Does anyone have a handgun that they like and find reliable but are too embarrassed to talk about it because of it's name, because the gun snobs will jump all over you? I think we should do this like an AA meeting I guess since this is my idea, I'll have to go first.

Hi..My name is ExtremeDooty and I own a Hi-Point 9mm compact. I needed a gun in a hurry, and had little money and that's how the gun came into my possession. It's not a Kimber or a Sig, but it is still a sweet shooting gun. About a 1000rds have gone in the direction that I selected without any failures at all. Some would call this gun a plastic paperweight, but I it like because it's fun to shoot. And if it breaks, I can replace it for about $100 and get a new gun.
Thankyou in advance for your concern and support.

Whose next?

You are the final judge of what makes you happy. If you like the weapon and enjoy shooting it, within its limitations, than so be it.

On the other hand its nice to know a gun will last. I have a S&W mod 19 purchased in 1970 as a duty weapon, and my dad's 45acp from WW II. Both have thousands of rounds through them, and will be in good shap for my children to use. Just my $.02

The only handgun I have that I consider "cheap" would be a polished stainless "pimp finish" Taurus M85 in .38 Special. It cost about $225 when I bought it...that puts it in my "cheap" category. Funny thing is, after all the rounds I put through it, it's the one on my person day after day after day. Don't get me wrong, I shoot regularly, but it and it's internals(springs) are looked after in order to maintain reliability when it might be needed. It has never failed to go "bang" and it's hits RIGHT where I point it. Taking into account all of it's positive attributes, I don't give a darn what it says on the sideplate or what the initial investment was so long as it's reliable. Don't have to worry too much if it gets scratched or the finish is dulled either, just so long as it shoots EVERY time I pull the trigger.

All law abiding US citizens have the right to keep and bear arms and provide for thier personal protection. Fact of life is not everybody can afford to spend a lot of money on a pistol. So I try not to be a brand snob, and nothing is more embarrassing than having somebody outshoot you with a gun that cost a fraction of your custom pistol. (that's why I don't shoot competitively, but I have "beaten" a lot of the guys at the skeet club with a shot gun worth less than 1/4 the price of thier units)
I still have my father's old Hi Standard 9 shot .22 Sentinal revolver. Have seen ones like it for sale for less than 100 bucks. In my book, this "cheap handgun" is priceless, and I still plink away with it. I'd sell all the other guns in the safe before I parted with this one. Can't put a price on memories.

Hi-Points may be cheap and somewhat ugly (OK, a bunch ugly), but they work. I have several in 9mm and .45 acp. They digest almost anything I feed them. They're rated for a steady diet of +P+. They come with a forever warranty. The only failure to function properly I've had is with the one I have on my hip right now - the slide doesn't always lock back when the last round is fired. Maybe once in 10 or so times. This particular gun has well over 5000 rounds through it.

Another inexpensive handgun is the Heritage Rough Rider. No Single-Six, but for the money they certainly provide a good gun. I have 4 of my own and bought one for each of my sons, as well as one for Wife. Had trouble with the second one I bought (well beyond the one year warranty period) and it was replaced at no cost. They even paid shipping both ways.

DC

Spanish copy of a browning .32. Cheap - heck, it was free (found it while cleaning out Grandad's house after he died). No telling where it came from or what it had been through.

It's bigger and heavier than my snubbie .357 mag (!) and shoots surprisingly well, for anyone who can still see the tiny sights. No recoil, just noise :)

My cheap gun that im NOT ashamed to talk about is my Bersa Thunder 380...i only paid 180 out the door for it, but i got WAY more than my moneys worth. The guns build quality is excellent, shoots incredably accurate for such a small gun, very reliable, and quite easy to conceil. Ive put 2000+ rounds through it with zero fail to feeds, fires, or any problems of any kind.

A discussion about Bersa's is what prompted me to start this thread. Some people look down their nose at these guns, but people that actually own them seem to love the Bersa models.

The same can be said for the much maligned Hi-Point.

Honestly, i wont knock a gun unless its personally failed on me or didnt perform to a decent standard...alot of people take everyone elses word...rumors get started and thats how ALOT of guns get a bad name. Try it out, and if it doesnt work for you, pawn, sell, trade, or burn?? it!!

I have been falling in love with the Browning Hi-Power clones lately. For around $200-250, you can get a Hi-Power of a different name that costs 1/3 as much. My FEG shoots as well as my new HiPower practical, and the trigger in the FEG is smoother and lighter. Im changing my tastes a little bit...if it goes bang and the bullet goes where it's supposed to, it's alright in my book. LIV

Jeffro426
I too have a Bersa in 380, best $200 dollars I ever spent!! Though it's the wife's gun I seem to carry it an allful lot!!:)

Fact of life is not everybody can afford to spend a lot of money on a pistol.

The standard response to that is: If you think you need a gun, you can't afford NOT to have a high quality one. "High quality" is somewhat subjective, but it's not THAT subjective. After a lot of cheap purchases in everything but guns, I try not to learn the hard way (again) that "you get what you pay for".

I had a Charter Arms Bulldog Pug. Less than $270 and the 44 special was a thumper. Never had a bit of trouble. Got a S&W 696 for a good price and sold it.

The local gun shop gets in a number of excellent older S&Ws and I have picked up a few Model 10s (2-inch and 4-inch) for less than $200. He gets in Model 19s from time to time and they are a bit more money. These older S&Ws are solid guns and shoot very well. All the best...
Gil

RG industries model 66 .22 LR single action. i got it for about $22. That's right, i traded a box of 405 grain Remington .45-70 SP's for it.

Walter30-06:cool:

Earlier this year I picked up a model 19 for my wife so I wouldn't have to share at the range. Paid $350 for it, in excellent condition. Mine was $125 in 1970, and worth every penny.

Gents,

Had real good luck with a Kel-Tec 9mm, except with +P and hotter loads, which would cause the slide to lock back midway through the string. With standard light hollowpoints, the thing worked fine.

Reckon I got into one for less than $200 U.S., and the only reason I got rid of it is that there are not any real suitable holsters for the thing, and I use a wheel gun for my glove box arm.

If a fellow could find a good ankle rig for this weapon, I am fairly sure that I would buy another one.

Regards,

Steve

Life is too short to use anything but a Lever Gun!

AMEN!

Xzec.

Life is too short to use anything but a Lever Gun!

AMEN!

Xzec.

Moving to Upstate NY next month. Hope to hunt bear or moose in Maine. Will bring my 45-70 and 450 Marlins.

I will be in Standish for summer classes in July, you have a beautiful state. I wish I could have convinced my wife to go the extra miles.

I have enough "cheap" guns to equal one expesive one. Titan Tiger 38. Sp (grandpa's he gave it to me) I also have a Hi-Point 9mm compact, i can agree its pretty accurate. .the only downside is its abit heavier than brand names. I used to have a Ar7 inc survival rifle.. hella fun to shoot.. but its ammo senstive IMO any gun that can't be counted on with various rounds isn't worth owning, in the end the Titan tiger and Hi-point are the only cheap ones i've used and can back up with proof as reliable.

FrankDrebin
I consider the quality of the Bersa very good! Just as good as a PPK. Just not as pricey as the PPK !! Why pay for the name when you get the same quality!

I favor Makarovs...yes it is kind of an oddball caliber but the ammo is getting to be readily available...even CCI Blazers are loaded for it now.
It is a walther knockoff yes, but they are ever so functional and man do they shoot. For $150 or less it is well worth the investment.
A Mak is my carry gun, it may not have the big boom...but is deadly accurate and I can put the round exactly where I want. A big boom is nice but you better be able to hit with it...


swede

I have a Rossi 2" snub 38 special that shoots just fine. It's an older model with the hand-filling rubber grips that just seem to provide better control. It is interesting (and frustrating) how many shooters will simply dismiss the Rossi brand though. I don't have any complaints about mine.

FrankDrebin
I consider the quality of the Bersa very good! Just as good as a PPK. Just not as pricey as the PPK !! Why pay for the name when you get the same quality!

Because a Camaro isn't a Firebird.

I don't know about a cheap gun but I recently picked up a good gun at a cheap price. I found a police trade in, mdl 65 smith and wesson 3inch roundbut for 225.00 out the door.
It locked up tight but had been used enough to be smooth, I've been having a ball with it on my plate rack. 308

Because a Camaro isn't a Firebird.

And neither are a Mustang! :D

FrankDrebin
Different strokes for different folks!! My criteria of a good quality gun is simple -looks nice -fits my hand (this exclude all BLOCKS) shoots accurate enough for its intended purpase (SD or hunting) . An SD arm has to be reliable and feed any style of bullet I want to use- 1911's to picky -Blocks don't like some HP's styles -My P90 eats anything I want to shoot out of it!! So far the Bersa is the same way I have found nothing it will not shoot -even 115gr GD's!! You can pay top dollar then spend some more to tweak your PPK or what ever I'll take my out of the box accurate, dependable ,cheap Rugers, Bersa's anytime!

If a $200 diff in price of (used) guns means anything, just how much (15-20c apiece) centerfire ammo are you going to be firing, hmm? Not enough to be any good with it. $200 is 10,000 rds of .22lr practice. So get really good with a .22, saving $1000 plus on the year's ammo supply, and then buy a 9mm with that savings. Many top hands fire 50,000 rds of centerfire pistol a year, and they also cast the bullets, and reload the ammo. 10,000 rds of .22 a year is nothing. I've had many, many days at the range when I shot up 1,000 rds.

Well, it has not been mentioned so here goes. I have two H&R pistols. Both are pretty old. One 22 cal handmedown from my granddad. He probably made a trade for it back in the 50s or 60s. The other is a 38 S&W cal. that I bought recently for 100 bucks that is strong and small and shoots where I point it out to 20 paces. I dearly love them both and when I am in gun shops I am always on the lookout for the little bargains. Both are great for strolling in the outdoors or carry in the concrete jungles.

I like old Colt revolvers. If you shop around, you can find Police Positives and Offical Police in 38spl for $100-$125. Centerfire Systems has used S&W Mod 65 w 4" and sq but for $210 + $10 shipping to your dealer.

George

Tend to think in two catagories..."Inexpensive guns" and "cheap guns". The inexpensive ones just cost less...perhaps we just fell into a great deal, or demand for the caliber mor features is low so the price is also low. As in Colts, the lock work and making of the Police Positive is pretty much the same as the much more expensive Dianmondback...the Police Positives are "inexpensive", not "cheap". Same comparison can be made between a S&W mod. 10 and a S&W mod.15. Thew quaility of construction and materials is still there, just in a less expensive wrapper.

Some guns are made from pot metal or stampings...even at full reatail, you are buying "cheap". Doesn't mean they don't function.

Stepping back and looking...some of the more sexpensive guns being sold can be classed as "cheap"...they don't have the fitting, the design is pretty simple, stamped parts and plastics, yet they sell for high prices. Good guns, function well, and are accurate...but there is NOTHING to justify their price. Great designs, made on automated machines, and pretty much assembled, test fired, and slapped in the box for sale....if there is 10min. of time and $10 of material in their construction, I'd be surprised.

A large frame 45 ACP Llama, which was given to me by the closest thing I'll ever have to a brother.

Deep, shiny blueing. And it hits where I point it.

It feeds reliably with hardball and round profile JHPs. I've been carrying Remington Golden Saber brass jacketed 185 grain +Ps in it.

One day, I'd love to have a Wilson 45, but the old Llama does the job for which it was intended.

I am glad there is a market for less expensive firearms.
When I got out of the military and money was tight My first handgun was a Lorcin 380. Paid 70 bucks for it new. It never did malfunction, but it really wasnt very accurate.
I Have since upgraded to higher quality as I could afford it. I still dont own a Wilson or Les Baer, but then not everyone can drive a Ferrari or Mercedes either.

I thought about getting a Hi-Point 9mm compact at the gun show yesterday. They looked nice with the red colored dot sight and all. Priced at almost $150.00 and they were going fast. I got at the show about 10:30 and two guys had to go get more out of their supply truck.
Priced higher than the suggested retail for me. I am buying a CZ-52 for now, being that I am in college at the age of 53.
Fall session brings the large dollar grant and loan checks, then I will look for something more expensive. The CZ is going to cost $115.00 delivered .

I have to second the H&R. My kids like the 929 better than my Ruger MKII, because it's easier to load.
Andy

iv got an old F.I.E 2" .38 spl, its got about 1500 rounds fired and going strong. it wont win any accuracy contests but its never missed a beat.

Just picked up a Bersa 380, I've put around 300 rounds thru it and have to say I like it almost as much as my 12-year old son does. It's no target pistol, but as long as it's somewhat lubricated, it perks along just fine.

I've owned H&R guns, and even an old High-Standard "Sentinel", shot so good my neighbor begged me to sell it to him twenty years ago. He still has it, taught his daughter to shoot with it. :cool:

Years ago I had an old RG Industries revolver, pot-metal and clunky as all get-out, but it went bang, and the bullets went the right direction. Shot a lot of junkyard rats with it. Sold it for twenty bucks......five more than I paid! :p

PJ

just picked up a hi-point 9mm compact today, going to test the thing out on monday, i'll let u guys no what i think when i get back. The only thing i've heard bad about them is they are a pain to break down. is this true?

just picked up a hi-point 9mm compact today, going to test the thing out on monday, i'll let u guys no what i think when i get back. The only thing i've heard bad about them is they are a pain to break down. is this true?

Yes...it's not the most easy to take down, but you'll get use to it (and proably find ways for a good cleaning without taking it down).

Other item is that the slide is a bit stiff to cycle...but if you don't get it all the way back,won't set the striker, and will have a "no go" situation...need to be sure you get that slide all the way back before letting it go forward to chamber the first round (and don't "ease" it, let the full spring poower run that slide forward).

My first conceal carry was a FEG.380, then a CZ83, both got for under $200. new. Sturdy, always fired, and accurate enough. Since graduated to Glock and S&W. But those 2 pistols did what they were supposed to do until then.

My cheapest handgun to date was a davis 38cal derringer. It really sucked and would only fire about half the time, I got rid of it and gor a Beretta 25ACP for $200 new. I have put about 2000 rounds through it and it has never once jammed, and I can empty the clip into a 4" circle at 25yds, so I carry it when the 44Mag is too big.

Right now I have 2 pretty nice low cost guns, 1 is a H&R Sportsman 9 shot top break 22 cal pistol I got for $100.00 and the other is an H&R 649 that has both 22 cal and 22 Mag cylinders that I got for $130.00

I also use to have an H&R 922 9 shot 22 I got because I was owed $40.00 and the guy had the pistol but no cash so gave it to me for what was owed, but it got stolen about 10 years ago and the police where I lived at the time do not seem inclined to do much about it at all, even after I did most of the work and tracked it down to who it had been supposedly sold to.

Michael Grace

well i tested out my hi-point 9mm compact and i am not too happy with it. i think if it came down to my life in jeopardy i'd much rather have my colt trooper. the thing jammed a few times and a few other times it failed to rake the round off the top of the mag after about the third shot. also the magazine kept coming loose. seems like it has a few problems but when it didn't it was still pretty fun to shoot. also i don't like how it doesn't have a thumb slide release, i am contimplating taking it back and saving up for either a glock 33 or a colt defender.

Extreem Dooty ! First you are sounding like a Gerry Springer person with your come on question ! You didn't have a lot of money , It's made of plastic , if it breaks you can just buy another for $100.00 ! All very interesting ! First what did you buy this throw away plastic gun for ? Protection , target shooting ? Plastic doesn't last as long as steel ! If it breaks or when it breaks are you going to be in the middle of protecting yourself and family or on the target range ? Second you say that you can always buy a new one ! Well if by then if governments still allows you and others to buy a new one you will !Plastic saturday night specials just don't cut it ! JAGG

HAve a vision...plastic blister packaging...hanging on the peg-boards at the check out at the grocery store...pre-filled with 10 rounds...sealed...like disposable cameras...maybe a 6-pack of them with lttile tear-off perferations between them....perhaps various colors, or "theme designs" (President's day with various Presidnets embossed on each...? Thanksgiving pilgrims...Christmas with a big Santa?).

By Gawd, Ribbonstone, you're a bloody GENIUS! I'll take a dozen.....provided, of course, they come in assorted flavors, like Gold Dot, Silvertip, and Golden Saber! :p

You could even sell different, styles, like "Gangsta" models, with the sights on the side of the slide! :rolleyes:

I think you missed your calling. You should have gone into marketing! :D

PJ the Forehead Slapper

I have been carryin a P11 for 3 years now and it never fails to feed and fire all of the hollowpoints I've tried so far, and those are all from major mfg companies only. It shoots best the 115 grainers, and is quite accurate with winchester and Remingtons. It has a long pull, but I can accurately place shots in the x right with either hand from standing, neeling an prone. It's like an ugly sister, nothing to looking but a beauty in the performance. Fits in my pants pockets too!

:D

My cheap gun that im NOT ashamed to talk about is my Bersa Thunder 380...i only paid 180 out the door for it, but i got WAY more than my moneys worth. The guns build quality is excellent, shoots incredably accurate for such a small gun, very reliable, and quite easy to conceil. Ive put 2000+ rounds through it with zero fail to feeds, fires, or any problems of any kind.

hopefully my uncle will be getting me one soon. i've been waiting for him to get one from the distributor for like 2 months. apparently they are hot items. i think i've seen one bad review out of the hundreds i've read about the gun.

i'm looking for a Colt SAA clone and i just heard about heritage. the local gun shops wants $176 for one that has cylinders for both .22lr and magnum and adjustable sites. i just read another forum where they have it a really good review.

My Taurus .44mag seems to fall in the cheap category to most people. I have no complaints at all with Taurus revolvers.

Ill have to agree with the Bersa Thunder .380. That is one fine pistol! I know this is the pistol section of the forum, but my Marlin 983 .22mag was fairly inexpensive and shoots like a laser.

An old Rossi small-frame .22 nickeled revolver with fixed sights and a 3" barrel. At 10 yards it'll put 6 Winchester SuperX hollowpoints into a group the size of a dime, about 1/2" low. A very neat, handy, low-maintenance pocket trail gun, so cheap I don't worry about losing it.

Mans got to know what his life is worth if the firearm is to be carried with SD in mind.

I think if you carry a cheap gun for SD, you take greater risks it won't be there for you than with something less apt to fail when it's really needed based on materials, design, and history of performance and reliability.

I also think one should carry NO gun at all if they don't have enough to buy a dependable, well established reliable shooting iron.

Brownie