Best deal you ever got on a used handgun

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Elliottsdad

New member
Years ago, I bought my first handgun at a local gunshow. I was 22 years old. It was a used Rossi .38 Spc. 5 shot, with 3" bbl. The bluing was 90% worn, but I bought it anyway: $60 cash.
The first time I pulled the trigger I was damn lucky I didn't use +p loads, because... Kaboom (maybe)? But with standard .38s it probably would have lasted forever. For $60, I don't know if I could have done better.
What's the best deal you ever got on a used handgun?
I'm sure my Rossi pales.
:)
 
Ruger Mark II Government Competition Stainless........$60.00. The only stipulation was and I quote. “It’s yours for whatever, let’s say 60 bucks, as long as I don’t have to clean this damn thing before I give it to you.” :). This was in like 2002 or so. So killer deal.

Been a Fantastic gun since. Best deal ever for me.

Still have.

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Nothing comes close to my first GB buy, in 2006..
A near mint Dan Wesson 715, 6" VH barrel, with upgraded custom sights, THREE grips, stock, finger groove, and rubber, a junk plastic wrench (I already had good ones), most of the small internal parts for spares, the box, and the original sales receipt from 1981. $269+20 shipping. Nobody else bid on it, and until it showed up and my FFL called and said it looked "really good", I wondered "What am I missing?" as other 715's were going for at least $100 more and most at least $150 more.
 
None. Out my way there is no stellar "deals" unless its a situation of a good friend selling to a good friend as a favor type deal. Out of all the 26 firearms ive purchased since 2011 ive had some "good" buys and some where i definately overpaid. Market price is market price with all the internet trasnsparency. Im sure 20 years ago buyers had better opportunities at awesome steals, but i got into buying guns too late.
 
Mint '94 Browning Hi Power, w/original case, mags and book for $375 from friend at church. I knew a little - but not much - about about HPs but had shot a friend's a year earlier and liked it very much.

Did a bit of research and told my friend, "I don't think I can pay you what this is worth. Have you looked to see what they go for?" He said no and I told him he could probably get at least double what he was asking.

He said, "Well, I think $375 is fair enough. If you're not interested I think I can find someone else."

I said, "Wait right here....."

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Elliottsdad said:
Years ago, I bought my first handgun at a local gunshow. I was 22 years old. It was a used Rossi .38 Spc. 5 shot, with 3" bbl. The bluing was 90% worn, but I bought it anyway: $60 cash.
The first time I pulled the trigger I was damn lucky I didn't use +p loads, because... Kaboom (maybe)? But with standard .38s it probably would have lasted forever. For $60, I don't know if I could have done better.
What's the best deal you ever got on a used handgun?
I'm sure my Rossi pales.
:)
Click to expand...

S&W 19-4, 4", factory nickle plate, $200.
 
It's pretty roundabout but: I won a R1 in a raffle, traded plus some cash for a used Sig P229, then traded the Sig plus cash for a DW Valkyrie CCO.

All told with the cash and transfer fees I paid about $550 for the Dan Wesson.
 
I bought a 1980s S&W model 29 4" barrel for $175. Also a model 66 4" barrel from the ex girlfriend of a cop for $175. Got a model 13 4" barrel for a little plumbing work and $10 worth of parts. The ejector rod had unscrewed and they couldn't unload the gun. So I got it cheap.

Just got my mothers heavy barreled model 10 nickle plated for free. My dad gave me a 4" model 31-1 in 32 long free of charge. Also got my dads unfired model 28 when he passed away. Its still unfired too.

My bud gave me a 6" model 10 skinny barrel 38 special and a brand new Old Timer fixed blade knife. Sweet. But I gave him his Ruger MKI target with 6-7/8" barrel back I had bought from him many years before. Along with a Schade 10" Bowie knife. So sort of a wash.
 
Single Six in great shape for $225. In great shape except the base pin fell on the ground every shot. Someone put the retaining pin spring on the wrong side if the base pin retaining plunger. Easiest fix I ever made. They also put a horrendously fitting “target grip” on it that only took an hour with sandpaper and wood filler to get fitting at least not embarrassingly.

Turned that one around after a few months and sold it $125 shy of a brand new Bearcat.

Stuff family gave me doesn’t count.
 
Just last October I walked into my LGS to buy some ammo and found a Smith & Wesson SW40VE like new in the original factory hardcase for $199. I was looking for a new Winter Carry Gun anyway, so I bought it and have been carrying it ever since.

Granted that the SIGMA Series is S&W's budget line of handguns to begin with, but considering that a brand new SD40VE would have cost me at least $100 more once all was said and done, I think it was an excellent deal.
I should also mention that the SD40VE was a gun that I had been considering getting in the first place because I liked the size, weight, features and aesthetics.
 
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$25 for a used Ruger Standard auto 22LR with a Hunter holster. Had red eagle grips on it, meant nothing to me at the time though. It was loose and rattled, had a 4 digit serial number. About 5 years later a gun store owner wanted it so I traded it straight across for a new Ruger Government Target. I did OK.

About 5 years ago, I bought a Winchester 1873 for $100 from a heavy equipment operator who found it under a house they were demolishing. Rusty and ugly, but a little solvent and it worked!
 
I have never gotten any steals my self but a friend gifted me a like new Single Six convertible just before he died for me to remember him by. I will treasure it and leave it to my grandson who is also my deceased friend's grandfather. He will have the Single Six to remember both of his grandfathers (that is why he gave it to me anyway). I did a lot of stuff for him when he was ill before he died.
 
I picked up a Smith and Wesson Model 908 at an auction for $205. The finish looked about 90%, so I was surprised to find the insides looking like new. The bore looked new. She passed her range quals and was promoted to EDC status.
 
Got a .32 S&W long revolver for $1, but only had $.50 on me at the time, had to owe the rest until I could scrounge up another $.50.

Now, the revolver in question is a RG30, so some may think I over paid anyway. It was also fully disassembled, so in reality, I paid $1 for a box of ziplock bags with a bunch of gun parts that could possibly be assembled into a (somewhat) functioning firearm.
 
I'd passed on a half-dozen Colt Commanders from the '60s-'70s in the $650-$750 range, then found a near-mint, early 80 Series, which had a nice trigger on Wilson Combat internals, for $485.
 
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