GuitarmanNick
Ultimate Member
I have been looking at Century Arms site for quit a while, in particular the pistols that are in "very good" condition but may be missing a minor part or just not working correctly.
After acquiring an M-57 last Summer without a frame safety and in excellent condition, I was really thinking another would be a good investment but have not been able to find them.
Century had some as described above so I decided to take a chance and was pleasantly surprised when my order arrived yesterday. At $180, the price was fair if it did not need too much. It was very well packed and appeared to be complete. The hammer was back when it came out of the box and after removing the tie wrap from the chamber, I pulled the trigger which did absolutely nothing. Problem identified!
Realizing that these have a magazine safety, I dropped the magazine, racked the slide, reinserted the magazine, and this time it worked perfectly. The gun was quickly disassembled for cleaning and shortly thereafter, the other box with an original trigger and spare magazine arrived.
I am unsure as to why the gun was not functioning when Century had it, but after cleaning and lubricating it, I am quite pleased. The condition is very good with most of the internal parts appearing to be almost new. The safety trigger had a problem after pulling it a few times. The roll pin walked out. Since the trigger was being replaced, no big deal. There is a little wear on the finish near the muzzle end of the slide and a couple of small wear marks on it. The barrel is bright and shiny with some areas that may just dirt that need to be shot out. I did not use any bore paste yet, and won't if shooting it clears the areas of concern.
The magazine safety which works perfectly, was easily disabled using a small piece of tie wrap that can be removed to restore function, if desired. The hammer, sear, disconnector, and trigger surfaces have been polished which has resulted in a very smooth 5 pound trigger pull with a clean break.
The new shooter will be going to Cindy's with me this weekend for it's first range outing and good things are expected.
Curious to know about what others have experienced when taking a chance on a gun described as "not working" or "may be missing parts". I find myself considering a similar purchase on another pistol and am now wondering if this purchase was a stroke of luck, or fairly common. This is not to be confused with guns sold with a complete description of what is needed.
After acquiring an M-57 last Summer without a frame safety and in excellent condition, I was really thinking another would be a good investment but have not been able to find them.
Century had some as described above so I decided to take a chance and was pleasantly surprised when my order arrived yesterday. At $180, the price was fair if it did not need too much. It was very well packed and appeared to be complete. The hammer was back when it came out of the box and after removing the tie wrap from the chamber, I pulled the trigger which did absolutely nothing. Problem identified!
Realizing that these have a magazine safety, I dropped the magazine, racked the slide, reinserted the magazine, and this time it worked perfectly. The gun was quickly disassembled for cleaning and shortly thereafter, the other box with an original trigger and spare magazine arrived.
I am unsure as to why the gun was not functioning when Century had it, but after cleaning and lubricating it, I am quite pleased. The condition is very good with most of the internal parts appearing to be almost new. The safety trigger had a problem after pulling it a few times. The roll pin walked out. Since the trigger was being replaced, no big deal. There is a little wear on the finish near the muzzle end of the slide and a couple of small wear marks on it. The barrel is bright and shiny with some areas that may just dirt that need to be shot out. I did not use any bore paste yet, and won't if shooting it clears the areas of concern.
The magazine safety which works perfectly, was easily disabled using a small piece of tie wrap that can be removed to restore function, if desired. The hammer, sear, disconnector, and trigger surfaces have been polished which has resulted in a very smooth 5 pound trigger pull with a clean break.
The new shooter will be going to Cindy's with me this weekend for it's first range outing and good things are expected.
Curious to know about what others have experienced when taking a chance on a gun described as "not working" or "may be missing parts". I find myself considering a similar purchase on another pistol and am now wondering if this purchase was a stroke of luck, or fairly common. This is not to be confused with guns sold with a complete description of what is needed.