Budget Choices with Minimal Compromise

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“budget” anything can also mean a high end item bought a low price. my budget semiauto pistol is a brand new sig p238 with two mags that i won in a gb.com auction for just $300. i’m generally a revolver guy but this sig shoots like a dream. i’ve just put 500+ rounds through it in the past couple of weeks to learn it. i may rotate the sig as a ccw with two other excellent budget guns, both used 38sp snubby revolvers: a $180 taurus and a $200 s&w.

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I bought this Hi-Point JCP .40 S&W for $20 from a co-worker this week. Yes, one single bill with Andrew Jackson on it.

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It's big n clunky, it feels horrible in the hand, I'm not aware of any holsters for it, the trigger pull is atrocious and you have to use a punch for disassembly, but it works and it's actually capable of reasonable accuracy.

Could be a nightstand pistol for someone who's incredibly poor.
 
Browning

As long as it goes "bang" when it's supposed to you can't go wrong with a pistol for $20!
 
jstert

Your CCW rotation sounds a lot like mine with a SIG P238, a S&W Model 649, and a Model 638! All three are easy to carry concealed and accurate for the job at hand.
 
I bought this Hi-Point JCP .40 S&W for $20 from a co-worker this week. Yes, one single bill with Andrew Jackson on it.

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It's big n clunky, it feels horrible in the hand, I'm not aware of any holsters for it, the trigger pull is atrocious and you have to use a punch for disassembly, but it works and it's actually capable of reasonable accuracy.

Could be a nightstand pistol for someone who's incredibly poor.
Good buy. Well worth the money you spent.
This should make a great holster.
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Browning

As long as it goes "bang" when it's supposed to you can't go wrong with a pistol for $20!
Yeah. It actually works.

The pistol was sort of an add on to another pistol deal with the same co-worker. For some reason he thought this pistol was unsafe and was hesitant to fire it. Since like most of us I'm considered "the gun guy" in my social circle he sold it to me with a warning about it possibly "blowing up in my hand".

It was just dirty with no lube. Works fine. Spare mags are apparently $19.95.

I can't say that getting a gun for $20 (or even less than $100) is a normal thing, but it does happen. This is the third gun I've bought for $20 (the others were a .22 Mag derringer and a Filipino semi-auto .22 LR rifle).

You just talk to people about guns and deals occasionally fall into your lap.

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@GunnyUSMC That holster actually looks about right. It's gargantuan for a pistol.
 
Another way to consider “budget choices with minimal compromise” is to make upgrades to guns I already own.

So I upgraded the sights on my Gen3 Glock 17 to a Wilson Combat / Vickers Elite (grn.) F.O. front & battlesight rear set (@$90.00). And I just upgraded the trigger assy. to the Apex Action Enhancement package. This includes the Apex aluminum trigger shoe on a new Glock OEM Gen3 trigger bar, and the kit includes the Apex FPB plunger and the Apex connector. And this all works great with the stock Glock striker, FPB, and trigger return springs (@$130.00).
 
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I kind of go "budget" or "expensive" with my guns. I have several Sigs, a couple of old S&W's, and several others that don't come cheap, but there is something about finding cheap guns that really work that is just kind of fun.

I have 3 Taurus PT111 G2's. Great little cheap gun that I have modded, well, 2 of them anyway, and not afraid of ruining the value of them.
The SAR K2P 9mm is a great gun, and it's successor, the SAR CM9 Gen 2 is even better, IMHO. My CM9 is my house gun, with an added laser/light, it's hard to miss with it. Both of these have many rounds through them without a hitch.
The Canik TP9v2 is a great gun, if you like striker semiautos. I'm going to keep it, but I won't be buying any more striker guns.
I have a bunch of Israeli surplus guns, including:
S&W 6906
Beretta 84 and 85
3 Tanfoglio 9mm, one compact, the other FS, all are great shooters and less than $300 each.
Jericho 941, $299, in good mechanical, but not so great appearance shape, good shooter.
Other PD trade ins:
S&W 5906
S&W 4506
Star Model 28

The only thing I did on each of them was clean them up and in almost every case, put a new recoil spring in.
Even the worst of these, the Jericho, seems to be 100% reliable. I haven't found the capured recoil spring replacement for it yet, but it shot fine.
 
I bought this Hi-Point JCP .40 S&W for $20 from a co-worker this week. Yes, one single bill with Andrew Jackson on it.

View attachment 838904

View attachment 838903

It's big n clunky, it feels horrible in the hand, I'm not aware of any holsters for it, the trigger pull is atrocious and you have to use a punch for disassembly, but it works and it's actually capable of reasonable accuracy.

Could be a nightstand pistol for someone who's incredibly poor.

Too Much!
 
If this wasn't in the autoloader section I'd be suggesting a S&W J frame. I recently scored a 642 with crimson trace grips brand new in box for $380.

As dependable as it gets, a good shooter and great carry piece due to its weight. With the laser grips, it's a great value on a budget.

Being that this is the autoloader section though, I like the Sheilds in their various forms.
 
If this wasn't in the autoloader section I'd be suggesting a S&W J frame. I recently scored a 642 with crimson trace grips brand new in box for $380.

As dependable as it gets, a good shooter and great carry piece due to its weight. With the laser grips, it's a great value on a budget.

Being that this is the autoloader section though, I like the Sheilds in their various forms.

Keep a close watch on the laser aim point. A friend's BG380 the laser aim point moved around. Sent it back to S&W (who replaced the Laser) and 6 months later it's doing it again.
 
Keep a close watch on the laser aim point. A friend's BG380 the laser aim point moved around. Sent it back to S&W (who replaced the Laser) and 6 months later it's doing it again.

I'm talking about a Crimson Trace unit on a J frame. The BodyGuard series both revolver and semiautomatic, have numerous complaints about their lasers from not holding zero, to falling apart. I'd skip the BG's and go to the proven Shields or J frame.
 
I'm talking about a Crimson Trace unit on a J frame. The BodyGuard series both revolver and semiautomatic, have numerous complaints about their lasers from not holding zero, to falling apart. I'd skip the BG's and go to the proven Shields or J frame.

Sorry, I thought since S&W owned Crimson Trace they likely made the units.
 
No need to field strip a Hi Point. Just hose it out with aerosol cleaner/lube, snake the bore, and it’s good to go. The design is so simple that it’s not sensitive to too much or too little lube.
 
No need to field strip a Hi Point. Just hose it out with aerosol cleaner/lube, snake the bore, and it’s good to go. The design is so simple that it’s not sensitive to too much or too little lube.
 
Sorry, I thought since S&W owned Crimson Trace they likely made the units.

They're owned by the same company. They may have made the units, but it doesn't seems to have been made to crimson traces usual standard. As a matter of fact, crimson trace makes their own models for the body guard line.
 
No need to field strip a Hi Point. Just hose it out with aerosol cleaner/lube, snake the bore, and it’s good to go. The design is so simple that it’s not sensitive to too much or too little lube.
The manual says to lock it back and brush it out every 3-400 rds and to do a complete disassembly and clean every 1500 to 2000 rds.

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Since I got it used I have no idea how many rds went through it or under what conditions it was stored in. So I broke it down and cleaned it.

It's not as bad as some people make it out to be, but it's no CZ-75, Glock or Sig.
 
The manual says to lock it back and brush it out every 3-400 rds and to do a complete disassembly and clean every 1500 to 2000 rds.

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Since I got it used I have no idea how many rds went through it or under what conditions it was stored in. So I broke it down and cleaned it.

It's not as bad as some people make it out to be, but it's no CZ-75, Glock or Sig.

It’s a good idea. You’re right that it’s really not a big deal to field strip. I field strip mine around every 500 rounds just because it’s easy to me.
 
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