Recently, I’ve been considering purchasing a pistol, mostly for target practice. I don’t really need it for personal protection, since I’m in a nice area, and in any case in my 38 years, I’ve not ever been in a situation where I felt I truly needed one. I don’t want to dump a lot of money into a hobby initially that I may or may not want to stick with, so I’m considering purchasing one used from a consignment dealer. What should I look for (or ask about) when purchasing a used gun? Any advice will be useful, since I have little experience with them, directly. Will dealers typically allow one to test fire a weapon and if so, what things should I look for when testing?
Well, if you’re shooting for fun, and not protection, consider a .22 of some type. Dollar for dollar, .22s can’t be beat for shooting fun. Ruger and Browning make nice .22 semi-autos.
I want a .22 fun gun myself, but I’m considering a conversion kit for my Taurus PT-92. It’s a new barrel, slide, and mag to put on my old frame, and the changeout takes only a minute or two.
What I did when I got a piece (Ruger KP95 BTW, I loved it, cheap too), I looked through a lot of pistol magazines. This told me what features were being sought after, potential issues with certain guns, and a ton of practical target practice and self-defense related articles. I was in the market for a new, reliable, relatively inexpensive automatic. I compared a ton of 'em, and eventually decided on the KP95. Those mags might also be able to help you decide on some of the more broad aspects, such as whether an automatic or revolver is best etc.
As used pistols go, they’re kind of like cars, their condition depends largely on the way that the previous owner used/cleaned them. I’d never buy a gun that was kept in a shed, or the toolbox in a truck bed. The previous owner should know that guns should be cleaned and oiled after every usage. Some wear and tear is to be expected with the moving parts and barell, but not too much. If you buy the gun at a place that will let you shoot it, by all means do. Trigger pull, balance, action and feel of the gun are quite important.
My dream pistol is a Sig Sauer .40, but when I tried to release the slide in the gun store it wouldn’t move. I asked the clerk if it was stuck and handed it to him. He released it like most people flip light switches, I felt like a bitch. So, that would not have been optimal for me, unless I underwent strenuous thumb training.
Shoot as many different types of gun as you can, you’ll notice quickly what you like and what you don’t. I thought I shot pretty well with my automatic until I shot my friend’s .357 Colt Python, I swear my grouping was less than 3" at 10 yards.
I’m no gunsmith, and I’ll probably be at least slightly corrected (some guys say clean/oil every other time) but I was pretty green and found a method that I thought worked.
I would recommend calling your local shooting ranges. Many offer handgun rentals, and you can get a feel for what you like without spending a bunch of money.
Also, I have heard it said that a revolver is a good starter gun, as they are less maintenance intensive…
I checked out the website of a local firing range. They not only rent guns, but they also sell consignment firearms as well as new pieces, so I’ll probably go check them out one of these days. I’ll let you know when I do.
The range I use has a number of pistols of various types on the wall, available for rent or sale. You can rent for 10 bucks and hour, and you can swap between various ones if you want, during your hour. Ammo is extra, so you pretty much want to stay with one type of ammo for several different guns. If you decide to buy one of the ones you were renting, the rental applies to the purchase. They seem like honest folks, and have already turned down two opportunities to charge me money for things I didn’t need, but was easily ignorant enough to buy. They do offer fairly reasonable inspection and repair services as well, and declined to sell me any parts when I had mine inspected and cleaned. In fact, they said it didn’t need cleaning.
I have an annual membership, which seemed the best way to go; but hourly rates are available as well.
Non membership ranges in the area also mention rentals, although I am not familiar with the terms.
Just buy a new Ruger Mark II (they are cheap, well built and easy to sell if shooting turns out not to be for you), I have an aversion to used guns, you (I) can’t tell if they have been abused or drastically overloaded in the past.
Any reputable gun dealer will insist on you shooting a similar calibar pistol first before buying.
I started with a .22 and worked my way up. My fave for shooting on the fly (ptarmigan hunting) is the .22 pistol. Its fun and if you really like shooting you could progress to skeetshooting. It’s a hoot. I just tried it and nothing like it. Costs money tho. Darn, fun things always do.