Good and bad handgun purchases!

[The Legion]

In the past I have made some handgun purchases that have not been well thought out. I have been lucky enough to sell the not so well thought out purchases and have been able to make handgun purchases that better meets my needs. Here are the handguns I currently own and what I use them for. I like all of these handguns and will stay with this group for awhile.

My carry pistols:

Glock 23

Kimber Pro TLE

My IDPA competition pistols:

Glock 34

STI Trojan 5.0 9mm

Wilson Combat CQB .45 cal

Sometimes carry and competition pistol:

Glock 17

[daddyo]

We've all made some less than desirable choices, based on nothing more than "I wanted it". Good thing is that there's always someone out there willing to take the poor choices off your hands. I see them every day on Gunbroker and Auction Arms.

The internet makes it so much easier to research before buying. Some of the ones I have in my inventory I have bought on the recommendation of others and have been very pleased. I very rarely take the advice of gun store employees. Not that I think they are dishonest, but I no longer base my purchase decisions on the word of someone who stands to gain monetarily from steering me to something with a greater profit margin.

We all come around, eventually. I like your current setup.

Edited October 4, 2010 by DaddyO

[tnhawk]

The only bad purchase I've made was in 1998 when I got an AMT 380 Backup.

[Guest The Highlander]

The Lew Horton S&W 629, 5" Stainless, Unfluted Cylinder, .44 magnum, with Leupold 4X scope qualifies for the worst, and one of the best purchases I ever made.

GREAT BUY! I walked in to a local gun pushers, and my eyes were immediately drawn to this beautiful weapon. I asked to see it, and was struck by the nice size of the 5" barrel, and unfluted cylinder, and the very nice balance the pistol had, even with the Leupold mounted. Oh yeah, it had a set of Hogue tupperware grips on it, but came with some nice S&W woodies also. The price was a ridiculously low $500. The pusher behind the counter just said a guy brought it in just a few hours ago, and couldn't handle the recoil or something. I bought it very quickly.

TERRIBLE BUY! So, I took it to the range with several kinds of ammo. Figured the scope might not be "on" for me, so I set the target at about 10 yards. I fired three rounds and didn't even hit the box the target was taped too! What the heck?

GREAT BUY! After a profanity-laced tirade, the better part of a box of shells, and them copious application of more profanity, I noticed the scope was mounted at about a 3 degree departure angle from the barrel, and that the previous owner had used up all the adjustment range trying to get it on target. What an idiot he was! I took it home to re-mount the scope and try again another day.

TERRIBLE BUY! After re-mounting the scope to the best of my ability, centering the scope in its adjustment range, and gathering more ammo, I returned to the range. To my horror, the previous owner wasn't an idiot after all, he was trying to compensate for a barrel so poorly manufactured and mounted, no degree of help from the scope was enough to get it back on target. I gave up and decided to unload it at the next gun show.

GREAT BUY! The next gun show, I had the pistol sold to a dealer within 20 minutes of entering. Of course, I kept the extra set of grips and the pistol rug (score!). He paid me enough to get out of the gun, and to purchase a MINT original in the box Ruger .44 Carbine, with two boxes of shells!

So, if you see a nice looking 629 5" with Wiegand mounts, a 4x Leupold scope, and unfluted cylinder around these parts, make sure the scope and barrel are lined up before you buy it. Of course, someone has probably sent it back to Smith for correction by now. It probably ended up a good shooter.

[DaveTN]

I don’t think my purchases out thoroughly. I don’t get attached to handguns; I buy and sell on a whim. I think I’ve owned everything worth owning that was made here and some of them several times.

Everything in life, including handguns is application driven. Change the application just a little and it will change the firearm.

[Will Carry]

Worst purchases: You get what you pay for..............

Smith and Wesson Sigma 9mm (jam-o-matic). Gave it away for free.

Taurus M85UL (jam-o-matic) A wheel gun jams? Traded for a Glock 19

Best purchases: XD-45 Has never failed and is very accurate with a great trigger for a DAO.

Colt Government 1911. Hasn't jammed since the first day. Eats anything and spits it out on target.

Ruger Super Single Six with 9.5" barrel. It's like shooting a 22 rifle it's so accurate.

[Proscene]

I don't think I ever made a bad hand gun purchase, just less desirable than my wallet could stand.

However I have made some bad ammo purchases!

[JReedEsq]

My current handguns are Glock 19, Glock 26, Glock 17(Gen4), Glock 22 (Gen 3RTF2) and a Ruger LCP. They are all defensive/carry guns. They are tools. They may not be collectible, sentimental or pretty, but they are all reliable and I'm comfortable with them. The only bad handgun I ever bought was a Beretta Bobcat. It would FTE constantly. Not reliable or powerful enough to carry and too small fun at the range either. It was replaced by a combination of a .22 conversion kit and the LCP.

[willis68]

I have yet to purchase a firearm that I regret doing so, I have loved all of my guns for different reasons

[K191145]

Taurus M85UL (jam-o-matic) A wheel gun jams?

Worst: Colt Magnum Carry .357 snubby (jam-o-matic) revolver.

Best: Colt Python stainless 8" barrell for $450 which I later sold, (kick self in a$$) and bought Colt Magnum Carry, holster, and ammo and paid the electric bill.

[mav]

I don't think I have ever made a bad handgun purchase. I have made some hasty purchases which I should have thought out a little more. Since I just got into firearms just last year, I think I have done pretty well with what I have chosen.

FNH Five-Seven: my first handgun (good)

FNH FNP-45: (good)

FNH FNP-9: (hasty, traded)

Kimber Tactical II HD: (hasty, traded)

Kimber Ultra Raptor II: (hasty, traded)

FNH SLP Mark 1 (x 2): (can't really comment on it since I have never shot it, nor has my brother shot the one I bought for him)

Ruger Mark III Hunter: (excellent after some Volquartsen trigger and grip modifications)

Sig X-5 L1: (outstanding)

Wilson CQB: (good)

Glock 34: (good)

Nighthawk Custom T3: (good, my EDC)

Springfield Professional: (haven't received it yet, Willis' reputation on the line)

[JC57]

Worst - S&W Model 29, 6.5" .44 mag, purchased new in 1980 or so. Beautiful, well made gun. Shot two rounds though it, decided 44 mag was too much gun for me. Luckily I had a good friend who wanted it for hunting and paid me my full price for it.

Best - S&W Model 66, 2.5" round-butt .357 mag. Purchased used at a gun show in the 80s, but apparently the previous owner had a really good trigger job done by a good gunsmith. That is the nicest shooting gun ever, smooth as glass. Still have that one. Well, the wife has that one. She lets me look at it once in a while.

Edit: just a note - the Model 29 was a great gun, just not the right gun for me at that time. Only time I ever bought a gun and sold it right away after shooting it.

Edited October 7, 2010 by JC57

[Guest Law of Thirds]

Great Guns:

CZ 97B

CZ 452 Left-handed American

Kimber TLE/II

S&W M&P45c

S&W 19-3 4"

S&W 19-3 2 1/2"

S&W 642 Ported 2"

Colt 1903 Pocket Hammerless Type II

Ruger Mk III 22/45 (with the wood grips!)

Ok Guns:

Springfield 1911A1 GI (only ok because it just wasn't what I was looking for in a 1911, stock hammer & grip safety eat my hand)

Bad Guns:

Taurus Tracker 4" in 22 LR. I've never seen a gun fail so hard.

I don't buy as impulses though. I've never bought a gun without first walking away and thinking about it. If it's still there when I come back....great. If not, oh well.

[Guest The Highlander]

Bad Guns:

Taurus Tracker 4" in 22 LR. I've never seen a gun fail so hard.

Friends don't let friends buy Taurus's!

[LA_357SIG]

The Good:

Glock 19

S&W 386NG

Taurus 66

FNP-45

Kimber Custom II

The Bad:

Glock 27

Ruger SP101

The Ugly: (The only 2 handguns I totally loathed)

Sprinfield XD9

S&W M&P40c

[fastbs]

Best

Glock 27

Worst

Glock 21sf, the gun is great I just never use it but it's one of those I always wanted it purchases and can't talk myself into getting rid of it yet.

[Will Carry]

One of you guys says the Glock 27 is the best and the other says it's the worst! That just goes to show you that one man's poison is another man's cure.

[Sidinman]

One of you guys says the Glock 27 is the best and the other says it's the worst! That just goes to show you that one man's poison is another man's cure.

lol