Question about police trade ins and such

shrewd · July 6, 2010, 07:37 PM

Hey guys and gals, I have a question for ya.
I keep reading posts about ppl picking up a new beretta or glock and so on from military/police trade-ins and the like. What are these? How do you find them and can civvies walk in and purchase?

I'm aware of gun shows/sales at vfw halls and such, but unfortunately I live in PA and that's not an option.

Thanks for any answers!

azyogi · July 6, 2010, 07:43 PM

J & G sales has a section on these at their web site, they don't allways have them in stock so I keep checking

stormyone · July 6, 2010, 08:46 PM

You can go to online gun shops like like Buds or J&G... there are lots of places.

The general rule with police trade-ins is "These guns were carried a lot, shot a little." So they will have holster wear and the finish might not be very pretty and the night sites might be dim, but they are generally in very good mechanical condition.

Mosin44az · July 7, 2010, 12:23 AM

I have bought several, revolvers and pistols, from J & G in Prescott AZ. The guns have all worked fine, they are a bit nicked up in appearance generally though.

J & G I can recommend, they have a 30-day return guarantee on used guns if there is a problem with one. Shipping to an FFL would ad cost though. I just drive up there a couple of times a year.

Maybe there is a similar store in your area. Try googling "used police guns Philadelphia" or something.

GoingQuiet · July 7, 2010, 01:15 AM

Generally speaking trade in guns are when old guns get worn out and traded in for new hardware. Big dealers like CDNN, Southern Ohio Gun, Summit Gun Broker, etc all carry them,

Now that having been said - Theres two trains of thought with police trade ins.

1. Cops use their guns ALL THE TIME. Training is often and hard use and the guns have had a hard life. Theres lots of holster wear and the barrel barely has rifling by the time the trade ins get to the dealer.

2. Cops are social workers with a gun. Training consists of shooting the 24 round qualification course annually to maintain their certification. Has not been shot much at all and spends more time inside a desk drawer than on the belt.

I've seen them go either way. You can get a nice one or you can get a well used one. YMMV

Jeepin_Lawyer · July 7, 2010, 05:53 AM

I think they are a great way to get a workhorse gun for a great price. They usually show plenty of wear but there is no way a Glock is worn out from police use more than likely just broken in.

BlueTrain · July 7, 2010, 06:40 AM

Social workers with a gun; that's a good one.

I have seen Glocks that were presumably police trade-ins that were labeled as factory rebuilds or something like that. But they certainly didn't go back to the factory and I doubt I could tell the difference one way or the other.

shrewd · July 7, 2010, 08:05 AM

thanks for the replies everyone!

Magyar · July 7, 2010, 08:26 AM

I recently purchased a service Walther P-5, used by the German police many years ago...A little holster wear, but the innards were almost mint...BTW, it fires "lights out"!

Gonzo_308 · July 7, 2010, 08:28 AM

The Police Trade ins I see are from departments who have changed equipment for one reason or another. Everybody needs a wondernine to compete with the bad guys. Our old wondernines aren't hip any more, we need newer, cooler wondernines., I dont like these newer cooler, hipper wondernines, I want some other, newer, cooler, hipper wondernines.

The nearest big city to me is Columbus, Ohio. they switched from revolvers to Smith and Wesson 4506's in the 80's, now they've moved on to something else.

There's no way they shot the barrells out of those 4506 guns. Even the officers that were interested in shooting, there's no way.

FreakGasolineFight · July 7, 2010, 08:33 AM

Trade-in cop guns are generally good buys. Just be aware that you'll have to clean ketchup and grease out of it!

tazz7002 · July 7, 2010, 08:34 AM

my beretta is in ex cond...it was not shoot much...i think police trade ins are good deal...beretta 92fs was 204 dollars

ISC · July 7, 2010, 09:30 AM

It is a very rare officer or department whose gun is fired more than a couple hundred rounds a year.

The only exceptions are SWAT/TRT teams or police academy guns.

Every police trade in I've seen had , at worst, alot of holster wear and scratches from seat belts. Inside they were like new. I have seen some kind of rough training guns when I went to the police academy, but those guns are the minority, and they were all scratched up with little internal wear.

When do police departments trade in their guns?

1) a new chief comes in and wants to show the officers and public that he's making changes (political)

2) The department came into some money (grants, siezure funds) and it needs to be spent on SOMETHING or else they loose it.

3) an incident (or series of incidents) ocurred where an officer (or officers) had negligent discharges (or couldn't figure out how to operate their gun under stress) and a simpler (idiotproof) design like a Glock was reccomended as a replacement.

4) A purchasing agent in a department got a good deal on something else on the condition that they buy a quantity of guns from the same vender.

Gonzo_308 · July 7, 2010, 09:47 AM

wut ^^^he^^^ sed.

I never worked for a large dept. I've always worked for smaller departments where I purchased my own duty weapon but this is the same thing I've heard from several sources.

RMA · July 7, 2010, 12:21 PM

That would be a nice advantage to work for a smaller dept rather one of the larger ones to actually choose the carry pistol of your choice

All the depts down here have the ever popular Glock .40.

isanchez2008 · July 7, 2010, 01:20 PM

Quote:

Just be aware that you'll have to clean ketchup and grease out of it!

Don't you mean donught glazing and coffee? Jk.

Single Six · July 8, 2010, 08:49 PM

Isanchez2008: Please know that not all of us LEOs fit the old negative stereotype that you've alluded to. I've been in the biz for 21 years. I run and workout with weights at least 3 times a week,my belly does not hang over my gunbelt,I've never eaten a doughnut while in uniform or on duty...and I don't even drink coffee. I do wish,however,that more of my colleagues would do likewise! Anyhow,to Shrewd: Police trade-ins are almost always a good buy. The bad one is comparatively rare. Good luck.

isanchez2008 · July 9, 2010, 11:46 AM

Single Six, that was why I included the "jk". It means joking by the way. I deal with law enforcement often in my job and I fall into a category of employment that qualifies me for leo discounts. Most I interact with are in as good of shape as me if not better. Anywho

Single Six · July 9, 2010, 01:32 PM

Isanchez2008: Forgive my lack of computer-jargon knowledge,I saw the "jk" but it just didn't register. Wasn't trying to come across as angry,and I hope I didn't give that impression. But anyway,no harm,no foul !

tazz7002 · July 9, 2010, 03:53 PM

my 200 dollar 92fs police trade in...along with a .........guess....got beretta other day,police trade ins are good for money..this beretta shoots execellent...other gun maybe...that my saturday night special...12 bucks in the 60s

Meditator · July 13, 2010, 11:39 PM

Quote:

I recently purchased a service Walther P-5, used by the German police many years ago...A little holster wear, but the innards were almost mint...BTW, it fires "lights out"!

Where did you get it? And, how much? I would like to get one if aroud $200 or so. - wishful thinking!

Magyar · July 14, 2010, 08:27 AM

Quote:

Where did you get it? And, how much? I would like to get one if aroud $200 or so. - wishful thinking!

After looking for the P-5 at various gun shows & shops; no luck, found this one w/accessories at GunBroker: $500...I don't know if I paid too much or not; but I'm satisfied.

BerettaBuckeye · July 14, 2010, 09:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gonzo308

The nearest big city to me is Columbus, Ohio. they switched from revolvers to Smith and Wesson 4506's in the 80's, now they've moved on to something else.

S&W M&P .40's

Claddagh · July 14, 2010, 09:33 AM

I've only purchased two LEA trade-ins: A S&W M66 in the late '80's and a S&W 4586 about seven years ago. I consider both to have been exceptional bargains in terms of value received for the price I paid.

IIRC, the M66 cost me a princely $135. It showed minor holster/handling wear but was otherwise in excellent condition. It gave me many years of accurate, trouble-free shooting and I even made a little money when I passed it on.

The 4586 cost me $325 with taxes, and came with Hogue grips, tritium sights and two magazines. It was in NRA VG condition inside and out with signs of some minor wear to the contact surfaces of the frame/slide rails and barrel. The bore was excellent and it has been both extremely reliable and quite as accurate as I can hold it for with most loads. It's still my "nightstand" gun, although it does need to get some new tritium sights soon, as the originals are getting quite dim with age.

As long as I have the option of a personal inspection before plunking down my cash, I wouldn't hesitate to buy an LEA trade-in. These days almost every LEA of any size has at least one certified Armorer to see that dept. issued weapons are periodically inspected and maintained, repaired or refurbished as it becomes necessary.

Personally, I have more confidence that the average LEA trade-in may have seen a good deal of use, but it's more likely to have been properly cared for and maintained along the way than the average privately-owned example with a comparable round count has been.

July 6, 2010, 07:37 PM	#1
shrewd Senior Member Join Date: May 12, 2010 Location: Philadelphia Posts: 306	Question about police trade ins and such Hey guys and gals, I have a question for ya. I keep reading posts about ppl picking up a new beretta or glock and so on from military/police trade-ins and the like. What are these? How do you find them and can civvies walk in and purchase? I'm aware of gun shows/sales at vfw halls and such, but unfortunately I live in PA and that's not an option. Thanks for any answers!

July 7, 2010, 01:15 AM	#5
GoingQuiet Member Join Date: July 1, 2010 Location: Melbourne, FL Posts: 92	Generally speaking trade in guns are when old guns get worn out and traded in for new hardware. Big dealers like CDNN, Southern Ohio Gun, Summit Gun Broker, etc all carry them, Now that having been said - Theres two trains of thought with police trade ins. 1. Cops use their guns ALL THE TIME. Training is often and hard use and the guns have had a hard life. Theres lots of holster wear and the barrel barely has rifling by the time the trade ins get to the dealer. 2. Cops are social workers with a gun. Training consists of shooting the 24 round qualification course annually to maintain their certification. Has not been shot much at all and spends more time inside a desk drawer than on the belt. I've seen them go either way. You can get a nice one or you can get a well used one. YMMV __________________ FFL/SOT Melbourne, FL - Sales by appointment. [email protected] Sig Sauer Stocking Dealer Silencerco Stocking Distributor

July 7, 2010, 06:40 AM	#7
BlueTrain Senior Member Join Date: September 26, 2005 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 6,141	Social workers with a gun; that's a good one. I have seen Glocks that were presumably police trade-ins that were labeled as factory rebuilds or something like that. But they certainly didn't go back to the factory and I doubt I could tell the difference one way or the other. __________________ Shoot low, sheriff. They're riding Shetlands! Underneath the starry flag, civilize 'em with a Krag, and return us to our own beloved homes! Buy War Bonds.

July 7, 2010, 08:26 AM	#9
Magyar Senior Member Join Date: March 28, 2005 Location: Arizona Posts: 1,581	I recently purchased a service Walther P-5, used by the German police many years ago...A little holster wear, but the innards were almost mint...BTW, it fires "lights out"! __________________ *"Gun companies and gun magazines have long had relationships beyond cozy" C.J. Chivers, author "THE GUN"*

July 7, 2010, 08:28 AM	#10
Gonzo_308 Senior Member Join Date: August 31, 2000 Location: Sunbury, Ohio Posts: 1,367	The Police Trade ins I see are from departments who have changed equipment for one reason or another. Everybody needs a wondernine to compete with the bad guys. Our old wondernines aren't hip any more, we need newer, cooler wondernines., I dont like these newer cooler, hipper wondernines, I want some other, newer, cooler, hipper wondernines. The nearest big city to me is Columbus, Ohio. they switched from revolvers to Smith and Wesson 4506's in the 80's, now they've moved on to something else. There's no way they shot the barrells out of those 4506 guns. Even the officers that were interested in shooting, there's no way. __________________ Loaded like a freight train, flyin' like an aeroplane!

July 6, 2010, 07:43 PM	#2
azyogi Member Join Date: June 12, 2010 Location: Tucson Posts: 88	J & G sales has a section on these at their web site, they don't allways have them in stock so I keep checking

July 6, 2010, 08:46 PM	#3
stormyone Senior Member Join Date: August 30, 2005 Location: midwest Posts: 532	You can go to online gun shops like like Buds or J&G... there are lots of places. The general rule with police trade-ins is "These guns were carried a lot, shot a little." So they will have holster wear and the finish might not be very pretty and the night sites might be dim, but they are generally in very good mechanical condition.

July 7, 2010, 12:23 AM	#4
Mosin44az Senior Member Join Date: January 15, 2006 Posts: 2,585	I have bought several, revolvers and pistols, from J & G in Prescott AZ. The guns have all worked fine, they are a bit nicked up in appearance generally though. J & G I can recommend, they have a 30-day return guarantee on used guns if there is a problem with one. Shipping to an FFL would ad cost though. I just drive up there a couple of times a year. Maybe there is a similar store in your area. Try googling "used police guns Philadelphia" or something.

July 7, 2010, 05:53 AM	#6
Jeepin_Lawyer Member Join Date: August 30, 2007 Posts: 26	I think they are a great way to get a workhorse gun for a great price. They usually show plenty of wear but there is no way a Glock is worn out from police use more than likely just broken in.

July 7, 2010, 08:05 AM	#8
shrewd Senior Member Join Date: May 12, 2010 Location: Philadelphia Posts: 306	thanks for the replies everyone!

July 7, 2010, 08:33 AM	#11
FreakGasolineFight Senior Member Join Date: September 22, 2009 Location: Ohio. Posts: 634	Trade-in cop guns are generally good buys. Just be aware that you'll have to clean ketchup and grease out of it! __________________ "The CZ75 is made of win and longcats."--anonymous youtube comment

July 7, 2010, 08:34 AM	#12
tazz7002 Junior member Join Date: April 1, 2009 Location: kentucky Posts: 154	police trade ins my beretta is in ex cond...it was not shoot much...i think police trade ins are good deal...beretta 92fs was 204 dollars

July 7, 2010, 09:30 AM	#13
ISC Junior member Join Date: August 5, 2007 Location: Florida Posts: 1,982	It is a very rare officer or department whose gun is fired more than a couple hundred rounds a year. The only exceptions are SWAT/TRT teams or police academy guns. Every police trade in I've seen had , at worst, alot of holster wear and scratches from seat belts. Inside they were like new. I have seen some kind of rough training guns when I went to the police academy, but those guns are the minority, and they were all scratched up with little internal wear. When do police departments trade in their guns? 1) a new chief comes in and wants to show the officers and public that he's making changes (political) 2) The department came into some money (grants, siezure funds) and it needs to be spent on SOMETHING or else they loose it. 3) an incident (or series of incidents) ocurred where an officer (or officers) had negligent discharges (or couldn't figure out how to operate their gun under stress) and a simpler (idiotproof) design like a Glock was reccomended as a replacement. 4) A purchasing agent in a department got a good deal on something else on the condition that they buy a quantity of guns from the same vender.

July 7, 2010, 09:47 AM	#14
Gonzo_308 Senior Member Join Date: August 31, 2000 Location: Sunbury, Ohio Posts: 1,367	wut ^^^he^^^ sed. I never worked for a large dept. I've always worked for smaller departments where I purchased my own duty weapon but this is the same thing I've heard from several sources. __________________ Loaded like a freight train, flyin' like an aeroplane!

July 7, 2010, 12:21 PM	#15
RMA Member Join Date: February 26, 2010 Location: Tampa, Fl Posts: 51	That would be a nice advantage to work for a smaller dept rather one of the larger ones to actually choose the carry pistol of your choice All the depts down here have the ever popular Glock .40.

July 8, 2010, 08:49 PM	#17
Single Six Senior Member Join Date: January 31, 2010 Location: N.C. Posts: 1,522	Isanchez2008: Please know that not all of us LEOs fit the old negative stereotype that you've alluded to. I've been in the biz for 21 years. I run and workout with weights at least 3 times a week,my belly does not hang over my gunbelt,I've never eaten a doughnut while in uniform or on duty...and I don't even drink coffee. I do wish,however,that more of my colleagues would do likewise! Anyhow,to Shrewd: Police trade-ins are almost always a good buy. The bad one is comparatively rare. Good luck.

July 9, 2010, 11:46 AM	#18
isanchez2008 Senior Member Join Date: October 13, 2008 Location: WA Posts: 344	Single Six, that was why I included the "jk". It means joking by the way. I deal with law enforcement often in my job and I fall into a category of employment that qualifies me for leo discounts. Most I interact with are in as good of shape as me if not better. Anywho

July 9, 2010, 01:32 PM	#19
Single Six Senior Member Join Date: January 31, 2010 Location: N.C. Posts: 1,522	Isanchez2008: Forgive my lack of computer-jargon knowledge,I saw the "jk" but it just didn't register. Wasn't trying to come across as angry,and I hope I didn't give that impression. But anyway,no harm,no foul !

July 9, 2010, 03:53 PM	#20
tazz7002 Junior member Join Date: April 1, 2009 Location: kentucky Posts: 154	police trade in my 200 dollar 92fs police trade in...along with a .........guess....got beretta other day,police trade ins are good for money..this beretta shoots execellent...other gun maybe...that my saturday night special...12 bucks in the 60s Last edited by tazz7002; February 20, 2016 at 10:02 PM.

July 14, 2010, 09:33 AM	#24
Claddagh Senior Member Join Date: February 6, 2009 Location: Central Indiana Posts: 313	I've only purchased two LEA trade-ins: A S&W M66 in the late '80's and a S&W 4586 about seven years ago. I consider both to have been exceptional bargains in terms of value received for the price I paid. IIRC, the M66 cost me a princely $135. It showed minor holster/handling wear but was otherwise in excellent condition. It gave me many years of accurate, trouble-free shooting and I even made a little money when I passed it on. The 4586 cost me $325 with taxes, and came with Hogue grips, tritium sights and two magazines. It was in NRA VG condition inside and out with signs of some minor wear to the contact surfaces of the frame/slide rails and barrel. The bore was excellent and it has been both extremely reliable and quite as accurate as I can hold it for with most loads. It's still my "nightstand" gun, although it does need to get some new tritium sights soon, as the originals are getting quite dim with age. As long as I have the option of a personal inspection before plunking down my cash, I wouldn't hesitate to buy an LEA trade-in. These days almost every LEA of any size has at least one certified Armorer to see that dept. issued weapons are periodically inspected and maintained, repaired or refurbished as it becomes necessary. Personally, I have more confidence that the average LEA trade-in may have seen a good deal of use, but it's more likely to have been properly cared for and maintained along the way than the average privately-owned example with a comparable round count has been.