[rmak]

My son and I went to a gun show today. Since I'm looking for a Sig carry gun right now I focused on that alone.

One table had about six P229 pistols that were used, and I found out, trade ins by police officers. The prices ranged from $400 to $550.

My interest was that I don't know if a P229 would work for my application so I'm hesitant at this point to buy a brand new one.

The guns were sold as is. The guy running the booth said he didn't go over them, but would let me trade for another one of these used guns if the one I bought didn't operate well.

Cosmetically, there was holster wear on the finishes, but none of them looked beat up. I guess the bad news is that I assume there have been a lot of practice rounds passed through the guns. I also assume the good news is that a person who's life depends on his weapon would keep it in good operating condition.

I just wanted to get the impressions of people here with more knowledge. Thanks.

 

[7.62Kolectr]

50/50
Some cops treat their weapons with care realizing it may save their life one day.
And some cops treat their weapons as just another tool on their belt and never use it.
Some cops are gun savvy and some cops could not figure out how to operate anything else other than a Glock.
Some cops shoot their duty weapons often to maintain proficiency.
And some cops only shoot their guns when they have to qualify with them.

 

[tcracing]

They are usually well taken care of. They usually have a gunsmith who repairs and replaces any and all parts at certain intervals. The reason the vendor has them is probably the LEO Agency went to a different caliber ammunition. Probably would be a good buy. If I was looking for that Sig Sauer pistol I would buy with no hesitation.

 

[Flash LB]

Lots of holster wear and very little internal wear is what I usually see in these.

 

[TheJerk1382]

I've built off a couple 229 LEO trade ins and haven't had any problem. Holstered and chambered every day, shot twice a year

 

[Malicious Compliance]

My limited experience has been some holster wear on these weapons but little actual firing, in the form of either live fire or dry fire. I have heard stories to the contrary, but never experienced it. If you are looking at a gun show, I would advocate taking the slide off the frame and taking a look at the frame rails. That will give you a good indication as to how many times the slide has been cycled.

 

[ray1970]

I've bought quite a few police trade-ins over the years. What my experience has been is you get a solid gun that was carried a lot and shot very little. You can expect a decent amount of holster wear on the finish and usually some scuffs, scrapes, or gouges on the right side of the grip. Unless you find that rare piece that was carried by a lefty. Then you'll get those scuffs, scrapes, and gouges on the left grip.

Seems quite a few agencies are switching to 9mm right now so we're starting to see the 40 caliber models being traded in. Buy them now while you can before they all dry up.

 

[bumper]

Most all the LEO trade ins are 40 cal, that's fine. They come in three types of action, the more desirable (my most) DA/SA as well as DAK, and a few DAO.

The DA/SA will typically command a $100 premium over the others. $400 to $550 is "in there" for DA/SA depending on condition. Two to three years ago, I purchase one with no dings and low round count for $449 shipped - guns of that condition have gone in price since then to $550 to $600.

If you want DA/SA, my advice is to hold out for that, some of the DAK frames cannot be converted to DA/SA, so don't buy a DAK figuring you will convert to DA/SA unless you are going in eyes wide open - - not a good deal in most cases.

Many LEO's don't take good care of their guns, some do, but you can't paint all with a single brush.

Many of the ex-LEO's come from what many believe to be SIG's best years, in terms of quality, for the P229, 1992 to about 2005 - later ones will be good too, just not "quite" as good :c)

 

[Sig Texas]

I bought two 226's last year. Both are outstanding shooters. Inspect carefully for wear on the slide, frame and barrel.

 

[PatFranklin]

You must look for the odds to be in your favor. The average cop is only going to shoot his duty weapon when required and that will mean limited range time - once or twice a year - rarely more.

Look for signs of neglect such as pitting or rust and pay particular attention to the inside of slide and barrel inside and out with close attention to the bore and rifling. The typical police pistol retired from service will not be over used or abused but may have some functional problems because of neglect. If hammer fired, examine the hammer face for any excessive wear; if it looks shiny and new it likely never struck that firing pin too much.

 

[Raif79]

As an LEO I'll tell you that they don't get fired nearly as much as you'd think. They might get 100-200 rounds through them a year (average if you have 2 qualifications per year). Yeah they'll get quite a bit of holster wear. Some guys in an agency take pride in their weapon and others barely know anything about guns and clean them only before inspections. Think of them as a low mileage car that is not garage kept. We carry them in rain, snow, dust etc... When I first started we had P229's. We transitioned to P220st and P226st. We weren't given the option to purchase them. Within two years we transitioned to Glock 22's and again we weren't given the option to buy them. I switched agencies and had a USP 45 with LEM trigger (hated that trigger). Three years later we switched to Glock 21sf and were given the option to buy. I bought the USP and gave it to my father as a gift. In November we will be transitioning to Glock 17's and will have the option to buy our 21's. I'll be buying mine. It's a good gun and I've taken great care of it. I can't say the same for other guys I work with.

I got sidetracked. Just look the gun over and break it down. If it is a dog you'll be able to tell fairly quickly. Otherwise you'll get a barely fired weapon in great shape.

 

[Malicious Compliance]

If you want DA/SA, my advice is to hold out for that, some of the DAK frames cannot be converted to DA/SA, so don't buy a DAK figuring you will convert to DA/SA unless you are going in eyes wide open - - not a good deal in most cases.

I know there was a thread here recently stating that some P224 DAK's can't be converted to DA/SA. If this is the case (emphasis on if), this is the only instance I am aware of not being able to convert from DAK to DA/SA (my P224 DAK can most certainly be converted to DA/SA!). Most of the police trades I have seen are P220's, P229's or P226's, each of these DAK's can be converted to DA/SA.

Now going DA/SA to DAK, that's another can of worms.

 

[sigmpx2017]

Back in the day, they had (west) German police trade-ins of HK p7s for less than $400. Wish I would have bought one then...

 

[Raif79]

Back in the day, they had (west) German police trade-ins of HK p7s for less than $400. Wish I would have bought one then...

You and me both! I do love my P7M8 though. I was stupid and also had a chance at a P7M13 when it was still in production. Gone! Never gonna happen for me.

 

[Blu]

Holster rash and poor maintenance are the general concerns. Never seen worn out being an issue at all.

 

[7.62Kolectr]

Why not just buy a red label Sig instead of a gun show leo trade in?
One that has been gone over by Sig and will be around same price.

 

[Superwoody]

Why not just buy a red label Sig instead of a gun show leo trade in?
One that has been gone over by Sig and will be around same price.

This unless you are closer to the $400 range on the ones you are looking at because I've seen CPO Sig's for $550 or less

 

[lamarw]

They run the gamut. Buy one the same way you would any used firearm.

I suspect Sig pistols like P226's and P229's as trade-ins that were actual agency firearms. There are a lot of various firearms traded-in by some departments. Many may not be law enforcement guns, but guns that were found, recovered from thefts, confiscated, surrendered and etc.

I bought two P226 and one P229 pistols last year. Two were very good condition and one was is good condition. Most police pistols were acquired with night sights, and by the time they are traded-in the night sights have become weak or almost dead.

The source I obtain a lot of mine from is a law enforcement distributor and they will inform you from which agency the gun came from. Most of mine are from Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee.

If you can, be picky and hand pick your choices. Check prices of sold firearms on GunBroker to see prices paid per condition.

 

[PatFranklin]

I suppose this may vary from state to state, but political correctness has invaded good business sense. Police confiscations of firearms as evidence, abandoned property or unclaimed safekeeping must be destroyed where I'm from.

I recently saw a Gettysburg Civil War presentation pistol engraved and presented to a former confederate general from a union general destroyed. The pistol and accouterments all intact. I urged that it be somehow be auctioned or sent to an auction house so that the pistol could be saved and money from its sale benefit the city. No dice.

 

[Curmudgeon]

I recently saw a Gettysburg Civil War presentation pistol engraved and presented to a former confederate general from a union general destroyed. The pistol and accouterments all intact. I urged that it be somehow be auctioned or sent to an auction house so that the pistol could be saved and money from its sale benefit the city. No dice.

That's just nutz, at the very least it should have been donated as a museum piece.