How long?

[Speedo66]

Sometimes even large brands don’t get it right, witness the fiasco with the Remington pistols a few years ago.

Early adaptors certainly didn’t do well there.

After all the negative articles and forum reports, they had a poor product on their hands with little resale value.

 

[Ed4032]

I'm too old to wait any longer than a day or two.

I too old to buy green bananas.

 

[Legionnaire]

Years ago, I told Ruger that if they built a GP100 in .44 Special I'd buy one. They did and I did ... an early one. It got sent back to Ruger to fix a couple issues including inconsistent and over-sized chamber throats. They fixed it, I'm happy. Same thing with Henry's Single Shot in .357 Magnum. Wrote the company, bought one of the very first ones. Sent it back for a trigger recall. They fixed it, I'm happy.

So if it's something I have wanted since before it was available, I'll jump on it right away and help the company get the kinks out.

 

[.308 Norma]

I was really wanting a Ruger Wrangler. I was about to bite the hook then started seeing the cracked frame reports. It does pay to wait on some things.

Yeah, it kind of a "sour grapes" thing, isn't it? At least it always is for me. I mean, I feel glad I waited to buy a certain gun because I know I would have been extremely disappointed in it when it failed. But darn it - I really wanted one of those guns before I found out how they failed other people that bought them!

 

[bassjam]

I wait until they start showing up on the used market for reasonable prices. I don't generally buy new guns unless they're unique enough that you can't really find used ones.

 

[Rexster]

I generally wait several years. One time, when I did not, I was bitten, hard, three times: Kimber, two Classic Customs, and a Stainless Gold Match, 1997 to about 1999. What hurt, so bad, was losing the guns I sold/traded to buy those Kimbers, and how much I lost when dumping the Kimbers, in 2002.

It was not user error, as my Colt Governments and Les Baers, with the same operating procedures, owned during that same time, ran quite reliably.

 

[defjon]

If it's a brand new design that isn't based on an existing system there may be bugs the engineering didn't expect.

Take the p238 sig released based on the Mustang from colt. It still had some issues I think upon release. 938 moreso at first, but that was adapting to a much more powerful cartridge

 

[Demi-human]

Unfortunately, I usually don’t find out about new things quickly, thanks to this awesome rock I live under.
I haven’t bought a Glock yet, but I’ve been thinking about it.

I pre ordered a Valkyrie barrel, I may have pre ordered a 6ARC, but I haven’t truly broken in the Valk yet!

I don’t know which group I’m in.

 

[.308 Norma]

I haven’t bought a Glock yet, but I’ve been thinking about it.

 

[Rembrandt]

I've actually bought guns even before they went into production based on preliminary reports.

Browning offered a (run of 5000) reproductions of the model 52 Winchester, ordered three of them, waited nearly a year before they began arriving to the dealers. They were everything advertised and a bit more. Browning also took pre-orders for reproduction Model 12's. Ordered a high grade in both 12 & 20 gauge. Unfortunately two years went by and they still hadn't arrived, cancelled that order and bought something else.

Arnie Boberg was taking pre-orders for the Boberg XR9S. One of the first 300 produced. Came when promised and met all expectations. No regrets, bought a second one for one of the boys. Superb piece of workmanship, great carry piece.

Tony Knight had just introduced his MK-85 in-line black powder rifles, bought one of the first ever produced and have been using it ever since. Early ones featured Lothar-Walther barrels and Timney triggers. Much better than later production that used Green Mountain barrels. Only regret was that the second year of production Knight offered stainless barrels.

Ordered one of the first Magnum Research Desert Eagles in 44 magnum, later came out with a stainless steel framed one about a year later.....which I traded my first one for.

Have several first run (.22 cal.) GSG 1911's, only issue was later upgrading the plastic guide rods.

 

[buddyd157]

How long would you wait to buy a new firearm before you feel confident the bugs have been worked out and it will be popular and reliable.

what i have done thus far is, watch a few great review videos of what ever gun i want, from some of the best you tube people that there are.

then go to the LGS, and buy it.

my local range rents guns, but they do not have the newest models, like you speak of.

 

[nofendertom]

I am still waiting for Glock to work the kinks out and get it right.

 

[.308 Norma]

I am still waiting for Glock to work the kinks out and get it right.

Sorry to tell you this nofendertom, but you ain't got that much time left.
Just kidding around Glock fans. I love both of my Glocks.

 

[Riomouse911]

I don’t think I’ve ever bought a newly-minted gun other than the H&K USP .45 (Hated it, sold it) and the Ruger LCP .380 (Liked it, kept it even after buying the LCP II that I like more.)

All my other stuff is either a used-auction purchase or (if bought new) at least a few years in production before I’ll buy it.

Stay safe.

 

[giggitygiggity]

I give it a year. If there aren’t widespread bugs, I buy with confidence. If there are bugs, then I give it another year and any bugs are usually gone.

 

[czhen]

Mostly I do wait for the gral approval of THR.

 

[JohnKSa]

There's no fixed amount of time. It depends a lot on the information available on the specific firearm. On at least one occasion, I've actually run out and bought a gun as soon as I could find one available. Reviews were good and the company had a great reputation for quality and good customer service so I wasn't concerned.