cheap handgun?

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a quick search at budsgunshop tells me revolvers are gonna start out at 299 for a new one...used I have no clue.

The police trade in's were a good idea.
Revolvers are going to be primarily .38 and .22 in your price range
.38 will do okay.
 
I dont think you have realistic goals. You want reliability, durability, and 100 bucks or less. Not gonna happen unless you stumble into a FTF deal with someone with a beat to hell old revolver. Buy a cheap shotgun and go with it
 
If you can find one, an old Norinco 213 (9mm version of the Tokarev) would be as reliable if not moreso than any other el cheapo mentioned here. It was my first auto-laoder and never once failed me. I bought two of them for $95 each about a decade ago, can't imagine them being more than $150 now.

JG Sales has those S&W 38 Special trade-ins for around $200. I'm thinking about getting one just for the sake of only paying $200 for a S&W revolver.
 
is this a joke?
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Why would you think it's a joke that someone who doesn't have a lot of money would come here asking for advice? I've been broke before but still wanted, if not needed, a gun myself.

To the OP. I won't bother to make recomendations, others have already pretty well covered what I would say so no need to repeat it. One thing you might consider is to see if any gun/pawn shops you have access too have a layaway program where you can pay for the gun over a few weeks/months. I buy a lot of my guns that way.
 
millertyme a buddy of mine has one of those Chi-com tokarev's in 9x19 it is a sweet little single stack 9 but I think he paid around 250 for it.
OP-I would suggest looiking for a used high point. They have the reputation of being pretty reliable. I agree with the others also though. If you aren't going to be carrying it a used pump action shotgun is a very effective home defense tool. You can probably find one of them cheaper than a handgun. If you are buying used it would be really good if you have a more knowledgeable friend you could get to go with you to help you check things out.
 
One word of caution regarding the mention of buying off the street. Since the OP did not list a location, beware that personal (or FTF) sales are not legal in every state. So even if the gun was legally owned by the seller, selling it to you privately may land you both in legal trouble if your state prohibits or restricts private sales (for example, private sales between state residents are legal in VA, but I understand that in Maryland, all sales must go through an FFL, by state law).

While I can understand a tight budget, $100 is really stretching things to get something truly reliable. Better, IMHO, to save up or buy on layaway and put a couple or few hundred dollars towards a used Ruger S. Six series or S&W model 10 or 64. You can get a good used reliable-brand .38spl or .357 revolver for the $275-$350 range - it might be a bit worn cosmetically but can be had in that price range in good mechanical shape (and parts for these models can be found for fairly cheap too, if it needs a replacement spring, grips or such). Beware of buying something very old just because it meets your price point, especially when buying used and effectively "as is". It may well end up costing more to make it work reliably then you paid for it in the first place.
 
If you can double your amount

PACIFIST,

If you can spend in the $200.00 range, you can obtain a very good gun. The CZ-82 from distributor CDNN. They are starting at $159.00 for average guns and the ones I have seen in the good range are in fact, very good.

You can order the gun and pay a local gunshop a transfer fee. Call around to different gun shops and pawn shops that sell guns. You can save quit a bit.

The CZ-82 was the standard pistol for the Czech military and police. It is similar to the BERETTA model 84 in size and weight.
It has a very smooth double action trigger and good sights and a reputation for dependability.
They have a 12 shot magazine plus 1 in the chamber. Power is about equal to the standard pressure .38 Special and reliability and accuracy are equal to guns that sell for two or three times as much.

Two negatives that I found. One is that the gun does not have a hammer dropping safety, so you have to lower the hammer by hand if you want to carry the gun for double action carry.
The safety is on the frame like the 1911 and CZ-75 pistols, so you can carry "cocked and locked" if you are familiar with that mode of carry.

The other negative is that the plastic grips are large and get in the way of a fast reload. They are quite comfortable, but I would prefer a less bulky grip.

If you cannot go with something like the CZ, then an old pump shotgun may be what you need. I bought a REMINGTON model 31 pump action shotgun in 16 gauge at a pawn shop. The action is as smooth or smoother than the new REMINGTON 870's. I have shot buckshot and slugs through this gun and at pistol range, it would be devastating. Price was $90.00.

Why so cheap? Well, 16 guage is not nearly as popular as it was once. So that really lowers the price. The fact that the gun was about 50 years old and did not look perfect made no difference to how well it shot or how reliable it is.

Good luck,

Jim
Jim
 
What are some cheap brands of guns out there. I dont need a super accurate killing machine, I just want something I can keep in my house and never use unless its an emergency. Stopping power is not a big need, cause if someone breaks in my house I plan to take cover and shoot shoot in there direction until I have no bullets left.
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there is alot wrong with this statement. first of all any gun you plan on using to defend your life your going to want to train with it and become familiar with how it works and how it handles when fired and most importantly how to aim it properly. secondly, if you plan on just pointing a firearm in the direction of a threat you need to seriously take into consideration that the bullets you fire arn't going to just stop if they don't hit your intended target, that could mean you inadvertantly take the life of an innocent person.

i have to seriously advocate that you take some courses in how to properly use a firearm in a defense situation. untill i would have to suggest against a gun at he moment. with the attitude and mindset of your post i would suggest a baseball bat instead.
 
You seem like you have a lot to learn before you are ready for responsible gun ownership. Before you waste $100 on a pile of crap gun that you ignorantly trust your life to, you need to spend all your free time for the next month educating yourself. This forum is a good place to start.
 
Hi.
based on your needs (I can relate to them) my humble advice is:

1- Get knowledge... this means drills, general training in the form of browsing little youtube vids that may give you an idea (until you may afford real first hand training)

2- For HD a Maverick 88 will get the job done as long as you learn to handle it.

everything comes to an end (bad times too), so when you are doing better financially get training... Knowledge helps to compensate for equipment and never the other way around.

be safe.
 
Pacifist, welcome to the THR Forum

You will probably dismiss my advice, but here it is:



For $100 you can do three things:
1. Get your present 38 fixed (maybe two hours labor at $35 per hour?)
2. Buy some dog food and adopt someone's unwanted doggie for free ($12 for a 40 pound sack of food at WalMart)
3. Secure all the windows/doors/shutters around the house to help prevent unwanted intrusion (maybe $20 worth of hardware).




Well, there it is. With a revolver that works, a dog, and a secure house, you will never have anything to worry about. Even if you just walk around your ghetto neighborhood, with your Best Friend on a leash, you're reasonably safe. If that's what you want.
 
Thanks for all the advice guys. I think I am going to take the majorities advice on here and save up $200, and buy myself a new hi-point 9mm, or are there better revolvers I can get in the $200- range?
 
Thanks for all the advice guys. I think I am going to take the majorities advice on here and save up $200, and buy myself a new hi-point 9mm, or are there better revolvers I can get in the $200- range?
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I doubt it. At least not a new one. You might find a used one, but those are where you find them.

It doesn't matter what you set your price limit at, someone will always tell you, "For just a few dollars more you can get..." and so on ($100.00 was pretty low, I admit).

I own a Hi-Point 9mm. It's a good, solid, reliable, accurate handgun. It's not as "good" as "Brand X" that costs a lot more, but it will do the same job. For someone in you situation, it's a good choice in my opinion.
 
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Yeah, post weirds me out a bit as well.

Cheapest I'd go in a handgun is 200 dollar range for a former eastern block 9mm Mak firing service gun. PA63, CZ, whatever. They're all reliable. I picked up a Polish Radom P64 from Gander Mountain a month or so ago for $199, but you can find 'em for a bit less online. You'd have to pay FFL charges and shipping if ordered, though. They're very nice little weapons and I'm sorta really gettin' off to mine even though it's really just a glorified .380. It's very accurate and ammo is cheap and available, something you can't say for .380 at the moment. The P64 is very PPKish, all steel, 100 percent reliable, and very accurate.

I really can't think of any other handguns than the various eastern block Maks that I'd rely upon that are under 200 bucks unless, maybe, you found a Tokarev. I had a couple of 9x19 Norinco toks 15 years back. I much prefer the Maks. Most toks are in 7.62x25 which is a bit hard to find except for online and I don't know that anything is available in a hollow point. 9mm Mak is even available in defensive loads by Hornady and Glasier makes frangibles. I'm carrying imported Silver Bear JHP, though, 12 bucks a box of 50.

Next step up in price for acceptable defensive handguns for ME is around 300 bucks. You can find the various Kel Tec type .380s and subcompact 9s in that price range from Ruger, Taurus, Kel Tec, etc. There are still trade in .38 revolvers, M10 Smiths and the like, to be had as well as Rossi revolvers. Rossi .38s are well under 300 at Academy. But, 100 dollars is just too restrictive. Yeah, before I went that route, I'd find an H&R single shot shotgun. At least they're reliable and with practice and a butt cuff, you can do some amazing things if you get good with one. You can make one sound like a pump, at least for the first couple of shots, with enough practice. :D
 
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There is a fair number of functional .32S&W and .32 S&W long and .38 S&W top break revolvers out there for less then $100. Not optimal, but not garbage either- especially reputable makes like Iver Johnson and H&R.
 
@ Colton White:

Whats wrong with that plan? Do you have a better one? Should I do some army rolls or a sumersault or sneak up splinter cell style and make it look like someone broke in my house to commit suicide?
I know the layout of my house and an intruder wouldn't. I already have in mind where I would go in most situations. Ive trained my aim to point in the general direction someones midsection would be at if they were to kick down my door so I could shoot while still standing behind a wall for protection in case of return fire.

Like I said I plan to aim for the mid section and empty a clip, than re-load and continue to fire & repeat until I feel the threat is completely eliminated. I'm not trying to do a sharpshooter precision aim I feel if I can hit a man 5-6 times in the belly or chest with a 9MM or .38 he will have a hard time fighting back especially sense I will have an advantage considering I know the layout, have practiced and will be the first to attack.
 
Why not get a job even if its at a fast food place save your money for a few weeks and buy a good pistol something dependable? You can find good used Glocks 9mm G-19 G-26 models in the $400.00 range or lower. If your not working where are you going to get money to feed the pistol?:confused:

"I have an old .38 but last time I practice shot it, it doesn't shoot anymore, and its baisically just a piece of crap. I bought it off the street 5 or so years ago and pretty much never used it."

Wait till the next gun buy back in your area and get rid of that old piece of crap you have. Should get at least $50.00 for it than go out to Wal-Mart and buy some ammo. just my thoughts.
 
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I'm pretty sure Colton's problem is that you would be blind firing. I.E., as you put it, "Aim in the general direction while hiding behind a wall". Meaning you wouldn't have a view of the threat and would potentially harm and/or kill innocents.

Firearms safety 101: Be sure of your target and what's behind it.
 
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