Subcompact 9mm budget gun
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Madcap_Magician
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Might be able to get one of the original Shields pre-Shield Pro on clearance for that price range since the Shield Pro basically superceded it.
Real hard to get any gun at that point that isn't rife with tradeoffs.
ClaymoreAKM
Member
They are around. Honestly I'd even get a Turkish import if I was desperate, many of those are pretty well made.
Just keep away from the Hi-Point, Jennings, AMT options.
You’re asleep in the middle of the night and you hear a crash somewhere in the house or you’re low on gas in a rough part of town, you pull into the only has station you can find and two sketchy dudes step out of the gas station’s broken down carwash. What do you think your first thought will be? “I’m glad I bought the cheapest handgun I could buy”? You will get what you pay for. Save your money until you can afford something in the $400 range. And when you budget for your gun, figure in the cost of ammo to train with. It all sounds pricey, but what is your life worth?
Madcap_Magician
Member
...OR... and hear me out:
You're asleep in the middle of the night and you hear a crash somewhere in the house or you're low on gas in a rough part of town, you pull into the only gas station you can find and two sketchy dudes step out of the gas station's broken-down carwash. What do you think your first thought will be? "I'm glad I'm still saving for that $400 gun?"
I have no idea why people keep repeating this "What's your life worth?" line.
Elkins45
Member
I’ve seen the Beretta APX at very attractive prices.
Looks like you’ve got it figured out. Good luck to you.
Madcap_Magician
Member
You know, I stand by my point that cost of your equipment does not equate to increased survivability, not does inability to afford better equipment mean you don't value your life.
But I was impolite in making that point, and that wasn't High Road of me, so I apologize for that, sir.
bdickens
Member
Or you pay attention to your fuel gauge and fill up long before you get low (preferably during the day) so you have your pick of gas stations and don't find yourself in that position in the first place.
MedWheeler
Member
SimonRL writes:
Ah, yes, the old, tired, beat-down "what's your life worth?" cliche, the algorithm behind which has yet to be provided.
So, you carry a gun valued somewhere between 400 and 3,000+ USD. How does that tell anyone at what value you put your life? I can't even place one on mine, or on those of my family members.
What have you spent on safety for you and any family in other aspects of day-to-day life (vehicle safety, home safety, fire prevention and suppression, medical/trauma response and training, etc?) Go to a gun show and see the folks who think of protection firearms the way you do, then follow them outside and see what they arrived in, despite them being at a much-higher risk of danger on the road than from a criminal attack.
There is a surprising amount of elitists here who will tell others they need to wait until they've saved up xxx$ for their carry gun, even it it will take six months, yet won't leave their own houses tomorrow unarmed.
Oh, and there have been many that have said as you have about $400 guns.. (and many of those guns were $300 just a year ago.)
Ah, yes, the old, tired, beat-down "what's your life worth?" cliche, the algorithm behind which has yet to be provided.
So, you carry a gun valued somewhere between 400 and 3,000+ USD. How does that tell anyone at what value you put your life? I can't even place one on mine, or on those of my family members.
What have you spent on safety for you and any family in other aspects of day-to-day life (vehicle safety, home safety, fire prevention and suppression, medical/trauma response and training, etc?) Go to a gun show and see the folks who think of protection firearms the way you do, then follow them outside and see what they arrived in, despite them being at a much-higher risk of danger on the road than from a criminal attack.
There is a surprising amount of elitists here who will tell others they need to wait until they've saved up xxx$ for their carry gun, even it it will take six months, yet won't leave their own houses tomorrow unarmed.
Oh, and there have been many that have said as you have about $400 guns.. (and many of those guns were $300 just a year ago.)
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Ruger EC9S $267.99 free shipping
https://www.sportsmansoutdoorsuperstore.com/products2.cfm/ID/202158
Ruger LC9 $269.95 with laser used
https://www.jgsales.com/ruger®-lc9-...-laser,-black,-excellent,-used.-p-106705.html
Sccy $224.39
https://www.budsgunshop.com/product_info.php/products_id/77910/sccy+cpx-1-tt+cpx1+10+1+9mm+31"
Taurus G2C $236.85
https://www.budsgunshop.com/product_info.php/products_id/100792/taurus+g2c+9mm+32+12+1+black
Star BM9 $269.95 (surplus)
https://www.jgsales.com/star-bm,-9m...auto-pistol,-g-vg,-blued,-used.-p-102467.html
I have friends that carry the above SCCY and Taurus pistols. I carry Ruger LC9s Pro that has been discontinued and runs around $400 on the used market. I may snag one of those BM9's to play with.
https://www.sportsmansoutdoorsuperstore.com/products2.cfm/ID/202158
Ruger LC9 $269.95 with laser used
https://www.jgsales.com/ruger®-lc9-...-laser,-black,-excellent,-used.-p-106705.html
Sccy $224.39
https://www.budsgunshop.com/product_info.php/products_id/77910/sccy+cpx-1-tt+cpx1+10+1+9mm+31"
Taurus G2C $236.85
https://www.budsgunshop.com/product_info.php/products_id/100792/taurus+g2c+9mm+32+12+1+black
Star BM9 $269.95 (surplus)
https://www.jgsales.com/star-bm,-9m...auto-pistol,-g-vg,-blued,-used.-p-102467.html
I have friends that carry the above SCCY and Taurus pistols. I carry Ruger LC9s Pro that has been discontinued and runs around $400 on the used market. I may snag one of those BM9's to play with.
I have owned some inexpensive pistols that worked pretty well. I had a Kel-Tec P-11 (these are no longer made). It had a lousy trigger & I did some tweaking to get the pistol the way I wanted it but it worked. There was once I had a failure to extract with aluminum cased ammunition. I didn't shoot aluminum cased ammunition in that pistol anymore & no more failures.
I took a little 200 round class with someone that owned a Sccy. It worked.
I owned a Taurus Millennium PT-111 G2 (the precursor of the G2C).. I sold it because I decided I didn't like the trigger or the blued finish. I didn't really like it but it did work. I never had a problem with it.
I owned a Star pistol back in the 90's. It was nice. The only down side to Star is they are no longer made & the company is no longer in business. If it ever broke parts availability might be an issue.
More expensive pistols are usually nicer but I wouldn't automatically assume something is defective just because it is inexpensive. Sometimes one can find something a lot nicer without spending a whole lot more money but what isn't a lot to me might be a huge amount to them.
I took a little 200 round class with someone that owned a Sccy. It worked.
I owned a Taurus Millennium PT-111 G2 (the precursor of the G2C).. I sold it because I decided I didn't like the trigger or the blued finish. I didn't really like it but it did work. I never had a problem with it.
I owned a Star pistol back in the 90's. It was nice. The only down side to Star is they are no longer made & the company is no longer in business. If it ever broke parts availability might be an issue.
More expensive pistols are usually nicer but I wouldn't automatically assume something is defective just because it is inexpensive. Sometimes one can find something a lot nicer without spending a whole lot more money but what isn't a lot to me might be a huge amount to them.
Coyote3855
Member
Another vote for a Kel Tec PF-9. Available around $250 plus tax, shipping if necessary, and transfer fee. Might find one at a local gun shop and save shipping and transfer. Not a fun gun to shoot. Mine has been reliable. Lightweight so it's my bicycle gun.
Any gun is better than no gun. Common sense and situational awareness may reduce the need to deploy a firearm.
Any gun is better than no gun. Common sense and situational awareness may reduce the need to deploy a firearm.
Another one I'd recommend is a S&W SD9VE + an Apex trigger kit ($50). I wouldn't call it a subcompact but with that Apex trigger it's a nice shooting and good looking gun. I picked one up in 2019 for $250 at a local gun shop. Get yourself a decent holster for it that protects the trigger and don't worry about thumb safeties.
I looked the web and see them running $300 now. You might check Armslist for your state and see what's available. The problem with buying guns off the internet is you need to add shipping and transfer fees to your local dealer.
I looked the web and see them running $300 now. You might check Armslist for your state and see what's available. The problem with buying guns off the internet is you need to add shipping and transfer fees to your local dealer.
I hope that came across tongue in cheek, for many years my only centerfire for carry or otherwise was a bersa 380. I valued my life a great deal, but the bersa was all we could afford.
Reliability can be found on a budget and that is of the utmost importance.
Picked up a new Taurus 709 a couple years ago at a local gun shop for 169. I've put at least 500 rounds thru it, never had a malfunction. Trigger isn't the greatest but sights are decent, has a manual safety if you want to use it. Feels good in the hand and always goes bang. I can't say the same for some of my more expensive 9mm's.
UrbanHermit
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"Looking for a _____ gun"
Glock.
Glock.
Why do people post online gun prices? Yes, they are in the OP’s price range, but there is taxes and shipping and FFL fees ABOVE the listed price. Which throws the gun outside OP’s price range.
Always better to buy local, and private sale to avoid taxes and fees if possible.
Always better to buy local, and private sale to avoid taxes and fees if possible.
Because it gives folks an idea of what is out there and what the prices are.
Then they ought to be truthful and tell them about the shipping fees and taxes and FFL fees. Low end is still about half of OP’s price range. Just giving false hope.
CodeSection
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Buying online has worked out pretty well for me. Some sites charge extra for shipping some don't. You have to factor that in either way. Taxes get paid whether ordering from online or local. The one thing to work out ahead of time is who you are going to use to do your transfer. There can be large differences in how much different FFL's charge. I am fortunate that I found a man in the next town South of here that will do a transfer for $10 if a person has their Georgia Weapons License.
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