Best value handgun in $350 range?

Best value 9mm


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Thermactor

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Hey guys,
Which of these striker fired pieces of plastic is the best value in your opinion?

Canik TP9SA
http://www.aimsurplus.com/product.aspx?item=F1CTP9SA
Cost - $339 + shipping
Barrel: 4.47", Overall: 7.5", Weight: 20.8oz.
Has a warranty backed by Century Arms. Take it for what it's worth.
Includes 2 18-rd magazines, carry case, cheezy cleaning kit, and a holster.

Ruger SR9E
http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/93676
Cost - $330 incl. shipping
Barrel: 4.1", weight 26.5 oz
Includes 1 17-rd magazine.

Diamondback DB FS Nine
http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/...4/Diamondback+DB9FS+DB+FS+Nine+15+1+9mm+4.75"
Cost - $275 + shipping
Barrel: 4.75", weight 21.5oz
Incl. 1 15-rd magazine.

Smith & Wesson SD9VE :barf:
http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/83125
Cost - $320 incl. shipping
Barrel 4", weight 22.7oz
Incl. 2 16-rd magazines.
 
I would probably say the Ruger. Every now and then S&W will have a $50 rebate on the Sigma, and when that's going on I think it's the winner.
 
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I own the SD40VE and like it just fine. It hasn't malfunctioned or given me any trouble.

I hear good things about the Canik, but I haven't shot one yet.
 
It's a tight choice between the S&W and Ruger, but I'd opt for the Ruger for the better trigger. Those who eschew thumb and mag release safeties may prefer the S&W.

Personal choice.
 
Whichever one you shoot best. No matter how good a gun it is or how much of a value it is if it does not fit me well then it is of little value to me.

All things being equal and assuming that they all fit me of your choices it would be the Ruger but at the $350 price point it would not be my gun of choice.
 
I would go with the Ruger 9E. Have an SR9c and love just about everything about it except for the LCI (which the 9E does not have). Just a few cost saving measures (slightly different slide, comes with only one mag, no mag loading tool), that make it priced less than the SR9.
 
Any number of GREAT used guns can be found in that price range, including some almost-new Glocks.

Don't feel compelled to work from your list, alone. A new (with warranty) may not be important for some brands.

(I particularly like the Ruger SR9 and SR9c -- and most of the guns offered by CANIK.)

You may have a hard time selling the Diamond Back, later, for anything close to your purchase price. The S&W is a good gun, with a bothersome trigger (which can be improved.)
 
In that price range, I'd look at police trade in Glocks or M&Ps. I picked up a trade in G19 a few months ago for $340. The .40 cal guns are usually more available.

S&W Shields can be found (new) for under $400 (a quick search shows one for $370) so I would try to save just a bit more for one of those.
 
Being slightly picky about handguns and having to leave the Canik out since I've not seen one in person yet.
The Ruger is the only one on your list I would be willing to actually pay for. the Smith would be next in line but I'd still not spend my own money.

the rest are simply crap in one or more ways. i'd have more confidence in throwing a Hi-point or Jimenez at someone that shooting them (and the Hi-point could do some damage!)

If the Ruger doesn't fit you, do as a few other suggest and look for trade-in Glocks and M&Ps, and of course the used shelves sometimes hold other treasures
 
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No mention of the PPX? Crazy talk.

Amazing trigger, good weight, threaded barrel option, comes with two mags, and can be had for UNDER $300!
 
I picked up a S&W Shield from Palmetto for $339 this past week. I considered it a great deal but it came to just hair over $350 with $17 shipping and $20 transfer. It is probably the most popular concealed carry gun but it also is pleasant to shoot as a range gun.
 
Definitely the Ruger or the S&W from your list. They're good guns, even if the S&W doesn't have the nicest trigger.

The Canik is an unknown and I wouldn't trust anything from DB... Jiminez? Nope. HiPoint? Maybe as a range toy.
 
Canik is surprisingly good pistol. The latest Turkish pistols are well worth the money.
 
No mention of the PPX? Crazy talk.

Amazing trigger, good weight, threaded barrel option, comes with two mags, and can be had for UNDER $300!

Precisely. The OP did say "striker fired" which the PPX isn't, but no matter, a wonderful gun for an amazingly good price.
 
Assuming you're in the market for a 9mm -
I've owned a few in my day. Unless you're dead set on a light polymer pistol, the best kept secret I've come across in a decade is the Zastava m70 or M70A. They're 9mm clones of the M57 Tokarev. All steel, thin, rugged, 100% reliable, will gobble up ANY 9mm ammo, accurate, easy to clean, and about $230. Personally, I like the added weight.
 
Your leaving out a few important options. Don't forget the Taurus pt series, used glocks, used walthers, and a lot more that my mind isn't grasping onto at the moment. If your set on poly guns then look at the best of the best (whatever you see that as) and buy used if new is out of the price range. As much as I dislike them I would say glock 22 or 23, then trick them out, and use lone wold barrels to convert to other calibers
 
Out of the list the only ones I have are the Ruger and the SD. I'd vote Ruger easily. The SD series by S&W isn't terrible but the trigger leaves a lot to be desired. I personally wouldn't run one without Apex's replacement trigger and spring kit which is going to add $50 to the cost (though its pretty nice after that).

Behind the Ruger even though I haven't shot one just based on reputation I'd probably try the Canik TP9SA.

EDIT: Well, I don't currently own a Hi Point, but I have in the past. Don't buy it - they mostly work but feel like a Black and Decker drill compared to the other guns on the list, except for the Jennings/Jimenez which is just about as bad except unlike the Hi Point it mostly DOESN'T work.
 
Best value handgun in $350 range.

Keep your eyes peeled for almost any of the P series in 9mm. A P95 Ruger is one of the best available in my opinion. Even a nice stainless P89 would do in this price range. Kinda boxey but way over built.
 
The OP, unless he's just trying to stir up discussions, should understand that guns like the Jiminez, or the LC9s, aren't guns for the average shooter. Some of the cheaper guns may not be reliable. Some of the guns like the DB or the LC9s may prove to be a BIG handful for an inexperienced shooter or someone who isn't comfortable with recoil. The S&W may take more range time before the shooter is able to hit the broad side of a barn. (But S&W will do a no-cost (or low cost) trigger job, and it apparently makes an almost "marginal" gun into something pretty good.)

For HOME DEFENSE, a Hi-Point is hard to beat. Generally quite accurate, generally quite reliable, with a great warranty if there are problems. Very inexpensive, and used ones can be hand for practically NOTHING!! But it's not a gun you're going to ever CARRY (except, perhaps, in a back pack).
 
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