I have no idea what a DE is worth. If you are just planning on, one all a round gun, I would look at something in the 9mm caliber. If money is a real big issuse, I would look at a Glock or a Sigma. I allso would sell the DE out right rather than trade it in. I got a feeling it's worth more to you that way. The 9mm is cheap to shoot, plus you can buy some man stoopers for it too.
Good Luck.

I have a DE50 with a .44 mag conversion as well. The worth of the gun is really dependent upon its condition. They are currently selling for $1,100 to $1,200 new. I would think that with a moderately used one, you could reasonably ask $700 to $800 for it again depending on its condition.

As far as a CCW that the wife could use I just picked up a Sig P245 .45ACP. The .45 has plenty of stopping power but with the relatively low muzzle velocities the recoil is mild. The P245 is a semi-compact that is very light due to the alloy frame and is easy to handle. Its a DA/SA and is the best shooting gun I've ever had in my hand. What sold me on it was how comfortable it felt in my hand. When I was in the gun store, I had no intention of purchasing anything. I was just looking. The salesman handed me the Sig and it felt like a natural extension of my hand. It has been discontinued due to complaints of the grip being too short but like I said, it fits my hand perfectly and I am 6'3 and comfortable shooting the DE. Although it's discontinued, they are still out there new for sale. I paid less than $800 for mine.

One other CCW comes to mind. The MRI Baby Eagle. This will be my next purchase also in a .45ACP. I've heard nothing but good things about this pistol. There are many people on the various boards who say that it has replaced their favorite gun as their primary CCW. To me, that says a lot about it. It's a semi-compact as well and comes in various sizes and caliburs.

Hope this helps.
dladd

Thanks for the advice! i thought the gun was worth more then that but that's how it goes. All I really need to get out of it is $800 to get a good new handgun so thats what ill try and sell it at!

A friend is pushing me towards a walther P99. Any input on this model?
Thanks!

Look at the Walther section on this site- U will see me and a few others rave about this gun. I even prefer it to a 1911. I had a $1200 TRP 1911 earlier this year, and I still outshot it with a P99. There really isn't any other handguns I want - the P99 exceeds what I want from a handgun. Be aware that there are 2 trigger styles of the P99 - A/S and QA. The A/S is what all Walther fanatics like. I do not like the QA - it is too heavy of a trigger. U may have to order an A/S though - there are not many floating around in the stores. The just restarted importing them again in the Spring of 2006.

Is there any price diference on the A/S? And what is a good price to aim for?

Also I know I will get raped if I try and trade the gun in. I see from walthers site the P99 retails for $665 so realistically all I need to get out of it is $700. What are some diferent avenues I can try to sell my current desert eagle?

Thanks yet again!

I would have to ask which variant(Mark I? Mark VII? Mark XIX?) it is, the finish and overall condition. That would be like asking "what is my 1911 worth?" without giving any details. If it is a used Mark I or Mark VII, plain matte black finish(which I would really like to get my hands on) for instance, I'd say to shoot for around $800. The Mark XIX's demand more.

Originally Posted by Revolver

I would have to ask which variant(Mark I? Mark VII? Mark XIX?) it is, the finish and overall condition. That would be like asking "what is my 1911 worth?" without giving any details. If it is a used Mark I or Mark VII, plain matte black finish(which I would really like to get my hands on) for instance, I'd say to shoot for around $800. The Mark XIX's demand more.

My apologies for not giving more details, it does make it difficult to answer my questions. I THINK it is a Mark VII. I think this because the dealer that sold it to me said it could also take .41 ammo and I believe only the mark VII .44 did this. It is black, heavy as hell, and the very definition of hand canon...
As far as condition I would say good. Its probably had 500 rounds through it in its lifetime.

Since I carry a Glock I tend to lean that way but feel it’s a good gun to start out on. A 9mm would be light enough to train on and your wife should handle it well. I like the fact that it’s a no brainer as far as the safety is concerned. Squeeze the trigger and lead comes out (just make sure it’s a (FMJ) full metal jacket with Glocks- they get lead poisoning if using straight lead bullets).

Like selling a car you will get more by selling it yourself than a dealer. Good luck.

A good rule of thumb that I have learned just from appraising guns at work is this: take whatever you think it is worth and lower it by at least $300. Discount anything you may have done to customize it, because odds are those customizations are only a plus to you (although from what you said above, I am guessing your DE is still factory). As for actually selling it, if you decide to put it on consignment be prepaired for it to take a long time to sell. We take in consignment guns, and what I have learned from doing that is that people will buy a DE and put it up for sale about a year later (meaning most stores have at least one used DE for sale).

If you want to know what your gun is actually worth, take it in to a local gun shop and see if they can appraise it. As someone said above, the value is highly dependent on the condition of the gun. Just using random values here, but if they tell you it is worth $800 and you want to get $800 for it, take it to a gun show or consign it for $850 to $900. This way when you get the guy who wants it but wants to score a deal, you can let him talk you down to what you really wanted to get for it in the first place and he feels like he just took you on the deal.

When pricing a gun on the manufactures web sites you are looking at the price they wish they could get. It's usually from $100.00 to $300.00 less at a good gun/sporting goods store and even less at a good gun show. I bought my S & W MP40 at a gun show for $409.95 + tax = $443.77 out the door.
Someone recommended a Sigma earlier. I have a SW9VE Sigma and really like it and bought it for $318.00 + tax at Academy Sports (probably could have gotten a better price at a gun show). No FTE's or FTF's in over 1000 rounds. The only thing about a Sigma is it has a heavier trigger pull. The good news about that is, you would have less of a chance of a accidental discahrge.
My S & W MP40 is a very good gun and it would really work well for you in 9mm. with interchangeable back straps to fit both you and your wifes hands. Also S & W has a life time, no questions asked, warranty.
Good luck!!

I finally pulled her out of hibernation! Still trying ot decide the best way to sell it though. Im not familiar with gun shows and have no idea how I would go about trying to actually sell it.

It looks like it is in decent condition, at least on the outside (great photography, too, btw). Step one: take it to the gun store for a real appraisal. Step two: if they do consignments, put it up for consignment. Don't try to to sell it to the store, you won't get anywhere near what it is actually worth. But selling it through a licensed dealer may be your safest bet.