cheap gun bashing

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Payless drug store, Grants Pass, Oregon, I think that it was 1975 or 1976, and I believe that it cost $39.95.
I bought it primarily for signalling the road building crew on the job where I was working as a watchman. It turned out to be surprisingly accurate and fun to shoot, even though it only had a 1-1/2" barrel.
It's long gone now, but I found another a few years ago and this one has proven to be just as good.
 
That is.... just....Freakin' Awsome! I love it!

And to stay on topic, I had a Hi Point C9. Put over 2500 rounds of Wolf steel case through it. Kept going like an Energizer Bunny. That simple blowback action is very forgiving. Sold it to upgrade. Wouldn't mind having another as a vehicle firearm.

I also know more than s few people with the carbines. They won't get rid of them dhoos them frequently. Target and pest control.
 
ATLDave that rocks. I hadn't heard of that place. Of course I live South of Atlanta though I do make it to see relatives up around the Talking Rock, Jasper area once or twice a year.

To stay on topic. I do believe there is a difference between inexpensive & cheap. To me a quality item at a low price is inexpensive. A lower quality item at a low price is cheap. I try not to be critical of others choices though.
 
In the early years of my marriage (1994ish I think) my then-wife wanted a pistol to carry around the house while I was gone, since we lived in the boonies and had no close neighbors. Problem was, I was paid peanuts at the time and we had very little money, so the choice was a $65ish Phoenix Arms Raven in .25 ACP, or absolutely nothing. She got the Raven. It ended up being quite accurate and it never had a single failure of any kind, even though she shot it a lot. The only downsides were that it was big for its caliber and that you had to carry it in Condition Three. A couple years later, our financial situation greatly improved and she got a Glock 26 with Trijicons, but that inexpensive Raven was what she needed at the time.
 
I bought one of these back in the late 80s. While it's just a zinc alloy .25 auto, it was reliable, well made, and had a pleasing appearance, and it was very inexpensive. I wasn't worried about round count long term survival since it was never going to fire more than a few hundred shots, if that. Within those parameters it was an excellent choice for a .25 auto.


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Whether it's 1911's, Glocks, P365's or Hi Points, it never fails to amaze me how there are people who get worked up over what gun someone they'll never meet buys.
Some people who buy the more expensive firearms take offense and don't like to be told that something a fraction of the price could be just as adequate.
 
Yeah, like holding onto a 2X4.

There is a difference between cheap and inexpensive guns. Io's, Pheonix, and Ravens come to mind as cheap. I bought a couple of IO Inc's 380's when everyone was jumping on the smaller carry guns. After breaking one down and inspecting it I was ashamed to sell them. Inexpensive guns can be well made. My Ruger Security Nine was reasonable priced and shoots as good as my Glock. I had a LCP, LC9, LC380 and a couple of Keltecs that cost me around $200 that served me well and were well made. If a person carries and shoots a few rounds, a low cost handgun can serve them well. If they want to put a zillion rounds through them they are better off coughing up some change.

I have way too much experience with the Phoenix to agree with your statement. Yes, maybe cheap, but hardly junk. In fact and I mean fact. These little guns shoot great and shoot just about any ammo I put through them. I do use only standard velocity ammo. I train with them often as I own small barrel revolver and pistols, I will put the Phoenix up against any 22.cal for accuracy, reliabliity etc. At least for short ranges. You may take away some of my 22Cals, like my Ruger SR22, but you will not take away either of my Phoenix's. A gun that shoots as well as other guns costing three or 4 times as much.Very nice trigger and a TRUE LIFETIME WARRANTY.
Not to mention just full as hell to shoot!

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A friend gifted my daughter with a Bryco 48 years ago. Wouldn't fire; broken firing pin. I'm not comfortable leaving it in her possession... but she loves her Hi Point 9mm.

Once the firing pin was replaced, the only issue I've experienced was the extractor pin has a tendency to walk out (which may explain some of the reported uncommanded dis-assemblies). I check it frequently and the gun has otherwise been completely reliable and makes nice groups.

Would I ever us it for SD? Nope. But it's a decent target gun for recoil sensitive shooters.
 
I have way too much experience with the Phoenix to agree with your statement. Yes, maybe cheap, but hardly junk. In fact and I mean fact. These little guns shoot great and shoot just about any ammo I put through them. I do use only standard velocity ammo. I train with them often as I own small barrel revolver and pistols, I will put the Phoenix up against any 22.cal for accuracy, reliabliity etc. At least for short ranges. You may take away some of my 22Cals, like my Ruger SR22, but you will not take away either of my Phoenix's. A gun that shoots as well as other guns costing three or 4 times as much.Very nice trigger and a TRUE LIFETIME WARRANTY.
Not to mention just full as hell to shoot!

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I have a Phoenix arms too. While the built quality and components aren't as nice, it still goes BANG everytime. I just cannot stand all the gosh darn safeties.
 
I have a Phoenix arms too. While the built quality and components aren't as nice, it still goes BANG everytime. I just cannot stand all the gosh darn safeties.
My Phoenix didn't have 300 rounds through it when the magazine release came apart. It did shoot good though, but I never got $100 worth of use from it.
 
Seriously, you bought a firearm in a drug store? I'm intrigued. What era was this? I'm 58 and haven't seen that. Hardware stores, yes. Never a drug store.
Back in the 70's I drove a wholesale route for a Fishing Tackle store. There was a country store on the route that advertised Beef Jerky and I stopped to buy some. To my surprise they had nice Charles Daly's hanging from strings above the jerky. There must have been over 20 nice O/Us hanging in this salty environment. How they kept them from rusting is beyond me, and this was in the middle of Nowhere.
 
Have a Phoenix, shoots great,,,, fun!! Only takes a few minutes of practice to learn the safeties......which of, course, you should do with any gun you own
 
Have a Phoenix, shoots great,,,, fun!! Only takes a few minutes of practice to learn the safeties......which of, course, you should do with any gun you own

There is a very easy solution to removing one of the safety's. There are a number of Video's on Youtube to show how. These guns really are sweet shooters. They feel so good in the hand. On a good day and on my game, I can do wonders shooting multiple 3" pasty reactive targets (9) pasted in sets of three across and 3 down, on a standard range target, at rapid fire. You do not have to worry about the gun performing. I am surprised more Sig 238 and other 1911 style small pistol owners do not use them more for training.
 
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I think there's too much subjectivity to really get a handle on this type of conversation.

Are we talking about inexpensive well made firearms? Cheap, poorly constructed firearms with known issues? Everyone's idea of what "cheap" means, and how much compromise there is between build quality/features and price varies so widely it's difficult to get on the same page. For me the Ruger LCP, SW 642 and TP9 are all relatively inexpensive firearms that I would gladly carry/use. There are many other firearms in those same price ranges that I would not.
 
Cheap gun bashing -

If a person has and likes a cheap gun , fine - that's his/her business.

What I don't abide is this line of reasoning : If a gun manufacturer comes out with an inexpensive gun that has basic design similarities with a well established higher priced gun , then the higher priced one is a rip off and the manufacturer should be dragged out into the public square and chastised. That is when I am quite willing to point out the quality difference between the two in defense of the higher priced higher quality gun. Been a lot of that going around lately.


All you gotta do to keep me from ragging on the pot metal bargain gun is - don't wave it in my face! Shoot it , enjoy it - don't look for validation.
 
Cheap gun bashing -

If a person has and likes a cheap gun , fine - that's his/her business.

What I don't abide is this line of reasoning : If a gun manufacturer comes out with an inexpensive gun that has basic design similarities with a well established higher priced gun , then the higher priced one is a rip off and the manufacturer should be dragged out into the public square and chastised. That is when I am quite willing to point out the quality difference between the two in defense of the higher priced higher quality gun. Been a lot of that going around lately.


All you gotta do to keep me from ragging on the pot metal bargain gun is - don't wave it in my face! Shoot it , enjoy it - don't look for validation.
Much more often than not, it's the people who paid extra for looks over fuction who need validation for the amount of money they spent. IMHO, the people who feel like the higher priced guns are a rip off only care if the gun does what it's supposed to do. They don't care about branding, machine marks hidden under the slide, fancy finishes, fancy grips, and most of the other superficial things that won't matter when you pick up the firearm to defend your life.

Their opinion on why, for them, they feel more expensive guns are a rip off are just as valid as why, for you, they're worth two to four times the cost.
 
Somewhere I've got a cheap FIE in .25 ACP.

A lot of fun to shoot, accurate and reliable. Best $40 I ever spent on a gun. And that was brand new.
 
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