LE trade ins

I have a small collection of Police Trade in guns. I don't think that I have ever gotten a bad one, some with a bit of finish wear but never a bad one. Back to the Glock, if I could find a good clean gen 3 for around $300 I would call it a deal. I am looking for a G22 or 23 right now but I don't want to pay more then $280 or so for it. The smaller size guns (G19/23) seem to run more then the full size (G17/22).

Best of luck
WB
 
I have a couple of Police tradeins and I'm happy with them. I did get to see them in person and was able to look through dozens before choosing one.
 
I agree, the LE trade-ins can be cosmetically challenged but frequently the interiors look hardly used; carried a lot and shot a little.
 
Police trade in pistols are a great value. some carry wear but normally almost no wear from high round counts. Gen 3 pistols are solid and lots of aftermarket parts (also the new Ruger RXM uses Gen 3 glock parts, so you might see a "resurgence" of gen 3 stuff coming out).

Another advantage is if you happen to have a reason to travel through or to Atlanta, you can take any pistol into the Glock hq and they will go over the pistol from top to bottom and replace anything that doesn't meet spec. In the past this was all free, might call to see if that's still the case. But you have to take it in, you can't send it to them AFAIK. I live local and did that with one I bought years ago. Normally takes about an hour (from checking into the gates to driving out) but worth it IMHO.
 
I have a couple of the 45 GAP trade-ins that were $300 with 300rnds of ammo, I found some extra mags also @ 3 for $20, I'm still shooting them and the only thing I did was clean them up and replace 1 spring that I thought looked iffy. I found some LEO trade-in S&W M&Ps at an auction and purchased them for $200 for a 40S&W and $225ea for 2 45acp, All I've done to them was clean them up and purchase some extra mags (about $35ea).
 
kje54 said:
Took me taking a Dremel and sandpaper to the grips to get me to at least be okay with them but I'm just okay with them. They are far from being my favorites and mine are fast becoming safe queens.
Click to expand...
Kje54's reference above, to Glocks: That's pretty much the same for me...grip work, that is. Accuracy has held up as fair over ~3000 rounds of jacketed only ammunition (3+" at 25 yds from rest). Neither of my two G19's was a LE turn-in however.

As to LE turn in's in general, I've had three: two M66 Smiths which needed a thorough cleaning and a bit of file and gun blue treatment to the rear sight blades, and a M67 that could use the same rear sight blade treatment due to bumps and knocks, but is otherwise outstanding. It has the best DA and SA triggers of any Smith I've ever owned. Both 66's were excellent in that regard as well.

All of that notwithstanding, I'd not buy any used handgun without personally conducting a careful examination.
Best regards, Rod
 
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The average cop gun gets carried a lot. Rained on. Dust. Dirt. Bangs into car doors. Inspected regularly and, fired a few times a year. None of that will do much to a Glock.

Then you have people like me. Free ammo? I’m in. But, in the ten years before we traded in guns, still not much for a Glock.

Same with squad cars. Some are detective cars. Admins. Some get driven like normal cars.

And, then, my cars. I was a legend at the city shop for blowing up transmissions. Engines. Brakes. Even grenaded the rear end in a Crown Vic. (They told they’d never seen that before. Mechanic told me when he took the cover off, the ring and pinion poured out like pea gravel. Except the piece that came out through the housing).

But. The outsides always looked good!
 
sgt127 said:
The average cop gun gets carried a lot. Rained on. Dust. Dirt. Bangs into car doors. Inspected regularly and, fired a few times a year. None of that will do much to a Glock. Then you have people like me. Free ammo? I’m in. But, in the ten years before we traded in guns, still not much for a Glock.

Same with squad cars. Some are detective cars. Admins. Some get driven like normal cars.

And, then, my cars. I was a legend at the city shop for blowing up transmissions. Engines. Brakes. Even grenaded the rear end in a Crown Vic. (They told they’d never seen that before. Mechanic told me when he took the cover off, the ring and pinion poured out like pea gravel. Except the piece that came out through the housing).

But. The outsides always looked good!
Click to expand...
That post of yours, Sgt127, got me laughing....as a civilian who collects cop stories from more than a dozen buddies on the job, your tale of woe matches a cpl others I've run across. In particular, according to local scuttlebutt, one of our town's more illustrious/obnoxious council members bought a county cruiser at auction (at which, he was the sole bidder)...and then spent several years replacing parts that randomly fell off, much to the amusement of the town folk.

Good deals are few and far between in this life, but cha gotta know the game before ya roll the dice, ...caveat emptor...you pays your money & you takes your chance, etc.!

Thnx for the laugh....Rod (Below is a M67 Smith that I found, examined carefully and bought with complete satisfaction. It hasn't ridden in a squad for more than 25 yrs, but is as smooth and accurate as the day it was foaled up in Springfield. Louisville Police crest on left frame.)

1741982863561.png ​
 
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I once saw a box of LE trade ins at a local gun shop. They were all colt or smith & wesson 357 revolvers. They looked well used to me. Some were SS and others were blued. The blued ones looked to have most of the bluing gone.

I only handled a few of them but the ones I looked at were pretty dirty.

Did not appeal to me.

Good sized box. Must have been at least twenty of them in generic boxes. Some reportedly came with holsters or speed loaders or both, but the ones I looked at did not.
 
Rodfac said:
and then spent several years replacing parts that randomly fell off, much to the amusement of the town folk.
Click to expand...

More than I can share in a lifetime… Here’s another.

It was the Fourth of July. We had a huge lake, with big crowds on holidays. I was out doing cop stuff. Driving around. Decided to shortcut through a field. Crown Vics are notoriously tough cars. I’ve done obscene things to them and, they generally took it.

Went down a little ditch and, couldn’t make it up the other side. Wheels spinning in the grass. Backed up a little and heard a crunch. Got out of the ditch and something sounded funny.

I broke a tailpipe mount and kinda bent the tail pipe into the tire.

It would take an hour to get a wrecker out there.

Lacking the Texas fix for everything, baling wire, I rooted around in my trunk. Found flex cuffs. Good start. But. I was afraid they’d melt. (I was a Sergeant…I get paid to think). Spare handcuffs. So, I Daisy chained a mount with the handcuff around the tail pipe. Flex cuff in the mount. Stuck a baton in the tailpipe for leverage and, snugged everything up. Nothing rubbed. The left tail pipe was a little lower than the right, but. It worked.

Next morning, took it to the shop. As usual, my favorite mechanic, Freddy, rolled his eyes. What did you break?

I think the left tailpipe may be loose.

He puts it on the lift. And stares. Looks at me. “Am I seeing what I think I see? Are those handcuffs on your tailpipe?”

Yes.

He gets the fleet manager, another friend of mine. He compliments me on my field expedient repairs. And starts taking pictures…

“Buddy, every year we have a national fleet managers meeting. People will tell stories and show pictures of the most bizarre crap they’ve seen…I won’t have to talk about bent wheels. Smashed oil pans. Bent trailers….thanks! You made my day…”
 
sgt127 said:
And, then, my cars. I was a legend at the city shop for blowing up transmissions. Engines. Brakes. Even grenaded the rear end in a Crown Vic. (They told they’d never seen that before. Mechanic told me when he took the cover off, the ring and pinion poured out like pea gravel. Except the piece that came out through the housing).

But. The outsides always looked good!
Click to expand...
This is great😆

I've got an LE trade in myself, a Smith M&P40. I've probably put 6k rounds thru it without a hitch. I wouldn't think twice about getting another trade in, as most I have seen in person as well have been very good. Like anything else, if you can inspect it before you buy, that's better.
 
The LE trade firearms I have bought all had more cosmetic wear than internal. Many have looked like new on the inside, even if demolished on the outside. Well used, even if only shot to qualify...
 
sgt127 said:
More than I can share in a lifetime… Here’s another.
Click to expand...
sgt127 said:
It was the Fourth of July. We had a huge lake, with big crowds on holidays. I was out doing cop stuff. Driving around. Decided to shortcut through a field. Crown Vics are notoriously tough cars. I’ve done obscene things to them and, they generally took it.

Went down a little ditch and, couldn’t make it up the other side. Wheels spinning in the grass. Backed up a little and heard a crunch. Got out of the ditch and something sounded funny.

I broke a tailpipe mount and kinda bent the tail pipe into the tire.

It would take an hour to get a wrecker out there.

Lacking the Texas fix for everything, baling wire, I rooted around in my trunk. Found flex cuffs. Good start. But. I was afraid they’d melt. (I was a Sergeant…I get paid to think). Spare handcuffs. So, I Daisy chained a mount with the handcuff around the tail pipe. Flex cuff in the mount. Stuck a baton in the tailpipe for leverage and, snugged everything up. Nothing rubbed. The left tail pipe was a little lower than the right, but. It worked.

Next morning, took it to the shop. As usual, my favorite mechanic, Freddy, rolled his eyes. What did you break?

I think the left tailpipe may be loose.

He puts it on the lift. And stares. Looks at me. “Am I seeing what I think I see? Are those handcuffs on your tailpipe?”

Yes.

He gets the fleet manager, another friend of mine. He compliments me on my field expedient repairs. And starts taking pictures…

“Buddy, every year we have a national fleet managers meeting. People will tell stories and show pictures of the most bizarre crap they’ve seen…I won’t have to talk about bent wheels. Smashed oil pans. Bent trailers….thanks! You made my day…”
Click to expand...

Sgt127....LOL....OK, there are enough of you guys from the long blue line, here on THR, to give us an LEO "war story" thread. To appease the Monitors (who I suspect would approve this endeavor anyway), tie them in with our mutual THR appreciation for, as Sam Colt put it, Equalizers of the firearms genre. Hell, Joseph Wambaugh made a living writing about them!

Handfuffs...My FIL's Border Patrol Retired Badge, and Handcuffs reside in a shadow box on a shelf in my den....Son #2 carried those cuffs as a Marine MP during the Afghanistan years. There's not a day when I don't look up to them with respect. FIL was a Silver Star recipient with the 5th Marines on Guadalcanal & Peleliu. With three Purple Hearts, he was the Real Deal...and I was very respectful when dating his daughter!

Best regards, and all kidding aside, Thanks very much for your service, Rod
 
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sgt127 said:
The average cop gun gets carried a lot. Rained on. Dust. Dirt. Bangs into car doors. Inspected regularly and, fired a few times a year. None of that will do much to a Glock.

Then you have people like me. Free ammo? I’m in. But, in the ten years before we traded in guns, still not much for a Glock.

Same with squad cars. Some are detective cars. Admins. Some get driven like normal cars.

And, then, my cars. I was a legend at the city shop for blowing up transmissions. Engines. Brakes. Even grenaded the rear end in a Crown Vic. (They told they’d never seen that before. Mechanic told me when he took the cover off, the ring and pinion poured out like pea gravel. Except the piece that came out through the housing).

But. The outsides always looked good!
Click to expand...
Sounds like we had similar careers. Except I love GLOCK.
 
I have 20 or more le trades. I have one that looks like hell. A 410 Smith but I suspect the finish on those was just garbage anyway. Function was fine.

All the Glock, sig, hk, and Beretta I've bought looked fine and shot great. Most have some scuffs on the grip where the gun rubs the seat belt.

269-299 is the most I've paid for a glock. Recoil gunworks, kings, and aim surplus are 3 I've used a lot.
 
Of the 5 Glocks I own 3 are LE trade ins. The first was a G17 gen4 that had a rub spot on the right side of the grip. The G22 Gen 4 looked un issued and the G19 Gen3 has some use but checked out good. I took these to a friend who was his dept armour and he checked them out and all were good to go. I've pondered picking up a G21 SF and still on the fence since I have all 1911's.
 
IMG_0156.jpeg
Love my .357 S&W 65 police trade in, reminds me of the model 10 I carried when I started in LE in 1969.

Very tight action, very accurate, any scratches were taken care of with a gray ScotchBrite pad.

If you look closely, you can see the etched rack # just below the cylinder.
 
Speedo66 said:
View attachment 1255624
Love my .357 S&W 65 police trade in, reminds me of the model 10 I carried when I started in LE in 1969.

Very tight action, very accurate, any scratches were taken care of with a gray ScotchBrite pad.

If you look closely, you can see the etched rack # just below the cylinder.
Click to expand...
You letter that? It might be an Officers badge number. That’s pretty cool.

I’ve got one stamped DPD (Dallas) on the butt.

Also this one. From Ling Tempco Vought. Huge Military aircraft manufacturer.

1742147301068.jpeg
 
Trade-in guns can be a good deal, but ...

It may sometimes be a roll of the dice, depending on how they became and were handled as 'trade-ins'.

It used to be (dunno if it's changed) that individual cops might get $250 for a trade-in, and LE agencies would work out whatever deal they could with Glock, and/or their Glock LE distributor. However, it also depended whether Glock was directly taking the guns back in, or a local dealer/distributor was directly taking them in and reselling them. Glock has always said it inspects and refurbs the Glocks it takes in on trade, but if it's handled by a dealer and they aren't returned to Glock? You'd have to ask the dealer whether the guns were inspected and refurbed?

Now, coming across a NIB/never-issued gun, leaving some agency's inventory and ending up being sold by some dealer/distributor, is always a happy occurrence. I'd speculate the more common occurrence is that some duty weapons that were carried a lot, with whatever minimal attention paid to maintenance might've been paid to it by the owner, issued user and/or an agency armorer, is more the rule than the exception.

Also kinda depends how long a particular weapon might've been in-service, too. Sometimes it's decided to trade off older duty weapons because they're reaching a point where it's not worth the money and time to keep them running, and quicker and less costly to just trade them and buy new ones. I remember one company who would take components from old duty weapons and sell the used parts.
 
Some of you all waaaaaaay over think this. Sounds more like a rationalization on why you don't buy any.............
 
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