Better than nothing?

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robinkevin

robinkevin

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Ok so once again best lay plans have went to ruins and doesn't look like I will be getting my 3rd gen Smith and Wesson anytime soon. In the mean time I now find myself without a defensive firearm in the house and just don't quite feel right. So here is my current mind set, I feel it might be a bit flaw however. What you guys think?

I have been looking at the cheap Single Action Rough Riders with 22LR/22mag set up for awhile for plinking. Now as said before without firearm I was thinking picking one up for under $200 and I would have a .22LR to plink with and finally get more shooting time in, and being able to run the .22mag for self defense duty till I can get myself a 3rd Gen Smith in 9mm or a classic Model 10... Just kinda torn. another option is just really try hard to save up for a Model 10, I have seen a few of them in the $275 ball park pass few months. Just seems hard getting there as something always comes up.

Of course the other option would be something like a Hi Point, but even though they are fine pistols for their intended purpose. I just don't have much desire to own one.

So what you guys think Rough Rider better than nothing?

EDIT: Also I will soon (maybe even before the Rough Rider) be getting a Mossberg 12GA which will be main home defense weapon. Thought that might be a factor as well...
 
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The Rough Rider is better than nothing. The Hi-Point is far better than the Rough Rider for a HD weapon, but the RR will be cheaper to shoot. I'd still rather shoot a few 9mm than a lot of .22LR, but YMMV.
 
I'd rather have the high point then a single action .22
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I can fully understand that... Single action is revolver is a little slow and forget about reloading if in fire fight. The .22 mag with good defense ammo is at the very bottom of the scale right around the .32 ballpark in my opinion.
However it serves dual purposes, if I am plinking with it I am going to be more proficient with it than one I hardly ever shoot, and it's something that I will still keep and use after I get a more well suited defense firearm.
 
I'm sort of a Hi-Point evangelist so I'll second the Hi-Point recommendation.

But .22 mag at HD/SD distances is nothing to sneeze at either. If you just really detest the idea of buying a Hi-Point I think then your point about keeping the RR for plinking and whatnot after you get a regular defensive sidearm is valid. Get the RR if that's what you want. It'll be enough.

Though I find myself wanting to shoot my C9 more often than I want to shoot my Neos. YMMV.
 
Good used police trade-in S&W Model 10's can be found for not much more if you look.
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Cheapest I have seen is around $275... Which I know isn't much but right now the extra $75 could be hard for me to save up. Any suggestions on where to look?

Far as the 9x18 surplus pistols... they are nice and I hear a lot of good about them but at the same time I rather have a more standard ammo in which I wont have to worry in the future about surplus ammo running dry or anything like I hear with others. There was a Russian revolver that I liked the looks of a lot but ammo for it was hard to find and expensive.

BTW thank you everyone for all the comments and suggestions. Always get such good help on here.
 
Maybe think about a Ruger 10/22? It's in your price range, is a superb plinker and will do a nice job in HD if properly equiped. If not, I'd probably go with a Hi-Point in 9mm. Good HD, decent plinker.
 
So what you guys think Rough Rider better than nothing?

EDIT: Also I will soon (maybe even before the Rough Rider) be getting a Mossberg 12GA which will be main home defense weapon. Thought that might be a factor as well...
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NOW you're thinking! Get a 12GA pump, THEN save up for a .22LR
 
I now find myself without a defensive firearm in the house
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Get a 12 ga shotgun under $200. It's definitely more suited for the task than a 22 pistol and might even be cheaper.
 
Well I actually already have the 12GA I just have to do some work to it... it's was given to my brother and has seen some abuse so I am going to file off a few burs that's and inspect everything. Currently it's at my Dad's just have to pick it up and give it a little TLC, so the Rough Rider would actually be just a secondary defense till I get another pistol... Should fill that need fine I think the more I think of it.
 
No, it would be worse than nothing - you might try to rely on it in an emergency.

Get a Hi-Point .45. Ugly as sin, heavier than hell but it will _work_ when it absolutely has to.
 
For HD, I'd never go weaker than 38spl or 9mm.....Period!
That's my line in the sand without hesitation.
I don't care what costs what or which is cheaper to shoot, nor any of that.
I take the safety of my family seriously.
Budget is farther down on the list.
I don't intend to take "ANY" chances with an inferior round that "may" or may "not" actually work. I LOVE my family.
That's just how it is around here.
 
I personally would not use a HRR for HD even if chambered in 22 Mag just because it's single action.

As for the Hi Point, keep in mind the break-in period before it becomes dependable. With any semi, I wouldn't rely on it as a SD/HD weapon until its had at least a few hundred rounds through it. The CZ-82 is a good choice but they're creeping higher each day.

You may want to take a look at the Armscor M206, a 6-shot snub chambered in .38 Spl. It's modeled after the Colt J frame internally and looks like a Colt Detective on the outside. They have good reviews all around. I personally have two (2" & 4") of them as plinkers/range toys but I wouldn't hesitate a second relying on them for SD/HD. They're all over for right around $200.
 
My first gun was an FIE .22 Texan Single-Action. I kept it for years until I was able to upgrade to a Ruger Blackhawk .357 Mag. Now that I am older I have choices and use a Smith & Wesson M36 .38 for HD and carry an Armscor M206 in .38 for my open carry gun. I still have that Blackhawk.:)
 
NAA single shot shotguns can be had for around $80 new or less at a pawn shop. Marlin model 60 around $150 new or $89 at the used dealers, usually. Both of those have been working for years in my neck of the woods.
 
Onward allusions suggestion may well be a middle ground compromise worth looking into. I read a couple favorable reviews on them as well and .38 DA seems a better choice than a .22 for self defense.

The Armscorp can be used for plinking especially loaded with .38 wadcutters. Your shotgun is more effective than the other options but isn't much of a plinker....:) of course your money your choice.
 
I have consider the Armscor revolvers before. I hear nothing but good about their 1911's and hope to get one of them someday (Rock Island 1911). However when I asked on here about Armscor revolvers once before I just got a bunch of people saying that they was crap and I needed to spend more money on something better. Of course there is always something better and I would love to have Model 10 for home defense but sometimes it's hard enough making ends meet only trying to save up more cash for a firearm...

Anyhow that is something I will also keep in mind while also on the look out for a cheaper Model 10.

Thanks everyone!
 
You really can't go wrong with the third gen smith. I just picked up a 3914 from CDNN for around what you are looking to pay. It's awesome.
 
The problem with a $200-$300 budget is that it virtually eliminates internet purchases. By the time you pay the shipping charge and then pay the transfer fee it will really limit your options. If you can find a seller on line that has free shipping that might work and it will at least give you an idea of what the gun should be worth locally.

I am seeing fewer used pistols in my LGS and pawn shops over the past few months and they tend to be a bit higher than I want to pay. The RR is a great plinking gun but would be waaaay down on my list of SD weapons. It would certainly work and you would have a nice plinker after you can get a "better" pistol.

+1 on the Hi Point in 9mm but if you don't want one then you don't want one. Hi Point is about the most dependable 9mm pistol you will find in the $150 range and my experience is that you need to have a gun that you can afford to shoot. 9x18 and .45 are a bit high to do a lot of practicing with. You can normally find 9mm fmj for $.20 per round so it does not break the bank to shoot a couple of mags a week. The same is true of some of the used 38s out there.

Any 12 gauge is a good HD weapon and you can easily find one for less than $200. As long as it shoots dependably then I really don't care about the cosmetics for this purpose. Give me an old rusty Mossberg pump leaning beside the bed any day. 12 g is also cheap to practice with using field loads.
 
Any 12 gauge is a good HD weapon and you can easily find one for less than $200. As long as it shoots dependably then I really don't care about the cosmetics for this purpose. Give me an old rusty Mossberg pump leaning beside the bed any day. 12 g is also cheap to practice with using field loads.
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Practice? Heck don't need that in SD range with shotgun just point and squeeze! LOL. Anyhow I don't care about cosmetics either the one I have to work on is in rough shape far as bluing but that doesn't bother me. The issue is some metal burrs on the pump action of it (the bars attached to the for end and cycle the action). So hopefully I will find the time to go see the old man, pick that up and get it running good in next week or so.

I did have a P3AT in the nightstand, it worked but it didn't fit my hand good at all and the sights where horrible. After a year or so of trying to let it grow on me I sold it and using that money to get something better. Honestly I would feel more arm with the HRR .22mag than I did with that. But having a .12GA with the HRR just as backup for home defense... that should be find till I can get something better, if lucky I might find a good used Model 10 and be set.
 
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