Looking for a cheap reliable pistol

[El_Guapo]

Hello , new to the forum , and I wanted to ask if anyone knows a good place to get a nice reliable pistol for under $300 . Also do they make rubber bullets in 9mm casings? I have been looking online , and I have found acouple of decent guns for under $300 . I am going to go ahead and assume Hi-Point is a POS brand cause they have a 9mm for $118
http://www.thegunsource.com/shopping_viewproduct.aspx?idproduct=6409

A 9mm would probablly be best since I'll need to get plenty of practice and I hear 9mm ammo is cheaper than .40's and .45's . The gun will be for shooting practice , home defense and CAR AUDIO DEFENSE :banghead: . A friend of mine owns a Taurus and says they are ok. Here are acouple of them that I am looking at.
http://www.thegunsource.com/shopping_viewproduct.aspx?idproduct=9667
http://www.thegunsource.com/shopping_viewproduct.aspx?idproduct=9664
http://www.thegunsource.com/shopping_viewproduct.aspx?idproduct=9220
http://www.thegunsource.com/shopping_viewproduct.aspx?idproduct=4996
http://www.thegunsource.com/shopping_viewproduct.aspx?idproduct=31481


if I want a longer barrel {better accuracy I assume} it's atleast 50 over what I have
http://www.thegunsource.com/shopping_viewproduct.aspx?idproduct=31545
If I can't find a pistol I like , I'll probablly look for a 12g pistol grip shot gun.

Anyone have any better suggestions? Better places to look? Or anything to say about any of these that I am looking at , please let me know
Thanks
Also what all do I need just to own a gun , not to carry , just to own , like papers and things.

 

[cidirkona]

Welcome to TheHighRoad, I'm sure you'll find PLENTY of answers here!

As far as where to start, look up your local laws on sites such as packing.org . They'll tell ya just about everything you'll need to know for now. Gun laws vary ALOT from state to state.

I don't mean to be a party-pooper, but owning a gun is not going to stop someone from stealing your stereo...

-Colin

 

[happy old sailor]

welcome. just for starters, you generally cannot shoot someone for property theft. your life must be threatened or perceived to be threatened (in fear of your life) in all the states i am reasonably familiar with. some require that you retreat as far as you can. blurry, yes, but shooting someone is serious business. no matter the scumbag, you need a rock solid story for the DA.

as for the hi point being a POS, one of my sons bought one out of curiosity as it was only $90 plus local sales tax. this was NIB. we shot it and shot it and all it did was work. course, this could be just this particular one. it is not a pretty gun, but it worked. we took it apart to clean it and i have lead ingots that are not as heavy as that slide is. it was surprisingly accurate for what it was.

i am not, nor would i, recommend a hi point, but if a person wanted something he would not give a damn about, this would be it.

accuracy is a relative thing. hunting and target shooting is one thing, minute of bad guy at a few feet is easily accomplished and does not require the expenditure of thousands of rounds. take the money you are going to spend on ammo and upgrade your firearm. i would think Ruger or Taurus at least. or, for a few dollars more, a Smith and Wesson. i have some of each and do not blush when someone asks what i am packing. absolute reliability is foremost in ones consideration.

when you get a fix on something, ask about it here before you buy. these folks either have one or have had one and can tell you all about it. luck

 

[medmo]

Buy a really expensive car alarm for the car audio theft problem. It will be much cheaper financially and emotionally than a pistol.

If you would like to get into shooting inexpensively than check out the Smith and Wesson semi autos in polymer frame or Taurus revolvers.

Your best bet is to stroll into your local gun shop, admit total ignorance, ask for help and follow it.

 

[caz223]

<snip>
Your best bet is to stroll into your local gun shop, admit total ignorance, ask for help and follow it.
<snip>

Can't really agree with that, sometimes you run into the wrong guy trying to make a buck and you just bought the POS he couldn't sell to anybody else.

Ask around here before you buy, don't get taken for a ride.
If you're just gonna plink with it, definately go 9mm, and one of the best 9mm pistols for the dollar is the CZ75b.
You used to see them for $300-$350 brand new, but now they're $400+ unless you really shop around.

Oh, and no car stereo is worth going to prison for.... at least not to me.
Because you couldn't practice with your guns, nor can you listen to your high dollar mobile jukebox in a cell.

 

[DarkKnight01]

Makarov

Nuff' Said.

 

[charby]

Don't forget about a revolver! Lots of nice used Rugers and Smith in the price range your looking to spend. 38 Special is cheap to shoot too.

Charby

 

[Father Knows Best]

When it comes to autoloading pistols, "cheap" and "reliable" are antithetical. If you want a pistol for personal/home/family defense, don't skimp. There's nothing worse than a defensive weapon that you can't count on 100% to go BANG when you need it to go BANG, except perhaps for a weapon that goes BANG when you don't want it to. As Tom Givens says, "the two loudest sounds in the world are bang when you expect a click, and a click when you expect a bang."

Spend a little extra money and get a Glock. Glock nines sell brand new in the mid-$400 range. Reconditioned police trade-in models sell for under $400. I don't think Glocks are perfect, but they're the cheapest pistols I can comfortably recommend.

 

[nemesis]

just for starters, you generally cannot shoot someone for property theft. your life must be threatened or perceived to be threatened (in fear of your life) in all the states i am reasonably familiar with. some require that you retreat as far as you can.

You can in Texas if a thief is departing with your property and you fear that you will not recover it except by stopping the actor. We are not required to retreat.

 

[lyricsdad]

Car alarm get yourself a nice Clifford in the high end territory. Make sure it has a perimeter alarm. glass breakage, voltage drop detection, arm the doors, hatch, etc. I have a fairly nice car stereo setup, and I protect mine w/ an alarm. Works too, just cats are an annoyance. They dont care what the alarm says. they still activiate the thing.

Oh yeah get one that can page your for up to a 1/4 mile.

I have no idea on rubber bullets I would just stick to JHP and 9mm and above i guess.

Take some handgun classes if you daddy didnt teach you proper techniques.

 

[Stickjockey]

What DarkKnight said.

 

[hightech]

Education

My suggestion is to take a basic pistol course be for you buy. A little knowledge will go a long way in keeping you from making a mistake.

 

[TarpleyG]

If this is strictly for home defense and cost is a priority, I'd be looking for a good, used Remington 870 police model 12 ga. You can probably find one for under $200 if you look hard enough.

Greg

 

[cookekdjr]

Another Makarov vote...

Makarov:

Cheap, reliable, accurate, built like a tank, low ammo cost, extra mags are ten bucks, easy to operate...

I wish I'd never sold mine. Of course, I can have another one in less than a week for $150, so who's complaining?

 

[Zundfolge]

When it comes to autoloading pistols, "cheap" and "reliable" are antithetical.

I disagree ... there's cheap and there's inexpensive

there are plenty of reliable autos under $300



Just dig through gunbroker.com or any of the classifieds on the major gun forums and you'll find lots of quality autochuckers sub $300

here's a handful of examples taken at random

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=31876321
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=31620416
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=31631356
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=31838520

And there's many more (and places other then Gunbroker ... I just used them because they are full of good quick examples).


Just avoid Jennings/Bryco, Llama, and Hi Point and you'll probably be fine.

When in doubt, post about whatever you find here and you'll get more info about it then you want

 

[El_Guapo]

I've already purchased a car alarm , funny enough it is Clifford , the MS3-Matrix responder unit.The gun is not intened to shoot a car theif. Let's drop the car audio defense , that was meant as some kind of sick joke , being that my car was broken into and all my car audio was stolen about a week ago.

Do they make rubber bullets/non-lethal ammo in 9mm caseing?{ in the case of a car theif , would it be legal to shoot them {if neccessary} w/ non-lethal ammo to hold them until the police get there.}

This gun will mainly be for learning to shoot , it will be my first pistol , I use to own a SKS and a 12g. I am 23 and I live in TN. I may try to get a permit to carry , but I'll worry about that once I get the gun.

My brother ,who is a local sherrif, carrys a Beretta .40 , I would try to get one of those but that is way out of my price range. Beretta and Glock are WAY out of my price range.

Does anyone have anything good or bad to say about Taurus semi-auto's?

 

[cookekdjr]

Does anyone have anything good or bad to say about Taurus semi-auto's?
The 24/7 is an award-winner.
The PT-92 series had a very positive review on Stephen Camp's website.
I'd check them both out.

 

[BigSlick]

in the case of a car theif , would it be legal to shoot them {if neccessary} w/ non-lethal ammo to hold them until the police get there.}

Not trying to be a wise ass here EG, and I'm not a car stereo (or any other kind) thief, but if you shoot me and I'm not dead/bleeding profusely to the point of incapacitation, I'm going to kill your ass dead on the spot.

If rubber bullets make sense, it is *only* in a controlled situation or for training. Busting a rubber cap on a theif, will certainly give him justified cause (legally) to kill you in self-defense.

Holding someone for the cops to arrive can be a risky situation at best. If you are going to utilize a weapon to protect yourself or your belongings don't compromise the effect of your chosen weapon - otherwise, don't use it - period.

Just my unqualified opinion.

BigSlick

 

[Father Knows Best]

I disagree ... there's cheap and there's inexpensive

there are plenty of reliable autos under $300



Just dig through gunbroker.com or any of the classifieds on the major gun forums and you'll find lots of quality autochuckers sub $300

So do you agree or disagree? I've got nothing against inexpensive guns. I have a lot against cheap guns. I'm also on record as being in favor of buying guns used whenever possible, because you can get a lot more for your money. In fact, police trade-in 9mm's are some of the best deals going. They're usually carried a lot and shot little, and well maintained. Many departments have dumped them in favor of .40's.

If you're talking new guns, though, there's nothing I'd trust my life to for less than $300. Just look at what police departments are carrying. Government agencies are very price sensitive, yet they pay the extra dough for Glocks, SIGs, etc. Why? Because they test guns extensively before buying and know that those guns are engineered and built so they will go BANG when you need them to. Cheaper guns don't.

For a "learning to shoot" or "plinking" gun, buy whatever you want and can afford. For a "my life may depend on it" gun, cancel the cable subscription, take the bus, and eat mac-and-cheese for a few months if you have to, but buy a decent gun.

I just checked, by the way, and CDNN Investments has some pretty good wundernines for $300-350, including a nice selection of trade-in Glocks and SIGs, not to mention HKs, Berettas, Walthers, S&W's, Steyrs and lots more quality guns. In fact, a SIG P226 for $349 is a smokin' good deal on one of the toughest and most reliable service pistols ever made. Or for that same $349 you can get a Glock 17 or 19 with night sights.

 

[Trebor]

Do they make rubber bullets/non-lethal ammo in 9mm caseing?{ in the case of a car theif , would it be legal to shoot them {if neccessary} w/ non-lethal ammo to hold them until the police get there.}

Do NOT attempt to shoot someone with so-called "non lethal" ammo so you can hold them for the police. There are so many things wrong with that idea that I don't even know where to start.

First off is the liability aspect. There is no such thing as "non lethal" ammo. Even beanbags and pepperballs have been known to kill. Remember that Red Sox fan killed by a peperball following the World Series game? Do you know at what range your "non lethal" ammo is actually dangerous? Do you know what body parts are more vulnerable to your "non lethal" ammo? This stuff can cause serious injury or death even in the hands of trained police. I shudder to think of what you can do with it if you just load some up with the intent of "holding someone for the police."

Another issue is generally, as a citizen, you can use lethal force only to defend yourself against the threat of death or grave bodily harm. Since "non lethal" ammo can indeed kill, you should realize you have the same liability as if you were using regular ammo.

Finally, just pointing a gun at someone can be considered assault. It doesn't matter if the gun is loaded or not. The fact that it's loaded with "non lethal" ammo won't make any difference either. Point your gun at someone to "hold them for the police" and your likely to go to jail. The exception would be if you realistically feared for your life and have NO other option.

Finally, if you ever needed to defense yourself, do you really want your life to depend on the ability of the "non lethal" ammo to stop the attacker?

 

[Trebor]

Here's the best advice your going to get on this thread:

Get some training before you buy a gun.

I'd start with the NRA "Basic Pistol" course. It's the easiest to find and is a good start. Then take the NRA "Personal Protection in the Home" course for info on the laws regarding self defense.

Get some training. Learn what is and isn't legal and what is just a bad idea. You'll get some chances to shoot and learn what guns work for you without having to buy one to try it. You can pump the instructors for info during breaks or after the class to help you pick out your first gun.

Knowledge is power.

 

[cidirkona]

Couldn't agree with Trebor any more!

Knowledge is power and power RULES! ...or something like that...

Either way, take a few classes. Ask the guys at the local shop if they can recomend any.

-Colin

PS

Do NOT attempt to shoot someone with so-called "non lethal" ammo so you can hold them for the police. There are so many things wrong with that idea that I don't even know where to start.

Sling shots are so much quietter anyways (JUST KIDDING - don't hit anyone with those either!)

 

[George Hill]

Cheap + Reliable = Makarov.

 

[Zundfolge]

Beretta and Glock are WAY out of my price range.

If you'll look at the gunbroker links I posted, you'll notice that the last one IS a Beretta. You may not find a Beretta M92 in your price range, but an occasional 8000 or 9000 may just show up in that sub $300 price range if you keep your eyes open.

So do you agree or disagree?

Neither ... and both


People often use the terms "cheap" and "inexpensive" interchangeably ... I was just clarifying that "inexpensive" doesn't always mean "cheap".

 

[Dirty Bob]

One word: Makarov

Others have given good advice on protecting the stereo. I would *NOT* shoot to stop a theft. It isn't worth it, on several levels.

Regarding an inexpensive (not cheap) gun, the Makarov is my first choice. The Bersa Thunder costs more, but it's lighter and uses more common (.380 ACP) ammo. I haven't heard anything bad about either, except isolated cases. My Mak runs like a champ.

Dirty Bob