$200 to spend on a handgun - what do you get?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Do some research on the Star Model BM (mentioned above) in 9mm. I have had my for some time now. It is a solid gun that has shot every round that I put in it from the cheapest surplus ammo to the Speer Gold Dot's that I use for carry. It has 1911 style controls and is easy to take down for cleaning. I found mine at a local shop for $175 out the door, but I have seen them for around $190 at gun shows.

There are a few people who will dog this gun because it was made in Spain or because the maker is out of business but you should consider it because it fits your budget and it is in a caliber that is cheap enough to get plenty of shooting time. The other $100 that you were going to thow in will almost buy 1,000 rounds of 9mm!
 
rlt7272:

May I respectfully add to you comments about the Star BM.. I have one, and love it. But I don't think it's a great first choice for someone looking for a first gun.

I'm not knocking the quality at all, as I said I'm very happy with mine. But parts are increasingly difficult to obtain. I did buy a b/u firing pin because apparently that is about the only weak area in the pistol.. I often see postings on various forums with folks looking parts for the sweet little 1911 "lookalike" and that makes me a bit nervous. I'm not too crazy about the lack of 1st round d/a either.

100_5200.gif

In my opinion if the gentleman is interested in a pistol as opposed to a revolver then I think the Walther P1 is a much better choice. The Walther is larger, but parts are readily avaliable on-line, and probably will be forever as the P38/P1's are so popular. The Walther is definitely high quality, and mine has been 100% reliable and very accurate.. It's just quality.

I've had my P1 for approximately 2 years. I bought it as surplus German armory stock from ImpactGun for $199.00 and it came as new with a slightly used flap holster, cleaning kit, new extra magazine still in oil wrap....

I think more important is that the buyer hold, and if possible fire any of the firearms he is considering purchasing. Some guns that fit me or you well might not be perfect for someone else.

I do know money put into a good Walther P1 is not a mistake in my estimation. :D

JMOFO,

Best Wishes,

J. Pomeroy
 
Check out D&L shooting supplies

That' s where I saw the Beretta and Sig. They are located in RI, but their website is pretty good, and they will ship to almost any location. The only thing is that they only up date their website about once a week, so you have to check alot for new items, because if you don't you could miss out on a good deal.
 
This is exactally why I enjoy these forums, lots of good information. PX15, I had never considered the Walther P1. I do not have any knowledge of this gun, but from what you said, I will be checking it out.

My point on recomending the Star was to put up a counter argument that you do not have to spend $400-$450 when a $200 gun (which was his original budget) will do just fine. He is a young man who will have plenty of time to try out the higher end guns.
 
rlt7272:

100_5172.gif


Here's a closer look at my P1. Later P1's (I think mine was produced in 1972) had what was called by some as a "fat slide" conversion. Apparently there was a concern about the strength of the alloy frame and a beefier slide w/hex bolt was added. I "think" at about the same time the sights were upgraded to three dot (white) sights and are very good.

I was fortunate in that my P1 did in fact have all the upgrades, and if I were looking to buy another I would certainly prefer one with the fat slide conversion.

I have a considerable little pile of pistols, but IMO the Sig P239 & Walther P1 are the creme of the crop as to quality.

Best Wishes,

J. Pomeroy:D
 
Thanks for the info, the P1 is now on my shopping list. Looks like it will be a great add to any collection.
 
For under $200.00 about the only semi-autos I can think of that I've seen recently are the Hi-Point C-9, and the Makarov. Both work quite well.

9mm ammo for the Hi-Point is less expensive, and easier to find than the 9x18 for the Mak, at least around here, but you can find 9x18 on the net at a good price.

I've never seen a used Smith & Wesson, Taurus, or Ruger revolver for less that $200 except in the Shotgun News. To that you have to add shipping and FFL fees which moves them into the less than $300 range. They might be ou there, but I've never seen one.

I recently found a very nice Smith & Wesson 39-2 for $250.00. It's probably the best buy I've ever gotten on a handgun. I don't know how common they are at that price though, the others I've seen recently were closer to $400.

I recently saw several Bersa 380's for 239-269 depending on the finish. They were NIB.

I wanted to get one of the Walther P-1's not long ago for $269.00. I really like them, but they wre sold out. So I settled for a Springfield XD-9 but that's moving out into a whole different price range.
 
i know you have heard alot of crap. alot of the people on here have money and are very opinionated. they will downgrade products without every personally using them, based on just what they have heard. for the 200 hundred range, personally i would drop a few more bucks, not many and go with kel-tec. they seem to be a relalible source. but really some are not good, people down grade them for a reason, they have had person difficultys with the seller/manufacturer that are often unreasonable. that you should see for yourself. its is how they say(you get what you pay for). you want a cheap gun you can find one! you can't hit **** but its a gun. (gangbangers note!) on the other hand you want to drop your had earned dollars look at these rich *******s who have everything. that **** didnt just come to them in a dream. they buy good stuff, kimber, glock, hk, sig, springfield stuff. why, cause it works. i know many of my customers and if any weapon didnt work well i would sell it back to myself for a loss anytime.
 
Personally I would go to your local firing range and see if they would you putting up a "guns wanted" flyer informing shooters there you are over 18 but under 21 looking to make a legal transfer in the price range of $250-$350 and see if you get any calls. Also try forums like AR15.com and others to see if anyone in your area would want to do a face-to-face transfer. Also, check your local newspapers position on firearm advertisements in its classified section. It may take quite a bit of work to find someone to deal with you even though it is legal and then you may have to pay a premium for what's available.
 
Probably not what you want to hear, but save your money until you can buy what you really want to. I just bought a Taurus 650, 5 shot, .357 Mag. for a carry piece and it cost me $320. Taurus sells handguns that have a lifetime warranty and are well made. Most of the cost savings is because they are made in Brazil.

As for self defense, my minimum caliber choice would be 9mm or .38 Special, in pistol or revolver respectively.
 
MarinePride:

I think Taurus makes excellent firearms for the most part.

My concern with Taurus is they seem to be less consciencious about the quality of their Customer Service reputation.

A lifetime warranty is only as good as the Company's desire to serve the customer and make the "lifetime warrenty" worth the paper it's written on.

Let me say I do NOT own a Taurus now (I had a PT92 years ago), but I do monitor and post on many firearm forums. It seems an unusual amount of criticism is being directed at Taurus and it's willingness to provide the warranty work they are so happy to advertise as being good for a "lifetime".

Perhaps the criticism I read is old news, and perhaps the present Taurus warranty service is excellent.. I just don't know. I do know that until I see the trend regarding Taurus' warranty policy changing to one of compliments rather than complaints I'll just pass on Taurus products.

Perhaps someone reading this post will have personal knowledge of the quality, or lack thereof, of Taurus' recent warranty policy.

By the way, I'm NOT against firearms made outside of the U.S. I am a big fan of the Argentine made Bersa/Firestorm line of pistols. I have the 9MM Bersa/UC, and the 22cal. FS22.



Best Wishes,

JP
 
Alas, $200 doesn't do what it used to. 1 st sugguestion from hard experience, is to skip lunch, beer, etc for a month and start out with a slightly beter gun to start with instead of as a replacement. "around $250"is the new "$200".
In my area the trade in revolver supply is pretty well dried up, and when an under $200 is found it is really ugly.
In actually under $200 range above mentioned Star BMs. For That mater an BKMs or Mdl B Supers (9x19s, 9x21s interesting to play with, but ammo is uncommon) you come across. Rather than a Mak, look at the F.E.G. PA 63. based on walther PP design, upsized to Mak dementions. Used KelTec P11's will flirt with $200 barrier.
And simply haunt all possible venues and see what someone wants to sell, that either is undervalued, or not popular with average buyer.
 
CZ-52s, as purchased, have left me underwhelmed in the accuracy department with S&B ammo, at least for the two I have. I shot the Ruger Blackhawk .357 just to make sure it wasn't me, and the accuracy problem went away when I switched guns.

I haven't given up on the CZ-52s yet, I am going to replace some springs, but I would say a used Smith & Wesson or Ruger revolver has to get the nod.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

M
  • Locked
What would you get for $200?
2 3 4 5
Replies
107
Views
4K
ccsniper
C
W
  • Locked
what .22LR handgun for under $200?
2
Replies
32
Views
11K
RevDerb
RevDerb
B
  • Locked
**Official: How much do you spend on Ammo Thread**
2
Replies
46
Views
2K
oscar
O
weisse52
  • Locked
How would you spend $500 on a handgun
2 3 4
Replies
94
Views
4K
DMK
DMK
P
  • Locked
Good first handgun?
2
Replies
25
Views
1K
BCRider
BCRider
Back
Top