With my tax return coming in I've been thinking about finally spending the money on a 9mm or .40 S&W pistol. A recent trip to a local gunshop yielded a Beretta 92G and 92D, used, for $399, box and such included.
First off; is this as good a deal as it sounds? A brand new Beretta 92FS goes, retail, for $599. They were over-selling it at the location for $650, so I'm not really keen on that, but for a gun with only a bit of visible wear on the barrel (no rust or pitting; just a spot that looks like it needs to be re-blued) is this a bad price?
Second; safety. The salesman was kind enough to inform me that both models had no true safety mechanism, just a decocker. On this I'd like to know...
A; How big of an issue is this? I try my hardest to practice gun safety above all else. It was drilled into my head even when I was handling a BB gun in front of my dad. I know the basics; don't leave a loaded gun laying around, always check for a round in the chamber, make sure the safety is on when not in use, don't put your finger on the trigger unless you intend to shoot, etc. Does anybody have any experience with firearms with no true safety other than the user or any tips? (in terms of carrying in this case)
B; Are there modifications available to make the safety lock the trigger as well? This is probably unlikely, but I figured worth a shot to ask.
Other than that, any thoughts? I'm trying to approach this carefully; its my first semi-automatic and first pistol that isn't a .22 LR. I saw some other firearms in the store that were within my price range (around $500), but might have missed some. Any suggestions on other models? I can go closer to $600 but am trying to be a bit reasonable on price (thus why I'm looking at used firearms.)
First off; is this as good a deal as it sounds? A brand new Beretta 92FS goes, retail, for $599. They were over-selling it at the location for $650, so I'm not really keen on that, but for a gun with only a bit of visible wear on the barrel (no rust or pitting; just a spot that looks like it needs to be re-blued) is this a bad price?
Second; safety. The salesman was kind enough to inform me that both models had no true safety mechanism, just a decocker. On this I'd like to know...
A; How big of an issue is this? I try my hardest to practice gun safety above all else. It was drilled into my head even when I was handling a BB gun in front of my dad. I know the basics; don't leave a loaded gun laying around, always check for a round in the chamber, make sure the safety is on when not in use, don't put your finger on the trigger unless you intend to shoot, etc. Does anybody have any experience with firearms with no true safety other than the user or any tips? (in terms of carrying in this case)
B; Are there modifications available to make the safety lock the trigger as well? This is probably unlikely, but I figured worth a shot to ask.
Other than that, any thoughts? I'm trying to approach this carefully; its my first semi-automatic and first pistol that isn't a .22 LR. I saw some other firearms in the store that were within my price range (around $500), but might have missed some. Any suggestions on other models? I can go closer to $600 but am trying to be a bit reasonable on price (thus why I'm looking at used firearms.)