Buying used Kahrs, or other pistols

[Alfonse]

I've been buying some used pistols to use on various projects lately.

What I have leaned is that most of them arrive in a way that I am surprised they would run.

For example, I picked up a Kahr from a private party. The magazines are coated inside with a sticky, probably formerly slippery, goo that might have been oil at some point. The followers bind up and there are puddles of it in the bottom of the mags. The pistol looks shot very little, but appears to be coated in a similar fashion too.

Thinking back, most of the time I have bought a used pistol it arrives dirty. I always tear them down before firing them.

On the other hand, after I clean them up and lube them the way I always do, I've never had a problem with any of them. I wonder how many were sold as problem children?

What has been others experience?

[Bawanna]

I've not purchased any like you describe but sure seen a lot come through, friends bringing a gun over for something, grips or a check up or whatever.

It's like the lube or oil or whatever they put on was there so long it turned into adhesive. Makes ya wonder if they never cleaned it from new or oiled it up well and just left it for a very long time.

I know WD40 will do that for sure, I'm sure there are others that do the same.

Sometimes cleaning just means getting rid of the old lube and putting some fresh stuff on.

I know manufacturers really oil things up and put them in the plastic bags cause they never know how long they will sit on a distributors shelves.

My hats off to ya for saving a few lost unloved guns.

[berettabone]

Believe it or not, a lot of people only clean them after every fifth or sixth time to the range. If they work, they keep shooting. Anal as I am with any firearm, I clean after every use. The longer you wait, the harder it is to clean. I do believe that about 50% of shooters never even take their mags apart, to clean and/or inspect. Personally, I have never bought or traded for a firearm unless it was immaculate. It gives a tell on the way it was treated by the previous owner. I understand what your using them for. If they shoot fine too, that's a plus. A lot of Kahr's around here are sold as problem children. Only Kahr owners know how good a deal they can be. If you ever find a LTD serial number MK, let me know................I could use some grips

[Alfonse]

LOL. It would even be a bonus for me if I could find a finicky Kahr! Some of the pistols I have bought over the years, including a 686 that was a good deal, were absolutely filthy. I looked at the photos and didn't see any damage that looked like it wouldn't clean up, and voila I got a good pistol at a great price. I suppose if they are really filthy, they must work or have worked in the past. It did take awhile, and a pile of patches, to get that 686 clean.

I will pay a bit more for an immaculate pistol. Buying over the internet though even if it is claimed to be immaculate, they rarely are, at least from a cleanliness perspective. They can look good in photos though.

[Alfonse]

If you ever find a LTD serial number MK, let me know................I could use some grips

Any serial number that starts in anything other than GA works I believe. I bought one with a GC prefix and it works fine.

[Higgy Baby]

I picked up an old Sig 228 that looked pretty bad, looked like it had never been cleaned. It had a 10 round mag that would not cycle. Once cleaned and lubed, and 2 new mags added- it became my #1 shooter after the 2nd range trip. I have since put hundreds of rounds through it with no issues.
I will hand that gun down some day.
Sometimes you just get lucky!

[Barth]

I've bought four handguns used;
S&W 629 4" 44 Mountain Gun @ $350
S&W 65-3 3" 357 Heavy Barrel @ $325
S&W 640-1 2.125" 357 Centennial @ $300
Sig P239 357 @ $550

All bought in person and in LNIB condition.
All ran flawless.
Barth

[ppsnatcher]

My wifes pm9 had a reddish brown grease along the rails, that crap worked it's way into the mags and inside the RSA. No biggie I clean em before I shoot em.

[Streetkahr]

Believe it or not, a lot of people only clean them after every fifth or sixth time to the range. If they work, they keep shooting. Anal as I am with any firearm, I clean after every use. The longer you wait, the harder it is to clean. I do believe that about 50% of shooters never even take their mags apart, to clean and/or inspect. Personally, I have never bought or traded for a firearm unless it was immaculate. It gives a tell on the way it was treated by the previous owner. I understand what your using them for. If they shoot fine too, that's a plus. A lot of Kahr's around here are sold as problem children. Only Kahr owners know how good a deal they can be. If you ever find a LTD serial number MK, let me know................I could use some grips

I have seen that too, but it makes me scratch my head. I have seen people do that when it was their only SD handgun! Scary. I have always cleaned after every range trip, even if it was only 50 rounds. I wonder how many people sell their handgun as a problem child when it failed because it was not cleaned after multiple range trips? I also wonder how many Kahrs get sold as problem children that never finished the 200 round break in. Those things might not happen if they were raised with firearms. My dad was an exhibition shooter before WW II, then a paratrooper, then a police officer after the war. He started my education with a .22 rifle when I was in the 3rd grade using a Remington pump action .22 so I would also know how to run a pump shotgun. It was a good introduction.

Ferro Veritas, In Steel There Is Truth

[Streetkahr]

LOL. It would even be a bonus for me if I could find a finicky Kahr! Some of the pistols I have bought over the years, including a 686 that was a good deal, were absolutely filthy. I looked at the photos and didn't see any damage that looked like it wouldn't clean up, and voila I got a good pistol at a great price. I suppose if they are really filthy, they must work or have worked in the past. It did take awhile, and a pile of patches, to get that 686 clean.

I will pay a bit more for an immaculate pistol. Buying over the internet though even if it is claimed to be immaculate, they rarely are, at least from a cleanliness perspective. They can look good in photos though.

I very rarely ever see a used Kahr. When I do they are always polymer, and I wonder if they even finished break in and the owner had a failure. In my state, I have never seen a used steel Kahr. I missed out on all the NYPD trade ins at the gunshows. At the time, I was happy with my 3" SP 101. I had to buy my K9 new, and I bought the second one I ever saw in a LGS. I have never bought anything used from an online auction. I like to see them in person. Too many sellers do not offer returns. Gun shows here do not really have good deals on used handguns. If they do they get bought by other dealers before the show opens in most cases. They then mark the prices way up on their own tables. Remaining good deals are scarfed up within 15 minutes by people in line before the show opens. Atlanta can be brutally competitive for buying used firearms.

Ferro Veritas, In Steel There Is Truth