Didja ever buy a cheap pistol?

[DLam]

I scored an I.N.A. 32 revolver for $150 at the last gun show. It is a Brazilian clone of the Smith model 30/31. It has like a 300 lb trigger pull. Ordered a spring kit to install and will Polish the pertinent internals. Hopefully that solves the problem.

Sent from my SM-G530T using Tapatalk

 

[Zach S]

Yeah, an AMT Hardballer...

I learned a lot about tuning a 1911 with it. Ended up stealing parts off of it for other 1911s. Eventually rebuilt it and put a .22 conversion on it. It shot high, and buy the time I was done filing the rear sight the notch was only about .050" deep. When I went to a different brand of ammo, it shot high again, so I had a Bomar rear sight installed. Then it shot low, so I got a Novak blank, shaped it how I wanted it, and dropped it off at the 'smith to have the front dovetail cut. Then a coworker welded the rails up, and I recut them on a mill. I also made a plunger tube/thumb shield on the mill, similar to the aluminum one made by EGW (not pictured).

That cheap pistol is now known as "the money pit." I'm this deep into it, so I'm thinking some hard chrome or nickel plating is in the future.

 

[gbran]

Many moons ago, I bought a Commander sized Firestorm. Darn thing turned out to be dependable and accurate.

 

[Valkman]

My first "handgun" was a Jennings .380 and it was $79 IIRC. Horrible gun, someone stole it, end of story.

 

[midland man]

I love that theres cheaper guns outhere as there is low/fixed incomes and it helps others to be able to get something to defend themselves! I just got a singleshot 12g shotgun at Walmart for $99 and it shoots great now they have the 410 model in for same price so I am considering on getting it next!!

 

[MedWheeler]

Midland Man, while you're there, see if they have a Mossberg 702 Plinkster .22LR rifle. I got one for $99 there (a "rollback price", I'm sure; they normally go for like $117), and I'm so impressed with it I might go back for the other one they just put out.

 

[HexHead]

Yeah, I got a S&W Model 10, 4" pencil barrel square grip for $200 OTD. It's one of my favorite handguns and I may shoot it better than any of my others.

 

[Carl N. Brown]

The best cheap gun I've gotten was a CZ-52 dated '54, with holster, two magazines, cleaning rod, lanyard, for $129.95 in 2004. Purchased from a gun dealer's booth at Appalachian Fairgrounds Gun Show, with 4473 and BG check.

 

[jaysouth]

I bought a blued steel commercial 1918 Colt .45. It has been purchased by the US army and issued to a Civil Affairs officer in 1943. He paid $15 for it and sold it to me for $75. I have been offered the chance to double my money several times.

Once upon a time I traded a carton of Kool Filter Kings for an M-3 Greasegun (I know, not a pistol, but......). Along with the deal I got 3 mags.

After shooting it a couple of time, I realized I had been "had" on that trade.

 

[TfflHndn]

Bought a Jennings Nine that was a total POS. Mag dislodged every other shot, apparently due to a bad release spring or bad design. It got stolen by a druggie and I hope it ended up in the hands of a gangbanger who got off one shot and found out that was the only one he would get, his last thought on this earth heing "***?". Also had a Raven .25 that was fine for a few boxes, and then developed a crack in the chamber. Into the trash it went, a piece at a time. Had an inexpensive Phoenix .22 that was a lot of fun and a good shooter. But in the past decade or so I have bought better quality because I can.

 

[Schwing]

I also bought the Hi Point 9mm carbine for around $200 and have never regretted it. I really wanted a 9mm carbine but just could not swallow $500 or up for something that was just going to be a fun gun. I also wanted something to shoot lead out of and not worry about it.

It is definitely a fun gun. It is one of my favorites to plink with. I did have some cycling issues with it out of the box but Hi point took care of it and even gave me an extra magazine for my troubles.

I am not a "Tactical" guy by any means. I bought my first red dot sight 2 years ago (for the HI point) and my first scope a few months ago. For that 9mm, my buddy and I had almost a contest to see who could make theirs look more like a Battlestar Galactica. For less than $100 I covered nearly every inch of that sucker with something "tactical" Any time I take it to the range I have several folks wander over and ask me what the heck that thing is and then get a chuckle when I tell them.

 

[SeanSw]

The cheapest I ever bought was a H&R 929 Sidekick 9 shot .22 snubbie with missing grips and a 99% failure to fire. Getting it to function reliably was not as simple as swapping out the hammer strut and putting in a stronger spring. I had to change all the springs and fit a new timing hand along the way but it turned out to be a rewarding little project. I even found a NOS set of Eagle grips that fit.

The best deal I ever found was probably the $150 S&W 10-5 or the CZ-52 that came with an extra 9mm barrel.

 

[midland man]

thanks medwheeler i'll check that out!

 

[jmorris]

I have bought cheap ones before but my single six with both cylinders was only $130, but I suppose $130 won't buy much these days compared to back then.

 

[P5 Guy]

I had a couple of Rossi snub-nose 38s thru the years.

 

[Kendal Black]

I have bought cheap ones before but my single six with both cylinders was only $130, but I suppose $130 won't buy much these days compared to back then.

Best pistol bargain I ever made, considering its nice feel, high reliability, usefulness for varied purposes, and good accuracy with some ammunition.

I bought it far back in the last century, and it's on my personal "do not sell" list. In a pinch, it can do the work of several fancier pistols.

Tin cans, informal target work, small game, and not entirely preposterous for self defense when loaded with magnum hollowpoints. Quite the bargain. Mine was only 129.95.

 

[jmorris]

OK, I rounded up....

 

[BHP FAN]

I bought two Nagant revolvers, back when they were $79.00 a pop. Love them little seven shooters!

 

[Kendal Black]

All the same, J Morris, that would buy a lot of leaded ethyl gasoline. I don't want to give the impression I'm old, but boys in my high school argued about whether Grace Kelly was hotter than Elizabeth Taylor.

Egad. I just took a look at Ruger's website. These things are running northward of six hundred bucks, new MSRP.

 

[jmorris]

All the same, J Morris, that would buy a lot of leaded ethyl gasoline.

Yeah, but back then we had to sit and talk with friends vs write our thoughts out to people we have never met.

Seems the only thing that remains the same as I get older is the fact that things change over time.

 

[Decoy80]

Guy's I'll have to keep shooting my single six and playing with

 

[Kendal Black]

I don't see that much difference, J. The same people who didn't call me back in the day of tape answering machines don't reliably return my emails now.

Of course, some of them have a real excuse.

 

[Decoy80]

Guy's I'll have to keep shooting my single six and playing with the latest toy on record in so far as what is fondly called my latest spray rig. AK Draco cheap I reckon you can make them duck and dodge a minor. Note that I sure didn't speak about hitting anything in particular with it but to throw the Front door open and spray for bugs and buggers you can keep honest folk honest with it. A hell of a lot of fun for the money these days I'd says. You cant count on being able to remain as a honest, law abiding citizen. Fun and sad times when you can feel like the skinny kid with the new $36.36 Glenfield Model 60 and our leaders would seek to make us like them, Crooks, Felons but we unlike them will have law applied to us and they are above it. Living and loving life Keep Shooting

 

[Sebring Pop]

I bought a Sears 12ga pump shotgun with a poly chock so old it has no serial number (pre '68) for $50. I use it when hunting on rainy days, snow etc. and it has never failed me.

 

[Bugster]

I bought my wife a Heritage Rough Rider 22Lr with the magnum cylinder for like $150 brand new. She has shot it a lot with no problems. She has shot a bit of the mags and it shoots like a dream. I like the simple break down for cleaning, that's my job.