Used guns

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I find there is very little being made now that surpasses the quality of older firearms. S&W is a perfect example. I love older S&W's, but am not interested in the least in anything new from S&W.
Colt revolvers are a passion of mine these days, and its hard to find those NIB any more.

Not to mention, you are very very seldom going to find a new gun that is a great deal.
I have purchased many used guns that were purchased by myself at an undervalued price, and have now either appreciated or been sold for a profit.

I have been burned a few times with used gun purchases, however, and in each case it involved internet guns that were not as described. In all but one or two cases the guns were sent back and a refund received.

I have only ever bought 1 new gun, and feel I overpaid considering a used gun of the same model is about $150 less right now, but oh well.
 
As my tastes to classic Smith and Wesson revolvers, I've only purchased one new handgun in 30 years. I've never had any problems with any of my used purchases.
 
Depends on what moves one to buy -

...

Back, some 7yrs ago when my first gun, a Beretta Px4 40 developed trigger sting in cold temps and then just after the 4K mark the sting became full time until the gun warmed up, I sent it back to BUSA, and when it became apparent that it was gonna take 3 months or longer for them to deal with it, I bought my first, of 2, nice used Sig P229 non-railed 40's for less than the price of a NIB one, if I could have found a non-railed NIB.

The first one I bought from a gun bud and knew how to check it out, inside and out and it passed muster. It had around 2000 rounds on it and it now has just over 6K flawless rounds, and the other one I found at my LGS tucked away under the glass and it had less than 1K on it but the DA trigger pull was very gritty.

A little clean-up, Eezox treatments, 1 Wolff 17lb mainspring in one and another Wolff 18lb mainspring in the other and both became great shooters, 6yrs later with 6K flawless rounds on each with no light strikes ever. They both have proved their worth and pleasure in the money I saved a/o invested.

Oh, and 6 months later BUSA sent me a new Px4 40/G w/D spring with my night sights on from the other gun and 3 extra new mags. Still have that gun with 4K flawless rounds and no trigger sting.

Good guns usually have good owners and it's just a matter of their in need of money or money for a new project more so than it was a lemon but -

Visual inspections are the_key and pay-off in spades with the money one saves over new if one finds a used gun and it checks out - good to go

OMMV


Ls
 
Bought a Mossberg 500 new. I would have bought it used if I had been able to find one locally. But it was only about $180, so that was ok. Bought a RIA 1911 .45 new for around $350. My 642 was new. Everything else used, mostly pre-war stuff. Not planning to buy anything else new (or even post-war).
 
I've bought a LOT of "used" guns.

About fifteen years ago, first year I had my C&R, a pharmacist friend offered me a box of guns he'd inherited from an uncle. Uncle was a WW2 vet he went "up the boot" collecting 1934 Berettas, Lugers from 1916, 1920, 1937, and the 40s, P38s, couple of Colts, and more (even a Steyr-Hahn from 1911). Got 24 guns for $4,000. Sold one Luger and it paid for the other 23.

Have since sold, traded and bought quite a few more and with the near exception of one used 3d generation Colt Peacemaker I'm sending out for some 'smithing as it just wasn't "right" when I got it from the seller (some would say that ALL 3d generation Colts are suspect but I won't debate that here), with a broken hammer safety notch, but for the price I can afford to have a new hammer installed.

But new guns?

I bought an HK pistol once that repeatedly discharged out of battery (HK said it was fine and the next owner never complained) and a Para Ordnance P10 Warthog that wouldn't feed anything but ball ammo even after the factory worked on it, said they ran 200 rounds through it - I wouldn't trust my life to it, sold it too - and a Kimber I had to do a trigger job on, and I owned one Glock (just the one. That was enough).

Last year I bought a S&W 1911Sc .45 4.25" through Buds which shot fine, but the safety didn't work right. Sent it back to S&W and they "fixed it," sent it back and it STILL wouldn't stay down. Took off the grips, took them to a grinder and pared down the tops on each side, then took a file to the safety so it wouldn't bottom out on the grips before the detent would engage. Refinished the grips, parkerized the safety, reassembled it and it's my favorite gun. (maybe my wife's too. I let her shoot it last month and might need to find another). Of course it would have been nice if the janitor who worked on it at S&W had actually read what I wrote in my note and asked one of the GUNSMITHS to fix it the way it should have been direct from the factory.

Overall? I've been happier with used than new guns.
 
all my favorite guns i purchased used.some were used for 75 to 100 years before i got them.the majority were used for 10 to 20 years when i got them.im not a antique collector, i just like the better quality of the older guns.
 
I don't care if they're used when I buy them cause they're gonna be used soon after. I doubt more than 25% of my guns were purchased new
 
The first gun I ever bought was new (Ruger Single-Six), and have never bought another new one. between 40 and 50 used ones.
 
I'll contribute again. Of 23 firearms I've owned (prior to my terrible boating accident!), nine were purchased used. Two were inherited used, and one was given to me used. Take those three I didn't pay for out of the equation, and that leaves 9 of 20 that I paid money for being used. Being used typically was reflected in the price, but not in the ownership experience; haven't had any issues with any of them (though two are blackpowder revolvers that I have never fired.)
 
I've never bought a single used gun.
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Then you don't realize how many great old classic guns you are missing out on!

But then?
That leaves more for those of us who do!

rc
 
In over 40 years I've maybe bought 3-4 new guns, used is a whole nother story. It's only new till you shoot it and I don't care if that person was me or somebody else. Used just means you know it works.
 
About 85% of my guns were pre-owned. Many of the guns I trust my life to are pre-owned. My nightstand gun is a former LE 5906TSW. Most quality pistols can go 30,000 to 50,000 rounds easy. The overwhelming majority of gun owners don't even come close to 1/2 that number on any one gun.
 
I've worked in pawnshops for better than 12 years, it had better be real special for me to buy it new. 80% of the guns that come through my shop have not been shot much.....if at all.
 
I have both new and used. I don't see any difference. I do like having used guns because in this state private sales are 'paper free'. It makes my paranoia less when no one has a record of what I have except myself.
 
Shiftyer1 brings up a great point on how many guns actually see very little use. You can save a nice chunk of change if you are patient, shop around and negotiate.
 
I prefer used guns, rarely do a I buy a new gun. Last new one I bought was a Ruger 10/22 international...... first place I check out in a gun store is the used gun case/rack. Picked up some really nice, hardly used gems over the years. Classified sections on this and other forums are a good source too. Saved a lot of $ and for the most part the guns are in great shape with limited and in some cases no use at all.
 
Approx. 20% I bought new. I buy a lot of stuff that I wanted way back when younger that I couldn't afford then. Don't care for the tacti-cool stuff. I actually preferred the M14 to the M16 when in the Army/RVN. Just bought an old M1 Garand to play with.
 
Last new one I bought was a Ruger 10/22 international...
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Ya know, that's funny. If I take a step back and look at this, all my semi-auto 22LR's were purchased new! All my 22LR revolvers were purchased pre-owned. I guess I expect folks to shoot their 22 semi autos like I do, a couple of bricks at a time at each range visit. Actually, come to think of it, all my revolvers except for 3 snubs, were purchased used. . .
 
robertgarner's got it right...

My 17 Enfield has taken 17 ungulates with 17 rounds, in my hands, it was Pa's before and will be boy's next, I imagine it feeding my progeny into the next century.
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If you don't want a used gun, don't buy one - but there's nothing wrong with them if you have any sense at all and with average use they will last centuries. Yes, I meant that - I believe most average deer rifles, for example, will last hundreds of years. How many guys really shoot more than a box a year, seriously?
 
rcmodel said:
Then you don't realize how many great old classic guns you are missing out on!

But then?
That leaves more for those of us who do!

rc
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Lol....

I'm not saying there is anything wrong with buying a used gun.
It's just that I personally never have.
That's two different things ... lol
 
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