Flaws to look for?

H

Hiroshi

Inactive
Hey guys, I'm posting here because I dont know alot about hand guns, I've fired a few different pistols in my time but never owned one. I can find my way arround a rifle blind folded, but I dont think I could do the same with a semi-auto.

I'm going to a flea market in webster fl(any one ever been?) i here its a great place to buy hand guns locally.

So my question is this. What should i look for as warning signs for damage or misuse?

I'll be looking at semiauto 9mm ruger/taurus something along those lines. maybe a cz75 if i can fine it.

I'm definitely not interested in 1911's, glocks or revolvers.

thanks a bunch guys!
 
Is it clean? Is the barrel nice? Does it lock up tight when the gun is in battery? When you cycle the slide and dry fire it, does it all work smooth as butter? Ask the seller to field strip it and look for wear that looks odd. Impact marks, gouges, etc.
 
If someone gets sort of defensive or pissy about wanting to take a firearm apart so you can inspect it, probably a good tip off you don't want to buy from them :eek:

Also, speaking from personal experience, look for signs someone tried to be their own gunsmith; if someone tried to throat the barrel and failed, polished the feedramp incorrectly, messed with the sights, or looks like they took a dremel to parts they shouldn't have (if something looks more 'shiny' than the rest of the gun or beyond normal wear and tear from use). Also be on the lookout for rust in places that could be commonly missed when cleaning (inside top of the slide, down in the magwell, etc.) I bought a pistol once where the previous owner had messed with the insides and tried to file everything down, and did it very incorrectly. So, costly mistake to not check it in the store before purchase, but lesson learned :o

There's a bunch of good guides at most bookstores on what to look for when buying used firearms. You can also ask how the owner feels the firearm may fall on the NRA's firearm condition ratings;

http://www.armchairgunshow.com/Condition-NRA-Guns.htm
 
My experience is that its harder to find a 9mm pistol in bad condition than one in good condition. Guns like a Ruger or Cz 75 is very hard to ruin with normal use. Even one that has seen years of use will still be in good nick.

I must commend you on your option list, Ruger and cz build very good guns.

What ever pistol you settle on ( i strongly recommend the cz) have the seller take it apart and inspect it with a small flashlight. Look for traces of rust. Check the bore and especially the locking lugs.

Once the pistol in reassembled cycle the slide a few times and check if the safety works as it should. Check the screws, this might sound irrelevant but if the grip screws are in good nick it usually means that the previous owner never removed them or that he has taken the care to choose a proper tool to do it.

If the seller allows you to shoot the pistol then you in luck.

Like i said, its harder getting a bad one than a good one, especially Rugers and czs.
 
If someone gets sort of defensive or pissy about wanting to take a firearm apart so you can inspect it,

Absolutely agree with that statement,, BUT ask them to disassemble the gun. I will not allow someone to take apart one of my guns and when I was working in a guns store we would be happy to open a “used” gun, never a new. And if you started taking one apart without asking, you were out the door.
If you were selling a used car how would you feel if I started pulling the valve covers off the motor?
 
So my question is this. What should i look for as warning signs for damage or misuse?
Click to expand...

Rust, galling, pitts, signs of dremmel use, bunged up screw heads. The presence of cheezy weird aftermarket parts.

I'll be looking at semiauto 9mm ruger/taurus something along those lines. maybe a cz75 if i can fine it.

I'm definitely not interested in 1911's, glocks or revolvers.
Click to expand...

As you will. A flea market is going to be catch as catch can.
 
I've had a chance to handle both a Ruger P85Mk2 and a P95 recently when making holsters for them for friends. I found them to be surprisingly respectable. Oversize, sure, esp. the P85, but built like tanks. Reading up on them, they seem to be stone-axe reliable (including feeding/extraction) and mechanically accurate. Triggers are kinda "meh" but not that bad.

For the relative peanuts they're going for these days (a used P85 can be had for as little as $250, P95s at $300-$350) they're a damn good gun for the money and worlds ahead of a Makarov or worse yet a "Hi"-Point, Lorcin/Davis or other craptastic junk. And while I wouldn't class a Taurus with those "ultra-junk" types, I'd rather have a Ruger than a Taurus any day of the week.

Are there better guns out there? Sure! Glocks are probably "better overall" although for damnsure not tougher. But if you're on a budget, these older series Ruger autos will get you through the night assuming your hands fit them.
 
So yeah, look for boogered screws or screws that don't match.

Also, know the prices of what you are looking for, and if you don't know what something is, look it up and get it next week unless it's really a steal. I laugh every time I see those beat up $450 Mosin-Nagants.
 
Jim gave you some excellent advice on the older Rugers. My wife has a Ruger 9mm that I really do not like, . . . she does not either, . . . we only keep it for old time sake (it was a mother's day gift to her some 15 years ago, . . . her first personally owned firearm, . . . too big for her hands, . . . I'm a .45 guy).

BUT, . . . there is nothing in my safe that I would consider to be "more" reliable. Put a round in that chamber, . . . pull the trigger, . . . it goes boom, . . . and loads the next one.

Almost unbelievably reliable, . . . and not too bad on the accuracy. For the money, . . . I don't think they can be beat.

May God bless,
Dwight
 
Ozzieman said:
If you were selling a used car how would you feel if I started pulling the valve covers off the motor?
Click to expand...

Why would you be upset? unless you have something to hide. If a potential customer asks nicely then I don't see a problem.

When I bought my first handgun (new) I took it apart on the spot to inspect it at the gun shop with no issues. If someone doesn't let me inspect a product I intend to buy, I'm not buying it.
 
Some of this has already been noted by others and some may not apply to particular models of semi-autos.

Check overall appearance for unusual wear or signs of abuse. If it has been a carry gun, wear on the finish at high spots can be expected. Do look closely for any signs of rust or pitting.

After asking permission, rack the slide and check the trigger pull two or three times. Check the controls. Does the safety work? If it is a decocker style safety, place a pencil down the front of the barrel (eraser end first) and decock it with the decocker. If the pencil jumps, there's a problem. If the pistol has a magazine disconnect, does it work?

Check the barrel for any any obvious bulges and, internally, for any obvious imperfections (a bore light is helpful).

Ask to remove the grips and to field strip. Alternately, ask the dealer to field strip. If the answer is no, don't buy.

First check for signs of rust. Rust under the grips may be a sign of inattention but it may be easy to clean off. Do a general visual check of the internals for rust or signs of unusual wear.

Carefully check the slide for cracks or unusual wear in the areas around the ejection port where the slide meets the frame (near the dust cover). Check the frame in the area of the slide stop notch. You may need a magnifying glass.

To me, normal wear itself is not a killer. It is just a negotiating point. Cracks in slide/frame are killers as are defective controls.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top