I know that is a rather ambiguous answer, but it is the truthful one. The answer is, it depends on a variety of factors. Do you know who you’re buying it from? If not, does he look reasonably trustworthy? Last thing you’ d want to do is purchase a firearm that was either stolen, or had been used in the commission of a crime. This is especially true if no receipt is given.  I’ve bought guns from and sold guns to individuals  but normally it is from/to someone I know personally. The best bet when buying a used firearm is to buy from a dealer. You will probably incur a bit higher price, but you will also have the piece of mind of knowing that you won’t have your weapon confiscated and used as evidence in a crime that you didn’t commit should you have to use it to defend yourself.  There’s a lot of talk about sales at gunshows. Most of what the Democrats spew (and the Mainstream Media report as fact) is pure hogwash.  There is no greater correlation to gunshows and guns used in crime than any other guns sold. Most guns used to commit crimes are obtained illegally anyway. That’s why criminals are criminals, they break the law. Anyway back to the topic of used firearms.

When looking for a used self defense weapon, you should do some research as to what makes and models you might want to buy. Choose a variety. Unlike the new gun market, not every gun make and model will be available used at any given time.  So pick out a few different makes and models and read some reviews on this site and others.  That way when you see that handgun for sale used on a dealer’s table for what looks like an incredible price, you can know that that particular model might have an issue with a broken firing pin like the CZ-52s do. A friend bought one and when he got it home found that the original steel firing pin had broken and been replaced with one from another gun. A “repair” that would’ve made the pistol go full auto had he inserted a loaded magazine and chambered a round. Luckily he knew to look for the problem and the $10 repair didn’t really bother him at the price he paid for the pistol. He ended up with a reliable light recoiling surplus handgun for $210.  Not a bad deal all in all.

Another source of information is friends who actually know a lot about firearms. I’ve accompanied a number of friends to gunshows simply to help them find good deals. I research new and used gun prices constantly looking for bargains, so I have a pretty good idea when a price is good or not.  There are a few things to look for like bulged barrels. Always look through the barrel of a used firearm with a light. This will allow you to insure that the barrel isn’t blocked, bulged or otherwise in need of replacement. This is especially true of WWII or Eastern Bloc surplus arms as the primers used were frequently corrosive. While that is not a good thing, as long as the weapons were cleaned in a timely manner, or had chrome lined bores, the corrosive priming mixture would have little to no effect.  Another thing to look for when it comes to used weapons is police trade ins. Police department trade ins are frequently fired only for qualifications a few times a year. Any minor problem is handled by a professional armorer, so the weapon seldom has any wear other than holster wear. Sometimes the departments are going to a completely new brand of handgun. When that happens, it isn’t unusual for them to sell off the inventory complete with accessories as a set. I got a like new Beretta 84F .380 with 3 high capacity magazines and a Desantis shoulder holster for under $325 plus S&H.

So my advice when it comes to buying used guns, is to do a little research as to what’s available, what is reliable, and what a good price range is. Information is the key to finding a good buy on a used firearm.