We've been building competition pistols for close to 30 years. 
It's natural to find a few of our older builds on the used pistol market.
That being so, we wanted to offer some advice when purchasing a used Limcat pistol.

​

1. Estimate the Age of the Pistol
A quick way to estimate the age of a Limcat pistol is to look at the manufacturer of the frame.
For pistols built with one of the following frames, use the below guide to determine the possible age.
(Please Note: These are approximate dates, to be used for a rough estimate of age. There may be some exceptions.)

​

Pistol Built with Limcat Frame:
2014 - present

​

Pistol Built with other Manufacturer Frame:
Tripp Research, Strayer-Voigt: 1993 - 2005
STI: 1993 - 2014
Phoenix Trinity: 2011 - 2014

​

2. From the Age Estimate, Estimate the Approximate Round-Count
To estimate the round count, we will come up with a low estimate and a high estimate for a USPSA competitor.

For a casual competitor we estimate a low of 2,000 rounds/year.

(This is based on one local match a month for 6 months out of the year, one major match, and practice rounds)
For an active competitor we estimate a high of 10,000 rounds/year. 

(This is based on local matches on most weekends, multiple major matches, and practice rounds)

Example:

If the estimated age of pistol is five years old, then you can reasonably estimate the round-count to be anywhere between 10,000 rounds to 50,000 rounds.

 

3. Compare Your Round-Count and Age Estimates to What the Seller is Advertising
Based on your estimates for round-count and age, decide if the information the seller is providing is plausible.
If there is a discrepancy between your estimate and what the seller is advertising, you should ask the seller for more information about the history of the pistol to determine if the discrepancy has a plausible explanation.

 

4. Estimate the Condition of the Pistol Using the Estimated Round-Count
Many things can happen to a pistol during its lifetime that can impact its performance and longevity. Assuming that there was no major damage done to the pistol, you can estimate the condition of the pistol using your round-count estimate.

For a competition pistol that has an estimated round-count of approximately 10,000 rounds or more, you should expect minor to moderate maintenance to be required. (extractor, ejector, trigger job, etc.)
For a competition pistol that has an estimated round-count of approximately 50,000 rounds or more, major maintenance (slide replacement, barrel/compensator replacement, etc.) may be required in addition to any minor to moderate maintenance.

​

5. Calculate the Total Price of Ownership
Estimate the cost of any maintenance you may need to keep the pistol running in good condition.
Then, add the predicted cost of maintenance to the price of the used pistol to calculate your estimated total cost of ownership.

​

6. Beware of Non-Authentic Pistols

Please know that we have seen pistols that are advertised as Limcat, but are not authentic and not built by us. 
If you have any doubt about the authenticity of a used pistol, please use your best judgement and proceed with extreme caution.

​