Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Police Trade-In Pistols

I hear a lot of people recommend police trade-in guns as a good value, and I've even suggested that people consider them myself.

But I've got a couple of pictures I thought could serve as a good warning for buyers. If you are considering a police trade-in just know that it might not be all you expect. I'd get some sort of guarantee from the seller about the quality of the gun before I bought one sight unseen.

Remember, MOST cops aren't gun guys. And SOME cops are lazy and entitled beyond belief. When those two categories collide you get a cop who, even at his own peril, will invest ZERO energy into maintaining the gun he was issued--That you're going to buy.

Must have been his 'throw away' gun...

The same always applies with any used gun, look before you leap.

You know...I have heard the theory that "most cops aren't gun guys" my whole career...and I simply havent seen this to be true.

Perhaps its an issue with locale, or culture, but the cops I have worked with and around have, by and large, been gun guys. Granted, some may like guns more than they know about them, but the number that have issues qualifying, or those that neglect their weapons are far overshadowed by those who go above and beyond. The vast majority of officers here are hunters, and nearly as many are competitive shooters in some fashion.

In my agency, for example, we issue pistols, rifles, and shotguns. Last I checked, well under half chose to carry the issued pistol, and less than that carried the issued rifle, opting instead to spend their own money for the weapons they wanted. We have very nice shotguns, so many do carry them. We have free access to our range, and rare is a time I go there that there arent other guys already there, on their own time. Rarer yet is a qualification day where more than one officer has to shoot the qual more than once to pass, and we even require a higher score than the state standard.

I suspect my agency, and this area, are not the norm. For that, I am glad.

As you should be.

I used to be the medic on a SWAT team, and those were gun guys...and they really couldn't shoot all that well. For the regular city police guys, they were pretty poor at the range.

But the strangest thing. When I responded to officer involved shootings, every patient I had that was shot by city PD was shoot VERY well. So I guess they had it when they needed it.

SWAT guys definitely got the job done regardless of their prowess (or lack thereof) at the range.

Bluedreaux, where did you come across that poor neglected pistol? Hard to believe someone that may need it to stay alive treats a firearm that way, but some folks refuse to see reality until it whacks them - sometimes literally.

FWIW, I believe where you purchase a trade in from might make quite a bit of difference in this regard.

some of the Glock trade in pistols have not looked too bad. That gun must be a New Orleans Police Hurricane Katrina trade in.

Haha, I bet he inspected some paper pushing management levels pistol. Just a guess.

this one has been a good one. I bought it during the Clinton reign when the gun companys were trading new guns for the LEO guns so they could get the grandfathered hi-cap magazines.

Have to agree that 95+% of officers are not gun people....just because you choose to own your own gun doesn't make you a gun person.

I worked on a 38 man force...36 didn't carry off duty. All guns were city issue. Range was open any time you wanted to go down and shoot...I and one other officer were about the only ones who used the range. There were only a couple of guys that hunted.

Another department, 68 officers and only three carried off duty. Issue gun was a revolver but you could buy and carry almost anything you wanted in 9mm or .45. Well over 50% had their own semis and it was the only gun they owned. Most could barely qualify.

I've talked to dozens of LEO instructors over the years...most are not gun people. I just about always ask what percentage of their officers carry off duty...usually it is less than 10%.

Yesterday I visited with a childhood friend who I had not seen in about 25 years. He did over 20 years on a large department outside Hartford, Ct. He told me about a sergeant who retied and left his gun/belt rig hanging in his locker when he left...the gun had become fused to the holster and had to be cut out. Guy had gotten away without qualifying for at least 10 years...

Bob

That picture should qualify as domestic abuse.

It's true in places like NYC. They typically are gun ignorant, and only shoot enough to qualify when called upon. Then, the only gun they know anything about is their particular issue gun, and not much about that.

I used to shoot at a Long Island range where NYC cops (those that commuted from the Island) would often go to prepare for annual qualifications. I could take most of their service guns and shoot groups half the size of those they were shooting. Try to discuss any gun question with them, and if it wasn't about their specific sidearm, they hadn't a clue ... like talking to your typical man on the street about guns.

It was policy for their police psychologists to screen applicants. Part of the process was to ask them about their shooting experience. Basically, if they appeared to have any interest in firearms at all, they were eliminated from consideration.

Like I stated earlier...I am sure it depends greatly on region, and the societal norms within that area. I can recall one new officer in the last fourteen years who had never fired a handgun. One. Hell, around here, most people are gun people, and thats the pool we hire from.

Off duty carry? In a 50ish man agency, I would estimate that we stand somewhere near 90%, maybe greater. The majority of our officers carry backup guns. We issue GLock 17s and 22s, so choosing to carry your own handgun is not a reaction to poor equipment. Our agency provides every single officer 1200rds of handgun ammo per year, in addition to and independent of any ammo needed to qualify or train during formal training sessions.

I am fortunate to work for such a firearm centric agency.

I have never really liked buying a gun I could not handle and look at in person.

Most police trade in guns sit in the back room of a gun store for a very long time before they are even looked at by the owner. I would suspect that was the cause of the issue noted rather than neglect by the officer. The rust on that pistol doesn't look like it came from sitting in a holster and more like being stacked in a box likely in a moisture saturated room.

I bought a used M&P 9mm from Bud's last summer. It was in good condition, though dirty, and I think the magazines were from a qualification range pooling of said magazines (one was painted on the baseplate).

On the whole, it was in excellent shape, though I had to swap over the magazine catch, as it was probably issued to a lefty at one point. He sure didn't bother to clean it, but it was no trick to do that.

No rust, and the bluing on the barrel at the ejection port looked new. The night sights had faded, and I haven't replaced them yet, and might not, dunno yet.

I got a pretty smokin' deal on the pistol and three magazines, box, backstraps, and manual, for $350, so I can't fuss about it. It feels better to me than a Glock, and while I'm not emotionally attached to it, I like it plenty. It shoots "okay", it ain't no tuned up 1911, but it'll do.

Bluedreaux: As with most all broad and sweeping generalizations yours is NOT correct!
I spent 29 years being and interacting with all manner of law enforcement types then spent twelve more years doing body guard and robbery suppression work with more law enforcement (mostly retired) types!
I NEVER once saw a gun in the possession or use of any of these MANY hundreds (thousands!) of law enforcement types that comes anywhere NEAR what you show/allude to/contend!
NEVER ONCE!
And as I review my firearms inventory I see 6 (six!) pistols that I purchased over the past 4 decades from Law Enforcement agencies two are Glocks and four are Smith & Wessons!
All, let me repeat, ALL of them are in excellent to new unfired condition!
NONE, let me repeat, NONE of them are in the condition you depict!
Nor have I ever seen a police surplus arm that was for sale in the condition you depict!
Sheesh!
I run with about 35 ex-law enforcement types (F.B.I., D.E.A., State Patrol Officers, County Sheriffs, City police and two Military Police Officers - most all of whom are retired now like me but some active) currently and without exception they are safe gun handlers and take VERY good care of their firearms both handguns and long-guns!
Like others posted buyer beware - and sure look for signs of over-use and holster wear but finding an example like you depict is rare!
At least I have never seen such.
That gun you depict is suffering for poor or long term storage among other things IMO.
I completely disagree with your premise/contention.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

After twenty years of being a State Trooper I know some of my fellow Troops aren't gun nuts but they still take care of their equipment. They have to as it gets inspected regularly. With that I wouldn't buy anything used from a police agency. The stuff has a life cycle for a reason. To me buying a used pistol from a police department is like buying an old police car. What do you think you're going to get. Cops are hard on equipment because they use the hell out of it.