Buying New vs Pre-owned...

[O.S.O.K.]

Used to be that I would definately gravitate to buying new. However, as I've gotten older I've found myself buying used/pre-owned more and more.

Especially when I can inspect the firearm. I am picky about what brands I buy used - staying with quality.

My last purchase was a Sig P-220 and it seems to be another good decision - this one coming from a big wholesaler - SOG. Haven't shot it yet, but it looks great and functions perfectly as far as I can tell. Saved about $300 over a new one.

The way I figure it, once I take a new pistol to the range and shoot it, it's instantly "used" and most pieces lose value like a car, so why buy brand spankin new if a used one is available?

Opinions?

ETA: (pic of Sig)

 

[joab]

I have bought new three times, that I can remember, out of more than a hundred
I also rarely buy from dealers anymore
As soon as you plink the money down the gun is used and you will not get your money back and any dealer wants to feed his family

I look for deals good enough that I can actually make a little if I sell it i the future
if i don't feel that I can at least recoup my money after using the gun I won't even consider the purchase

 

[Ala Dan]

Some tremendous savings can be had upon buying pre-owned firearms~!

Just know what to look for, and study the areas of concern for the particular
weapon you are interested in~!

 

[JHansenAK47]

Another thing is some of the used pistols out there got less than 500 rds through them. The way I figure you have to shoot at least 500 just to make sure they are broken in. Besides all the steals are usually used pistols.

 

[CU74]

I look for LEO trade-ins. Typically in dire need of a good cleaning but not shot much. CDNN and J&G seem to have an "in" with some of the larger police departments and occasionally have decent prices.

 

[camacho]

As long as you know what to look for when inspecting a gun, and it seems like you do. Would not advise that for a newbie but for a person who knows firearms well it can be quite beneficial.

 

[igpoobah]

Used pretty much all the way for me.

For various reasons...

 

[pittspilot]

I bought my STI Spartan used with probably 100 rounds put through it for 200.00 less then the 599 new price.

I usually like to put the first round through a gun, but the 200 took the sting off of that.

 

[YosemiteSam357]

Depends on the piece. Sometimes what I want is no longer made or available. Sometimes I can get a "new" model for within $50-100 of what people are asking for used, these days. For that, it's worth the warranty, newness, etc (to me).

I've run into both situations recently, in fact...

-- Sam

 

[Old Fuff]

I prefer the generally better hand craftsmanship found in older guns - not to mention the lack of some newer features dictated by some lawyer. Add to this some considerable savings in cost. Sometimes they will beat the street price of a new gun even though the older one is like-new and in the box. At the other end of the scale I also look for "cripples," guns that can can be easily brought up to speed, but have some problem that causes them to be sharply discounted because the owner/seller doesn't want to pay for the repairs themselves.

On one occasion I bought a Colt Official Police Mk. III .38 revolver for peanuts because the cylinder was out of time. Got home, pulled the sideplate off, and found the cylinder bolt spring had been assembled backwards. I turned the spring around. put back the sideplate, and this like-new revolver worked like it was..... like new.

So from my persprctive, others are welcome to the new stuff.

 

[Quoheleth]

Besides all the steals are usually used pistols.

Ummm...I think you mean "steel" - all metal - and not "steal" - taken without owner's permission.

Here in Houston, I bet that the "steals" aren't "steel" at all.

Sorry...been helping my wife grade spelling papers. Becoming trained to notice these things. Combat grading tactics...I can draw my red pen and fire a 8-10 checkmark group faster than Jerry Mikulek (sic) any day.

Just don't ask me to do that with my GP100!

Q

 

[igpoobah]

OR......

Ummm...I think you mean "steel" - all metal - and not "steal" - taken without owner's permission.

Actually, I believe JHansenAK47 meant it like "I got it so cheap I practically stole it"

 

[Walkalong]

I turned the spring around. put back the sideplate, and this like-new revolver worked like it was..... like new.

There is a certain advantage to being highly knowledgeable about things like that, as you are. That one must have felt really good.

 

[jahwarrior]

whenever i buy a gun, i pretty much assume i'm going to keep it, so the resale thing doesn't factor in for me. of the 6 handguns i've bought, 4 are used, though you couldn't tell by looking at them. i've never had cause to complain about them.

 

[outofbattery]

I wouldn't want to own a firearm unless it can stand up to a reasonable level of use without having any problems so buying used bothers me not one bit.If a decent degree of common sense is used,one can figure out about how much a firearm has been used and how it's been treated.Therefore,it doesn't matter to me if someone else decided to buy new,break it in and lose a couple hundred bucks if it doesn't work out for them.I raised the ire of someone here once that it's possible to have a decent number of fine handguns such as SIG's without spending over $500 on any individual one.I'm glad that there are people out there willing to eat the depriciation who must have brand new,or else I wouldn't be able to bottom feed myself some bargains. Some guns tend to look far,far worse than they perform but it means that early police trade in P226's,for example,are far too good to be passed up vs something like a new Sigma for more $.

 

[MustangHowie]

I hardly ever even look at new, I go strait for the used ones. I have bought a few new but most are used. Good deals to be had on ones others didn't like and never used.

 

[poppy]

I am a huge fan of buying used. There are some down sides, like buying a lemon, but when I stick to major known quality brands, I have found some great deals.

About the only time I buy new is when I lose patience and need/what the pistol now. That was the case with my new Ruger MKIII Hunter. I didn't have the patience to wait for any to hit the used market, plus a gun show dealer had a good deal on one ($400 plus tax).

There is another reason for buying NIB. Sometimes, pistols like FN Hi Powers are being clearanced and are better deals new than used. I picked up a nice polished blue 40 S&W FN HP with walnut grips and 3 mags, plus cleaning kit from an internet dealer for $400 plus $25 shipping and transfer. The NIB deal has dryed up and I now see "used" ones for $500 or more.

Despite the above examples, most of my purchases are used deals from private sellers.

 

[HisSoldier]

Our local sporting goods store, with two cases full of good new guns, plus plastic stuff, said he will never sell used, nor buy used because of a liability window. He said that new guns are free from lawsuits for the seller, all liability goes back to the manufacturer, while with used the liability goes to the seller.
So the only used guns around here are in the pawnshop.

 

[Storm]

I love buying used guns. I also buy new guns, but generally when I have no other choice. I especially like used guns that are mechanically fine that just need a little extra remedial external care. Here's one I found the other day, an Astra 3000 (admittedly an old and used gun).

 

[Old Fuff]

Walkalong:

And there was another Colt I got even cheaper, and didn't even bother to take it apart. All that was necessary was to hit it with a hammer.

Well O.K., it wasn't exactly a hammer like you're thinking of. This one had a plastic head.

This poor ol' Army Special, made during the 1920's, had a sprung crane, and because of it the cylinder wouldn't carry up (fully revolve from chamber to chamber). A wack in the right place straightened the crane, and the gun was good to go, with timing dead on.

My hammer has a fabulous reputation...

 

[alucard0822]

most of the firearms I own are considered "used". Trouble is, most of the pistols that I like, and cherish the most were made before I was born. I do have some guns I bought new, as new production tends to give you a better selection of the modern and mundane, and the ability to order what you want. Half the fun is to search and find that special, unique bargain that cannot be simply bought anywhere. Tokarevs, Makarovs, 1911s, old S&Ws, p-08 lugers, p-38s, PPKs, colts, CZs and the list goes on. I can buy several surplus, or broken firearms, only to spend a little bit of time repairing and cleaning them up, or a single overpriced plastic pistol in the calibre du jour.

As soon as my 30 days of drooling infringement is up (MD 1 gun a month law) I am going after a mint Colt frontier scout special edition, with 22LR and 22WMR cylinders, REAL stag grips, deep blue with gold lettering, all in a wood velvet and glass presentation box, for less than the NEW bearcat a couple cases over, after that, perhaps the clean TT-33 down the street priced less than a NIB kel-tec

 

[O.S.O.K.]

hmm

seems that most here agree with me - unless the guys that buy strictly new just aren't replying

I added a pic of my Sig to the first post - it's really nice - only some edge wear - bore looks brand spanking new and the slide is tight. I think this is one of the carried a lot, shot little ones.

 

[ftierson]

Well, I might as well chime in then...

Personally, I like to buy new (depending on the price, of course).

I do sometimes buy used stuff, but it's always something that I have inspected before buying and that is in perfect shape.

Not that I like to scratch my guns up or anything, but I like any scratches on my guns to be mine, if you catch my drift.

But, obviously, that's just me...



Forrest

 

[ftierson]

By the way, OSOK, that's a nice SIG...

Forrest

 

[O.S.O.K.]

thanks

I buy new when there's no other choice to get that model of firearm or when that's the only way I can find what I'm looking for or if its a new gun at a used gun price.

Otherwise, I go for the pre-owned and after adding a few wear marks of my own, they all become mine in due course