Should I buy used or have built a bullseye pistol?

[e'ville]

I am a bit new to the sport and hear different things. But consistently I am told to get a very tight (accurate) gun even at the beginning. A good 45 ACP BE pistol isn't cheap even used. And I hope to use the gun I buy for decades. I am looking for advice on whether to buy a good used one or to have one built. Any good ones out there? Thanks.

------------------
Mark

 

[singleshot]

The only problem with buying a used bullseye gun is that it is an unknown quantity. It might be just fine, but there may be a reason for the sale that wouldn't be so nice.

Unless you buy from someone you know, or know enough yourself to be able to tell whether a gun will shoot or not it's probably better to stick with something from a reputable custom shop

I would suggest Rock River Arms, Les Baer, Springfield Inc. and Clark as places to look.

 

[Matt VDW]

There are some advantages to buying a used bullseye pistol.

The biggie is money: a used wad gun will sell for half to three quarters of what a comparable new gun will. And the used pistol might come with accessories such as a dot sight, grips and magazines that wouldn't be included with a new gun. So, altogether that can mean a savings of several hundred dollars.

Another advantage is time: even a so-so used pistol will do you more good today than a custom wonder pistol that won't be ready for another nine months. And a new pistol generally needs a week or two to be broken in before it's match ready.

Almost all bullseye shooters wind up with more than one .45. So, if you're just starting out, I think it might be worthwhile to get a good used gun now to shoot with this summer. After you've gotten some experience, you'll have a better idea of what you want so when you do order a shiny new custom wad gun, you'll get something you can be happy with for a while. Otherwise, the dream gun you buy today might not fit your tastes in a few months and you'll wind up spending more time and money having additional work done on it.

When I started in bullseye, my first .45 was a plain Springfield Armory 1911A1. I hadn't bought it as a bullseye gun but I had it and I wanted to try bullseye so I used it. It didn't group better than 5" at 50 yards but that was good enough for the Marksman class (where most people don't shoot well with the .45 anyway!).

Later that summer, I bought a used Essex/Colt wad gun from a friend who was "upgrading" to something else. It wasn't pretty and it had seen a lot of use but it still shot well. I had a lot of good luck with that pistol and it took me into the Expert class.

After a couple of years, the Essex/Colt began to have some extraction and ejection problems. I didn't have much luck getting it fixed and the alibis were definitely holding me back. So, when I had a minor financial windfall, I bought a new Rock River Arms pistol and I've had great luck with it ever since. But I still have a couple of other pistols that I keep as backups or loaners, too.

I would have advanced faster if I'd gotten the RRA gun sooner, but I have no regrets about buying the Essex/Colt. When I get the extraction problem fixed I plan to sell it to another up-and-coming shooter and I expect it will give him good service as well.

 

[James K]

Hi, guys,

I second the motion for going the used gun route. Sure, you take a chance, but price can make up for a lot.

Oddly enough, used target pistols are not high priced, especially if you are willing to take less than a perfect finish. I have seen Colt Gold Cups with some finish wear go for $500 or less. They are not laying around on the streets, but queries to local shops should find one or more pretty quickly. The Gun List and Shotgun News are other sources.

Just keep in mind that this is a pistol you are going to shoot, not put in a display case, so finish wear is not important. And stuff like grips wrapped with friction tape is irrelevant. Target pistols are usually given less use than some other guns, and it is pretty easy to tell if they are badly worn internally.

Jim

 

[ArmySon]

Another advantage to buying a used gun is that it's already match tested. The pistol is broken in and "possibly" no modifications needed. You can look at it from a negative point of view and say that the owner is selling it because something is wrong with it. However, on the positive side, if you buy from someone you know, you can get a nice deal.

If you're seriously interested, I have a highly customized Colt Gold Cup that I'm gonna soon sell. I bought an Ed Brown .38 Super on a Les Baer slide/frame. It's gonna replace the Colt as my ISPC gun once all the customizations are finished.