Checklist for buying a used semi-automatic pistol
- posted by: DForck42 on 2011-11-08
- tagged:
pistols, semi-automatic, used
- score: 5
To a beginner, a pistol’s a pistol, but to experts there are things they check out on a used pistol before they consider purchasing it. What parts of an average pistol should a person check before purchasing it used to ensure that it’s in full working condition?
For example: make sure the hammer pulls back when the trigger’s pulled
Answer 382
- posted by: Bryson on 2011-11-08
- score: 6
I generally give these pieces of advice when purchasing a pistol (to be done in this order):
- Identify the use for this pistol. Self- or home-defense? Hunting? Killing squirrels in your backyard? Range toy?
- Make sure you’re buying from a quality manufacturer, and identify models from these manufacturers that you believe will suit your needs.
- Make sure you understand the total cost of ownership for your chosen models (how often does it require maintenance, how expensive is ammo, how good is support from the manufacturer, etc.)
- FIND A GUN STORE, FRIEND, OR PERSON AT THE RANGE WITH THIS GUN AND SHOOT IT. SHOOT IT BEFORE YOU BUY IT.
- Generally ignore what people behind the counter of a gun store will tell you, and know the details of your chosen gun model(s) before you step foot in a store. (Less applicable to websites, as they don’t have salespeople communicating with you directly.)
- After you purchase your pistol, if you will depend on this pistol to save a life run 500-1,000 rounds of duty ammo under duty conditions through it to ensure reliability (preferably 1,000).
I can not stress enough how important it is that you try-before-you-buy. Glocks may have an awesome reputation and be dirt cheap to purchase and maintain. They have a huge aftermarket and plenty of support from both gunsmiths and the manufacturer. I can’t shoot most Glocks comfortably because of the grip angle. These are things you won’t realize until you’ve shot the gun.
A quality gun does not have to be expensive. Glock’s pistols and Smith & Wesson’s M&P pistols can be had for about half what you’ll pay for a Heckler & Koch in the same caliber and barrel length. Does that mean that HK is gouging you? Well, not exactly. HKs are extremely good guns, hard-tested and hard-used, with a hard-earned reputation for reliability and performance. And while you’re going to pay an extra few bucks for the name you’re getting a hell of a gun.
Another good thing to do is go read message boards dedicated to your chosen brand(s) of pistol(s). Manufacturers can change things behind the scenes (like Glock’s recent redesign for their 4th generation of pistols). Go where people already did the leg work. Find out what problems people are having with the gun you want. Say you find that a gun may not be 100% reliable, or that it has intermittent problems. If this is a range toy and the price is right, who cares? If this is a gun you intend to carry every day for self-defense, maybe you should keep looking.
Total cost of ownership is a huge thing people overlook. Again the example of a self-defense weapon: you’re going to want to train with the gun you carry. If you’re shooting a .45, ammo is much more expensive than 9mm, which makes training much more expensive. It also makes your initial test for reliability much more expensive. If it’s a range toy can skip the need to test for reliability altogether. 1911s require dutiful tracking of round counts. Extractor tension can require tuning, individual guns can be very picky about magazine/ammo combinations.
Without a doubt, the most important step here is to fire a gun before you buy it.
Answer 423
- posted by: JRP on 2011-11-09
- score: 3
The basic points are (after making sure the pistol is unloaded and pointed in a safe direction of course):
- Check the barrel. With the slide locked back, use a bore-light (or a bright flashlight and a white 3x5 card) to look down the barrel. There should be almost mirror-like reflectiveness throughout the length of the barrel. Reject any firearm with any dark shadows (especially in the shape of a doughnut) encircling the bore as this is an indication of a bullet getting stuck in the barrel and being shot free, which leaves the firearm in an unsafe condition (meaning the next time the barrel receives excessive pressure it could fail).
- When releasing the slide, it should fully close without sticking or any external assistance from you.
- Check the safety mechanisms to ensure they are still functioning. Without going into every single safety system out there, what it comes down to is that the firing pin should not come forward (in a way which would strike a cartridge’s primer) when any of the safeties are in place. This can be identified by the hammer falling or by hearing the striker release. If the owner allows you, stick a unsharpened pencil down the barrel, eraser first, to make testing the pistol easier. Some tests to try are: If the pistol has a magazine safety, remove the magazine and pull the trigger; For grip safety’s, hold the pistol in a way which you can pull the trigger without depressing the safety; For de-cocking levers, depress it while all other safeties are disabled.
- If the pencil is sent sent forward during any of these tests, then the firing pin was released and the pistol may be unsafe (though I’m sure many users are okay without the magazine safety). Also note, if the pencil did not move forward enough to come out of the barrel then the firing pin is broken or it’s spring is worn out. Failure of any safety should be considered immediate cause for rejection, because to get it fixed may not be cheap. So weigh the costs carefully.
There is more, but then you get into the territory of specific qualities and quirks of different models of pistols.
Bibliography: Paraphrased from “The Gun Digest Book Of Combat Handgunnery 6th Edition” by Massad Ayoob
All content is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.