Cheap pistol for personal protection

Which Pistol

  • G2C

  • EC9s

Results are only viewable after voting.
Status
Not open for further replies.
armoredman said:
From much first hand experience I would instantly recommend the Ruger over the Taurus, however, whichever fits you better that you can shoot better should be the winner - do you have a local range where you can rent both guns? From years and years of documented experience of other people, I would recommend you buy JHP ammo over ball, even the generic Remington Value Pack of 100 115gr JHP is better than any ball load.
Click to expand...

No range near me rents guns unfortunately. I prefer hollow points but some guns won't run them, not a big priority when your biggest threat are cougars. Is the Taurus slide hard to manipulate and is there a full size version of it?
 
I have the Taurus PT111 G2 and a Ruger LC9 Pro (no safety). The G2 predates the G2C which cancelled the lifetime warranty. The LC9 predates the EC9 which has fixed sights instead of dove tailed and a duller finish.
I retired the G2 when the trigger failed to reset twice during a range visit. It has not malfunctioned since but I can't trust it. I bought the LC9 Pro as a replacement. The innards of the LC9 seem much more substantial it also has a metal guide rod and trigger while the G2 has plastic.
The LC9 is lighter and easier to carry, I hardly know its there. There is a huge difference in perceived quality.

G2

taurus-111031g2-12-zpsqb7ap2qt.jpg

The LC9 with added Hogue grip boot

thumbnail-IMG-0076.jpg
 
DDDWho said:
I have the Taurus PT111 G2 and a Ruger LC9 Pro (no safety). The G2 predates the G2C which cancelled the lifetime warranty. The LC9 predates the EC9 which has fixed sights instead of dove tailed and a duller finish.
I retired the G2 when the trigger failed to reset twice during a range visit. It has not malfunctioned since but I can't trust it. I bought the LC9 Pro as a replacement. The innards of the LC9 seem much more substantial it also has a metal guide rod and trigger while the G2 has plastic.
The LC9 is lighter and easier to carry, I hardly know its there. There is a huge difference in perceived quality.

G2

View attachment 842186

The LC9 with added Hogue grip boot

View attachment 842187
Click to expand...
FYI, they reinstated the lifetime warrenty, so the G2C is covered.
 
Frank Trabel said:
No range near me rents guns unfortunately. I prefer hollow points but some guns won't run them, not a big priority when your biggest threat are cougars. Is the Taurus slide hard to manipulate and is there a full size version of it?
Click to expand...
No it's not IMHO, but that depends on the person. I didn't know about the Taurus rebate. I'm seeing them online in the $170s with rebate.
 
Frank Trabel said:
I'm open to other suggestions within the constraints of having to buy 3 guns.

My wife and son have experience with my pistols. I'm not considering revolvers at this time, have quite a few which I use, only considering modern 9mm pistols. I will be buying the pistols, not renting.

The Taurus looks to be a winner. I still don't have much love for the late Bill Ruger's politics, so I might cross the EC9s off the list since it doesn't seem to be recommended by anyone on here.
Click to expand...

I'll concur with the Shield comments, as I have three of them myself. I carry them when I want a single stack option, it's the Glock 26 otherwise.

https://palmettostatearmory.com/smith-wesson-m-p-shieldtm-9mm.html

Palmetto State is selling them for $250 right now...I paid around $300 for mine back a few years. Mine have been flawless. Triggers aren't always great out of the box...dry fire a lot helps. But most bargain level guns have lousy triggers...Shield is better than most I've shot, especially after a few hundred rounds.
 
Frank Trabel said:
No range near me rents guns unfortunately. I prefer hollow points but some guns won't run them, not a big priority when your biggest threat are cougars. Is the Taurus slide hard to manipulate and is there a full size version of it?
Click to expand...
Both are good guns, as is the Shield. In order, I'd say the Shield is the best pistol, shot my Dad's .45 and 9 Shields, but in 9mm, I want more rounds. I have a Taurus PT145, purportedly one of their worst guns, yet mine works fine, though I shot way low with the sights, so I took them off. Shoots where I'm aiming now. So my second choice would be a G2c. Didn't have the sight problem on the one I shot. I like the Ruger, just haven't shot one yet. There is a full sized 9mm Taurus that is almost identical, the TH9, which is ambidextrous, whereas the G2c isn't. The older 24/7 models are also a full size that is more like the G2c. I don't find the G2c slide to manipulate, and I have some nerve damage to the left hand. I've never personally used it, but two friends have, and Taurus' customer service is very good, as is Ruger's.
 
Good luck with your purchase. Whatever it is I recommend you get your best bottom line price on one pistol and then ask for a three-gun discount, since price is paramount, on either brand/model.

That being said, I strongly recommend you avoid FMJ ammo for self defense, and especially in a 9mm round, for they aren't made to expand and thus can be extremely over penetrative and harm or endanger loved ones in other rooms or pass through a wall and hit a stranger outdoors. 9mm, and even .45ACP in FMJ is a pretty poor man-stopper compared to the hollowpoint results today. The modern hollowpoints are designed to work well with virtually all modern autos of quality and reliability! Here is the latest test data on the various handgun premium ammo on the market via the new FBI test results. Keep in mind, we want a round that will generally fully expand MOST of the time without fragmenting, and penetrate a specific amount of inches without exiting. I would avoid any round on that chart that overpenetrated very often too, because the round didn't do the job a great hollowpoint is designed to do!

https://www.luckygunner.com/labs/self-defense-ammo-ballistic-tests/#380ACP
 
Frank Trabel said:
No range near me rents guns unfortunately. I prefer hollow points but some guns won't run them, not a big priority when your biggest threat are cougars. Is the Taurus slide hard to manipulate and is there a full size version of it?
Click to expand...

I don't think you could go wrong with either choice. Both are quality inexpensive handguns that users seem to really like. I've come close a few times to buying a G2C, especially when the rebates are out, but my limited budget gets pushed elsewhere.

Be sure to take your wife and son to a shop and let them handle both to see what feels right for them.
 
I'm sorry but I'm not going to ever trust a Taurus, especially not a semi auto one. Maybe they can be reliable, but I'm going to cheap out on a gun that might have to save my hide one day. I'd suggest the Ruger or save up and buy a used Glock.
 
SDGlock23 said:
I'm sorry but I'm not going to ever trust a Taurus, especially not a semi auto one. Maybe they can be reliable, but I'm going to cheap out on a gun that might have to save my hide one day. I'd suggest the Ruger or save up and buy a used Glock.
Click to expand...
Price doesn't equally reliable. There are plenty on inexpensive sub $300 handguns, the Taurus G2C being one of them, that will serve those on a budget well. The PT111 and G2 are well selling and very popular handguns.
 
Never buy a "cheap" pistol for personal protection. Its ok to buy an inexpensive pistol to play with but never when your life is at stake. OTOH your life may not be worth much.
 
cowboy77845 said:
Never buy a "cheap" pistol for personal protection. Its ok to buy an inexpensive pistol to play with but never when your life is at stake. OTOH your life may not be worth much.
Click to expand...

So a working single mother who can only afford a $200 Hipoint shouldn't buy a cheap handgun if that is all she can afford? I personally believe in buying quality for myself, but I won't down someone's firearm choice because of financial burden. In the hundreds of firearm training classes I have taught, the cheap firearms were more common than the high dollar pistols running $500 or more.
 
Had a Taurus PT111 Gen.3. It was fairly well built but I just never warmed up to the ergonomics of the gun. If I were looking for an inexpensive 9mm. I would check out a Ruger EC9s (7 rds. $219), a Security 9 Compact (10 rds. $309), or a S&W M&P 9mm. Shield (7 rds. $279).
 
cowboy77845 said:
Never buy a "cheap" pistol for personal protection. Its ok to buy an inexpensive pistol to play with but never when your life is at stake. OTOH your life may not be worth much.
Click to expand...

I have a PC Shield but the normal 1.0 version can be found for way under $300, and that is considered an exceptional carry gun.

Recently I purchased a Beretta Pico for $199 and it's an exceptional and quality gun for the price.

Even HiPoints have a reputation for being reliable and unbreakable.

So there is a difference between cheap and inexpensive.
 
I am certain that many members have much more experience than I concerning the variety of pistols manufactured today. Your observations are beneficial. In my case, I question the reliability and life of a pistol manufactured to a price point. I think there are many quality used pistols that would provide better service than a cheap new one.
 
Maybe you should take your wife and son to a place that rents guns and let them decide which one will work best for THEM. If your son has issues, maybe he would prefer something different than you or your wife.
 
I don't own either of these but have shot both as my brother owns them. I prefer the Taurus over the Ruger. The Taurus just shot better and was more comfortable to the way I grip.
 
kmw1954 said:
I don't own either of these but have shot both as my brother owns them. I prefer the Taurus over the Ruger. The Taurus just shot better and was more comfortable to the way I grip.
Click to expand...
I agree. If Ruger made the G2C exactly the same as Taurus, I don't see everyone choosing the EC9. Many people dislike the G2C not because they can point to there being any issues with it, but rather because Taurus makes it and/or because they're Ruger fans.
 
I own more Ruger handguns than any other brand, but also own several Taurus revolvers and pistols. I bought a PT-111 in the early 2000's, and based on my positive experience with it, bought two stainless G2C pistols last month. I have fired the Ruger, and went with the Taurus due to the ergonomics and higher capacity. I am now carrying one of the G2C more frequently than my Kahr CM9 or S&W 669.
 
Styx said:
Got to love it when you ask for opinions about two pistols you're interested in, and everyone kind of ignores the question and suggest what they're interested in instead. :) .
Click to expand...

Sadly it's all to common and not just here on this forum.
Once upon a time I was in the same position and asked a question on a very specific gun and ran into the same thing. I was recommended guns that were nowhere near what I was asking about and a few that were 3X the cost. Funny thing is I even explained the reason for asking the question in my original post and it was like I never even brought it up! After a couple days I had a Mod close the thread because it got so bad.
 
cowboy77845 writes:

OTOH your life may not be worth much.
Click to expand...

...aannnd, there it is. That age-old, tired, inflammatory cliche, the algorithm behind which is still to be explained.

What's the difference in value between a life defended with a $200 gun and one defended with a $500 one?

What about if the guns were valued at $500 and $800, respectively?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

Trey Veston
  • Locked
Tested all my pistol trigger pulls with some surprises.
Replies
11
Views
1K
JONWILL
JONWILL
M
  • Locked
Next Pistol To Add to My Classes
Replies
16
Views
811
NG VI
N
D
  • Locked
My first .22lr pistol
2
Replies
32
Views
3K
Skillet
S
Tallball
  • Locked
Cheap Off-Brand Handgun That Turned out to be a Tack-Driver
2 3
Replies
53
Views
5K
Tallball
Tallball
J
  • Locked
Need ideas and recommendations for new pistol.
Replies
9
Views
544
coylh
C
Back
Top