Police Trade-In Value

J

johnwilliamson062

Moderator
My question is very simple:
Why is a police trade-in worth significantly less than an otherwise owned firearm in the exact same condition?

See it on pricing online and have experienced it myself. Once sold a G26 and the guy got angry b/c it was a police trade-in and I did not disclose the fact. He was looking at the gun and I was about the 4th owner, so I didn't think for a minute it was relevant. Seems like most feel it is though. I just don't get it.

If the gun is marked for the department or has compliance features I understand, but if it is just a normal gun...
 
Why is a police trade-in worth significantly less than an otherwise owned firearm in the exact same condition?
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In my experience, this is not the case.

The reason LE trade-in firearms are worth less is that the finish is usually a lot worse than most civilian-owned guns of equal age, particularly if the gun is less than 15 years old.
Once sold a G26 and the guy got angry b/c it was a police trade-in and I did not disclose the fact. He was looking at the gun and I was about the 4th owner, so I didn't think for a minute it was relevant.
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Frankly, I don't understand what the guy's problem is, unless he was hoping you would cut him a break on the price. :rolleyes:
 
If the gun is marked for the department or has compliance features I understand, but if it is just a normal gun...
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Might depend on which agency's mark is on the gun. Yesterday, I was able to handle three "police trade-in" S&W Model 4506s @ my lgs. Two were priced at $399.99 and one in slightly better condition was going for $419.99. All three were in what I would describe as being in "very good" condition, with only light scuff marks on the metal but lots of wear on the grips. On the top of each pistol were the nicely engraved initials "RCDW", with the numbers 1, 2 and 4 afterwards. I inquired as to which le department the pistols came from and learned that the initials stood for the Richland County Dog Warden-not exactly the FBI or the Texas Rangers :).

Still, I think that the pistols were priced fairly. I am, however, made to wonder just how big Richland County's dogs get (requiring .45 ACP chambering) and just how many there are (requiring at least four wardens) :eek:.
 
A lot of police pistols are carried a lot and shot a little.

You can get some really good deals on those guns and if you want one that has some "character" marks but no significant wear, that might be the way to go.

J and G sales has police trade ins a lot.

Geetarman:D
 
i bought this glock model 22 in 40 S&W, a police trade in at a very good price.the pistol was in next to ex condition., only a little wear on the slide and slide release. i have not had any problems at all in over 300 rounds. eastbank.
 

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I lucked up & bought 2 Glocks 40's. For 440.00 just a little ware in good shape from a police action,No complaints here.
 
I picked up an H&K USP .45 compact for $450. That was the best deal I ever got one handgun. $85 to have it refinished.
 
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I think police trade-ins are some of the best deals around. Heck, even some of the really rough looking imported Century Arms Int'l police guns are in excellent condition internally. They are carried a lot and the holster wear make them look like beaters. They shoot straight and function fine.
 
The S&W 469 that I bought for my wife wasn't a "Police Trade in" per se, it was a consignment from a NYPD officer that I bought at a LGS, It was carried as either an under cover or backup pistol.

I doubt if more than 50 rounds have ever been shot through it. A little holster wear on it.

The great things are;

#1. I got my summer carry 469 back from her "borrowing it"
and
#2. she like it. and its her EDC now.

So it was well worth the $350
 
Usually they have more finish wear from being carried all day and necause they are sold cheaper to the dealers as essentially surplus guns.
 
So overall this seems like a good way to get a value priced weapon that has a little wear.
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I would agree with this. I bought a police trade in 5906. The grips show wear (still have to order new ones) but the rest of the gun was mint inside and out. It shoots really nice and has been flawless. I got mine at Gander on sale. Had to hit 2 stores before I found one I liked (at the first store the one in the display case looked very worn and the clerk told me the others they had all looked the same, I doubt it but I didn't like the service from that guy so I left ... hey, he doesn't want to show me the other guns fine, I'll just go somewhere else). The next store had a really nice one right there in the display case, got it for $400. Probably one of my best purchases.
 
condition is the only thing that matters on the value of a used gun .....not who, or how many parties have owned it ...in terms of its ownership history ....although there are a lot of other things that can affect the value as well ( caliber, specs on the gun, modifications and who did them, etc )...

Its irrelevent, whether it was owned by a police officer or not ...it'll be reflected in the condition if it was carried a lot ...by an officer / or a civilian ..it doesn't matter in my experience ( and I buy a lot of used guns ) - and never once did I really care who or how many folks have owned it.
 
Bigjim, but in the market it obviously does. Look at the prices of police trade ins and compare them to other used guns. You can't touch a used glock for what you can get a VG+ trade in for.

I have owned three police guns and was happy with all of them. IMO, if you have the option buy the trade-in.
 
I'm in an agency where our duty carry weapons are self purchased and have never been in one where they are provided by the agency. I wouldn't doubt, due to human nature, that agency provided weapons may not be taken care of as well as self purchased ones. You would think that an officer should put their weapon in the forefront of their mind but many times, it is a fixture of their uniform. Many officers never patrol or have direct contact with the public so the condition of their weapon is secondary.

I know of an officer whose cylinder was rusted closed and his ammo fused inside. I know another officer who used to carry a bottle of white-out in one of his speed loader holders. I didn't see this myself but there were more than one officer with 9 mm ammo in their .40 magazines.

Since officers are human, the condition of their weapons varies widely. I wouldn't jump at or reject a former duty weapon. I would have to inspect it first before plunking down the bucks.
 
John,

I'm not a Glock fan ...so I don't watch the values on them like I do on other guns ...like used 1911's, Sigs, and S&W revolvers.../ so maybe what you're seeing in the Glock used market is different than what I'm seeing ..or maybe its different in other parts of the country ...but you could certainly be right about what you're seeing on Glocks...

I buy quite a few used handguns out of private collections - and used gun stores...in my area / but this hobby is too big to watch all the models out there. The Sigs that I do watch the values on ( 226's mostly )--- don't seem to matter who traded them in vs their condition....or at least to me they don't. Same thing on S&W revolvers like the model 19's & 28's ( .357 mag ) I've bought ex-duty weapons and collectors weapons...price I paid was solely based on condition.
 
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