Do You Have an Excellent Handgun that was Inexpensive?

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sw9ve 9mm

$300

flawless and accurate.

best part; zero maintenance other than swabbing the bore as it has a stainless finish, the rest is polymer, and it's put together loose so grime just kindve falls out of it. i probably have 2000 rounds through it without any cleaning other than the bore, only downside is the trigger pull which is why i don't shoot it more.
 
A S&W 909. Got it a few months ago....$175 for all that single stack goodness.

A little cosmetically challenged to go with the generally unrefined nature of the Smith "value line" of pistols. But, the internals are great, it goes bang every time and it's not bad on accuracy. It is my go to gun because I never have to worry about beating it up. That was done for me. It just runs.
 
I'd imagine some of us older guys can come up with some real deals per today's dollar values. Such as NIB Browning Hi-Powers in the $100 range, NIB Ruger Blackhawks in the $90 range, NIB GP100 in the $300 range. These might skew things a mite.
 
My bargain gun is a Taurus PT92 made in 1997. I got it used, like new a few months ago for $265.
I've got a few hundred rounds through it now, and it has been faultless...very accurate, too.
Seems to be the equal, in all respects, to the Beretta 92FS I used to own.
 
Yeah, if i go with dollars, unadjusted for inflation, there were a lot of good deals to be had 40+ years ago! :D

But i'm going with the current dollar, & the current inventory. Here are my favorite 'best deals' on a good gun. I list prices i either paid in the last few years, or are for that now, & that include shipping & FFL fees.
1. EAA Windicator, 357 snubbie - ~$280
2. Sccy 9mm 11+1 compact- ~$250
3. Used model 10 38spl revolver s&w - ~ $290
I would put these in the top 3 for best bang for the buck. I have better pistols, but paid more for them.
 
I'm going to add another one that I got a couple of months ago. In dollar terms it's probably about average.

Smith & Wesson Model 15-2. Paid $400.00 for it.

100_0730_zpsms8ovsku.jpg

Not a GREAT price. About average maybe for a Model 15 with target hammer, trigger, and a trigger stop.

But those diamond target grips threw it into the "great" range for me. Those grips alone sell for a pretty good price.

And it's a Model 15. One of the best S&W ever made.
 
CajunBass said:
I'm going to add another one that I got a couple of months ago. In dollar terms it's probably about average.

Smith & Wesson Model 15-2. Paid $400.00 for it.

100_0730_zpsms8ovsku.jpg

Not a GREAT price. About average maybe for a Model 15 with target hammer, trigger, and a trigger stop.

But those diamond target grips threw it into the "great" range for me. Those grips alone sell for a pretty good price.

And it's a Model 15. One of the best S&W ever made.
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Very nice piece. I have a 15-4, which was my dads. He bought it new in the 80s, & it is still a great, accurate shooter. I do like those grips, too. You got a good deal. That is a classic, heirloom firearm.
 
I have a 1960 Regent 8 shot 22 double action revolver, it's not what I would call an excellent gun, but for its age and 36 bucks new back then, It's a great shooter.
 
I'd have to say my Taurus PT145. OTD $345. You can't touch a Glock 30 or 36 for that, the XDs wasn't out yet, The Kahr CT45 was hard to find, and held no more than a 1911, The Star Firestar Compact weighs a ton.
 
EB1, we have similar taste in guns, but you got better deals!

"Rossi M720 .44 SPC $200 local pawn.
Tisas .45 ACP $320."

My Rossi 720 and my Tisas 1911 are both very good. But I paid $330 for the Rossi and $399 for the Tisas. The Tisas was NIB and the 720's are getting hard to find at any price.

Lots of great posts. It sounds like there are many excellent deals to be had out there.

Some people have this attitude, "If it's not a S&W or an HK or some other expensive brand, it is junk." I have no doubt there are many excellent high-dollar pistols out there. And maybe you have less chance of getting a lemon if you buy Brand X pistol for $800 instead of a similar Brand Y pistol for $400. I don't know for sure. I have never seen a statistical analysis of percentage of defects by manufacturer.

If I have owned a firearm for a number of years and have shot hundreds or thousands of rounds through it and it has never malfunctioned, that is my definition of reliable. When someone tells me that their newly-purchased expensive firearm is "more reliable" than my similar but less-expensive firearm that has functioned perfectly for me for many years... I just smile and nod my head. There's no use arguing about it.

One of my friends has a theory that if someone pays $1200 for a firearm and your similar $300 firearm works just as well or better, it can make them ANGRY. Maybe there is some truth to that. Sometimes people SEEM angry when they get their "If it ain't Brand X it is junk" rant going, anyway.
 
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Tallball said:
EB1, we have similar taste in guns, but you got better deals!

"Rossi M720 .44 SPC $200 local pawn.
Tisas .45 ACP $320."

My Rossi 720 and my Tisas 1911 are both very good. But I paid $330 for the Rossi and $499 for the Tisas. The Tisas was NIB and the 720's are getting hard to find at any price.

Lots of great posts. It sounds like there are many excellent deals to be had out there.

Some people have this attitude, "If it's not a S&W or an HK or some other expensive brand, it is junk." I have no doubt there are many excellent high-dollar pistols out there. And maybe you have less chance of getting a lemon if you buy Brand X pistol for $800 instead of a similar Brand Y pistol for $400. I don't know for sure. I have never seen a statistical analysis of percentage of defects by manufacturer.

If I have owned a firearm for a number of years and have shot hundreds or thousands of rounds through it and it has never malfunctioned, that is my definition of reliable. When someone tells me that their newly-purchased expensive firearm is "more reliable" than my similar but less-expensive firearm that has functioned perfectly for me for many years... I just smile and nod my head. There's no use arguing about it.

One of my friends has a theory that if someone pays $1200 for a firearm and your similar $300 firearm works just as well or better, it can make them ANGRY. Maybe there is some truth to that. Sometimes people SEEM angry when they get their "If it ain't Brand X it is junk" rant going, anyway.
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i don't think you have to buy the most expensive stuff to get a quality product, my dad always said 'i look at the cheapest pos made, i look at the most expensive pos made, and i pick something in the middle'. hence most of my guns are smiths, berettas, glocks, marlins, remingtons, etc, and not h&ks or hipoints.
 
I have managed a few - a 19-3 RB snub for $350 that is fun to shoot, a Walther (French) PP in 32 that would feed and shoot every type of reload I could imagine for under $200 and a 66-3 4" for under $300 that shoots great.
 
My 1972 Colt Commander was $154 out the door new Rossi Coach 12 gauge $150 new Bought a 1941 USGI COLT for 100 in 1988. Needed a new barrel . Still have an shoot all.


Lots of good S&W police revolvers out their today at a good price
 
Same as Antihero - M88A, I paid $200. I'm not sure how many rounds have been put through it and so far no issues.
 
My Ruger P95 was $350 OTD brand new. I've seen P-series Rugers for under $300 in the used cases of gun stores and at pawn shops. They're bulky, but they shoot well. I've found the P95 to be accurate, 100% reliable, and softer shooting than most 9mm pistols. It runs on everything without a hitch. It wasn't super cheap, but I have zero buyer's remorse. Very solid pistol that I would rely upon to defend my life with no hesitation.

Dirty Bob
 
Double down on Makarovs. I have a commercial Russian and an East German. I gave $300 for the German, I think $149 or so for the Russian, but that one was purchased in about 1985. Both very accurate and reliable.

If we're going down the long ago trail, I bought my Ruger Single Six for $53, my flat top .357 Blackhawk for under $100.
 
Norinco 1911 9mm that I bought new to be a beater.

That thing was 100% reliable and more accurate than a glock. A little rough around the edges though and I mean that quite literally :)

Kinda regret selling it.
 
Hmmm. Luger - $27.50, P.38 - $15, new M1911A1 - $29.95, S&W .38-44 Heavy Duty, near new - $17.50. Some more?

JIm
 
Remington 512, 22 LR, grooved receiver ~ $80, 2 years ago

Ruger KP97D 45acp + box of ammo ~ $250, last year

Taurus M327 Federal Magnum, 2" stainless ~ $300, this year
 
I'd rate my RIA "Tactical" 1911s in .45ACP and 9mm as the best bang/buck values in my collection. I don't think I've gone to the range since I got them without at least one of them making the trip. The .45 is well over 15K rounds through it, the 9mm is catching up fast and is at about 12K rounds through it.
 
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