I picked up a used 12 gauge for trap league, it only likes Federal Ammo, but it works great for shooting trap. Got it at a great price, probably will buy used again, but will want to shoot them first if possible.
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Welcome to the Community, @7w34k!
It always amazes me that guns have āfavoriteā ammo, but they really do! 
Love the individual personalities!
Yeah, I hear yah! I tried Winchester and it jammed up left and right. Federal works amazing though. Itās got its own mind.
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I have bought used guns but only once from a private party. We exchanged DL numbers as well as our CC license numbers. Both verified with the actual document. We also had each other phone numbers as well. It is one of my EDC guns and I really enjoy it (Walther PPS 9mm with two extra magazines and the original box it cam in).
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Weāve bought two used guns so far. Both of them were ones my wife wanted. Her first gunā¦a Ruger SP101 .357 mag that had just been traded in that day at our LGSā¦and her second wheel gun which was a S&W Performance Center 686+ 3-5-7 again bought at our favorite LGS in Louisville before we moved to Colorado. Both guns were well taken care of from what we can tell before we bought them and theyāve worked flawlessly ever since weāve had them.
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Done it many times. I have probably 6, I bought used.
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If you know what to look for when inspecting a gun, you can eliminate most (not all) of the potential pitfalls of purchasing a used gun. I am fortunate in that my local gun shop also has an indoor shooting range, so I can try out used guns if I so choose. Granted, as @Dawn mentioned, even brand new guns can have problems out of the box, and most shops with ranges will NOT let you test a new gun before forking over the cash.
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When I bought my Remington 1100 tactical for3-gun, I got it new, right out of the box it had feed and ejection failures, like a lot of them, for a gas operated shotgun that can only mean one thing, I had to drill out the 2 gas ports on the barrel .005 over, after doing that, Iāve not had even 1 jam, low brass, high brass, it eats it all.
Also; I did do a lot of research on this before I even attempted to make a change, all of the old timers said the same thing to me, so I did it.
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Good advice Dawnā¦very good advice.
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Well, yes, I would consider buying a used firearm - from a reputable dealer or someone I knew. Iād be rather leary to buy one from someone I didnāt know, especially out of the trunk of their car. Some you canāt buy new either like military firearms. If you want a reliable M1 Carbine, the junk theyāre passing today as new just isnāt all that great in their quality. An old one from surplus is very reliable. Thatās just one example. Personally, Iāve purchased several used firearms and got burnt once - thatās what I get for buying from a pawn shop. Iāll never buy one from a pawn shop ever again. It was a deer rifle, 30-30, Mossberg. It needs a couple parts and theyāre not available any longer. Iāve harvested a couple deer with it and itās the first lever action rifle I ever owned so thereās some sentimental value for me with it, but Iām going to dump it. Still have the rifle and I wonāt sell it unless it works completely reliably. Just me thoughā¦
I have bought used āonlyā from gun dealers here in middle Tennessee. Thatās where I bought my wifeās Ruger LC9s and have never had a issue with it in the almost 2 yearās sheās been shooting it and have probably put a few thousand rounds of ammo through the gun.
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Sure I buy used guns
On line with a three day inspection and have it sent to my FFL Gunsmith. We have a 30+ year relationship built on his expertise, repair & rebuild, and trustworthy opinions. If the seller does not offer 3 day inspection then I donāt buy theirs.
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My first carry gun was a used Springfield XDs .45. With the extremely helpful advice of the folks at Lake Michigan Armory in Escanaba i had narrowed down what I was looking for to 4 handguns. While I was trying to narrow it down further a guy came in and impulse purchased the XDs. Me and my wife then went to lunch so I could think it over some more. We came back about 2 hours later and I was no closer to figuring out what I wanted. The fellow who bought the XDs came back in with the handgun and some ammo he had purchased, put it down and said he didnāt like it and wanted to trade it in on something else. He claimed the firearm was jamming every other shot. I noticed the fresh slide bite on his hand and figured immediately that he wasnāt being very truthful. He claimed to have shot two mags through it, which was 11 rounds.
I scooped that firearm up for myself saving a good $150 on the cost. Every two to three mags it did have a failure to feed, but I had done my research. After 500 rounds and several cleanings that issue doesnāt exist anymore.
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Hi Dawn.
I have purchased at least 10 or 12 used guns. These have ranged from buying from a friend to buying from a pawn shop to buying online and even one from a yard sale. Of these, several have been police trade-ins (from the USA Glock and two Beretta 92s, and an Israeli police trade-in Jericho 941 which I carry daily) I have never had a problem with any of them. Like some of the others who responded here, I always disassemble and inspect each one before I shoot it, but I have never found a problem yet. So, by all means, save yourself some money and go for a good used gun and use that extra cash for ammo and maybe some training.
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I think of used guns like used cars. Itās a matter of what you know vs what you are being told. ALWAYS do your due diligence to function test the weapon. If it fails, leave it. Most guns up for sale have rarely been shot but may have been carried a lot. Ugly does not mean non functional. I picked up a Ruger GP-100 4" stainless that the grips were mauled, the frame was scratched, there were dings in the metal, there was āgunkā in the hammer well and the cylinder was worn āshinyā on opposite sides.
The man said that he had carried it in a holster for 7 years while working on farms (he was an implement driver) because he was attacked by wild dogs once. I asked him about round count and he handed me two boxes of .357 JHP with 36 spent cases. The gun had been rained on, crawled through the mud banged against everything but had barely been fired. It locked up tight as a Nunās errr ummm ā¦ Drum 
He was offered $50 at the pawn store and the gun store offered him little more. I paid the man the $100 he asked for and he was ecstatic. I got an āuglyā brand new gun that shoots like a dream and has become my ātool box gunā.
Cheers,
Craig6
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Yes, when bought through my gun store.
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Iāve bought a large number of used pieces over the years with a very positive experience to date. A lot of firearms are bought, used little, and traded. Condition is something to be closely looked at, and then you take your chance based on an educated guess. Recently got a Sig .22 (used) cheap. Gun was dirty but looked to be in good shape. Fired it an three fteās on the first mag. Took it apart and gave it a deep cleaning. Since then 500+ rounds of assorted ammo with no malfunctions of any type. I figure the PO had a gun that wouldnāt run- I bought it right, cleaned it, and have an excellent plonked with a small investment.
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Iāve only purchased a couple used guns (through a local dealer). The first was my first pistol purchased about 20 years ago that I have been very happy with (10mm S&W, but the parts are no longer available). The second was an older Ruger 44 Magnum Redhawk which I believe the owner probably spent money on a trigger job, put a couple rounds through it, and thought it wasnāt for him/her. I am also very happy with it. After owning the 10mm, I told myself I would not purchase another used firearm if support for it was discontinued in case anything were to need replacement or repairā¦ for the record, it is still running strong.
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Iāve bought and sold tons of āused gunsā with few if any problems.
To protect yourself itās always best to run those purchases through an FFL holder to be sure you are the new owner of record from that date on and to ensure itās not stolen. If itās a stolen firearm thatās been reported as same it will show up when they try to do the transfer.
The other thing you should always do is have a qualified gunsmith inspect them before you fire a used firearm.
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Absolutely! Iāve bought several of my guns used, either from an online auction, or from a someone local to the area I used to live. I grew up around a bunch of military bases, so it was common for people to sell stuff really cheap when the get relocated.
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