| Author | Message | ||
     Brian Allbritton (Brian_a) New Member Username: Brian_a Post Number: 4 Registered: 02-2003 |
Hey folks, I've got a line on some used handguns, owned by an NRA benefactor, so they are all in excellent condition: s&w stainless 44 mag glock .40 glock 10 mm with laser sights dedonics 45 compact auto walther ppk stainless steel 380 walther ppk .22 lr walther ppk 9mm ruger security six 357 mag, stainless steel Anybody got any ideas about what they are worth or where I can go online to find out? And, given your choice of one as a first handgun, what would it be? I've got a bit of experience with both 9mm and SW40's. Thanks, Brian | ||
| Perrone Ford (Perroneford) Member Username: Perroneford Post Number: 83 Registered: 02-2003 |
I've owned glocks, a ppk, and a S&W .44 Mag Revolver. I've fired a Ruger but have never heard of the dedonics. For a first gun, I'd have to say either the walther in 9mm or the Glock in .40. Glocks are dead simple, work well, hold their value, and are dead simple to take down and clean. The 44 is a bit much for a first gun unles you are quite a large guy. The Ruger might not be a bad choice either. Much depends on how much you intend to practice with the gun, and what your intended use is. If you want to hunt with one, I'd suggest the .44 or the 10mm. If you want a carry pistol, the ppk is hard to beat in this group. If you can be more specific in your needs and wants, you might get better specific advice... -P | ||
| Brian Allbritton (Brian_a) New Member Username: Brian_a Post Number: 5 Registered: 02-2003 |
Well, I'm first interested in pricing -- so any resources you guys could point me to would be great -- or if you just have an idea offhand. As far as use, it would be pretty much be a carry / personal defense piece. I've already got a 12ga pump action shotgun for home protection and hunting -- piston hunting definitely isn't for me. Brian | ||
| Brent Fox (Bfox) Member Username: Bfox Post Number: 45 Registered: 10-2002 |
Check out gunsamerica.com for the going rate on the handguns. They usually have a listing for just about everything. Brent | ||
| Greg Hirst (Gregh) Member Username: Gregh Post Number: 144 Registered: 10-2002 |
Yeah, gunsamerica.com is a good resource but often prices are higher than actual value. Barnes and Noble and Borders carry gun value books that would give you info based on condition. I've never heard of a PPK in 9mm. Are you sure it doesn't say "9mm kurz" on the slide? If so, (kurz is German for "short") then it's a .380. BTW-if it's a german-made example (pre '68 import)in good condition (or French-made Manurhin) it's worth more than the US made Interarms (or now S&W made) examples. My $0.02 | ||
| Leo (Leo_hallak) New Member Username: Leo_hallak Post Number: 30 Registered: 02-2003 |
.45  even though you didnt say it. or a .38 Super. Nothing compares to a government model imho. -leo | ||
| Britt Easterly (Britt) Member Username: Britt Post Number: 47 Registered: 09-2002 |
check out www.gunbroker.com for prices. Keep the PPK's for future investment. | ||
| Perrone Ford (Perroneford) Member Username: Perroneford Post Number: 84 Registered: 02-2003 |
I've owned a dozen guns and I still haven't bothered with a 1911. I certainly wouldn't recommend anything that complicated for a first gun. Not exatly the easiest thing to conceal either. That DeTonics appears to be a Gov't model type gun as well. My "modern gun values" says they were discontinued some time ago. I think the Walther or the Glock will offer the best value in terms of concealability, reliability, and simple takedown, and would seem the best choice for a first gun. IMHO anyway. -P | ||
| Leo (Leo_hallak) New Member Username: Leo_hallak Post Number: 31 Registered: 02-2003 |
I have never had problems with my government models in .45 or .38 using ball ammo. Yes they are a little picky with soft points or hollow points. As far as teardown is they are easy, someone can pull apart and clean a government model pretty quick after someone showing them once. Parts are everywhere also. But I will agree, there is nothing wrong with a Glock the gun is a tank. I would be a little careful with a 10mm though its a pretty hot load, pretty much no one makes them anymore because of its wonderful ability to crack frames. Hence the .40 cal was designed. I have never own a Walther but I have only heard good things. -leo | ||
| Leslie N. Bright (Leslie) Senior Member Username: Leslie Post Number: 2031 Registered: 02-2002 |
That complicated? LOL!!! Perrone, I could field-strip and reassemble a 1911 blindfolded in under 2 minutes.... when I was 12! It's no more complicated than any other pistol. Sure, a revolver is more idiot-proof, but I only favor them for western shooting, etc. I'm not going to knock a Glock, they're solid and reliable, but I don't really favor them. (I don't know much about DeTonics, FWIW). I'll readily agree that a full-size .45 isn't the easiest thing for a small fella to conceal, but someone my size can comfortably carry a commander-sized .45 w/o it being noticable. I'd like to pick up a blue PPK in .32 sometime, I've just never had the disposable cash when I came across one. Out of those listed, i'd pick the Glock .40 if I had to carry one of those... FWIW... -L | ||
| Perrone Ford (Perroneford) Member Username: Perroneford Post Number: 86 Registered: 02-2003 |
I've CC'ed a Glock 9mm, Glock .40, Walther PPK, and a Kahr K9. By far, the glock's was the most comfortable. I guess my problem with the 1911 has always been grip related. I've only ever found ONE that I felt worked for me. I have exceptionally large hands. A great many people swear by the 1911 in .45 and I do understand why. It's a terrific gun. But to my thinking, when I am carrying a gun for personal defense, I have only a single criteria. I want to shoot every time I pull the trigger. Revolvers are great for that, but in an auto, I feel comfortable with the Glock. It's accurate enough, it's comfortable enough, it comes in most calibers, and 4 different sizes. It shoots when it's clean, it shoots when its dirty, it shoots when it's been abused. It just works and that's what I want when the sh*t hits the fan. I'm with Leslie, the Glock .40 would be my choice on that list. Leo, get yourself a Walther if you can. They really are a very nice gun. That new P99 is really nice too. -P | ||
| Leo (Leo_hallak) New Member Username: Leo_hallak Post Number: 32 Registered: 02-2003 |
See we have the opposite problem I have small hands... and with a Glock there isnt much you can do about that I had the original 10mm cant even remember the model number, with slide on grips and magna-porting I could never get the feel I wanted out of it. If I ever get time to go shooting I will have to borrow a Walther from my friend. I have too many guns I havent had time to shoot. heh -leo | ||
| Perrone Ford (Perroneford) Member Username: Perroneford Post Number: 87 Registered: 02-2003 |
If you have small hands and like Glocks, there certainly is somehting you can do. First, I'd sample that new Glock .45, the model is #36. Alternately, you could talk to someone like Robar, who custom shape grips on Glocks and other guns. They were popularized when the FBI and ATF standardized on Glocks and small handed men and ladies wanted something of a smaller grip. The Walther P99 has three interchangable backstraps to adjust the grip. The 1911's come in a variety of sizes and slightly different grip shapes. Bascially, you just need to pop into a good gunstore and spend some time finding what works for you. I was lucky that the glock grip fit my hand like it was custom done. Perfect trigger reach, and perfect rests for my fingers. My Girlfriend can't fit ANY of the Glocks so I got her a PPK and a Kahr K9. The K9 was sold after the first time I had to take it down. They try to make it look like a Glock, and take down like a Glock, but it was a BEAR. And if she couldn't clean it by herself, she sure wasn't going to keep it. We settled on an Airweight which I feel very comfortable recommending to someone looking for a personal defense weapon who doesn't mind a revolver. The hidden hammer is snag-free and the gun handles well. Maybe you should check those out. -P | ||
| Brian Allbritton (Brian_a) New Member Username: Brian_a Post Number: 6 Registered: 02-2003 |
Thanks for the info, fellas. It looks like it will be the Glock 40 (depending on which model it turns out to be) followed by one of the PPKs. The old guy whose collection is being liquidated supposedly owns about 150 firearms in total, so I might end up with something completely different, depending on what I see. Brian | ||
| John Lee (Johnlee) New Member Username: Johnlee Post Number: 35 Registered: 03-2003 |
"Leo, get yourself a Walther if you can. They really are a very nice gun." Leo, you might want to test fire those Walthers before you buy them. In my experience, none of the Interarms-made Walthers is reliable. This goes for all of the PPK's and TPH's. All of the genuine Carl Walther Waffenfabrik pocket pistols were banned from importation under the 1968 Gun Control Act. Most of the PPK's and TPH's seen in America today are the stainless steel versions manufactured in the United States under license by Interarms. These weapons suffer from poor quality control and are generally not reliable. I think Greg Hirst knows a thing or two about the Walthers. There is no such thing as a PP or PPK in 9mm. Both are simple blowback weapons and not suitable for a 9mm chambering. There are PP's and PPK's chambered in .22lr, but these are relatively rare. More common is the TPH, which is chambered in .25 ACP and .22lr. If the .22lr PPK mentioned above is a German version, it might be a keeper as a "fun gun" for the range. | ||
| Perrone Ford (Perroneford) Member Username: Perroneford Post Number: 88 Registered: 02-2003 |
John, Don't you have Sigs? What's your opinion of them? I know how you feel about Glocks so you needn't expound there. I've shot a couple of Sigs and have found them very nice but they didn't fit my hand well (except for the 230). They are used by our local police force who seem to like them very much. -P | ||
| John Lee (Johnlee) New Member Username: Johnlee Post Number: 36 Registered: 03-2003 |
I don't like any of the SIG-Sauer line. While these pistols are very well made and are reliable, I don't like DA/SA trigger actions, and all of the SIG-Sauers are DA/SA or DA0 designs. The trigger actions are on these pistols are very poor. The DA pulls are heavy with lots of stacking. The SA pulls suffer from excessive take-up and overtravel. The SIG-Sauers also suffer from an excessively high bore line and the pistols sit very tall in the hand. Also, the SIG-Sauer pistols are arguably not real SIG's because they are made under license by J.P. Sauer & Sohn in Germany for worldwide export. The only real SIG in the line up is the SIG-210, which is both designed and manufactured by SIG in Switzerland. I have never shot a 210, but I do lust for that one P-210 that SIG used to make with black plastic stocks and the two slides (one in 9mm Parabellum and the other in .22 Long Rifle). I don't own any SIG's. My current pistols are: Service Pistol: 2x of the Heckler & Koch P7M8 (both in 9mm Parabellum) Trainer: P7K3 in .22 Long Rifle only (fun gun for the range and cheap practice pistol for P7M8's) Backup: Smith & Wesson 940 Centennial Revolver (all steel Centennial revolver in 9mm Parabellum) Mini Backup: L.W. Seecamp LWS32 (.32 ACP) Micro Backup: North American Arms Mini Revolver (.22 Long Rifle) Contrary to popular belief, I think the Glocks are superb pistols. | ||
| Will Bobbitt (Rkores) Senior Member Username: Rkores Post Number: 254 Registered: 09-2002 |
FWIW the Detonics are great pistols...They were a small company, but the quality is excelent. I am not a huge fan of Glocks...They are well made pistols, and very reliable, but they are uglier than home made sin. I happen to like Sigs, I have a P239, 40S&W. The pistol is great to shoot, and I haven't had any complaints with it. It is also extremely easy to field strip, and I love the hammer release. My first pistol besides a .22 that I shot was a Colt .45 acp Officers model that my father still has. It is a great pistol, and fun to shoot. But I would not recomend it for some one who has little handgun experience. The best thing about the 1911's though is that they don't loose much value, if any. You can always sell the Colt ones very easily, but the knock off's can be a pain to unload...(No pun intended). So my vote would be for the Walther .380 (German), Sig, or the Glock. I had one of the Interarms PPK's for a while, and I did not like it. It seemed to be a good pistol, but it did not fit my hand good at all...My Dad sold it, and bought an M1 Carbine Enforcer. As far as H&K's go, they are awsome, but as soon as the model is discontinued, they alos stop making parts for them. And finding the parts can be a pain, along with paying a premium for them. I wouldn't mind having an MP5 though So again, in my opinion, go for the Glock, German Walther, or the Sig Sauer. Will | ||
| Evan Price (The_big_daddy) New Member Username: The_big_daddy Post Number: 24 Registered: 02-2003 |
" If you want to hunt with one, I'd suggest the .44 or the 10mm. " I'm not certain about the west , back east its illegal to hunt with a semi auto handgun or any gun equiped with a laser sight. | ||
| Greg Hirst (Gregh) Member Username: Gregh Post Number: 145 Registered: 10-2002 |
Brian- Don't limit yourself to the firearms you've listed above. Shoot as many examples and calibers of handguns as you can and see what works for you. And don't limit or "budget" what you will spend either. You'll be happier in the long run. Lots of opinions, here's mine: I personally like my SIG/Sauer P228 best of all the handguns I own. It's a pre-ban version with 2 13 round mags. This is not available in the US anymore as SIG is only selling the P229 in both .40 and 9mm. The P228 was made in Germany and only the alloy frame of the P229 is made in Germany. The slide and barrel assembly of the P229 (milled stainless steel) is made at their US plant in Exeter NH. Gunsmiths and armourers I have spoken to claim that US versions suffer from alot of spring failures and that they have not seen these failures on German-made P228's. (I have to admit I also lust after a SIG P210) I also like the HK P7 squeeze cocker John refers to but prefer the M13. BTW-I also happen to have a Glock 19 and I do not like it precisely because of the "Glock Action" trigger (not DA, not SA). I only keep it because I purchased it before the hi-cap magazine ban went into affect and so have 2 15 round mags with it and thus decided to hang on to it. As far as the PPK goes I prefer an older excellent condition German-made PPK/S (slightly longer grip on frame and one extra round capacity magazine). If you have large hands the PP, PPK, and PPK/S is known to "bite" the skin between thumb and forefinger from the slide action. Also, this gun was designed as a police pistol in the '30's using ball ammo only and thus suffers from feeding probs when using hollowpoints, etc. unless modified. I personally wouldn't buy the Interarms or new S&W US-made examples. My $0.02 |
