Posted: 1/14/2006 9:26:47 AM EDT
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I made a thread in the general area, but I'm going to post it here in hopes of getting more replies. Ok, heres my situation. I'm joining a police academy, and I have to provide my own pistol. Unfortunately, I dont have one. I DO have a Bushmaster AR-15 A3 with a 16" barrel. Rifle is in great condition, less than 2k rounds through it. A local gunstore buys/trades firearms. If they give me enough for it, I'm going to trade it in. However, I'm not sure how much I should expect. I dont want to get low balled. I paid 900 for the damn thing! I have all the original documents that came with it, too. I also have a sightron 2 3-9X42 that I paid 200 for. Anyone know what kind of deal I should get? TIA Temper |
| It should sell for about 30% less than you paid as used. A commercial gunshop may offer more. You might do better in the EE as an offer to trade. Alot depends on what kind of pistol you need. A good used glock can be had for $350ish if you shop well. Where are you located? What does the dealer you bought it from say? Lots of variables here but it might be better to buy the pistol outright as its tax deductible once you get a cop job. |
| I'm in Lancaster.. about 30 mins se of Columbus. I've shot a friends glock and liked it, however, i wanted a nicer pistol. I'd really like to have an HK usp tactical, but I know i can expect to pay 1200 for a new one. I've also considered a 1911 or a sig.. not real sure which to go for. I did shoot an XD and hated it. |
| Glocks are nice pistols. Check out this thread Glock Torture Glocks are extremely durable and reliable guns. They aren't as smooth as a SIG, but the will out last them. Glock's have tenifer treated slides and barrels versus parkerized parts on all the guns you mentioned. HK is overpriced and over rated IMHO. They are large guns with ergonomics that were designed around a bears paw. The barrel is not inline with your wrist so the muzzle rise is unbelievable. The pointability of HK is no where near as easy as with a SIG or a Glock whose barrels are directly inline with your index finger. Pointability is very important, it allows the user to "point and shoot" which is exactlly what happens during a self defence situation. DON'T SELL YOUR AR! You can get a used Glock for under $400. Your Bushmaster is on backorder with over 60 people on the waiting list at Vance's. They get about 3 in during a month if their lucky! To pick one up again you'll pay $1100 or more for a used one. I live in Columbus and I have friends trying to sell handguns all the time. If you want to e-mail me I can talk to a couple of my friends and see what they have. |
| I got my AR at Buckeye outdoors, and its owned by Vance's. I think I'll end up keeping my AR. I'm thinking about borrowing money from my life insurance policy to buy one. You're the first person thats discouraged me from buying an HK.. I've also thought about buying a Beretta, but not sure. I'll email you. |
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Id have to disagree with excist_and_reflect's opinion on the HK. Ive owned several and all where extremely nice, comfortable handguns. I think the trick with the HK is to pick the right one for your sized hand. The Tactical is quite large which can affect pointability, I own one and it is by far the best shooting firearm i have ever shot. Dunno that you need a Tac for the acadamy but they are indeed nice pistols. HK's ergonomics are great provideing you get an HK that fits your hand. If the full size USP is too large, check out the USP compacts or the P2000 line which also alows you to change the back straps to size your hand. The compact .45 is super and fits mid size hands quite well... I have never had any type of failure with an HK. I have however had issues with my Springfield XD, Para-Ord Warthog, Glock 22 and a couple others.... I think it boils down to, get what fits you and get one that is known for 100% reliability. If you have friends who own handguns, try to shoot as many type as you can. Dont knock a certain manufacturer because of hearsay. See how you like the gun yourself and make a judgement.. I personaly would pick HK or Sig over any other pistol maker out there... 1911's are nice but require alot of maintnance... |
| the only two pistols ive ever shot is a glock 9(dont know which model) and an xd9.. i hated the xd, it didnt feel right in my hand, and i was a horrible shot with it. i dont want something i cant qualify with. f that. I did fairly well with the glock, i know they're known for reliability, and the fact that 80% of law enforcement agencies use a glock. i didnt really want to buy used, i know i can save a lot of money.. i just have a problem with buying used for some reason. |
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ttemper, Are there any rules for your pistol at the academy? BTW, I have a Tactical you can try out for size and fit. It's not for sale, but I'd be happy to let you try it on for size. I would also suggest the CZ-75. A great gun for the money. I could bring one of those too. |
a +1 it is the reason I don't have a Glock. They just don't feel right in my hand and point naturally. My guess is that its the grip angle. Nothing wrong with the Glock other than it doesn't feel as comfortable as the 1911 ( or Makarov) and I'd rather have something that just gets on target easy. I'm not sure how the gun store in Lancaster has rental guns but I've said grumpy things in the past about New Albany but damn they have a fine selection of guns that you can rent and see what feels good. |
I'll throw in my 2 cents even though my advise may not be worth that much.  As noted above, try as many different brands and types as you can to see what fits your hand best. Pick up each pistol (unloaded) and without shifting your grip, bring it up on a safe target and see where the sights line up. Try this several times by setting each pistol down and regripping each time. If it fits you, your natural grip should line allow the sights to be on target or very close. If the sights are off to either side or too far up or down, it doesn't point naturally for you. Since this will be a duty gun, this may give you a slight advantage in low light or a fast draw where you may not have the light or time to line up the sights. I assume you know this but there may be noobs that read this topic and this is the advise I give to everyone that ask me "what gun should I buy". |
| Here is my advice. The Police Academy does not care what you have as long as its a standard Calibre. Whichever agency might eventually hire you, does care and probably has specific standards of what is and is not permitted. I'd get the glock for now as you can always trade it later. The HK will depreciate substantially. The Glock will not if you buy clean used. I do not know of any departments currently carrying or authorizing the HK. What ever the case, unless you can't muster the $350 or so for a glock, its not worth getting rid of your bushmaster as the more time pressed you are, the more likely you are to take a beating on it. |
the only rules is it has to be 9mm or 40, or 45. and cabable of double action fire. are you located in central ohio? im willing to drive to you to shoot it. if i really like it, i'll buy one at whatever expense i have to. as i said before, ive only shot two pistols. a glock 9, and an xd9. glock was alright. xd was terrible. CZ-jeff, if youre located in central ohio, shoot me a pm. i'd love to shoot your HK. |
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If you're restricted to a DA handgun the Glock may likely not qualify. Most people consider it more of an SA than DA though the Glockheads will argue the point. It doesn't matter what they think, what matters is what your academy and potential employer do. I'd opt for a used SIG P220. CDNN has used P220s with the accessory rail and night sights for $479. If you prefer something smaller and more affordable, they have P229s in either .40 or .357SIG for $389. If that's still out of your budget, look at the P226 in 9mm for $349. IMHO, the Glock is a nice gun but it's not s SIG and never will be. You won't find the firearms on their site, but they are in the downloadable catalog. Good luck! Edited to add - If you want an awesome opportunity to try a ton of different handguns, you really should come out to Millers next weekend. Look at the "Second Annual Frozen Buckeye" thread for details. |
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where is millers and what times will it be held? the reason i ask is that i work saturday-monday next weekend, and i work 6a-6p. so i doubt i'll be able to :( im off this weekend though. EDIT to add, i dont think the double action is a big deal. a couple of my friends went throught the same academy, and they used a glock. |
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TTEMPER My 2 cents, don't sell your rifle, you will be very sorry. The three handguns to look at are Sigs my favorite (carried a 220, and 226 for several years on the street, Glock (carried those as well) and H&K. Look around you can find a Used Glock, or Sig under $425.00. I know of a Sig 226 right now for $425.00 which is a great buy. SHOTAR right - OPTA doesn't care which weapon you have, and unless you are hired by a small department most department will issue you a sidearm of there choose. Hell if, knew you better, I would let you use one of my Semi-auto to complete your training. I remember the days when I started in LE, I had a friend lend me his wheel gun Good old Model 66. Yes I said a wheel gun. I know of a situation where a new recruit went to the bank and got a signature loan from his local bank to purchase his duty weapon, use his old truck to secure his loan. Hell check out that option, but don’t sell a gun to by a gun right now. If push comes to shove, email me and I will help. But do you really want to be a cop, it’s a thankless job. Trust me. coppercollarworker |
We have an indoor shooting range, and they rent guns that you can shoot. I'd go in and rent some but I need all the cash I can get. Which place are you talking about in New Albany? Are you talking about the powder room? |
Was thinking of New Albany Shooting Range It wouldn't be real cheap though  Come on down to Millers on Saturday, don't need to hang around after dark and you can shoot anything I have though only have 1 that would fit the 'duty weapon' and DA requirement. I brought 2 pistols and an AR last time gathering and must have shot 10 different pistols and an equal number of rifles. Is a generally overly friendly bunch who gets a kick out of other people shooting thier stuff "you've gotta try this" is often repeated.
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Unfortunately, I have to work 6a-6p next weekend and wont be able to make it. i'm about 2 hours away from Millers. :sadface: maybe next time though. my academy doesnt start till march 8th, so maybe there will be another one before then. |
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ttemper- I live in Columbus and go shooting up at Blackwing pretty often. I've got a few Glocks, 45ACP, and some 1911's and my bro-in-law has many Glocks in 9mm, 40, 45 and 357Sig. If you want to try and get together for a test shoot during the week let me know and I'll have a talk with my bro-in-law. F.Y.I.- It would have to be after 5:30PM. -Eric |
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Lets not get silly over deluxe pistols for a police academy. Requirement is "standard calibler and double action." You can get a factory reconditioned Glock 17/19/22/23 for under $400 and a new one is $445 (+ shipping and your local $15 FFL fee). DA/SA pistols make horrible carry weapons either in a duty holster or under your coat. Unless you can find a way to manually cock them during presentation it's better to just fire the first shot into the ground as soon as it clears the holster and your leg.  Non believers need only sign up for a 2 or 3 day shooting course from a nationally recognized instructor. Bring an HK, SIG, Beretta, etc and you'll find yourself in the bottom half of the class behind the guys (and little old ladies) shooting M1911s and Glocks. Good course from FIRE Institute over in Pittsburgh the first weekend in June from Giles Stock (Giles sling, etc.) a Gunsite instructor. Jeff Gonzales will be in Columbus (Marysville, actually) the weekend after July 4. If you take either course with a DA/SA you'll be buying a Glock (or M1911) the next week. Save the hassle and get one now. Glocks are cheap, reliable, and soul-less. So are shovels. Both are good tools. -- Chuck |
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ttemper I too am starting the Police Academy. I start at Delaware Adult Career Center in FEB. Trust me, you DON'T want to drop $1200 on a HK and then get on a dept that won't let you carry it. Put $300-$400 into a Glock 17/19/22/23 as these are the most common service weapons in Central OH. They are all OK with any dept I can think of here with the exception of those depts that issue weapons. Hell, you COULD get a $190 S&W Mod 10 from SOG and use that in the Academy. You'll want to wait until you get on a dept and then get a pistol from their "approved" list. Just like the other guys, I have a Membership at New Albany (I live in Whitehall) and you are more than welcome to come try out any of my pistols to see what you like (I have available a HK USP45, Beretta 92FS, Colt 1911) and I can rent pistols at NASR for $10. Let me know, and good luck! |
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I'd love to shoot your Beretta, as thats one of the pistols im considering getting. Also i sent you an email. how much should i expect to pay for a used beretta? I bought a box of 9mm ammo 6 months ago to shoot but never got to. i wouldnt mind getting rid of it. |
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Ya need the course. Slide mounted backwards working Beretta M9/M92FS safety is part of the problem in getting the first round on target before the target's first round hits you. All that on top of of the slow on target DA/SA trigger action. The M9 is an absolute sweet shooter -- if you can manually cock it for the first shot!  -- Chuck |
+1 Keep the AR15. Buy a used Glock. You'll take it in the rear if you sell the AR, and you'll end up buying another one someday if you do sell it now. |