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Best handgun in $250-350 range.

 
Anonymous Coward
User ID: 1239467
United Kingdom
01/22/2011 04:51 PM
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Re: Best handgun in $250-350 range.
all you gun toting yanks make me laugh, lol

lemme ask you somthing....

has any of you ever shot anyone? took a life?

none of you would have the balls to shoot someome/a killshot
NevynShyne  (OP)

User ID: 1239433
United States
01/22/2011 04:51 PM
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Re: Best handgun in $250-350 range.
Can you guys with your expensive guns read English he said $250.00-$350.00 range and NEW.
 Quoting: Anonymous Coward 1087158



Thanks for bringing this up. I did say NEW. The only reasons I say NEW are 1) possible warranty 2) The BIGGEST reason is availability. If it's used, I have to find it, and appraise it's condition/past vs price.

I'd rather not have to worry about a bloody gun or one that was misused in general. I'm not even sure I could tell if a gun had been abused. Hence, the NEW.

I know that the pricing can be limiting. $350 on the top end is not that much for a gun. I certainly don't expect to get a piece of projectile spewing ART, but a solid piece of workmanship. :)
NevynShyne
Find me & friend me on FB.

/nevynshyne
Anonymous Coward
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01/22/2011 04:54 PM
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Re: Best handgun in $250-350 range.
I think in your price range your best be would be a Ruger SR .40. A very nice marginally acceptable self defense pistol in a good caliber. Fits smaller hands as well as larger. Ive see them as low as 349$ on sale. For a tiny bit more you could get a Glock 23 used.
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01/22/2011 04:54 PM

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Re: Best handgun in $250-350 range.
Well looks like the Rugers might be out of the ball park on price...I'd still stick with a .357 in the price range though and for ease of use...a good used one is not a bad choice...but it's GOT to be good shape...buy from a reputable source...
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Ooooh, see the fire is sweepin' Our very streets today...
Burns like a red coal carpet, Mad bulls lost the way...
War, children, it's just a shot away...it's just a shot away....
Anonymous Coward
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01/22/2011 04:55 PM
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Re: Best handgun in $250-350 range.
all you gun toting yanks make me laugh, lol

lemme ask you somthing....

has any of you ever shot anyone? took a life?

none of you would have the balls to shoot someome/a killshot
 Quoting: Anonymous Coward 1239467


SILENCE guy not allowed to have guns!
NevynShyne  (OP)

User ID: 1239433
United States
01/22/2011 04:55 PM
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Re: Best handgun in $250-350 range.
Looking at the Bersa now. Good reviews and price is in my range. Would that qualify as a gun a woman with small hands can use or a guy wth larger hands? The pics and reviews I've seen so far don't give much perspective on that.

I'm not an ammo reloader. Are the ACP rounds available over the counter somewhere? Honestly, I've never seen them. I've also never looked. Educate me! :)
 Quoting: NevynShyne

ACP just means "Automatic Colt Pistol"...it's an old designator...yes they are availible..it just means an auto loading .45 round vs say a .45 long colt which is a rimmed cartriage made for a revolver.
 Quoting: SHR


Thank you, SHR.

To the poster that said Sigmas are shit. Thanks for the appraisal. I'll talk to my father about the gun and look for that specific issue.

I can say I'm considering the Sigma. I am, however, very very open to advice. Having read yours, I'll look closer at the Sigma for just the issue you mentioned.

My mind is not made up, but the Bersa seems to be taking the lead. Get it? Lead?!?!

If I could find a 1911 for my personal use, then I would likely go in that direction. I've NEVER seen one used at a gun show or gun shop. EVER. That isn't to say they don't show up (or that I've been looking for YEARS!). :)
NevynShyne
Find me & friend me on FB.

/nevynshyne
Anonymous Coward
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01/22/2011 04:55 PM
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Re: Best handgun in $250-350 range.
Can you guys with your expensive guns read English he said $250.00-$350.00 range and NEW.
 Quoting: Anonymous Coward 1087158



Thanks for bringing this up. I did say NEW. The only reasons I say NEW are 1) possible warranty 2) The BIGGEST reason is availability. If it's used, I have to find it, and appraise it's condition/past vs price.

I'd rather not have to worry about a bloody gun or one that was misused in general. I'm not even sure I could tell if a gun had been abused. Hence, the NEW.

I know that the pricing can be limiting. $350 on the top end is not that much for a gun. I certainly don't expect to get a piece of projectile spewing ART, but a solid piece of workmanship. :)
 Quoting: NevynShyne


Sorry to say this and I realize a semi automatic is preferred. But, I promise that if you want a NEW weapon and you also want quality for $350...you're gonna have to go with a revolver just like SHR said (and I) said earlier. Revolvers are badass. If you want a bigger caliber, Ruger and Uberti make a single action log colt 45. Pretty powerful round! Otherwise a .38 / .357 is the route to go...
Anonymous Coward
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United Kingdom
01/22/2011 04:56 PM
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Re: Best handgun in $250-350 range.
new world order/global elites whoever the fuck they are, main goal/number one goal....disarming america

lets face it a new world order means everyone on the planet on equal terms/under total controll....

cant have yanks armed to the teeth can we
Anonymous Coward
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01/22/2011 04:57 PM
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Re: Best handgun in $250-350 range.
all you gun toting yanks make me laugh, lol

lemme ask you somthing....

has any of you ever shot anyone? took a life?

none of you would have the balls to shoot someome/a killshot
 Quoting: Anonymous Coward 1239467


Jealousy is rather immature. Grow up.
Anonymous Coward
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01/22/2011 04:59 PM
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Re: Best handgun in $250-350 range.
Jealous FagoSexual from the UK I see...
Anonymous Coward
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United Kingdom
01/22/2011 04:59 PM
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Re: Best handgun in $250-350 range.
all you gun toting yanks make me laugh, lol

lemme ask you somthing....

has any of you ever shot anyone? took a life?

none of you would have the balls to shoot someome/a killshot
 Quoting: Anonymous Coward 1239467


Jealousy is rather immature. Grow up.
 Quoting: Anonymous Coward 1237791

i asked a question
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01/22/2011 05:01 PM

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Re: Best handgun in $250-350 range.
all you gun toting yanks make me laugh, lol

lemme ask you somthing....

has any of you ever shot anyone? took a life?

none of you would have the balls to shoot someome/a killshot
 Quoting: Anonymous Coward 1239467

I thank God I have never had to and pray I never will...but if my life or my family's life were in danger?...I wouldn't bet against me pulling that trigger if I had to...

Maybe you'd rather like to go play in a nice "How many cameras does the gov have by you mate?..I got 50!" thread...all you disarmed eurotwats make me laugh everytime you show up in somegun thread laughing as if that were not pathetic defense for having your own firearms stripped away from you. It's like, "HAHAHAHA a CAR???...LOL...who needs em!...I'm Glad my govt took them away! Buses Rule!"....

Go pay your TV license fee for 4 channels....lol...I bet THAT is better too!...lol!
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Ooooh, see the fire is sweepin' Our very streets today...
Burns like a red coal carpet, Mad bulls lost the way...
War, children, it's just a shot away...it's just a shot away....
Anonymous Coward
User ID: 1237791
United States
01/22/2011 05:02 PM
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Re: Best handgun in $250-350 range.
all you gun toting yanks make me laugh, lol

lemme ask you somthing....

has any of you ever shot anyone? took a life?

none of you would have the balls to shoot someome/a killshot
 Quoting: Anonymous Coward 1239467


Jealousy is rather immature. Grow up.
 Quoting: Anonymous Coward 1237791

i asked a question
 Quoting: Anonymous Coward 1239467


Some of us are Ex Law Enforcement. So yes and no is your answer.
Anonymous Coward
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United Kingdom
01/22/2011 05:02 PM
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Re: Best handgun in $250-350 range.
you yanks have pretty much gave up everything/rights.

the constitution is pretty much dead and buried

think you would all agree to that right?

how easy would it be to take away your guns?

pretty fucking easy if you ask me, you yanks dont seem to have any fighting spirit left
Anonymous Coward
User ID: 1225294
United States
01/22/2011 05:03 PM
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Re: Best handgun in $250-350 range.
all you gun toting yanks make me laugh, lol

lemme ask you somthing....

has any of you ever shot anyone? took a life?

none of you would have the balls to shoot someome/a killshot
 Quoting: Anonymous Coward 1239467


Jealousy is rather immature. Grow up.
 Quoting: Anonymous Coward 1237791

i asked a question
 Quoting: Anonymous Coward 1239467


We "gun toting yanks" don't take too kindly to the question asking kind...
NevynShyne  (OP)

User ID: 1239433
United States
01/22/2011 05:03 PM
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Re: Best handgun in $250-350 range.
Can you guys with your expensive guns read English he said $250.00-$350.00 range and NEW.
 Quoting: Anonymous Coward 1087158



Thanks for bringing this up. I did say NEW. The only reasons I say NEW are 1) possible warranty 2) The BIGGEST reason is availability. If it's used, I have to find it, and appraise it's condition/past vs price.

I'd rather not have to worry about a bloody gun or one that was misused in general. I'm not even sure I could tell if a gun had been abused. Hence, the NEW.

I know that the pricing can be limiting. $350 on the top end is not that much for a gun. I certainly don't expect to get a piece of projectile spewing ART, but a solid piece of workmanship. :)
 Quoting: NevynShyne


Sorry to say this and I realize a semi automatic is preferred. But, I promise that if you want a NEW weapon and you also want quality for $350...you're gonna have to go with a revolver just like SHR said (and I) said earlier. Revolvers are badass. If you want a bigger caliber, Ruger and Uberti make a single action log colt 45. Pretty powerful round! Otherwise a .38 / .357 is the route to go...
 Quoting: Anonymous Coward 1237791


You nailed my desire but outlined my expectation. I would prefer a semi-auto, but I'm not against a revolver at all. :)

I've been perusing the Ruger site for a few, and will look into the Uberti stuff forthwith. Thanks for the advice.
NevynShyne
Find me & friend me on FB.

/nevynshyne
Anonymous Coward
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Kyrgyzstan
01/22/2011 05:04 PM
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Re: Best handgun in $250-350 range.
I expect the next question from OP to be "Best car in the $2500-3500 range...
Anonymous Coward
User ID: 1087158
Canada
01/22/2011 05:05 PM
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Re: Best handgun in $250-350 range.
all you gun toting yanks make me laugh, lol

lemme ask you somthing....

has any of you ever shot anyone? took a life?

none of you would have the balls to shoot someome/a killshot
 Quoting: Anonymous Coward 1239467


Maybe.

Who wants to know?
Anonymous Coward
User ID: 1089924
United States
01/22/2011 05:05 PM
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Re: Best handgun in $250-350 range.
Ruger P95
Anonymous Coward
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01/22/2011 05:05 PM
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Re: Best handgun in $250-350 range.
Ruger SR9 is pretty handy...

[link to www.budsgunshop.com]
Anonymous Coward
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01/22/2011 05:05 PM
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Re: Best handgun in $250-350 range.
I expect the next question from OP to be "Best car in the $2500-3500 range...
 Quoting: Anonymous Coward 1207850



lmao
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01/22/2011 05:06 PM

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Re: Best handgun in $250-350 range.
Looking at the Bersa now. Good reviews and price is in my range. Would that qualify as a gun a woman with small hands can use or a guy wth larger hands? The pics and reviews I've seen so far don't give much perspective on that.

I'm not an ammo reloader. Are the ACP rounds available over the counter somewhere? Honestly, I've never seen them. I've also never looked. Educate me! :)
 Quoting: NevynShyne

ACP just means "Automatic Colt Pistol"...it's an old designator...yes they are availible..it just means an auto loading .45 round vs say a .45 long colt which is a rimmed cartriage made for a revolver.
 Quoting: SHR


Thank you, SHR.

To the poster that said Sigmas are shit. Thanks for the appraisal. I'll talk to my father about the gun and look for that specific issue.

I can say I'm considering the Sigma. I am, however, very very open to advice. Having read yours, I'll look closer at the Sigma for just the issue you mentioned.

My mind is not made up, but the Bersa seems to be taking the lead. Get it? Lead?!?!

If I could find a 1911 for my personal use, then I would likely go in that direction. I've NEVER seen one used at a gun show or gun shop. EVER. That isn't to say they don't show up (or that I've been looking for YEARS!). :)
 Quoting: NevynShyne

Well you will find good and bad opinions about just about ever firearm...I for one do NOT like Glocks...do I realize they are a well made firearm?...sure, but I do not like them...

BTW I bought my EAA 9mm at a pawn shop maybe 10 years ago for under $300 and IMO it's one of the best 9mm's made...I did shoot a Bersa once a long while back and didn't care for it...but I also had a Baretta .380 at the time so I was spoiled by that...lol.
____________________________________________________
E-mail anytime [email protected]
Inquiring about a ban?, include the IP address found here. [link to www.showmemyip.com]

Ooooh, see the fire is sweepin' Our very streets today...
Burns like a red coal carpet, Mad bulls lost the way...
War, children, it's just a shot away...it's just a shot away....
Anonymous Coward
User ID: 1237791
United States
01/22/2011 05:06 PM
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Re: Best handgun in $250-350 range.
you yanks have pretty much gave up everything/rights.

the constitution is pretty much dead and buried

think you would all agree to that right?

how easy would it be to take away your guns?

pretty fucking easy if you ask me, you yanks dont seem to have any fighting spirit left
 Quoting: Anonymous Coward 1239467


No, it wouldn't be easy. With your shitty crime rate and the out of control black market for guns in the UK, I think they're realizing that revealing to the world that your citizens are not very bright isn't paying off well.

In other words Europe (as usual) is the testing ground for "progressive" agenda. Admit it...it has failed and you are stuck because there is no way to reverse your lame guns laws that haven't "saved" anybody from violence or death.
NevynShyne  (OP)

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United States
01/22/2011 05:06 PM
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Re: Best handgun in $250-350 range.
I expect the next question from OP to be "Best car in the $2500-3500 range...
 Quoting: Anonymous Coward 1207850


At least we have cars. :)
NevynShyne
Find me & friend me on FB.

/nevynshyne
Anonymous Coward
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United Kingdom
01/22/2011 05:07 PM
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Re: Best handgun in $250-350 range.
all you gun toting yanks make me laugh, lol

lemme ask you somthing....

has any of you ever shot anyone? took a life?

none of you would have the balls to shoot someome/a killshot
 Quoting: Anonymous Coward 1239467

I thank God I have never had to and pray I never will...but if my life or my family's life were in danger?...I wouldn't bet against me pulling that trigger if I had to...

Maybe you'd rather like to go play in a nice "How many cameras does the gov have by you mate?..I got 50!" thread...all you disarmed eurotwats make me laugh everytime you show up in somegun thread laughing as if that were not pathetic defense for having your own firearms stripped away from you. It's like, "HAHAHAHA a CAR???...LOL...who needs em!...I'm Glad my govt took them away! Buses Rule!"....

Go pay your TV license fee for 4 channels....lol...I bet THAT is better too!...lol!
 Quoting: SHR

thats what makes me laugh even harder LOL

when they/tptb come to take your guns, they're are gonna have the support of 90& of american public..

americans are so far gone/brainwashed its gonna be easy
Anonymous Coward
User ID: 1237791
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01/22/2011 05:08 PM
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Re: Best handgun in $250-350 range.
Can you guys with your expensive guns read English he said $250.00-$350.00 range and NEW.
 Quoting: Anonymous Coward 1087158



Thanks for bringing this up. I did say NEW. The only reasons I say NEW are 1) possible warranty 2) The BIGGEST reason is availability. If it's used, I have to find it, and appraise it's condition/past vs price.

I'd rather not have to worry about a bloody gun or one that was misused in general. I'm not even sure I could tell if a gun had been abused. Hence, the NEW.

I know that the pricing can be limiting. $350 on the top end is not that much for a gun. I certainly don't expect to get a piece of projectile spewing ART, but a solid piece of workmanship. :)
 Quoting: NevynShyne


Sorry to say this and I realize a semi automatic is preferred. But, I promise that if you want a NEW weapon and you also want quality for $350...you're gonna have to go with a revolver just like SHR said (and I) said earlier. Revolvers are badass. If you want a bigger caliber, Ruger and Uberti make a single action log colt 45. Pretty powerful round! Otherwise a .38 / .357 is the route to go...
 Quoting: Anonymous Coward 1237791


You nailed my desire but outlined my expectation. I would prefer a semi-auto, but I'm not against a revolver at all. :)

I've been perusing the Ruger site for a few, and will look into the Uberti stuff forthwith. Thanks for the advice.
 Quoting: NevynShyne


Uberti is owned by Beretta just FYI
malu

User ID: 1046738
United States
01/22/2011 05:09 PM
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Re: Best handgun in $250-350 range.
you yanks have pretty much gave up everything/rights.

the constitution is pretty much dead and buried

think you would all agree to that right?

how easy would it be to take away your guns?

pretty fucking easy if you ask me, you yanks dont seem to have any fighting spirit left
 Quoting: Anonymous Coward 1239467


1rof1

priceless
"By way of deception, thou shalt do war."

Israel's Mossad

"The truth shall set you free."

U.S. Central Intelligence Agency Motto
Anonymous Coward
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United States
01/22/2011 05:09 PM
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Re: Best handgun in $250-350 range.
I expect the next question from OP to be "Best car in the $2500-3500 range...
 Quoting: Anonymous Coward 1207850


And that is easy to answer.. a well taken care of Honda Civic or Accord (years 91 to 2000). Bastards run forever almost...
Anonymous Coward
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United States
01/22/2011 05:10 PM
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Re: Best handgun in $250-350 range.
all you gun toting yanks make me laugh, lol

lemme ask you somthing....

has any of you ever shot anyone? took a life?

none of you would have the balls to shoot someome/a killshot
 Quoting: Anonymous Coward 1239467

I thank God I have never had to and pray I never will...but if my life or my family's life were in danger?...I wouldn't bet against me pulling that trigger if I had to...

Maybe you'd rather like to go play in a nice "How many cameras does the gov have by you mate?..I got 50!" thread...all you disarmed eurotwats make me laugh everytime you show up in somegun thread laughing as if that were not pathetic defense for having your own firearms stripped away from you. It's like, "HAHAHAHA a CAR???...LOL...who needs em!...I'm Glad my govt took them away! Buses Rule!"....

Go pay your TV license fee for 4 channels....lol...I bet THAT is better too!...lol!
 Quoting: SHR

thats what makes me laugh even harder LOL

when they/tptb come to take your guns, they're are gonna have the support of 90& of american public..

americans are so far gone/brainwashed its gonna be easy
 Quoting: Anonymous Coward 1239467

Well good then.
When they start tailing guns, why don't you come and help them?
Evil Twin

01/22/2011 05:13 PM
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Re: Best handgun in $250-350 range.
I'd also recommend a used .357 revolver.

Here's a writeup on checking out revolvers, from an old gun forum that I've had saved on my harddrive for years.

Revolver checkout: how to tell if a particular specimen is any good
By Jim March

So you're buying a revolver. New, used, doesn't matter, you want a good one, right? How do check one over without firing it, right at the dealer's counter or gun show table? This is how. All of this works with DA or SA wheelguns..."close the action" on most DAs means swing the cylinder in, on SA types, close the loading gate, on break opens, close 'em. UNLOADED.

WARNING: most of these tests require violation of the "finger off trigger" rule. Therefore, be extremely careful about safe muzzle direction and making sure the gun is unloaded ahead of time, PERSONALLY, as you begin handling it.

Note: bring a small flashlight, something small and concentrated. A Photon or similar high-powered LED light is perfect. You also want feeler gauges if you're not used to eyeballing cylinder gaps; at a minimum, bring a .002", .004" and .006".

Note 2: no dry firing is required or desired at any point. It just pisses off the gun's current owner.

Cylinder play

1) With the gun UNLOADED (check for yourself!), close the action.

2) Thumb the hammer back, and while pulling the trigger, gently lower the hammer all the way down while keeping the trigger back - and KEEP holding the trigger once the hammer is down. (You've now put the gun in "full lockup" - keep it there for this and most other tests.)

3) With the trigger still back all the way, check for cylinder wiggle. Front/back is particularly undesirable; a bit of side to side is OK but it's a bad thing if you can wiggle it one way, let go, and then spin it the other way a fraction of an inch and it stays there too. At the very least, it should "want" to stop in just one place (later, we'll see if that place is any good). The ultimate is a "welded to the frame" feeling.

Cylinder gap

4) Still holding the trigger at full lockup, look sideways through the barrel/cylinder gap. If you can get a credit card in there, that ain't good...velocity drops rapidly as the gap increases. Too tight isn't good either, because burnt powder crud will "fill the gap" and start making the cylinder spin funky. My personal .38 snubbie is set at .002, usually considered the minimum...after about 40 shots at the range, I have to give the front of the cylinder a quick wipe so it spins free again. I consider that a reasonable tradeoff for the increased velocity because in a real fight, I ain't gonna crank 40 rounds out of a 5-shot snub.

If you're eyeballing it, you'll have to hold it up sideways against an overhead light source.

SAFETY WARNING: This step in particular is where you MUST watch your muzzle direction. Look, part of what's happening here is that you're convincing the seller you know your poop . It helps the haggling process. If you do anything unsafe, that impression comes completely unglued.

Timing

5) You really, REALLY want an unloaded gun for this one. This is where the light comes in. With the gun STILL held in full lockup, trigger back after lowering the hammer by thumb, you want to shine a light right into the area at the rear of the cylinder near the firing pin. You then look down the barrel . You're looking to make sure the cylinder bore lines up with the barrel. Check every cylinder - that means putting the gun in full lockup for each cylinder before lighting it up.

You're looking for the cylinder and barrel holes to line up perfectly, it's easy to eyeball if there's even a faint light source at the very rear of both bores. And with no rounds present, it's generally easy to get some light in past where the rims would be.

Bore

(We're finally done with that "full lockup" crap, so rest your trigger finger. )
6) Swing the cylinder open, or with most SAs pull the cylinder. Use the small flashlight to scope the bore out. This part's easy - you want to avoid pitting, worn-out rifling, bulges of any sort. You want more light on the subject than just what creeps in from the rear of the cylinder on the timing check.

You also want to check each cylinder bore, in this case with the light coming in from the FRONT of each hole, you looking in from the back where the primers would be. You're looking for wear at the "restrictions" at the front of each cylinder bore. That's the "forcing cone" area and it can wear rapidly with some Magnum loads. (Special thanks to Salvo below for this bit!)

Trigger

7) To test a trigger without dry-firing it, use a plastic pen in front of the hammer to "catch" it with the off hand, especially if it's a "firing pin on the hammer" type. Or see if the seller has any snap-caps, that's the best solution. Flat-faced hammers as found in transfer-bar guns (Ruger, etc) can be caught with the off-hand without too much pain .

SA triggers (or of course a DA with the hammer cocked) should feel "like a glass rod breaking". A tiny amount of take-up slack is tolerable, and is common on anything with a transfer bar or hammer block safety.

DA triggers are subjective. Some people like a dead-smooth feel from beginning of stroke to the end, with no "warning" that it's about to fire. Others (myself included) actually prefer a slight "hitch" right at the end, so we know when it's about to go. With that sort of trigger, you can actually "hold it" right at the "about to fire" point and do a short light stroke from there that rivals an SA shot for accuracy. Takes a lot of practice though. Either way, you don't want "grinding" through the length of the stroke, and the final stack-up at the end (if any) shouldn't be overly pronounced.

Detecting Bad Gunsmithing:
8) OK, so it's got a rock-solid cylinder, a .002" or .003" gap, and the trigger feels great. Odds are vastly in favor of it being tuned after leaving the factory.

So was the gunsmith any good?

Look at the screws. Ideally, they should be untouched, meaning that the gun has not been messed with. If the screw heads are battered and worn, it means the sideplate has been off, probably many times. A gun like that may have a smooth trigger, but the parts may have been polished out of time or (if a S&W) the case hardening cut through so the parts will wear out rapidly. Many guns subjected to amateur gunsmithing turn up on the used gun market when the guy realizes he has messed up.

Next, cock it, then grab the hammer and "wiggle it around" a bit. Not too hard, don't bang on it, but give it a bit of up/down, left/right and circular action with finger off trigger and WATCH your muzzle direction.

You don't want that hammer slipping off an overly polished sear. You REALLY don't want that . It can be fixed by installing factory parts but that'll take modest money (more for installation than hardware costs) and it'll be big time unsafe until you do.

The other thing that commonly goes wrong is somebody will trim the spring, especially coil springs. You can spot that if you pull the grip panels, see if the spring was trimmed with wire cutters. If they get too wild with it, you'll get ignition failures on harder primers. But the good news is, replacement factory or Wolf springs are cheap both to buy and have installed.

There's also the legal problems Ayoob frequently describes regarding light triggers. If that's a concern, you can either swap back to stock springs, or since you bought it used there's no way to prove you knew it was modified at all .

In perspective:
Timing (test #5) is very critical...if that's off, the gun may not even be safe to test-fire. And naturally, a crappy barrel means a relatively pricey fix.

Cylinder gap is particularly critical on short-barreled and/or marginal caliber guns. If you need every possible ounce of energy, a tight gap helps. Some factory gaps will run as high as .006"; Taurus considers .007" "still in spec" (sigh). You'll be hard-pressed to find any new pieces under .004" - probably because the makers realize some people don't clean 'em often (or very well) and might complain about the cylinder binding up if they sell 'em at .002".

The guns in a dealer's "used pile" are often of unknown origin, from estate sales or whatever. Dealers don't have time to check every piece, and often don't know their history. These tests, especially cylinder gap and play, can spot a gun that's been sent off for professional tuning...like my snubbie, the best $180 I ever spent .

As long as the gun is otherwise sound (no cracks, etc) a gunsmith can fix any of this. So these tests can help you pick a particularly good new specimen, or find a good used gun, or help haggle the price down on something that'll need a bit of work.
This article was originally a webboard post at [link to www.thefiringline.com] from Jim March and re-published with permission and has had minor changes from the original post based on additional information contributed by others in that discussion thread. You can find Jim online at [link to www.ninehundred.com]





GLP