Budget Choices with Minimal Compromise

[rpenmanparker]

The gun stores local to me charge more for their used guns than the local Sportsman's warehouse charges for the same identical gun NEW! Then they charge $50 to do a private party to private party transfer. The LGS's are dead to me... I see no use for their existence!

I could not have said it better. www.gun.deals is your best bet for a good price on new. Pawn shops tend to do the transfer more cheaply.

 

[94045]

LGS here range from $0-25 not including NCIS ($10) if you don't have a Carry Permit.

The $0 is a LGS that does them free for regular customers.

Most of the smaller LGS have a hard time competing with the Local Super Gun Shop on sale price. Don't know how many he sells but when the CEO of Ruger is there for the first two days of sales of a new product (Security 9 Compact) it has to be a lot.

LSGS saleprices are often cheaper than online. Ruger LCP for $139, Taurus PT111 G2 $179. .45 Shield $244 and 9mm/.40 Shield $204 after rebate are sales prices I've seen in the last 24 months. Veterans are paying $199 (after rebate) for 9mm Shield M2.0 there right now.

 

[rdnktrkr]

I was fortunate enough to get the 45 shields when they were $299 with a $75 rebate, I thought that was a good deal so I bought 2.
I'm surprised no one has said the sccy 9mm they have a great warranty and customer support and my wifes has never given a problem. I found hers for $179 They also come in "cool" colors

 

[FL-NC]

My CCW is a S&W shield 9, original recipe. Sold regularly by PSA for $250.

 

[94045]

If someone is so budget oriented, why do they own so many guns that have so much overlap.

If I was on a budget I would have just the LCP or just the Shield or just a JFrame.

If this thread is more about good guns at good prices then I am on board but so many different carry guns seems counterintuitive to budgets, budgeting, and keeping things economical. Not to mention keeping things simple when familiarity with whichever gun is being carried needs to be quickly employed.

In my case I like the strongest caliber with the highest capacity I can conceal and control in a certain size range for a given carry condition. I also like having caliber options in case ammo is in short supply (.380 under Barry?).

That said if I was starting over and only buying two guns it would be a Glock 42 and a Glock 19 and I'm not even a Glock Fan.

That 42 of my lil sisters is one sweet shooting gun. I can hit so much faster with it than standard velocity 9mm out of a 43 it's not even a question which is the better option.

 

[Mark 40]

The following guns would be considered budget. While I have owned more expensive guns in each of the calibers represented here, these ended up being my choices. Kel-Tec P-32, Beretta Pico, Bersa Thunder and Taurus 856.

 

[tarosean]

If someone is so budget oriented, why do they own so many guns that have so much overlap.

gotta agree...

 

[94045]

gotta agree...

In my case?

1. Lay out parameters.
2. Shoot various firearms that meet parameters.
3. Buy the most affordable firerarm that meets the parameters , that you shoot well and doesn't have a "deal breaker".

In my most recent purchases that was a M&P M2.0 Compact instead of a Glock, Sig, HK, Springfield etc.

Didn't see anything in a Glock 23 I would pay $150 more for.

 

[Sovblocgunfan]

Given that the OP and a couple of others threw in some revolvers, I'd say that my project S&W model 64 was a great example of a firearm for the budget-minded. It's a lesson in learning, and not being afraid to do a little work. I don't feel it was a compromise

Yes it was in pieces, and a little beaten up, but some studying and handiwork produced a safe, functional and accurate firearm. Revolver was purchased, shipped and transferred for $190. Grips, starter box of .38sp and speedloader were free thanks to a gift card i had available. found a beat up holster for $10 at the pawn shop just to have something to throw it into. I ended up with a quality S&W revolver in a classic caliber, with accessories, ready for the range at $200.

https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/new-to-me-smith-64.846725/

I'm happy with that.

 

[94045]

Bought lots of revolvers during the Wonder 9 craze when they were giving them away. I wonder how many of those old Model 10's ended up scrapped. Makes me misty eyed to think about it.

 

[uofaengr]

I have nothing against budget guns, hell my truck gun is a $300 Canik TP9SF that has a lot of rounds through it and never given me a problem...liked it so much I bought a second. But I've gotten bitten by budget guns too. My LCP and LC9S Pro were both completely unreliable and both had trips back to Ruger and have since sworn off their polymer pistols minus the Mark IV 22/45s. I deviated from my Glocks to try Ruger, but never again. YMMV

 

[Armored farmer]

On other good budget gun imho is my uberti saa.
I know it's not a vaquero....but its half price of a vaquero too.
I'm gonna have another one soon. Probably a cms model.

 

[sigarms228]

For me a budget choice would probably be in .40 used. I have seen nice used Glocks in .40 for well under $400 and even SIG P229 at just over $400 which is a lot of gun for the money.
For new I really like the M&P 2.0 Compact series in 9MM for around $400 for a double stack pistol. Walther PPS at around $300 or even less is also a screaming deal. However I have no problem with the going price on new Glocks and probably will pick up a Gen 5 Glock 19 at some point.

 

[Jeb Stuart]

I would think a budget gun would be at least under $250.00. More like under $200. Like I mentioned on another post. I saw a Star for $179.00 and in good condition and the gunsmith that owned it, said it shot great. The Taurus G2 or the LC9 budget gun. A used LCP gen 2. (most of those have been shot very little and new one's sell for a below $200.00.I do not see guns running in the $400.00 range as budget.

 

[Tallball]

I totally agree with Jeb Stuart. To me a "budget gun" is $300 OTD or less. A recent example would be my brand-new Turkish CZ75 compact clone for $229 plus shipping and FFL. I got a Ruger P90 and Beretta 96 last year (police trade-ins) for $149 apiece plus shipping and FFL. Star Super B's were all over the place a few years ago for barely over $200 plus whatever. The more recent Star BM's didn't cost much more. The Taurus G2's are a great deal at $200 plus whatever.

If you spend a little bit of time and attention, barely-used EAA/Tanfoglio CZ polymer clones go for about $250 plus whatever.

Those are what I consider to be examples of good-quality pistols at a good price. They are "budget guns" that are reliable and cost much less than comparable brand-new pistols at retail prices.

This S&W MP45acp with three magazines and box cost me $229 plus whatever a few months ago. It is an extremely good shooter. This is the kind of budget gun I am referring to.

Smith and Wesson M&P 45acp

• Tallball
• Dec 10, 2018

 

[Jeb Stuart]

Here is another Budget gun, I would consider. I have not owned nor shot one, but have heard from reliable sources that is is a nice gun especially for the price. Under $200. and fee shipping.

 

[Armored farmer]

Here is another Budget gun, I would consider. I have not owned nor shot one, but have heard from reliable sources that is is a nice gun especially for the price. Under $200. and fee shipping.

View attachment 837450

I'll second that.
My son's friend has one, I've shot it. It's a good gun.

 

[C0untZer0]

My daily carry is not cheap, I pocket carry a Rohrbaugh R9 which set me back about $1100.00

My "truck gun" is a SAR B6P. It hangs on the center console of my car day in and day out. I ended up paying $241.43 for the B6P, shipped. It's been sitting in my car for 2 years and not a spot of rust anywhere. I've left it out of a few range trips lately so I'm not sure how often its gotten to the range but I've never had a malfunction with it.

I created a Get-Home-Bag in case I can't get out of Chicago by vehicle and have to set out on foot. I purchased a Taurus Millennium G2 PT111 to put in that GHB. I purchased the Taurus Millennium G2 PT111 for 197.98 shipped. I wasn't going to worry about if it got a little rust on it, for under 200 bucks, but it sits in the trunk of my car most of the time and I haven't had any rust appear on it. I'm surprised because the finish on the Taurus Millennium G2 PT111 is really sub-par. There was already bare metal showing in spots right out of the box, and the finish doesn't wear well.

I waxed the slide with Meguiar's Gold Class Carnauba Plus Paste Wax. Meguiar's Gold Class Carnauba Plus Paste Wax is PH neutral and has no abrasives in it. Maybe that helped keep the rust off of the PT111.

The gun has been reliable. It has cycled everything I fed it – 115gr Winchester “Target” FMJ, 147gr bonded Golden Saber, 147gr Federal HST, 124gr Lawman TMJ, 115gr Federal “Champion” FM,. 123gr ZQI “NATO” FMJ and 115gr TULA BrassMax FMJ. I've never had a malfunction with the Taurus Millennium G2 PT111.

One thing that I've learned with budget pistols is that what is “good” about budget pistols is the price and the value, and once you get past that – most everything is mediocre. When I read reviews of budget pistols, a lot of authors write things like “The trigger is good for a $200.00 gun.” I know that opinions of triggers is a matter of personal preference and highly subjective. Even use-cases are highly personal. One person is satisfied if they can get all the rounds in the black of a B-27 target at 7 yards, another person will say a pistol is junk if they can't cover a 5-shot group with quarter at 25 yards from bench rest.

I think the DA trigger on the SAR B6P is almost unusable, but the SA trigger is adequate. I am able to create 3” groups at 10 yards standing, shooting single-action offhand and that’s good enough for me for a gun that I basically have for carjacking or other types of roadway emergencies.

I can't categorize the trigger on the Millennium G2 PT 111 as good. Taurus claims the “trigger system solves the double action/single action dilemma once and for all.” Once the slide is moved to the rear the striker is tensioned and the trigger is in what Taurus calls “Single Action Mode” In Single Action mode there is a tremendous amount of take up in the trigger, its almost like a Kahr trigger when the slide hasn't been cycled. If you didn't know better it seems like a dead trigger, or a broken trigger. After that long take-up the rearward movement stops – like hitting a wall, and then quite a bit of pressure to get the trigger to break. The trigger on my Millennium G2 PT 111 has changed. Now, after the the initial long take-up the trigger lurches once more before it breaks, sometimes it lurches twice. NOT GOOD. I find it difficult to keep a good sight picture when I'm applying the pressure to get the trigger to break.

My 5-shot groups at 10 yards standing, shooting offhand balloon out to 4" and 5" I really don't know what kind of situations I might need to use that gun if things get so bad that I leave my car behind. I mean - at that point things are really bad. It would be foolish to say that I'd only ever need a firearm at self-defense ranges since things might be volatile and chaotic and I might need a firearm for more than 7 to 10 yards - who knows... But I didn't want to spend a lot of money on a pistol that just sits in a GHB. Price was the primary concern.

I tell myself that there is a good chance that if I had to leave my vehicle that I'd probably be able to take the SAR B6P with me anyway


.

 

[Charlie Martinez]

My budget gun is a revolver not a pistol. Charter Arms, 3.5" barrel, 5-shot, 357 Magnum. I didn't pay much for it but don't treat it as a throw away gun because it is a surprisingly good handgun regardless of price. I once had a chance to buy a 40 cal Star DA/SA-style semi auto pistol dirt cheap but it was heavy as a sack of bricks so I passed but maybe that was a mistake. Nobody has mentioned Hi Point pistols. They are very inexpensive & from what I've read they are very reliable & tough. That is something I would seriously consider for a throw around handgun.

 

[Jeb Stuart]

My budget gun is a revolver not a pistol. Charter Arms, 3.5" barrel, 5-shot, 357 Magnum. I didn't pay much for it but don't treat it as a throw away gun because it is a surprisingly good handgun regardless of price. I once had a chance to buy a 40 cal Star DA/SA-style semi auto pistol dirt cheap but it was heavy as a sack of bricks so I passed but maybe that was a mistake. Nobody has mentioned Hi Point pistols. They are very inexpensive & from what I've read they are very reliable & tough. That is something I would seriously consider for a throw around handgun.

Not to get off topic, but is that your horse. Beautiful.

 

[Charlie Martinez]

Not to get off topic, but is that your horse. Beautiful.

Thanks buddy. He was an amazing animal. Died at the age of 33 four years ago.

 

[rpenmanparker]

I have nothing against budget guns, hell my truck gun is a $300 Canik TP9SF that has a lot of rounds through it and never given me a problem...liked it so much I bought a second. But I've gotten bitten by budget guns too. My LCP and LC9S Pro were both completely unreliable and both had trips back to Ruger and have since sworn off their polymer pistols minus the Mark IV 22/45s. I deviated from my Glocks to try Ruger, but never again. YMMV

My mileage has definitely varied.

 

[Zendude]

My budget gun when I first started to carry was a Charter Arms Undercover. It was a little more than $300, but at that time, a 642 or 442 S&W was going for close to $500.

 

[Edcnh]

My carry guns are either the Shield 9mm or Bodyguard 380. Both reliable and reasonably priced.

 

[bannockburn]

I think the Taurus G2C (Bud's price of $180 after rebate), is a decent choice for someone on a budget with minimal compromise. Same with the S&W Shield ($243 after rebate), the Ruger LCP .380 ($191), and the Beretta Pico ($200).