I bought a Sig 220 "Red tag", Police trade in... I dont believe it was fired or carried at all. I verified with Sig NH, that it was indeed a trade in. Remember, most Departments only qualify 1X a year, due to budget constraints. And often there are spare weapons locked away in the armory, unfired. I lucked out and got one of those. Super accurate for a Commander sized .45, one of my favorite carry guns when I'm not carrying a wheel gun. But even the used police trade ins have been shot minimally (100 rounds a year, possibly more), cleaned and checked over prior to being resold. The issue, is worn bluing, and various dings and scratches from holster wear and banging off car door frames, etc. Looks can be deceiving though and many have low round counts and are quite accurate. As long as the muzzle crown is good, you may find a great bargin.
police trade ins
- Thread starter wild willy
- Start date
This is, without any doubt, a very interesting question and is making as much sense as establishing a round-count average for the members of this forum.
My son is an officer in a Texas police department that gives every officer that goes to the range a free box of 50 rounds per month. Obviously many officers do not use this opportunity and my son usually gets 150 to 250 rounds when he goes shooting, plus he buys also his own ammo.
Since the ammo is counted and accounted for, it still means that every officer shoots 50 rounds per month on average but it clearly does not carry over to the individual gun.
My son is an officer in a Texas police department that gives every officer that goes to the range a free box of 50 rounds per month. Obviously many officers do not use this opportunity and my son usually gets 150 to 250 rounds when he goes shooting, plus he buys also his own ammo.
Since the ammo is counted and accounted for, it still means that every officer shoots 50 rounds per month on average but it clearly does not carry over to the individual gun.
There are visible signs a gun has been shot a lot. I think if youre paying attention, they are pretty easy to see. Just look to your own guns with known higher round counts for the signs.
Theres no way to know what that round count is, but I would think you should be able to pretty easily spot regular, if not heavy use.
Theres no way to know what that round count is, but I would think you should be able to pretty easily spot regular, if not heavy use.
OneFreeTexan
New member
Not sure if this means anything,, I n the nearby village, the police dept didn’t age care fo their guns, but them a retired sheriff filled in as chief for a few moths and things changed. I checked the local sheriff’s department,,, they are careful with their guns, and now,, all must qualify,, not so ten years ago.... then I visited the state police post in the same town... OH, my gosh,, staties are proud of their guns,, eager to show off, every gun was shiney, but guess what, two years ago, a statie got killed because he didn[t follow protocol.
I and many others have answered this same question before if one would do a search on mthe topic. Like mentioned above one would need to know the origin of the firearm. In our case I ordered in excess of one hundred thousand rounds of ammo per year for training and issue purposes as we trained with the same ammo as carried on duty. Some of the officers fired a great deal more than those who appeared only as directed, two shoots were held monthly and the officers were required to attend at least one of the training days each quarter however, it was open to any who wished to fire even if they had fired already that month.
I utilized movement, hostages, moving targets and props like a fire plug or police vehicle sonthe scenarios were as challenging as possible.
Rarely did I have a S&W or later Glock pistol fail in the field even so I kept a supply of parts expected to fail.
I utilized movement, hostages, moving targets and props like a fire plug or police vehicle sonthe scenarios were as challenging as possible.
Rarely did I have a S&W or later Glock pistol fail in the field even so I kept a supply of parts expected to fail.
I reread the posts and find glaring comments suggesting police officers do not train with their firearms. No sources of these statements were included so I can only conclude they are personal opinion. I worked for thirty years for a police department in an area where there are dozens of autonomous cities and counties
each having a law enforcement agency. I was in charge of the firearms training program for many of those years at my department and upon retirement served another eleven years providing training exclusively with firearms.
Each of these entities had training programs in place which included firearms and tactics, the officers are trained in their profession and do not “qualify only once a year” rather are in constant training.
Liability today for negligent acts is so acute that it is much cheaper to train than pay one lawsuit because the officer could not handle his fire arm in a safe and prudent manner.
Our trade in pistols always had seen many rounds go down the the tube but were still in excellent condition due to t(e maintenance program in effect.
each having a law enforcement agency. I was in charge of the firearms training program for many of those years at my department and upon retirement served another eleven years providing training exclusively with firearms.
Each of these entities had training programs in place which included firearms and tactics, the officers are trained in their profession and do not “qualify only once a year” rather are in constant training.
Liability today for negligent acts is so acute that it is much cheaper to train than pay one lawsuit because the officer could not handle his fire arm in a safe and prudent manner.
Our trade in pistols always had seen many rounds go down the the tube but were still in excellent condition due to t(e maintenance program in effect.
IBMikey; Personal opinion, yes. And I'll stand by it too. Why? Based on firsthand knowledge. "Glaring" comments? Wasn't intended as such. Subject was LEO trade in weapons. I certainly wasn't insinuating Police are not trained. 
My department qualifies only annually (spring), but has a fall / "skill builder", with an unofficial qual course. I know of several departments in the Northeast that only qualify annually, with zero practice during the year. No low level light, weapons retention, etc.
Sounds like you worked in a region fortunate enough to have a good training program, and a budget large enough to support the additional costs. A supportive Administration is nice too. The US is big and not all areas are as "Progressive" as the west coast, which may or may not be a good thing, depending upon the topic.
My department qualifies only annually (spring), but has a fall / "skill builder", with an unofficial qual course. I know of several departments in the Northeast that only qualify annually, with zero practice during the year. No low level light, weapons retention, etc.
Sounds like you worked in a region fortunate enough to have a good training program, and a budget large enough to support the additional costs. A supportive Administration is nice too. The US is big and not all areas are as "Progressive" as the west coast, which may or may not be a good thing, depending upon the topic.
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2wheelwander
New member
Police trade in 1187's can be found online for under $500 with a little searching.
Sureshot, Yes the budget was “big” as were those of moist surrounding agencies, the indoor range facility cost 12 million....The officers are well trained and most had four year degrees...politics are as bad or worse than the NE coast..maybe worse because all the nuts inhabit the west Coast from Mexico to Canada. They have good officers who are under constant pressure and if a mistake is made you can bet there will be dozens of liberals and freethinkers with telephone video and a vindetta to destroy careers.
I “got out of Dodge” just as soon as I retired however even though I live on the East border of Washington the whole state is controlled by the population centers on the coast...I should have gone at least one state further East
I “got out of Dodge” just as soon as I retired however even though I live on the East border of Washington the whole state is controlled by the population centers on the coast...I should have gone at least one state further East
I have two , both S&W revolvers from the Baton Rouge Police Department , a model 64 in 38 special and a model 66 in 357 magnum .
Both were shot very little . The model 66 wasn't even carried much . The model 64 was carried longer and the right grip panel was banged up by the patrol car door frame.
Since officers stake their lives on these guns they keep them in working order, if anything gets out of order they were repaired or replaced.
I know the officer who carried both revolvers and he assured me they were kept in perfect working order even if the exterior was worn.
Both being stainless steel , when I got them a little Turtle Wax Chrome Polish removed any scuff marks and both look new .... well almost new !
I mounted a red dot sight on the model 64 38 special and with a target trigger job turned it into a dedicated NRA Bullseye Target gun...it's a tack driver !
Mine were worth the money.
Both were shot very little . The model 66 wasn't even carried much . The model 64 was carried longer and the right grip panel was banged up by the patrol car door frame.
Since officers stake their lives on these guns they keep them in working order, if anything gets out of order they were repaired or replaced.
I know the officer who carried both revolvers and he assured me they were kept in perfect working order even if the exterior was worn.
Both being stainless steel , when I got them a little Turtle Wax Chrome Polish removed any scuff marks and both look new .... well almost new !
I mounted a red dot sight on the model 64 38 special and with a target trigger job turned it into a dedicated NRA Bullseye Target gun...it's a tack driver !
Mine were worth the money.
I've owned about a dozen trade ins over the years and none had been shot much. The cosmetic condition ranged from "fair" (I call it poor) to "took it out of the box, racked it a couple of times, and put it back in". My Sig P220 Dak looks almost new on one side, but the right side has an odd "faded" look to it that almost looks like it's finish was bad out of the box, there's no visible scratches or other wear on it, it's just not black, it's sort of medium gray on about half of the muzzle. As cheap as it was, I don't mind. Fantastic worked on DAK trigger, almost feels like it wouldn't have enough energy to punch a primer all that well, but it shoots flawlessly. My prettiest trade in was my sold off for tax money S&W 4506. Looked like it had barely been fired, not a mark on it outside, and only the hammer showed any evidence it had been shot at all. The ugliest of them all was a Bud's trade in 4566 with one side that had been slid across a sidewalk, I would guess. Shot fine, nightsites were dead, but the gun was a great shooter. My Sig P226, an ex NYPD DAO(Not DAK) gun has some minor holster wear, mostly on the frame, but like most of the others, was barely shot. I converted it to DA/SA with parts bought online for $55.
2wheelwander
New member
Dad just scored a G22 with Detroit PD inscribed on the slide. original box and 2 drop free's for $300. Holster wear only.
The Glocks that I kept for range pistols had untold numbers of rounds put through them, many, many thousands. When it was time to renew all Department pistols with new issues I cleaned the range pistols and placed them back in their original boxes looking “as new”. You guys that think you are getting a “fired very little” gem probably are not as long as the firearm is cleaned properly and has been maintained properly through the years there is little way the average buyer will know if “carried lots fired little” or “ fired very little”.
The Model 66’s that I traded to a local shop for then current duty weapon (5906) had extensive firing...I prepared them for the dealer looking once again as new, no end shake, timing ok, finish scratches removed...they sold in a week because of the price and new appearance. Some of the trade in weapons were never issued but that certainly was the exception and not the norm.
The Model 66’s that I traded to a local shop for then current duty weapon (5906) had extensive firing...I prepared them for the dealer looking once again as new, no end shake, timing ok, finish scratches removed...they sold in a week because of the price and new appearance. Some of the trade in weapons were never issued but that certainly was the exception and not the norm.
Most autos are pretty easy to tell if they have a lot of rounds through them. Just look at the "smiley" on the barrel.
I had two German P6 SIG's that I picked up about 10 years ago when they first came in. One, had a lot of holster finish wear, and the smiley on the barrel was worn through the finish, bright, and could be felt with a fingernail run across it, showing it had been shot "a lot".
The other, looked brand new, and the finish on the barrel barely showed a hint of a smiley starting.
These are a couple of pics of the smiley heavily used P6's barrel.....
I dont have pics of the other guns barrel, but think of a new pistol you bought and shot a couple of times, and youll have a good idea as to what it looked like in comparison.
I have a Glock with over 140,000 round through it now, and the smiley on it, isnt near as heavy as the pic above. Its more easily "felt" than that one was though.
I think revolvers are a bit more difficult to tell, especially by "looks". Its more of a feel thing, and knowing what to look for.
Ive owned a few police trade in revolvers, and still have a couple. Most of them had a lot of holsterwear, and a couple some heavier dings, but most all of them were sound, and were good shooters.
The worst was a recent NYDC Model 10, that passed all the "tests" on inspection, really didnt look all that bad on the outside either, but after a couple of outings, the barrel came loose while I was cleaning it. Cant say if that was due to a high round count, or just one of those things, Im thinking the latter, but, you never know. Thats just part of the risk, and the fun, new or used.
I had two German P6 SIG's that I picked up about 10 years ago when they first came in. One, had a lot of holster finish wear, and the smiley on the barrel was worn through the finish, bright, and could be felt with a fingernail run across it, showing it had been shot "a lot".
The other, looked brand new, and the finish on the barrel barely showed a hint of a smiley starting.
These are a couple of pics of the smiley heavily used P6's barrel.....
I dont have pics of the other guns barrel, but think of a new pistol you bought and shot a couple of times, and youll have a good idea as to what it looked like in comparison.
I have a Glock with over 140,000 round through it now, and the smiley on it, isnt near as heavy as the pic above. Its more easily "felt" than that one was though.
I think revolvers are a bit more difficult to tell, especially by "looks". Its more of a feel thing, and knowing what to look for.
Ive owned a few police trade in revolvers, and still have a couple. Most of them had a lot of holsterwear, and a couple some heavier dings, but most all of them were sound, and were good shooters.
The worst was a recent NYDC Model 10, that passed all the "tests" on inspection, really didnt look all that bad on the outside either, but after a couple of outings, the barrel came loose while I was cleaning it. Cant say if that was due to a high round count, or just one of those things, Im thinking the latter, but, you never know. Thats just part of the risk, and the fun, new or used.
AK, Your example is an obvious high round pistol, to be truthful at 4am when I wrote my comments my brain was engaged on SS examples where wear marks can easily be removed or covered with the use of mildly abrasive pads. Also the stainless guns tend not to be so obvious with wear patterns, certainly not the stark difference shown in your photos.
A friend obtained a S&W Mod 65 from one of the California Dept of Corrections turn in’s, it was truly an example of what a person with dead time can do to a pistol. It was covered with scratches from end to end, cylinder was loose on the stop and had a ton of end shake and finally the hammer spur was bent from dropping the pistol. After some work on each of the listed areas and replacement of the hammer cylinder stop and grips the pistol looked and locked up according to Smith specifications. I have no idea of the rounds fired but it must have been drawn and dry fired untold thousands of times, crane opened and closed etc. The pistol now could pass for “as new” ....but Looks can be deceiving.
A friend obtained a S&W Mod 65 from one of the California Dept of Corrections turn in’s, it was truly an example of what a person with dead time can do to a pistol. It was covered with scratches from end to end, cylinder was loose on the stop and had a ton of end shake and finally the hammer spur was bent from dropping the pistol. After some work on each of the listed areas and replacement of the hammer cylinder stop and grips the pistol looked and locked up according to Smith specifications. I have no idea of the rounds fired but it must have been drawn and dry fired untold thousands of times, crane opened and closed etc. The pistol now could pass for “as new” ....but Looks can be deceiving.
Youre right, SS is a lot easier to clean up. You dont have to deal with a "finish", for the most part anyway.
When I had access to a bead blast cabinet, that was always my preferred method of doing the SS guns over. Carbon steel guns got the same treatment, but they went into the park tank after.
I picked up a DAO S&W 64 from J&G Sales a few years back. On the outside, the gun looked like it was thrown in a bucket of bolts and drug behind a truck. A million or so light to medium scratches. It was pretty rough. The gun itself was tight, and has a buttery smooth trigger. If it was used hard shooting wise, somebody fixed it up internally before they shipped it out.
One thing that always amazed me about that gun is, I dont know how they cleaned it before sending them out, but it was absolutely spotless when I got it. Cleaner than any gun Ive ever bought in 50 some odd years of buying my own. There wasnt a speck of anything, anywhere on the gun. my guess was ultrasonic, but who knows.
Lacking the blast cabinet, a couple of hours with some Mothers chrome polish, and the gun cleaned up really nice. Nicer than I expected to tell the truth.
Not the best pic, and I wish Id taken a "before", but youll get the idea.
This was a Colt Commander I got off a boy I worked with who was going though a divorce. It to was real rough on the outside, bright, polished SS on the sides, with lots of scratches. I stripped it down the bead blasted it.
When at all possible, this is my preferred SS finish....
When I had access to a bead blast cabinet, that was always my preferred method of doing the SS guns over. Carbon steel guns got the same treatment, but they went into the park tank after.
I picked up a DAO S&W 64 from J&G Sales a few years back. On the outside, the gun looked like it was thrown in a bucket of bolts and drug behind a truck. A million or so light to medium scratches. It was pretty rough. The gun itself was tight, and has a buttery smooth trigger. If it was used hard shooting wise, somebody fixed it up internally before they shipped it out.
One thing that always amazed me about that gun is, I dont know how they cleaned it before sending them out, but it was absolutely spotless when I got it. Cleaner than any gun Ive ever bought in 50 some odd years of buying my own. There wasnt a speck of anything, anywhere on the gun. my guess was ultrasonic, but who knows.
Lacking the blast cabinet, a couple of hours with some Mothers chrome polish, and the gun cleaned up really nice. Nicer than I expected to tell the truth.
Not the best pic, and I wish Id taken a "before", but youll get the idea.
This was a Colt Commander I got off a boy I worked with who was going though a divorce. It to was real rough on the outside, bright, polished SS on the sides, with lots of scratches. I stripped it down the bead blasted it.
When at all possible, this is my preferred SS finish....
I have a Glock 22 trade in that looked new on the inside. One mark on the slide from holster wear. Barrel wasn't worn and there was a small amount of copper residue still on the inside of the slide. Seeing small amounts of the copper was a surprise.
Mags were stiff. This G22 was a Gen 4 that I purchased this summer. The test fire round still in the box was from 2013. I'm fairly certain that I've fired it more in the last 5 months than whoever had it previously.
Mags were stiff. This G22 was a Gen 4 that I purchased this summer. The test fire round still in the box was from 2013. I'm fairly certain that I've fired it more in the last 5 months than whoever had it previously.
MagnumWill
New member
Ditto what nanney1 said.
I just received my Glock 22 gen 3 blue label, it came with a CT lasergrip and the Trijicon sights glow as if they were new.
When I took it apart, I'm convinced it's had less than 100 rounds through it - as well as spent all its time in a drawer or safe, there aren't even holster marks on it. I got it for $280, with 3 mags. I figured since the thing has $350 worth of sighting options, that's a fair price?
Needless to say, I'm trying to get another one. These things really are the best semblance if "milsurp" value these days.
I just received my Glock 22 gen 3 blue label, it came with a CT lasergrip and the Trijicon sights glow as if they were new.
When I took it apart, I'm convinced it's had less than 100 rounds through it - as well as spent all its time in a drawer or safe, there aren't even holster marks on it. I got it for $280, with 3 mags. I figured since the thing has $350 worth of sighting options, that's a fair price?
Needless to say, I'm trying to get another one. These things really are the best semblance if "milsurp" value these days.