Try before you buy

[sonofsarge]

Ladies, please handle the gun and try to disassemble it before you pay. I recently had a ccw student who purchased an inexpensive semi auto only to find out later that she could not cycle the slide nor disassemble the gun. Not a smart purchase on her part, nor a good sale on the dealers part. I see alot of this when men make a purchase for their better halves as well. It's your gun, not his. Pick what is comfortable and fits your hand.

[kelcarry]

Adding to sonofsarge comments, it should be obvious that the firearm, of all things, should be something that any responsible firearm owner would have a clear understanding of all aspects of operation, maintenance, and safety of the firearm. In a similar but not as important a vein, due diligence on choice of holster should also be performed. This would also include, if purchase is by internet or mail order, the knowledge that the holster mfgr has a policy for possible return or accomodation should the holster not meet the expectations of the purchaser. These issues are really basic common sense by the consumer and it is hard to believe the comments by sonofsarge--absolutely incredible that anyone could be handling a firearm and not have a clue--stupidity and irresponsibility run amok.

[ALUCARD]

i agree with sonofsarge , my wife looked at least 8 or 9 pistols before she found what she liked ,NOT ME.I TOLD HER IT WAS HER FIREARM, not mine.she had to be able to rack it , etc... i figured that was only common sense.i ended up purchasing her a SPRINGFIELD XDM 9 .she absolutely loves it & is very competent with it.

[HK4U]

I would also add that in a lot of our CHL classes we see not only women but men come to class with a firearm they have never shot. Many times it will be what I would call a cheap one and then they have all kinds of problems with jams and other problems. We even had one that had the slide crack. Please don't try to buy a gun on the cheap. There are better places to save money than on something you may need to save your life. Also be sure and practice with it. When you need it is not the time to find out it does not work.

[G50AE]

We even had one that had the slide crack.

A 1911 or BHP style pistol I presume?

[HK4U]

A 1911 or BHP style pistol I presume?

I can't remember the brand but it was a DBL action auto and not one of what I would call higher quality.

[G50AE]

Possably a Ruger or S&W Sigma then.

[theicemanmpls]

i agree with sonofsarge , my wife looked at least 8 or 9 pistols before she found what she liked ,NOT ME.I TOLD HER IT WAS HER FIREARM, not mine.she had to be able to rack it , etc... i figured that was only common sense.i ended up purchasing her a SPRINGFIELD XDM 9 .she absolutely loves it & is very competent with it.

+1 Agreed. It is not the husbands firearm, it belongs to your bride. Have her test drive, and disassemble several before buying. Everyone will be happier.
It's like when I buy my wife jewelry. Our jeweler has a 30 day no questions asked exchange policy. My wife gets what she wants. I don't think most firearm retailers let you exchange after use.

[kelcarry]

Hey G50: We have been through this before on other threads. Tell me that your 2 recent replies on this thread are helpful and adding something worthwhile to the subject and not some form of "attitude problem". Just the way you answered is cause for concern.Chill brother, chill.

[Glock Fan]

It's critical for ANYONE to be extremely familiar with their firearms. I tell my students to be more familiar with their firearms than their husbands, wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, etc. A firearm can kill instantly if used improperly, however the husbands, wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, etc. will nag you to death over a period of time.

All kidding aside, as the OP stated, be sure that you're able to properly operate the firearm BEFORE you purchase it. Most gun shops don't have a return policy on firearms. Once you've purchased it, it's YOUR GUN. You could attempt to resell it, but you will take a hit on the price. Regardless of how clean it is, it's still a "pre-owned" or "used" gun.

Another important point that was mentioned is that price shouldn't be the main deciding factor when purchasing a firearm. An extremely low priced firearm may be of very poor quality and could fail when it matters the most. I recommend that people purchasing a gun for SD buy a quality firearm made by a manufacturer with a proven track record. If all you can afford is a few hundred dollars, maybe a pre-owned quality gun would be right for you. If you want to purchase something new, then save your money for a couple of months until you have enough to purchase a quality firearm.



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