Used LE firearms

[OPC]

A buddy was asking for advice and pros/cons (nyuk, nyuk) to buying ex-police issue firearms. He's heard of a LGS that carries ex-issue pistols and shotguns at reasonable prices. I'm not sure there are any generalizations to be made, just go over anything one's interested in thoroughly. Just like any other used firearm purchase. Any thoughts on pitfalls or benefits?

[Nitesites]

In general, I would think reliability shouldn't be an issue...

[PawPaw]

Most cops are not shooters. Thirty years behind a badge have taught me that most of my brethren carry lots and shoot little. Police guns will generally have lots of carry wear and be almost pristine inside. Many police handguns have been shot only once a year at annual requals.

Check it out and if the rifling is clean and the function check is okay, it's probably a sound handgun.

[OPC]

Thanks for the replies. I expected some holster wear, but thought the idea of "only shoot it to qualify" was just an urban legend. Interesting to see that confirmed.

[Skadoosh]

I like turn-in's because:
A) they are already nicked, dinged and usually show holster-wear which relieves me of that "aww rats!"-moment.
B) turn-in's are usually relaible with lemons having been weeded out and issues have been corrected by the agency or LE department.
C) obviously, they are less expensive than a factory-new weapon.

[Doyle]

To me, the only danger in buying a LE trade-in is if you happen to get one that was owned by the training academy. Those will have little or no carrying wear and lots of shooting wear.

[pgdion]

I think it's a good way to get a nice gun but you need to look them over well. I've seen some that look like new and some that look very well worn. I recently picked up a 5906. The first one I looked at looked like it had been fired very many times. I asked if they had any others and the response was they all looked like that so I left. I stopped in another store near where I work and looked at one there. The whole gun looked virgin except for some where at the front of the slide and the grips ... and the grips are easy to replace. The action and internals looked virtually brand new. SOLD. It has been a darn fine piece for a very reasonable $400 and I have no complaints what so ever. I think LE trade-ins are a great way to go just make sure you don't get the one from the guy that was also a very active shooter.

[Skans]

I'll be the odd guy out here. I don't like police turn-ins. The price discount is not nearly enough for what you get. These are basically "ugly guns". I'd ask around and see what a pawn shop will pay you for an "ugly gun" - it will be nothing near what you are going to spend on it. You can find 95%+ used guns out there for decent discounts.

An ugly gun might (might) only have carry wear and work ok. But, value wise, most people like pretty guns, and would therefore not be interested in it. Also, most folks aren't qualified to identify and separate out a seldom-shot ugly gun from a true beater.

Another mistake people make is believing that just because a gun isn't fired that much, it has ONLY suffered cosmetic wear and tear. Sweat, grime, crud, and all sorts of stuff gum up the small springs and little parts. Some of those tiny springs might need replacing. Some parts might have rusted where sweat, etc. has worked its way into the mechanism.

My rule of thumb is that if I see what appears to be a well-worn gun (police trade-in or otherwise) I would be looking to pay no more than 40% of the original "shopped-around" retail price. Ok, at 30-40 cents on the dollar, I might consider a police trade-in.

The thought for the day: BEAUTY HAS VALUE

[Hiker 1]

I've bought a G23 directly from a cop - I've had it for years and it runs like a champ. It's my CCW.

I've also bought an HK USP .45 and a Sig P229 .40, police trade-ins that function flawlessly. The Sig looks like it came out of the box, so perhaps it was carried by a non-street cop. Shoots great. The HK is a little holster-worn, but it also shoots great. I took all of them apart before purchasing and the internals were solid and showed minimal wear. All 3 have night sites.

I got the G23 for $450, the HK for $580 and the Sig for $525. Pretty darned good deals, if you ask me.

Additionally, I have a Sig P6 that presumably came from a Euro-cop. $380. shoots great.

So my experience has been very positive.

[ClydeFrog]

When it comes to buying used/trade-in LE firearms, I say look it over really good and decide if the firearm has parts or accesories that can be replaced/upgraded.
I try & look for new/NIB law enforcement firearms that were surplus or never used by LE officers. I've purchased three/03 so far. They are rare but can be worth the $$$, in my humble opine.
I'd be hard-pressed to buy a used/trade-in DAO/DA revolver or a used LE issue 12ga shotgun honestly but there are a few bargins in the duty pistol(DA only or striker fired) market.
With many shops & FFL dealers jacking up sale prices, a decent police service pistol or other agency(Fish & Wildlife, Alcohol/Liquor Control, etc) may be a good buy.

Clyde

[Eghad]

I have bought a couple of S&W revolvers one was a stainless steel with no wear. The other was blued with a little wear but both were in excellent mechanical condition.

[w0lfman]

There is some great information on this thread, I too am interested in purchasing a used duty weapon, preferably handgun, from LE. Like Skadoosh, I prefer them due to reasons he already stated. I noticed many have purchased these weapons, but no one wants to give up their source. What I am looking for is where, short of a retail store like Gander Mountain, would one go to find these duty side arms from LE, Fish & Wildlife, Alcohol/Liquor Control, etc.?

I like turn-in's because:
A) they are already nicked, dinged and usually show holster-wear which relieves me of that "aww rats!"-moment.
B) turn-in's are usually reliable with lemons having been weeded out and issues have been corrected by the agency or LE department.
C) obviously, they are less expensive than a factory-new weapon.

[KyJim]

I have one "confirmed" police trade-in and another I believe was a police trade-in. Very pleased with both. As to where to look for them -- there are a few online retailers that get these from time to time. You just have to keep checking them. Here are a couple, though I'm sure there are others:

http://www.budsgunshop.com/

http://www.jgsales.com/

http://www.robertsontradingpost.com/

[Kreyzhorse]

I have one confirmed Glock 22 police trade in. The original mags were worn out and the gun had some holster wear but was otherwise in good shape. I replaced the mags and the gun is very reliable.

I'd buy another police trade in any time if the price was right.

[militant]

I have purchased many LE used Glocks and just sent them to Glock and they replaced every part in them... Including the barrel, for free.

[chris in va]

Couple years ago I bought a G21SF sourced from a NC PD. it looked to be NIB and never fired. There weren't any marks on the barrel yet.

[Quentin2]

I have three LE trade-ins: a Glock 22 Gen 2 and S&W Models 5906 and 6906 from CDNN. The Smiths are in good cosmetic shape while the Glock has holster wear. All three hadn't been fired much but I'm trying to rectify that!

No problems at all with any of them so I'm a fan of trade-ins.

[smee78]

I also am a fan of police trade-ins, I bought a few of the 5906's from CDNN and a Sig P6. All of them have been great guns, I always change out the guide rod spring and give them a good cleaning before I go out and shoot them. I like police trade-ins because there is normally a good selection of aftermarket parts, the mags are also usually dumped on the used market in the same fasion and most guns clean up easy with a little TLC and sometimes a new pair of grips. I like the stainless guns the most due to the ease of being able to work out little bumps fairly easy. YMMV

[4 Paws]

Many police handguns have been shot only once a year at annual requals.

I certainly hope most agencies have gotten away from this old school policy of only an annual qualification.

[jason_iowa]

Since I have 0 interest in 9s or 40s rarely do I find a police trade in that I would buy. As other have said many officers are not shooters. I was in the academy with people who had never fired before. So its usually not a bad bet. I'm going to have holster wear on any gun I carry anyway so that is not an issue for me. Function over fashion for me any day of the week.

[Wishoot]

Since I have 0 interest in 9s or 40s rarely do I find a police trade in that I would buy.

My LGS actually had several S&W 4586's in stock from the Elgin, IL PD. Not my cup of tea (Had one and sold it. Didn't care for the DAO on it), but rock-solid reliable.

[Quincunx]

One of my 4516's is a former Tempe, AZ police gun. It has been 100% reliable.

[4V50 Gary]

While a used LE firearm has seen a lot of duty wear, it is supposed to be serviced annually by the departmental armorer. This includes a detailed stripping, cleaning and function testing. I'd buy one after I function check it.

[4 Paws]

While a used LE firearm has seen a lot of duty wear, it is supposed to be serviced annually by the departmental armorer

While this may be the case for some agencies, it is far from a standard practice today.

[RodTheWrench]

I bought a Beretta 92FS years ago that had the guy's badge number inscribed on the baseplates of the mags. It was $269 because it looked like it had been drug behind a truck on a gravel road. Ok, not that bad, but there was a LOT of holster wear. I replaced the dinged-up grips with Hogue panels and proceeded to shoot 10K rounds through it over the next decade, maybe cleaning it once. Sold it last year for $350.

My fishing buddy is the kitchen manager at our County Jail. He is a Sherrif's Deputy, so he carries the full complement of doodads on a belt - including Taser and pistol. I would LOVE to buy one of his trade-ins! He qualifies once per year, shoots a total of 2 mags then holsters it.