Whats a good pistol for under $400

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The Ruger SR9 is a very good pistol for right at 400.00. The other Ruger models are fine pistols as well. Used Glocks and Sigs should be really good values as has already been pointed out. S&W M&P = excellent too.

And do some reading on Taurus. Some of their models are very good. Some apparently not. The good and bad traits don't seem to cross model lines too much on Taurus products. I have a Bersa Thunder 380 and it's a fine pistol. When I purchased it about 2 years ago, I got it for 219 + tax.
 
At $399 the Stoeger Cougar's in 9mmP and .40S&W are hard to beat. These pistols are sleepers just like the CZ75 was years ago. In terms of shooting ease & accuracy these pistols are very similar to my CZ P-01's. BTW, I bought my Cougar's at Academy Sports.
 
Sig 225/P6. Used guns around $400, very reliable, great gun. Shot mine yesterday for the first time, smooth as butter, great trigger (better than the one I shot at the range where I bought mine, wish I would have bought two.).
 
If you can up up with a little more, then agree with those above that suggest a new pistol like the M&P, P07, XD.

If that is for sure not an option, then I'm not sure I would recommend a used one unless you know what to look for or know a friend that can make sure you don't get something you'll be sinking more money in.
Don't get me wrong, most used are in very good condition, and there are great deals out there, but unless you can tell if a pistol has 1K rounds thru it or 20K, you might not be saving what you think.

New, while the Bersa's are a very good one to consider, unless getting the .380acp version, I personally would take the above mentioned Stoeger Cougar. Stoeger is a Beretta owned company. The pistol was originally designed and produced by Beretta, and they shipped the equipment to Stoeger in Turkey when they discontinued it. The cheaper labor makes this pistol more affordable than it used to be. It is a very soft shooting pistol. My opinion is that accessories like holsters will be easier to find should that be something you need.

Since you are looking to save money on the pistol, I'd also recommend sticking with 9mm. It will be much more affordable to shoot.
 
I'll put in a vote for Kel-Tec's P3AT or P-11. Don't forget about RIA 1911's either. I bought mine off gunbroker for $380 shipped. You can find them cheaper than that from Sarco. All three of these guns cost me less than $400 and all are great guns.
 
Under $400 autos, I'd say go with either the RIA 1911 standard or the EAA Witness.

But an extra $100 bucks gets you a lot more gun with the RIA Tactical or EAA Witness Elite Match.

--wally.
 
A good pistol for under 400$ has been a great quest for many of us. My vote Sig P225 / P6 trade in's. Price is great, they are sigs so ..... They also carry very well.
 
I saw some recommendations for the Kel-Tec P3A-T, it's not a bad handgun but if you are looking for a full time SD gun many people feel a .380 is too light a caliber. I'm not one of them but I thought it should be mentioned to you. (I sometimes carry a P-32 which is a .32 Auto)

I also saw the P11 mentioned, I have a different opinion. The P-11 has has some problems including the trigger being very heavy and long. Kel-Tec fixed all the complaints of the P-11 with the PF-9. The PF-9 is a really nice small 9mm pistol. It's reliable and it has a 7+1 capacity. With a MSRP of only $333 it can be found for under $270.
 
A used Glock from Summit Gun Broker. They usually have Glock 17s, Glock 19s, Glock 22s and Glock 23s. I bought my 2nd Generation Glock 19 from them. I was very satisfied.

A Rock Island Armory M1911. They're good quality guns at a reasonable price, usually in the $380s.

A used S&W .38 or .357. M&Ps and Model 10s are usually available for very reasonable prices. A few years ago, I got an ex-NYPD M&P from RM Vivas. Price before shipping was under $200. It was very finish worn, but in excellent condition mechanically. I'd rather have that gun than anything S&W currently makes.
 
When someone who doesn't know guns asks for my advise as to which one they should buy, I always say, "Buy Ruger first." For a .22 buy a Ruger Single Six.

BTW: a good cheap gun is a Makarov. I love mine. Ammo's becoming a bit hard to get, but you can get it. Guns never jams and shoots pretty hard. Reload for it.
 
Get a used handgun. Buy a more quality manufacturer than you could afford if you were buying new. You get more bang for your buck.

3rd Generation Smith and Wesson semi-autos are an exceptional value.

I picked up a used in 95% condition SW 4506 off Gunbroker for $350 plus $25 shipping. When these ceased being produced in 1998, they had an MSRP upwards of over $700.

I've found a used Sig P226 locally for $400, no tax no transfer fees. Did a face to face transaction in the gun club parking lot. It came with 2 preban hicap mags and the original box and papers and night sights installed.

I've found used Glock 19's at Gander Mountain of all places for less than $350. Came with trijicon night sights and was carried more than it was actually shot.

Lots of good deals out there in the used handgun market.
 
Keep your eyes open at the local gun shops and on the internet.

I just scored a used Sig P239 for $400.00 from my local gun shop and am very happy with it.

If you are not in a hurry, finding a bargain is not to hard.

As the saying goes: Buy the largest caliber you can shoot straight and feel comfortable with.
 
You might check at www.cdnninvestments.com They don't post prices online you have to either get on their E-mail list or call them but they have some good prices on stuff sometimes. My vote would be for the P-95 BTW
 
The Bersa Thunder is probably on of the best kept secrets, and values, in the gun market today. Reliable, surprisingly accurate, and very comfortable.
Click to expand...

You got that straight. Bersas are very nice guns. Under $400, I'd look for a used CZ 75 or 75 compact.
 
Try to find a used Springfield XD or XDM,if you can't find one of those look for a Glock. On the other hand,if yer lookin' for a gun just so you have something at the moment and want a quality peice later when you can afford it take a look at Hi-Points;they'er dirt cheap and will do for the time being.
 
I second the several makarov votes.

A nice romanian tokarev TT33 can be had for less than 240. I love mine...and I've shot M&Ps in different calibers, revolvers, and other S&W autos...I like my tokarev.
 
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