Looking for a Range/ Second Handgun

[HB]

Time to step up from the Buckmark, which has now became my bull's-eye/ .22 league gun, So....

Criteria:
Cheaper ammo (9mm, .38, 7.62x25)
Decent Sights/Trigger
Full-Size/ Service Pistol
Accurate
Easy Maintenance
Prefer to stay away from Taurus
Must be below $400
Prefer revolvers, but semi's are O-tay

I'm open to pretty much everything, used is fine. I would just like to learn how to shoot centerfire handguns to give a little break from punching paper with a 7'' barreled, dot sighted .22
I would just buy a CZ-52 but ammo is all corosive and the stuff it's not is semi hard to find, plus when ammo dries up , Plus, it's not your conventional service pistol.

I might shoot a steel match or something but it's mostly just a blaster....

Thanks,
HB

 

[wnycollector]

Check out the romanian tokarevs at southernohiogun for $219. toks are very accurate and cheap to shoot. Dont worry about the "corrosive ammo" thing. Just squirt it well some windex and then clean as usual. I have been shooting corrosive ammo since the early 90's w/o any problems.

 

[wally]

EAA Witness would meet your criterion. Under $400 is not so easy lately. With the Witness you could add uppers in other calibers later for about $200 each. OTOH add another $100 to your price limit and upgrade to the Witness Elite Match and you've got one the best range guns available.

I don't think you can find a 9mm revolver that isn't a Taurus for under $500 unless Ruger is still making their .357/9mm Single Action "convertible" with two cylinders.

--wally.

 

[pistolero6869]

Buy a use Sig 225 W. German MFG adj sites single and double action Model P-6 225 3-11/16 barrel 9MM 8 round mag A steal at $280 Bucks centerfire systems has them so does a lot of the Gander MTN stores Pro=mag extra mags 8rd $16 Buck a very nice pistol police trade ins

 

[earplug]

Check out a 38 super 1911. When you reload you can shoot steel, Bullseye after mods or put a Marvel .22 on it, convert it to 9MM.
They are available on the used market in your price range.

 

[johnson_n]

Used CZ 75B

Where are you getting your .38 prices? They cost as much as .45 ACP.

 

[HB]

After I look at my post, it's a pretty wide question, but thanks for the replies. I went for the .38 because you can reload it for very cheap with lead bullets, but .45 isn't to bad either for handloads. I try not to look at the price of factory ammo

HB

 

[woad_yurt]

How about a Norinco 213? It's the Chinese TT33 type in 9mm. Mine's target accurate and works flawlessly.

 

[wally]

9mm is easy to reload and by far the easiest to get brass for free or cheap, but reloading lead bullets the price differences among calibers are pretty minor, brass costs end up being the major difference.

Buying used opens up a lot more options assuming you know enough to not get stuck with someone else's problem child.

--wally.

 

[HB]

Thanks, no problem with used at all

 

[BlindJustice]

The SIg P6/225 German Police surplus guns are
a great buy for the money in a common caliber. You
won't lose money on it, and it'll be a good solid
platform to enjoy.

R-

 

[lloydkristmas]

Taurus Pt92 or SIG 225/P6

**Edit, saw you didnt want Taurus, still think the PT92 is one of their better models

 

[Harry Paget Flashman]

Check out Century Arms. They have used Astra Model 960 .38 Special revolvers for ~ $169. I bought that and the Astra Cadix .38 and like them both. The 960 is the nicer of the two.

 

[kle]

I've been seeing a lot of S&W model-14's (S&W's target .38SPL revolver, the "K38 Target Masterpiece", right up there with the .22LR model-17 and the .45ACP/.45LC model-25) lately for about $400ish. If I had the scratch, I'd buy one for myself...Definitely isn't the 'service pistol' you're looking for (you'd be looking at a S&W model-15 "K38 Combat Masterpiece" for that).

 

[bestseller92]

Ruger P95 9mm.

 

[eatont9999]

I would suggest the Tokarev as well. You can get the pistol and 2 cans of ammo and still be in your price range. You can't get 2000+ rounds of ammo for under $200 unless you shoot only .22s. The Tokarev round travels about 2000FPS and can penetrate many types of body armor, so it is a powerful round. People say it recoils like a .45, but I can't say. This pistol is near the top of my list when I get my LTC. I don't think I am going to carry it because of over penetration, but it would come in handy against an armored assailant.
Just my opinion.

 

[c1ogden]

I think you'll get the most use out of a .357 or .38 revolver.

Cheap ammo that is available anywhere and in a wide variety of loadings.
Adequate for defense and cheap enough for plinking.

I like Smith & Wesson (the older ones without that asinine key lock) but Colt and Ruger are good also.

You can easily get a good used one in your price range.