Gun buyers guide. Tips on what to look for when buying firearms.

[BBGuns]

i just do a simple function test to make sure all the internals are working properly. look for burs and cracks and inspect the barrel to see what kind of condition it is in, and take a look on the finish for any signs of rust or dropped and that pretty much goes for all guns.

 

[n.one.one]

Here's what I look for when purchasing semi-auto pistols:

1. Does the slide move smoothly along the frame rails? If it does not, then something may be misaligned.

2. If buying a polymer gun, is the frame cracked, discolored (especially around the barrel)? If so, could be due to misuse of the firearm or over-excessive shooting.

3. Remove Slide from frame: Look at barrel to see how much wear is on it. If there are the tell-tale "smiley faces" on the barrel, how deep are they into the finish on the barrel? If they are starting to show more metal than coating, this means that it has been fired a lot, or someone is just rack happy....haha.

4. Look at the slide hood (inside underneath side of the of slide). This part of the slide comes in contact with the top of the barrel chamber; if it is starting to show wear (as well as the top of the barrel chamber) again, this could mean lots of firing or racking.

5. Look at the slide rails on all sides. If they are starting to show wear, then there has been a lot of firing. Usually, more coating is placed on the slide and frame rails of a handgun because of the constant contact and wearing that should happen on a handgun. Coatings/finishes are much thicker on rails and are good indicators of how much a gun has been shot/handled. These should wear down over time as a result of shooting but, if metal is beginning to show, it might be too far beyond that "break in/wear in" stage that most shooters are looking for from their firearms. From my personal opinion, I find that anywhere from 150 rounds to 300 rounds should be a good general purpose break in for most handguns (semi-auto). At this point, again for my firearms, just enough coating/finish has been removed to optimize the action and function of the firearm. Once bare metal begins to show, you have far surpassed the break in period and have started working on the daily maintenance phase; you may even have to have the firearm re-finished.

6. Look at the frame rails on all sides.... see #5 for more info.

7. Sounds simple but, always check: Does the magazine release work and does the trigger work when pulled (take snap caps with you to test this). Also, test whether or not the slide locks back after the final round has been ejected from the firearm (again, use snap caps to test this).

Those are the steps that I take to assure myself that a semi-auto pistol has been taken care of by the former owner. If these items do not check out, I usually walk away from the deal; unless of course it's a collector piece. In that case (I probably won't be firing it very much if at all) I will certainly offer much less than the owner is asking. I will describe what I see wrong with the firearm and offer my suggested price. If we can't work it out, then I'll walk away. I'd rather purchase something that I can fire safely and comfortably regardless of whether or not I plan to actually fire it.

Thanks for the write-up!