First Gun for a Man on a Budget

[JohnKSa]

The Arcus 9mms seem to have a good reputation amongst those who own & shoot them.

Don't expect BHP parts to interchange--they're not really clones, just a knockoff on the basic design. They might take BHP mags, but I can't say for sure (can't remember.)

 

[themic]

RAP in 9mm. probably around $250 new with four mags. never fails, comfortable to hold unless you have rather large hands, will eat any type of ammo, small and THIN. conceals great. heavy. not the most accurate thing in the world, but it does have only a 3 1/4" barrel too, and good enough for carry and home defense.

9mm ammo is cheap. i use S&B regular P, JHP, because its cheaper than most people's practice ammo so i can practice with it, and it's reliable as heck in this gun.

 

[denfoote]

I'm a little late, but...

I recomend the Makarov!!!
An East Deutsch, if you can find it. But, the Bulgie will do quite nicely!!!

 

[BevrFevr]

Can't recommend a RAP

They are nice Guns but mine is not 100% reliable. Trigger is nice, plenty accurate, Handles 9mm recoil just fine but sometimes has failures to extract. On the heavy side. While it is a good glove box gun I would go for a Mak for reliability.

-bevr

 

[Flashpoint]

Any second opinion on those Steyrs? I handled one briefly at a gun store and was a bit too afraid that there were just too darn many safties... in a jam, I might forget one of the three things.... Felt nice enough though.

Yes Steyr has a few more safties than you'll see on a Glock, but the only one you need to worry about working right is the one between you ears, the rest you can disengage and not worry about. You'll have a hard time finding the quatlity and feel the Steyr has in any other gun of that price or more. I have had mine for over a year and don't plan on parting with it and would like to buy another, but I don't see any funds for it any time soon. Again don't worry about the safties over 2500 rounds through mine and not one problem out of the safties.

 

[ezypikns]

Do check out a Makarov.

Fun to shoot. Accurate and extremely reliable. My Bulgarian Mak has never had a FTF or FTE. Go to AIM surplus. They offer a Bulgarian Mak with 4 magazines for 150.00 or less. Southern Ohio Gun is another good source. If you want to spend between 300.00 and 400.00, check out any of the Ruger 'P' series. My P95DC is a fine weapon. Be safe.

 

[nomadboi]

The "DC" designation is the decocker-only, right? I'm a bit skeptical about a semi without a manual safety of some sort. I'd have a hard time trusting a de-cocker I guess.

I know Ruger makes them both ways, but again, that ups the price a bit...

 

[gbundersea]

Bad Ruger P94

I bought a Ruger P-94 9mm years ago, when I was much less informed about pistols. Although I qualified for my CWL with it, it never fit my hand right. Also, the location/accessibility of the safety is poor IMO.

However, its main problem was that regardless of how clean or dirty, or what type of ammunition, it jammed far too frequently to be reliable. FTF's and stovepipes happened constantly, and I could never trust it.

My primary is now a full-size EAA Witness 9mm, Tanfoglio's clone of the CZ-75. Perfect fit, and flawless with over 1200 rounds of all types of ammo through it, and in varying states from immaculate to filthy.

I'd try to find a CZ, or a good used revolver.

 

[cls12vg30]

I've owned a CZ-52 for a bit over a year now, it's an absolute blast to shoot, gets lots of attention at the range due to the muzzle flash, noise, and empties bouncing off the ceiling (even with a brand new Wolf recoil spring). The 7.62x25 Tokarev is one hot round, usually around 15-1600 fps, will penetrate Level IIA armor in FMJ. Sellior & Bellot makes new Tokarev now, which is good, because a lot of the ammo out there is old Yugo or Czech surplus which is not very reliable. Replacement parts are availavle for the '52 from makarov.com and a few other places, the stock firing pin is brittle but for 16 bucks you can get a new hardened one. I also busted a roller in mine last year, but was able to replace those as well. Like I said, it's a blast on the range, and with recoil somewhere between .357 magnum and .44 magnum, a nice challenge. If you can master a '52's recoil you can shoot almost anything.

That being said, I would not consider the CZ-52 a practical self-defense firearm. It is too big and heavy for comfortable concealed carry, and the round is just too hot, the risk of overpenetration of the target, the wall behind the target, etc. is too great. I do keep mine on my nightstand, but loaded with MagSafes, which were the only pre-fragmented rounds I could find in 7.62 x 25.

Now that I've owned and shot the CZ for awhile, and am comfortable with it, I am ready to get a carry gun this month and get a CCW. I am 90% sure that gun will be a Makarov, they are ridiculously reliable, cheap of course, and the CZ has given me quite a soft spot for Eastern Bloc firearms. If not a Mak, it'll be a PA-63 or SMC-918, it mostly depends on what I find at the big gun show coming to town next weekend.