Thinking about trading a S&W 422 for a Ruger Mark III

[tigre]

My ex-boyfriend has a S&W 422 that he hasn't ever liked, because it's not as accurate as he'd like it to be. But he seems to consider it too much of a hassle to sell it and get something else. We were talking just a little about what he'd rather have, and he mentioned the Ruger Mark III. The part where I come in is that I'm going to be holding this pistol for him while he's in Iraq as a contractor for the next year. So I was thinking, maybe I should sell it for him and buy a Ruger to replace it. I really think he'd like that. I'm thinking about the 22/45 Hunter with the 6 7/8" barrel, but I've really just started looking into it. I might have to put a little money into it on the trade, but that's okay. My main concern with the Ruger is that he's not really big on cleaning guns anyways and I've heard the Mark III's are kind of a hassle to break down for cleaning. But I'm sure he could get used to it.

I'm also kind of a gun newbie and I'm not sure how kosher it is to sell someone else's gun. It doesn't seem like there would be any legal hassles, since there's no registration here or anything like that, and from that perspective he may as well have given it to me as a gift. But I've never sold a gun before, so I'm not sure if there's something I haven't thought about.

Also, if anyone has suggestions for making the 422 more accurate in the first place, I'd love to hear that as well.

 

[Onmilo]

Legal or not, I wouldn't be too thrilled to find out somebody I trusted with my stuff sold one of my firearms while I was away.

Better to buy the Ruger as a gift and let him decide what to do with the 422 when he gets back.

 

[bestseller92]

You do NOT sell or trade a man's guns without his say-so.

 

[tigre]

Legal or not, I wouldn't be too thrilled to find out somebody I trusted with my stuff sold one of my firearms while I was away.

Better to buy the Ruger as a gift and let him decide what to do with the 422 when he gets back.

I certainly understand that, but he really hates the S&W. When he gets home he'd let it sit there disappointing him until the end of time just to avoid the hassle of selling it. I can't read his mind or anything, but if it could magically turn into something more accurate with no effort on his part, I think he'd be pretty happy.

And btw, I never said I'd do anything like that without him approving of it first. I'm just looking into whether I should suggest this to him, and doing some research into what might be better, since he hasn't kept up with new models in quite a while.

 

[bestseller92]

Again, you do NOT sell, trade or otherwise get rid of a man's guns without his knowledge.

Trust me on this.

 

[varoadking]

The 422 is a very accurate handgun...unless it has somehow become damaged.

If he doesn't find it to be so, the Ruger will be no more accurate as the problem is likely with the shooter and not the piece itself...

BTW - don't sell it...

 

[tigre]

The 422 is a very accurate handgun...unless it has somehow become damaged.

If he doens't find it to be so, the Ruger will be no more accurate, as the problem is likely with the shooter and not the piece itself...

Thanks for some constructive advice. I wasn't sure about the inherent difference in accuracy between the two, and whether there was any point in even suggesting a trade to him. He's actually a really good shot, and he's shot it off a bench rest and still wasn't happy with it. Is there something that can be done to increase its accuracy?

 

[1911user]

Trading, selling, tweaking, etc. his pistol is not a good idea without his complete knowledge and blessing to do so, period.

If you want to help, what you might do is find out what brand of 22 ammo that pistol does shoot well. 22s can be very picky about ammo. Even 2 of the same model may shoot better with different ammo. Buy a box each of 10-20 different brands/types and go shoot them from a bench rest. See what the pistol likes, then stock up on that ammo.

 

[tigre]

Guys, again:

I never said I'd do anything like that without him approving of it first.

I'm really not an idiot. I'm just wondering if I should offer to do this for him, because if there's no reason to trade one for the other (as in, the Ruger isn't any more accurate), then I'm not going to bother.

 

[tigre]

If you want to help, what you might do is find out what brand of 22 ammo that pistol does shoot well. 22s can be very picky about ammo. Even 2 of the same model may shoot better with different ammo. Buy a box each of 10-20 different brands/types and go shoot them from a bench rest. See what the pistol likes, then stock up on that ammo.

I will definitely do that. We were shooting Federal copper plated hollow points yesterday and offhand both of us shot better groups with my CZ P-01 and his Colt 1911 than with the .22. I don't really know what kind of difference to expect with a .22 versus a larger caliber.

 

[PawDaddy]

He's your ex, right? If he doesn't like it, just sell it and buy something nice for yourself!!!!!!!