Gun Guys: Where to buy a used handgun, and what to look for?

[bigchillcar]

"firearms cannot and will not be sent to private indiviuals". okay, i'm a 'bleeding-heart' type of guy, not too private about my life..does this mean i qualify? seriously, what's the upshot of this statement from 'ordnanceoutsellers'? how are you guys ordering guns online with this caveat?
ryan

[bigchillcar]

okay..not sure what FFL stands for, but i'm guessing by checking their link to this term, and seeing that it lists the names of stores by state, that one must make arrangements advance for the gun to be shipped to one of these locales? is that what an FFL is?
ryan

[red-beard]

Matt,

You are definitely over thinking this one.

Back to basics: what are you planning to do with the pistol?

Range Gun?
Home Protection?
Carry Weapon for CHL?

For a carry gun, you want to think small, since it will need to be concealed. I had a Sig P-239 (40S&W/.357sig), and I thought it was too big to easily conceal. The grip was too thick. For a carry pistol, you might consider a KHAR CW9, or a Kel-Tec .380. Kel-Tec also has a brand new, super small, 9mm out (PF-9), but wait on that one until the bugs are worked out...

Home protection: Buy an inexpensive, short barreled, pump shot gun. They are the best. No training needed, etc.

For a range gun, you cannot go wrong with the Baretta, Any Sig, A 1911, A Glock, etc.

Me? I'm partial to the 1911 and the 45 ACP round. I'd love to own one of the Sigs (a 210 or 220), but I don't have the bucks for one right now. I own three 1911A1s right now, a full size Springfield Mil-Spec, A 4 inch "Officer" and a 3 Inch Colt Defender.

[fastpat]

Originally posted by bigchillcar
okay..not sure what FFL stands for, but i'm guessing by checking their link to this term, and seeing that it lists the names of stores by state, that one must make arrangements advance for the gun to be shipped to one of these locales? is that what an FFL is?
ryan

Guns sold on the internet web sites to individuals must be sent through a local gun dealer who hold a Federal Firearms License (the FFL). Their fees vary, but around here are about $25.00 per. If you're eligible to buy a firearm locally, you can buy one online.

It's another federal screw job, though. You're paying someone for the privilege of sending a gun through them, because in 1968, Lyndon Johnson rammed the Gun Control Act of 1968 through congress.

[bigchillcar]

pat, i swear..what you don't know.. how is eligibility determined? i don't suppose it's as easy as simply calling my locally-listed ffl dealer and letting them know i'm buying a firearm through them. what bureaucratic hoop must be jumped through first to determine eligibility? i have no 'record' of any kind and have never actually had to purchase a firearm before..mine had always been passed down from my father.
ryan

[fastpat]

Originally posted by bigchillcar
pat, i swear..what you don't know.. how is eligibility determined? i don't suppose it's as easy as simply calling my locally-listed ffl dealer and letting them know i'm buying a firearm through them. what bureaucratic hoop must be jumped through first to determine eligibility? i have no 'record' of any kind and have never actually had to purchase a firearm before..mine had always been passed down from my father.
ryan

I'm not a lawyer, don't forget.

Basically, as you mentioned you can't have a recorded felony conviction, or a misdemeanor conviction for spousal abuse. You also cannot have a restraining order in place currently for spousal abuse; a record of drug or alcohol treatment MIGHT be an issue.

If Arkansas has a concealed carry permit process, get one. If you are eligible for that, you're usually eligible to purchase a gun, and in some states just showing the CCL eliminates the process of the gun dealer calling the National Instant Check System (the FBI criminal record database for firearms purchases, another government boondoggle).

Or, in your state, you can buy privately and forget about government.

See: http://www.packing.org/state/arkansas/

Edit: Additional state CCL/CCW info, South Carolina, Virginia, and Florida.






The Florida and New Hampshire licenses are available to non-residents by the way.

[bigchillcar]

thanks a bunch, pat. well, arkansas does have a process..and wow..$120 for the application, plus an additional $24 for fbi fingerprinting. not sure how badly i need a concealed weapon permit, but i can see your argument for that superceding questions pertaining for elligibility to obtain a firearm. good info. thanks again.
ryan

[targa911S]

A to make it worse, some dealers will only ship from FFL to FFL so you have to pay twice if the seller is not an FFL holder.

I kept my Florida permit when I moved to PA. Here it is issued by the county. Florida is the state. Many more hoops to jump through. When I went to the county sherriff to "get legal" in PA. he said " Oh you have a "good one". Just about every state honors Floridas permit." He told me there was no need for me to get a PA license and to keep mine as long as I could. PA and OH do not even honor each others permits. Both states honor my FL permit.
I have a C&R (curios and relics) license so it makes it easier to buy on line if I am buying a gun that qualifies as such. Being that I collect old doubles most qualify from the standpoint that they are over 50 years old.

One good thing about having a permit is, at least in FL, no waiting period. Cash and carry after the 20 questions.

[bigchillcar]

arkansas has no restrictions for buying from 'private parties'..no questions asked, no background check..i think..unless there's a federal law that i'm missing. i just didn't think you could purchase a weapon in state here unless a background check was performed..maybe that's from dealers only? or interstate via the internet hence the ffl requirement?
ryan

[Rick Lee]

Ryan, I find it hard to believe AR has that many hoops to jump through. The National Instant Check System pretty much made the Brady Law obsolete and each FFL (there are thousands of private ones in every state) just runs your driver's license # through their phone to the NICS and you're done. Most online dealers include shipping in the price. It's just a customary thing, whereas a lot of car parts for sale here mention a shipping charge. Ordnance Outsellers will ship to your local FFL and they probably already have his paperwork on file, if they have him listed on their website. You just need to give him a heads up that the gun is coming and then he calls you when it arrives. You show up, fill out the paperwork, show two forms of ID, pay the transfer fee and take your gun home. I do it all the time here and it takes about 10 minutes.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally posted by red-beard
Matt,

You are definitely over thinking this one.

Back to basics: what are you planning to do with the pistol?

Range Gun?
Home Protection?
Carry Weapon for CHL?

For a carry gun, you want to think small, since it will need to be concealed. I had a Sig P-239 (40S&W/.357sig), and I thought it was too big to easily conceal. The grip was too thick. For a carry pistol, you might consider a KHAR CW9, or a Kel-Tec .380. Kel-Tec also has a brand new, super small, 9mm out (PF-9), but wait on that one until the bugs are worked out...

Home protection: Buy an inexpensive, short barreled, pump shot gun. They are the best. No training needed, etc.

For a range gun, you cannot go wrong with the Baretta, Any Sig, A 1911, A Glock, etc.

Me? I'm partial to the 1911 and the 45 ACP round. I'd love to own one of the Sigs (a 210 or 220), but I don't have the bucks for one right now. I own three 1911A1s right now, a full size Springfield Mil-Spec, A 4 inch "Officer" and a 3 Inch Colt Defender.

Primary use of the gun will be for fun on the range. Home defense is of course a possibility, because it will be the only gun I have (for now), but I realize that the odds of actually having to use it in that capacity are slim to none. So something that's fun to shoot is my top priority.

Went to my local Gander Mountain today and handled a few, I really liked the feel of the Sig P220 and a Springfield GI 1911. I'm going to try and shoot both before I buy. The Springfield is $499, and the several used P220s they had were a bit over $500.

[bigchillcar]

rick, sounds pretty easy to me. thanks!
ryan

[red-beard]

If you have a choice between a Used Sig 220 and a New GI Springfield, there is no choice. Buy the Sig.

[alf]

Originally posted by red-beard
If you have a choice between a Used Sig 220 and a New GI Springfield, there is no choice. Buy the Sig.

+1

[Rick Lee]

I wore my P220 again for our 120 mile BMW bike ride and it felt great. This is a great winter carry piece. Though I'm thinking of rotating it with one of my .357SIG's, since they will probably penetrate layered clothing better in winter weather.

[targa911S]

Originally posted by red-beard
If you have a choice between a Used Sig 220 and a New GI Springfield, there is no choice. Buy the Sig.

+2

[onewhippedpuppy]

Pretty clear cut answer. That big of a difference, huh?

[onewhippedpuppy]

Any opinion on the Charles Daly 1911? Any better than the Springfield model? It's actually less at Gander Mtn, about $430. Several of the guys there owned 1911s, and commented that they felt it was a lot of gun for the money.

http://www.charlesdaly.com/html/products/firearms/pistols/1911/1911_field.asp