What to look for in a USED firearm?

[ASHDUMP]

I'm a super noooobie to firearms and do not have common experience like most of you here on this board. I am not opposed to buying a used gun, but on the other hand it would probably be safer for me to buy new. But, if I were to buy a used semi-automatic what should be my first initial questions?

Are most sales of used firearms done on a gentlemen's handshake that the gun is not "clunker"? I'm mechanically inclined and have good common sense, so I'm sure I could tell by wear and tear if the gun was old... but that's about it.

Any advise?

 

[jenlynn724]

I bought a used gun with no knowledge of the previous owner.. I bought a brand that I know is durable, and shoots well, and my husband can work on fairly easily.. Other than that, I don't know..

 

[namedpipes]

Stick to well respected gun shops until you have that experience. Four Seasons has a great rep. See the Gun Shop Reviews forum on this site.

IMO, everybody needs a .22 rifle and a .38spl revolver for their very first guns. After that you can get the expensive pieces that cost a lot of money for ammo!

 

[Bugs100]

Inspecting a used semi auto is a little more complicated than most people realize. You can give it a good look over at a gun shop but you really have to take it apart to give it a good inspection.

I've never been in a gun shop that would let you take apart a used gun to look at before you buy it. The first thing you look at is the finish, that will give you an idea on how much the gun has been used. There's nothing the matter with a gun having a lot of honest holster wear but the price should reflect this. Some guns like police trade in's have a lot of surface wear but usually have not been used a lot.

You have to be a little wary about guns with new parts or obvious modifications, there are a lot of amateur gun smiths and while that's not a bad thing if it's just new sights, they may have gotten the pistol assembled wrong but working by doing some thing like using the wrong pins or filing down the firing pin stop to much.

You have to check for cracks on the frame and slide. The most common place for a crack to develop is where the slide stop go's in through the frame.

You want to check and make sure the gun and barrel are reasonable clean and show no signs of rust, pitting or peening and the barrel still has rifling and is clean with no leading or pitting Take a small flash light with you and lock back the slide check the barrel and while you have the frame locked back check the rest of the pistol and make sure there's no rust and it's clean.

Then you want to work the slide and all the controls to make sure their working smoothly and not binding or stuck. Look at the barrel in the slide and see if it has a lot of rubbing marks that's not a good sign. Some semi autos do show some slight rubbing marks but a 1911 shouldn't.

The only semi that should NOT be dry fired is a 22, all others can be safely dry fired. So ask first to dry fire the gun, if they say no you have to wonder why.

If they say go a head, point it in a safe direction and keep your finger off the trigger and cock the hammer and then press your thumb against the hammer to make sure it won't move. If the hammer falls you know there's some thing wrong and it needs work also it's unsafe. If the hammer stays put then put your finger on the trigger and dry firing it.

I've passed on some pistols after every thing seemed fine just due to the way the trigger felt. A gun with a super light trigger pull like 3 pounds might be all right for the range but you wouldn't want to really carry it. A gun with a real heavy trigger will need a trigger job.

If you buy it take it apart right away and inspect it.

 

[Serapis]

Inspecting a used semi auto is a little more complicated than most people realize. You can give it a good look over at a gun shop but you really have to take it apart to give it a good inspection.

I've never been in a gun shop that would let you take apart a used gun to look at before you buy it. The first thing you look at is the finish, that will give you an idea on how much the gun has been used. There's nothing the matter with a gun having a lot of honest holster wear but the price should reflect this. Some guns like police trade in's have a lot of surface wear but usually have not been used a lot.

You have to be a little wary about guns with new parts or obvious modifications, there are a lot of amateur gun smiths and while that's not a bad thing if it's just new sights, they may have gotten the pistol assembled wrong but working by doing some thing like using the wrong pins or filing down the firing pin stop to much.

You have to check for cracks on the frame and slide. The most common place for a crack to develop is where the slide stop go's in through the frame.

You want to check and make sure the gun and barrel are reasonable clean and show no signs of rust, pitting or peening and the barrel still has rifling and is clean with no leading or pitting Take a small flash light with you and lock back the slide check the barrel and while you have the frame locked back check the rest of the pistol and make sure there's no rust and it's clean.

Then you want to work the slide and all the controls to make sure their working smoothly and not binding or stuck. Look at the barrel in the slide and see if it has a lot of rubbing marks that's not a good sign. Some semi autos do show some slight rubbing marks but a 1911 shouldn't.

The only semi that should NOT be dry fired is a 22, all others can be safely dry fired. So ask first to dry fire the gun, if they say no you have to wonder why.

If they say go a head, point it in a safe direction and keep your finger off the trigger and cock the hammer and then press your thumb against the hammer to make sure it won't move. If the hammer falls you know there's some thing wrong and it needs work also it's unsafe. If the hammer stays put then put your finger on the trigger and dry firing it.

I've passed on some pistols after every thing seemed fine just due to the way the trigger felt. A gun with a super light trigger pull like 3 pounds might be all right for the range but you wouldn't want to really carry it. A gun with a real heavy trigger will need a trigger job.

If you buy it take it apart right away and inspect it.

+1. Nice job

 

[RIFLEMAN1000]

One other thing to keep an eye out for , if the gun has a spray on finish (alumahide or Duracoat) Wonder why . Was it given a fresh coat of paint to hide something or just to freshen up its appearance. I once saw a 1911 that had a cracked frame and a fresh coat of Duracoat and it was almost impossible to see the crack .

 

[ztargetshooter]

Check this link if you are buying a used revolver.

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=1430

 

[Danrk6]

Just to add to what has already been mentioned above. When I look at a used firearm I also always check the condition of the crown on the barrel. The crown is located on the business end of the gun where the bullets last make contact with the barrel. If you notice any dings or chunks missing at this point of contact you should pass on the gun unless you plan to have it re-crowned by a gunsmith. The importance of the crown is more visible when purchasing a rifle since handguns are not usually used at distances large enough for there to be a significant impact on accuracy. But at the same time, I don't like buying crappy guns. The crown effects accuracy by making sure that gasses are released around the bullet in a uniform manor which gives it the appropriate spin and stabilization in flight. If there is a dent or something of that nature in the crown, gasses will escape unevenly which will effect the bullets stability and flight path.

Good luck,
Dan

 

[ASHDUMP]

WOW! Great information here. Thanks a lot for the quick responses. I'll take all this into consideration when looking for my first firearm. I might lean towards a new one though for warranty and just because I don't really know what to look for. Saving a couple hundred bucks though sounds nice too.

As I'm doing my research - its kind of sad that Mass residents can only choose from a handful of manufacturers for new firearms. Talk about monopoly and control.

 

[Big_Red]

If you looking into getting a 1911 take a look at the link below for action/safety check.

Safety/Function Checking a 1911