
I replaced the grips with custom grips from Private's Custom Grips, and I now love the way it feels/handles.

 

[vamo]

Go to bass pro and ask to see the gun, tell them you want to think about it. Then go to buds and order it for $100 cheaper.

 

[kingkeoni]

All the time.

Buy it and if it doesn't feel quite right, buy another gun.

If that gun gets old on you, buy another one.

Eventually, you'll fill the safe.

Good luck.

 

[LiveLife]

 

[Dr.Rob]

Yes bought an FEG Hi-Power sight unseen after shooting a BHP. Back then the PJK9HP was a true clone. No regrets.

 

[Robbins290]

yes, and I will never do it again. I went to a dealer and wanted a subcompact 9mm for a woods gun and carry piece. he ordered me a ruger p95. it was not a compact at all. turned out to be a nice gun but I didn't need another full size. then I handle a new s&w 3913 and loved it

 

[wbwanzer]

I'll chime in again. You state in post #1 that this will be your first gun. You are interested in the SIG 226. If you buy that without playing with one first, that would be silly. If you owned similar guns or had some experience with this gun then buying sight unseen might be OK.

Definetly go hold one at least.

 

[Krzyshng]

About a year or so ago while gun shopping for my wife's carry piece I bought a Smith and Wesson Bodyguard .38 at her request. She had been to the shop and held the thing, it fit her criteria and felt significantly better in her hand than anything else she tried. She had decided she wanted a revolver because physically she could not rack the slides of many autos and did not want a hammer for fear of getting it snagged on anything.

In the end after giving it a fair trial she realized she did not like it. Neither did I. This was to be her first carry gun but she was not new to shooting. So sometimes even if you have handled it and it is good on paper it might not work out.

If this is your first gun ask yourself how much experience you have and if you know what you prefer and what works well for you. The Sig 226 is a great weapon and my personal favorite but I'd at least hold one first, its not a particularly hard gun to find locally.

Sent from my DROID X2 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Undrpsi]

Yes...kinda...

So, I wanted a .44 magnum revolver. I have had several in the past...a 7-1/4" Ruger Blackhawk, a 6'' Redhawk, and a WELL USED model 29 in 6"....so I knew, going forward, I liked the caliber...and that I shot it ok.

Well, I saw a new Taurus .44 mag Ultralite snubnose...the titanium/stainless one and I thought.."WOW...that looks wicked" So I ordered it.

Got it in..took it to the range..and found that, for me, it was UNSHOOTABLE. The combination of 1-7/8" barrel and ultra lightweght made it unstable for me (5'6" 160lbs) even though I shoot all the other large calibers. To be fair, the 50AE is a Desert Eagle, the 357 mag is 4" solid steel Ruger, and, like I said, the other 44 mags I have are LARGER pistols. The recoil was like holding your hand out and letting someone hit it with a hammer. I tried soft(er) 44 mag and even 44 special...the gun was just too light. I traded it almost even for a brand new Sig P238. Of course, I had only shot about a box through it...but it was a valuable lesson...

Jay