Best deal you ever got on a used handgun

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The best deals I ever got in terms of low $ came with the highest possible price. I inherited my fathers pistols. And I would happily give up his Colt Govt Model, the S&W M29-2 and the Browning Challenger (and a lot more) to have him back again.

[PSP]

A $75 Colt Woodsman Match Target. It was 1968 though.

A couple years ago I found a very nice commercial HK P7M8 for $650. About half the going price then.

[aarondhgraham]

From a private party sale:

• Colt Trooper Mk-III
• S&W Model 36
• Sahr and Sons SAA Clone in .357 Mag
• Interarms SAA Clone in .357 Magnum

All for $500.00 cash.

Aarond

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[Dufus]

Ruger Blackhawk 357 for $120.
Ruger 22 Auto (made before all the "Marks" started) NIB $76
Ruger SBH 44 NIB for $148
S&W M29 4" Free NIB

I have gotten even better deals with rifles and shotguns.

[Geezerbiker]

Back in 1988 I was working in a motorcycle shop in Idaho while I was going to college there. At one time the shop had a gun department and still had an FFL. The got in a sale paper from one of the importers and had Taurus revolvers for $150. The boss's dad said he'd sell me a S&W model 19 for the same price.

I wish I still had that gun. It had been slicked up by a smith that really knew his stuff. It was in like new condition, smoother and had a lighter trigger pull than any other revolver I'd fired. At the time I had 2 other .357's and having didn't make sense to me like it does now...

Tony

[shooter1911]

S&W introduced a version of the Model 60 which had adjustable sights on a 3" barrel and shot 38 specials only. I thought the gun was cute, but never really appealed to me in 38 special, but when they introduced the same gun in .357 magnum I knew I had to have one. I found the new gun at a local gun show for $215. I bought it as a small carry gun in the field, and it's always served it's purpose well. Of course the no lock version is no longer available, but you can buy the exact same gun today for $600-700 new in a box. This might have been my best find ever according to the appreciation.

[Cheapshooter]

Well, if I go back to the ancient times, late 60's/early 70's. Colt mfg, government property marked 1911 built in 1918 in excellent condition. Only mark being an idiot scratch below the slide lock. Deal came with a cheap import 25acp pocket pistol. $75 for both, sold the 25 for $30. Forty five bucks for a nearly perfect 1911.
Don't ask what happened to it, just look at my signature line, and figure out how I came up with rule #1

[JKP]

Ruger Mark ll, stainless, bull barrel with trigger job - $100 plus he threw in a 1911 magazine because he had already sold his 45acp

[rep1954]

Sig P-6, West German Police trade in, $219.00 from Denny's. This gun was 65% on the finish and about 90%+ on the inside. My son carried it for a long time in Tennessee and was just recently stolen from his truck. This gun was labeled the P225 in the states.

[Wishoot]

Probably my 4" SS GP100. If I remember correctly, I paid $299 for it. An armed security company was selling them off. Mine barely had signs of use.

[S&W-Keeper]

I picked up a mint Colt Diamondback for $400 OTD.

[montanaoffroader]

Pick one, I'm always on the lookout for a deal.

Within the last 7 years:

NAA Sidewinder - $150

H&R 922 - $50

Ruger SR1911 Target .45 ACP - $450

Ruger Super Blackhawk Stainless .44 Mag. - $350

Ruger Single Six - $175

Taurus Model 66 - $250

Taurus TCP - $149

Charter Arms Target Bulldog .357 - Traded a Mosin 91/30, paid $100 for the Mosin

[scoobysnacker]

Best deal... that's tough.

Probably one of the better deals I got came online, off Auction Arms (what's now called Gun Auction).

Somebody listed a Norinco T-54 (a Sportarms import, Tokarev, with a 9mm barrel), with some crazy-but-functional aftermarket grips, simply called it an "ugly 9mm shooter" or something like that. The grips were greenish formica I think, with a steel shim insert that fit into the opening on the sides of the frame grip. They were held in place by a piece of bicycle innertube. It came with 2 standard Tokarev magazines, and an extra 9mm barrel to go with the one in the gun.
This was early 2000's, before everyone was dialed into the used gun market online, before everyone knew how to turn a buck from this.

I won the auction at $67, with I think $5 shipping. I found a pawnshop nearby ran by a grumpy dude who said he would do transfers for 10%. Back then I think most places charged set a set $20 or $25. I tried to explain what my price was, he said "if the gun costs 200, you pay me 20. If if costs 300, you pay me 30. No exceptions. Don't like it, go somewhere else".
So it cost me $6.70 to tranfer , and I've never bothered to deal with him again, he cussed the whole time but honored it. And I think changed policy that afternoon.

What made the deal even better, my first ever pistol was the exact same gun NIB from a gunshow, bought it @ $159. I liked it as a shooter, didn't like the wraparound grips that came with it. So I had searched online and had found a pair, ordered them (maybe around $15)... after a couple months they hadn't come in despite my emails asking about them, so I bought another pair which did come. Another month later, the first set finally did, so I had a spare set of original grips.

I know, a Chinese Tok in 9mm doesn't seem that great a deal, even under $100. But I have to say, other than an issue related to the crappy aftermarket safety (it sheared the tiny screws, and jammed the slide with the metal 'sand' from it), those guns were wonderful. Very straight and accurate shooters, steel frame and slide, slim, comfortable, good SAO trigger. I've bought more prestigious guns, but I can't say I've bought "better" guns.

I finally sold the cheaper one to a buddy for $200, after splurging and putting nice walnut grips on it (grips4u). He loves it.

More recently, I think, used deals: my 2nd Star BM, a Fair grade model, bought from Classic @ $149. I ordered a 2nd magazine for another 20, so it was 169 + shipping and FFL (20 at my range). I had already bought a VG from somewhere else for $226 with extra mag, I loved it; nice matte blued finish. Good little gun.

Classic sent me a gun with maybe 50% finish left, and looking it over, me and the guy at the counter found a hairline crack on the slide. So we sent it back. Classic then sent me the replacement- still with a Fair sticker.
This, with a box


Not bad at all for the price.

[scoobysnacker]

Honestly, I think some of the used/surplus deals I've got over the years are just hard to beat. They might not be super-duper $50 for a Colt deals, but still, as the saying goes, you aren't going to get one of these for that price...

Got a

• FEG HP clone, parkerized refinished, for $212.
• Star BM LNIB, $169 with 2 mags
• CZ 99, in decent condition (slide is VG, frame shows finish wear), $199
• Daewoo DP 51 in Good condition, $240... this is a serious shooter
• S&W 915 with a trigger job and night sights, one small scratch on the dust cover, $240
• Beretta 81 in VG, probably like-new condition, $199.

These aren't incredible prices, but for value vs cost, you really can't touch them.

[Rembrandt]

Picked up a Wilson Combat Super Grade for $3800.....sold new for $5200. Only had four rounds put through it....savings of $1400.

[reloder56]

Best deal I've gotten on a used hand gun was at a local gunshow some years back. Picked up a like new Manurhin PP in .22LR for $225.00. At the time, .22LR PP's were selling on Gunbroker in the $400.00 range.
Gary

[223 shooter]

Picked up a like new in box Ruger LCP II 380 last July at a Gander Outdoors for $129.99 , the least expensive handgun I ever bought.

[Quincunx]

Probably a pair of Walther P5's (one superb condition, the other still pretty good) for $800.

[gwpercle]

Early 1972 a nearly new looking Ruger Blackhawk 357 magnum was in dealers case , marked used $125.00 . Dealer said a fellow bought it a few months ago , saw the movie Dirty Harry and brought the 357 magnum BH back and traded it in on a new 44 magnum S&W .
The dealer had already sold it a once so couldn't sell it again as a new firearm , hence it was listed as used and marked down. He asked if I was interested...since Dirty Harry came out nobody wanted a single action in 357 magnum...44 mag. S&W were selling like hot cakes . I only had $70.00 in my jeans and the dealer said he would take it.
So I got a nearly new three screw Ruger Blackhawk with box and papers for $70.00 , all thanks to Clint Eastwood , the movie Dirty Harry and his "this is most powerful handgun on earth and will blow your head clean off" line .
It was made in 1971 , in 1973 Ruger changed to the New Model Blackhawk, so I have one of the last of the old models...and I still have it and shoot it ...no regrets.
It was my first handgun , I had just turned 21 and had cased a paycheck so had a few dollars that day !
Gary

[Inusuit]

Ruger Single Six for $53.00. But that was in 1967 when they were selling new for another ten bucks.

[reteach]

It's been a while, but I went to a gun show intending to sell a double action revolver and looking for a Ruger Blackhawk in .357. Sold my da and had given up on a Blackhawk that fit my budget. As I was leaving, an older man, dressed like he had just come in from the farm, walked in with a Blackhawk in his hand. I asked him about it. It was worn a bit but the real issue was that the rear sight was gone. There was a groove in the flat part where the adjustable sight should have been. The front sight looked very short and it was obvious it had been filed down. Everything else about the gun seemed OK - barrel and lockup were fine. He wanted $150 for the gun. I figured I could get the sight replaced and maybe have a shooter. It was clear he needed to get rid of the gun, as in needed the money, so I didn't haggle. I took the gun straight to the range and that groove was lined up perfectly. It was a straight shooter even without the proper sights. I never did replace the sights. One of my favorite guns.

[shamelessinct]

A friend from church called me to tell me her father had passed away, and left the widow a pistol in a shoe box. She wanted to get rid of it and asked if I wanted to look at it. Turns out it's a 1966 vintage Police Positive Special and the shoe box was the original Colt box. This is the proverbial bought and put in a drawer and never been fired gun. In fact I don't think it was ever loaded. I told her I couldn't pay her what it was worth; she congratulated me for not trying to cheat the widow and said $300 would buy it. No more, no less, no arguing. Suffice it to say it's now mine.

[Ben Dover]

I had a table at a local gunshow. One of the weapons that I was trying to sell was an "excelent ++ Model 19, 4 inch.

A guy came in with a model 27 six inch to trade. It had a tiny bit of muzzle and cylinder wear on the blueing from holster carry, but was otherwise perfect.

I told him that I was short of cash, and couldn't give him a fair price for the 27. He said that he would trade straight across. I told him I'd love to have that 27, but I would be really screwing him on the deal. He really wanted the Model 19, and had no problem with the deal. We traded.

Probably the best deal I ever made on a weapon.

[GarandTd]

Never bought a used gun.(not that I wouldn't)
Closest I've ever come was buying a New, old stock stainless Ruger MKIII 22-45 target model at a gun show last year. I paid $300 for it. At the time, I was planning to purchase a Browning buckmark that would have cost me that much+. The only regret I have was trying to modify the Ruger to eliminate some of the "nanny" features.

I know this wasn't any kind of remarkable deal, but I'm sure I didn't over pay for what I got. I've since bought 2 more mags, a loader, and a 2MOA red dot and I love this pistol for it's amazing accuracy.

[Bart B.]

25 dollars for a mint S&W model 19 4 inch barreled 357 Mag back in 1975 from a newspaper ad in Honolulu, Hawaii including full boxes of ammo.

Two weeks earlier, the USN ship I was stationed on there had a better deal. Ship's store manager told me he had a brand new rifle someone ordered but was transferred before it arrived. I could have it for $50.00. We went below decks to the armory where it was kept. He handed me a Winchester Model 70 match grade in 308 Winchester. Best 50 bucks I've ever spent.