What are the best police trade-in guns to buy?
LEO trade-ins are a popular way to get a great firearm and some of them are in really good shape if you know what to look for and where to buy them.
In today’s article, we’re going to go over how we found the best police Glock trade-in and where you can get one for way less than you would pay brand new.
Around a month ago, my brother and I were looking to replace the Gen 3 Glock 17 I sold years ago with a Glock 19 Gen 5 with added upgrades.
We didn’t want to pay full price for a new Glock and started perusing the gun sites for LEO trade-ins like we usually do when looking for a good deal.
Long story short, we found a Glock 21 Gen 4 on Guns.com for a little under $400!
I was concerned that such a good price might be indicative of a beat-up LEO trade-in that was open-carried with its finish wearing off and scratches from all that holstering.
When it comes to Gen 4 Glocks, odds are you’re going to be getting the flat finish instead of the slippery Teflon-like finish found on a lot of Gen 3 Glocks like the one I sold.
Below is a picture showing what was in the box and my bad attempt at cleaning the slide!
The Gen 4 Glock 21 I purchased for review above did indeed have a flat finish that shows more wear and scratches even without a ton of use.
Fortunately, the finish still looked pretty good with only one very noticeable scratch and a finish that is a fingerprint magnet after cleaning it with gun lubricant.
Below, you can see my Glock 21 Gen 4 Police trade-in completely field-stripped showing its overall very good condition.
Below is a picture showing the inside of the slide and frame after I did a quick cleaning with some gun oil.
You can see a bit more wear on the matte black finish than you would normally see on earlier Gen 3 finishes with the slicker “Teflon” black coating.
The Police trade-in Gen 4 Glock 21 I received is chambered in .45 ACP and came in its original box but was lacking the extra back straps and only included one magazine.
Fortunately, for me, the smallest back strap was already installed and fits my average-sized hands well enough to comfortably reach all of the controls.
Here’s a flat-lay picture that was taken in Adobe Lightroom on an iPhone 12 pro showing off the right side of the Glock 21 gen 4.
Some of the uneven colorations are due to the gun oil I sprayed on as it was drier in some areas and wet in others.
Still, Glocks are very photogenic firearms to those of us that like their chunky retro appearance!
So, to answer the question of whether LEO trade-ins, most notably Glocks, are worth buying?
Well, I think you might already know my answer but I’ll state it anyways with a resounding YES!
If you can verify its condition and you’re allowed to see the actual pictures of the Glock you want to purchase, then yes… pull that trigger and find a good deal from a reputable website or dealer.
Fortunately, it takes a lot of abuse to kill a Glock so if it looks halfway decent in the photos, and is listed in Good-Excellent condition, then chances are you’re going to be getting most of what you’d expect buying new (minus the perfect finish) except paying a lot less money.
Sure, you might not get all of the accessories or magazines that you’d get buying new, but if you already own spare Glock mags then that shouldn’t be a deal-breaker!
Also, if you don’t mind a Glock with a bit of a battle-worn finish- and shiny new toys make you nervous- then LEO trade-ins are an excellent choice.
Police Trade-ins: Final Verdict
Glocks are some of the best LEO trade-ins due to their rugged reliability. We are absolutely sold on the great value police trade-ins represent to the civilian population.
If you can find one in good to great condition, you will have a solid and reliable sidearm for your nightstand, truck gun, or range toy that you won’t mind getting scuffed up because most show some signs of wear.
Many can be had for substantially less than you might think if you know where to look. They also tend to come with upgraded sights which will save you some money in the long run.
If you’re a fan of Glock 17s, the Glock 22 in .40 caliber can easily be converted to 9mm just by swapping the barrel out, which will save you some money on ammo at the range!
One negative that we can think of is a lot of them only come with 1 magazine and may be missing additional backstraps if you’re buying a Gen 4 or later.
Also, if you’re a stickler about scuffs and scratches then police trade-ins are probably not for you!
We were absolutely impressed with the condition of the Glock 21 LEO trade-in we received and will be doing a full review to break down our experiences with it, once we get a chance to take it to the range.
Let us know what your experiences have been like owning a police trade-in in the comments section below. Until next time, stay safe and happy shooting!
