Some of my best pistols are police trade-ins. Good shooters.
The MOS plate is removable

 

Most Police turn-in guns are carried a lot and usually only shot for annual or semi-annual qualification. And if there is a problem with one of the, a police armorer will do a quality job of making any necessary repairs.

I'd almost rather but a police turn-in gun than a new gun and for that matter, I'd rather buy a used Glock than a new one because you can put 10 to 50,000 rounds through a Glock and not wear it out 😎
And in addition to that, I don't really like the new Gen 5 Glocks

 

Also 5 gen mos...is it possible to take Mos part off? Or if I buy gen5 without Mos, can I add it later? 🤔

MOS isn’t something you add or takeaway like some other gun part. It’s a designation of the gun having Glocks proprietary optic mounting system. A non-MOS can be sent off to any number of places to be cut for an optic. But just like the MOS, when that is done, it’s final. Yes a filler plate can be installed, but that cut is still there.

 

Police trade-in pistols are generally an excellent way to purchase a used pistol. I will add the caveat that it can depend on the agency they were obtained from, which may or may not be known. While there are small 'podunk' departments that don't have much in the way of an armory, the majority do have some sort of an armory and training program. Particularly if the pistols are issued. This means that one or more armorers have taken the course(s) necessary to become an armorer on that specific pistol. And it isn't unusual for them to be in on the latest tech information on the pistol.

As an example, the agency I retired from had a serious armory and several armorers. All had multiple armorer certifications, including Glock (our issue was the G21). Every pistol was fired, as a minimum, once a year in qualification and immediately was inspected by an armorer, cleaned and lubed. Any issue would be addressed at that time unless the Deputy noted something prior to or after the qualification. In other words, each and every pistol was inspected annually by a qualified armorer.

Exterior wear and tear will not be a good indicator of internal function. You may get a police trade-in that has holster wear, a scuff or two or scratch or two on the frame just because it's been carried (normally in a duty holster which means it's more exposed). That means rain or shine, in and out of a vehicle multiple times per day, bumped into stuff during the course of a shift etc. So it may not be 'pristine' externally but functionally it's 100%. And of course it's entirely possible to get one that is good inside and out.

Bottom line is that the norm is for it to be a solid pistol at a discount price. I bought my G21.3 as a trade-in. Bit of holster wear, nothing dramatic. And it's a tack-driver and solid as they come. All I had to do was change out the night sights which were almost dead. And that may be needed as well on a police trade-in from time to time. Not that big of a deal though.

 

Usually a good buy, but it’s lluck of the draw. You may get one that was carried by a street cop in a rough neighborhood, or a detective who never drew it. I have heard of a few unissued ones, as well. Good luck!

 

Usually a good deal. Most cop guns are unmodified and work as they should. It's most often a case of "what you see is what you get". If was abused, you will see that. If it was cared for, you will see that too.

 

My experience with police trade ins are they are a great deal!

I only have a couple, but they have all been 100%

Keep in mind they may have some holster wear, but this in no way affects the functionality.

They are usually priced right and are a great buy in my opinion.

 

Only one I have is a Gen 2 Glock 22 that was used by a Kansas Agency. Great gun and except for a lot of holster wear in great condition. Good night sights were a definite bonus. must have been replaced shortly before trade-in. usually use it with a 9mm conversion barrel. Would LOVE to find a PD trade-in Gen 2 Glock 19.

 

Yes they are

 

I have a few. They can be a great financial deal, and I have not had any issues with mine. All have been in good shape.

As DeputyDave noted, the external condition may vary. I have a G22 RTF police trade-in that has pretty significant wear on the grip. It does not impact gun function, but it is not visually perfect. The wear looks like it was from wear against a seatbelt buckle, based upon the position. For police guns, they may be in amazing shape (never carried in tough circumstances), or they may have some cosmetic marks (scraped against walls, banged getting in and out of cars, holster wear, etc.). But my experiences have been that internally, they were very, very lightly used. Carried often, shot for qualifications and perhaps a few range trips a month or year, but generally low round count guns. If you can find a good police trade-in, I would absolutely check it out!

 

I agree with the comments made. Most of the time they do turn out to be a good deal, but be prepared to look at the outside of the gun and wonder about the inside. Many LEO guns will have holster wear, seat belt combat, and sometimes road rash on them, but still be sound on the inside and good shooters.

I have bought a number of them and had one that looked like it was carried by a motorcycle LEO that put it on the pavement. A call to the distributor resulted in a couple of mags being sent to compensate for the rash. That gun is a great shooter and I had a CeraKote job done to it to help hide the road rash.

Sometimes you might get a gun with the department seal on the slide and that is a +. It seems to me that many of these trade in guns were .40s moving to 9mm and some of that turnover has worked its way through the retail by now. Although, turnover seems to be going on just without the volume that was on the market a few years ago.

 

Trade in 23 on my hip as I type this.

For me I wanted duplicate carry guns and by going with trade ins I was able to basically get a buy one get one deal compared to buying new. I think they were like 350 ea shipped to my dealer. I also wanted something I wouldn't care about if it was in an evidence locker for months or years or got scratched / worn. They are essentially the same as a HF screwdriver to me.

They were manufactured a decade apart and one is in very good shape. I replaced the recoil spring in the one that looked more used, then set them up like all my glocks with a NY1 and minus connector and smooth G17 triggers.

HT

 

I've seen police guns with cobwebs in the barrel and rust on things that supposedly"don't" rust.

They can be a good deal, but inspect VERY closely.

 

I've seen police guns with cobwebs in the barrel and rust on things that supposedly"don't" rust.

They can be a good deal, but inspect VERY closely.

What doesn't rust? No such metal part in a Glock.

 

I love police trade ins, if the price is appropriate for the wear. Even if cosmetically beat up on the outside and finish, they are rarely used, so mechanically nearly new.

 

As long as the price is right, Id say they are a good value. From what I've seen, most police guns are shot only when required. Of course, as always, there are the exceptions to the rule, but those will likely have been well maintained. Cosmetically, they will likely be a little rougher around the edges than a similarly aged civilian model.

 

I think so. I bought one at GT Dist. And it was a good gun but I was able to take a good look at it before the purchase.

 

I have only one...an old 19-3 I bought on GB probably 15 yrs ago...thousands of rounds thru it, exactly but zero malfunctions...she ain't pretty, but for EDC she sure works for me...but everyone's experience is different

 

Omg...I'm really impressed how you guys are so knowledgeable and willing to help a newbie just like me who is trying to buy his first gun in his life. I'm super lucky that I found this forum and registered it. Glocktalk is #1 👍 👍 👍

Now, I decided to get a police trade in glock 23 and the price was like around $300~$400. I will probably find one and make an order tonight after work.

Please let me know if anyone find a good g23 online or offline(I'm in Seattle).

Again, thank you so much for the help! 🙏

 

Mine came from The Officers Store. They show them in stock at $334.

The were a PITA to deal with as far as getting my dealers FFL and processing the transaction but I bit the fanbelt as they say for the good price. I think thats a very good price from what Ive seen in stock at other places that normally deal in trade ins.

HT

 

I'm checking the online store now.




I checked the website now and sadly they don't have any gen3 g23.

Thanks for the info tho. 🙏

 

I have two police turn in guns, both are great guns. Both are Glocks, a G23.3 and a G37.4. Both were bargains and both have some holster wear but little internal wear. They are proof that a lot of law enforcement officers do not shoot often.

 

I like to think of it this way: are automobile trade-ins any good? Yes, if it's all you can afford. Yes, if the previous owner took good care of it. Yes, if it's one you want (or have wanted for a long time). No, if the previous owner drove it like they stole it.

 

Most police trade-in's are carried a lot and shot very little, so they may exhibit some holster wear but internally, they're good to go.

 

this has been my experience as well. i have 2 that were police trade-in's.

 

I bought few over the years...mainly legacy P series Sigs and except for the usual cosmetic marks they work well. I usually wind up replacing most of the internal springs and a few other parts like the extractors, grip screws...

 

I’ve bought a few (all G22’s) and they’ve all been worth it. The last came from this most recent sale at GT Distributors, and it was absolutely disgusting (officer/armorer should be more than ashamed….think glue stick consistency of gunk all over the internals), but once cleaned it really hasn’t had any noticeable wear on the internals. Outside shows a decent amount of holster wear, but nothing worth worrying about.

 

Been wearing one all day today a G-17 gen 3.
6 hr drive from central Indiana to Gatlinburg Tennessee, going out to dinner now as we just checked in.
Will be wearing it all week.

 

Take a look at what is commonly available:

https://www.gunbroker.com/Semi-Auto-Pistols/search?Keywords=police%20trade&PageSize=96&Sort=13&View=1