Buying second hand. What to look for?

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Pond James Pond

New member
If I go to look at a second hand bike, I look at certain things I know may need replacing or may affect performance: Brakes, wheel and steering bearings, I look for new gaskets and listen to the engine at different locations.

Then, there are certain things to look for on certain models. For example, on many Honda V-twins, you should look at the output shaft for wear. Older Yamahas had easily corroded brakes.

However, with guns, I am presently at the "pull + go bang = good" and "pull + no go bang = bad" stage.

So what to look for, in general and what specifics to look for on any of the second hand guns listed below?

  • FEG FP9 (€385)
  • FN Hi-Power (€385)
  • Makarov (€250)
  • CZ 85 (€179)
The last one, based on price and seller, is probably a club gun, being sold on.

Any telltales clues to look for?
Thanks!
 
Those are all fairly decent guns you are looking at. Here's what I look for:

1. Obvious signs of wear - holster wear included. It is an indication of how much use the gun has seen.

2. Scratches - indicates that previous owner wasn't very careful with it. (very light scratches are generally no big deal)

3. I lock the slide back and inspect the firing pin hole, extractor, barrel, bore, chamber, crown of the barrel. If I can take the slide off, I'll check the rails for signs of wear - tells me if it was lightly used or high round count.

4. I check to see if the pistol is clean and free of rust.

5. On older guns, I might expect to replace the recoil spring in the slide - make sure replacements are available. Many failure to feed's on older guns can relate back to weak recoil springs - something easy and cheap to fix.

6. Look for Bubba-gun smithing; i.e. stuff that is polished that doesn't look right; aftermarket parts, etc. Avoid guns that have been bubba-smithed. Look for scratches that are covered up with a Sharpie Marker.

7. Make sure that the gun has all original mfg parts, including an original magazine. You might want to look at the magazine and make sure its in good shape.

8. Hold the frame in one hand and grasp the slide, without racking it - feel for any side-to-side play.

9. Make sure slide stop/release, and safeties work smoothly. See if you can borrow a snap-cap to try the trigger 5+ times. I purchased a 1911 style pistol that had a worn sear, and I didn't find this out until I took it out to shoot and the hammer dropped to half cock after first 4-5 shots. Had I checked this out more thoroughly I doubt I would have purchased the gun - cost me $100 to have fixed properly.

10. Always try to get the original box, case, and accessories that came with the pistol new. You may not care about these things, but you can expect a haircut if you don't have them when you sell it.

Overall, if you are not really familiar with the mechanics of different brands of guns, you are looking for a gun that is "almost new". IMHO, how a gun looks on the exterior is roughly a good indication of how it looks on the interior.
 
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Buy from a LGD that gives a 30 warranty. If something doesn't function you get to let him fix it or use the price you paid on another of his guns. That's what all the LGD
do where I live.
 
From a Mak owner....

If you don't know what to look for, get a Mak; chances are that it will work just fine. They all seem to do so. It's probably the most dependable semi-auto out there. You'd have to buck very serious odds to get a lemon.

It's also a great shooter, very easily mastered. It's simple, overbuilt and will most probably outlast you. I'd bet money on it.
 
I see you are in Europe by the currency designation, but don't know which country.

To me, first three look somewhat overpriced, the CZ looks like the best deal. Now, what is ammo like where you are (price and availability)? Is the 9x18 round available?
 
Hi Orionngnr,

Yup, I'm in Estonia.

Prices are high compared to what you might be used to, to sucha degree that even I, with a limited knowledge of the market, came to the comnclusion that the CZ, at that price, had to be a club gun at the end of its service. A shop had a used CZ 75B for €500! They are not cheap, but then this is not a big market....

As it happens, I found the range selling it, in the bowels of an office block and they said that they had no guns for sale, so obviously it is an out of date web-listing and it was snapped up...

9x18? Actually, I don't know. I imagine so as the range I am learning at has me practice on a Makarov and they are supplied. Also, given the historical Soviet connection, I'm sure that there are Mak round shooters here and there... One to investigate, I guess! It would be daft to buy a pistol whose ammo is hard to come by!
 
@ 8shot357

If the chain has sufficient slack, it should be easy.

  • Centre stand/paddock stand.
  • remove the gear shift lever (make a note of its orientation, so on refit it is still in the right place in relation to the rier's foot)
  • remove the front sprocket cover: 2 bolts in my case.
  • Remove the sprocket retaining plate: 2 bolts.
  • Then ease the sprocket off the output shaft, pulling a bit of chain through to give you more slack.
  • Look at the out put splinesfor signs of wear!!
5-10 mins Done
 
Forums for both Revolver and Semi-Auto have stickies at the top of the page with all one needs to know about inspecting and used handgun
 
Buying second hand. What to look for?
Makarov (€250)
Click to expand...

Beyond the basic "busted, bent or buggered", examine the underside of the slide. A lot of Maks have dings and dents where you can't see them. I doesn't seem to affect function.

I have noticed that the single action trigger can vary from example to example. If you have multiple Makarovs to choose from, try the single action trigger on each. Pick the best.

Examine the outside of the barrel. When unused it will have a nice blued finish. With use the recoil spring will scuff up the outside of the barrel. This by itself is not a problem, just a sign of how much it's had, or not had..

If you slam a loaded magazine in and the slide does not stay latched back, you need a new slide release. It shouldn't be too expensive, and isn't difficult to replace.
 
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