Sidearms & Scatterguns under rated hand guns

[eli polite]

Can we have an underrated handgun thread? There are a lot of of great higher end handguns and middle ground handguns out there that get a lot of attention.. but there are some lower cost handguns that dont get much attention at all despite being reliable and overall good guns..


This is one i have expirence with its a PPK replica the bersa .380 I had this gun for almost 5 years and I paid $250 for it at the time. I fed this thing every thing! I put over 3k round through it and never once had any problems ever NO JAMS, FTF, FTE, nothing they guy I sold it to still has it and also has never had any problems. I actually miss having this pistole in my collection and have recently given thought to buying another one.. In stainless as a glove conpartment gun. I also wonde if may be I got the one out of 1000 that works flawlessly??





Just wondering what other budget guns or "CHEAPER" guns are reliable.. I here that some of the russian and chinese 7.62x39 hand guns are cheap and reliable?
i have at this point sold all of my cheaper guns and moved to more expensive guns i have been thinking about buying some cheaper hand guns again just for fun.

 

[rjacobs]

CZ P07 and P09. Mike Pannone calls it "the best pistol nobody knows about". Lots of VERY favorable reviews.

Ive got a P09: full size, 9mm, 19 rounds, DA/SA, decocker only or it has a safety only so you can carry cocked and locked, changeable back straps. The slide runs inside the frame(full length rails if I am remember correctly) so the bore axis is crazy low. Will tear the ass out of the bullseye with ease(it runs, accuracy wise with my H&K USP Expert 9mm, but the USP is a tank compared to this gun). I have put a CGW(cajun gun works) spring kit in mine. I need to put some better sights on it. $459 bucks. They have a suppressor ready model now too.

The P07 is a midsize, but otherwise identical gun. The 2014 model has the changeable back straps, 2013 models and older do not.

 

[SomeOtherGuy]

Armalite AR-24 - IMHO, the best CZ-75 derivative made, an improvement on an already great design. The shape of the grip in relation to the trigger is awesome.

Ruger P-series hammer fired DA/SA pistols, especially the P94, P95 and P97 - nice, simple, rugged design, almost incredibly reliable (in my experience over 1000's of rounds at or near 100%, tying my Glock 17), and really cheap for what you get. (Yes, they are also wide and blocky.)

 

[ZLBubba]

Great idea for a thread! My first pistol was a great buy and highly underrated: a Sig 2340. It's a polymer-framed Sig that looks a lot like a P229. Great pistol, accurate, reliable. One of the best values I've found in the pistol world.

 

[rmfield]

I think the various S&W lightweight J-Frames are under-appreciated these days. Small, very lightweight, concealable yet still potent enough with the right ammo.

Mine is the 337 Airlite Ti and it tips the scales at just under 14 ounces with five +P 135 grain "short barrel" Gold Dots.

 

[eli polite]

I had a S&W airlite .38 another gun I wish I had held on to. What I was doing is buying cheaper hand guns as I had the money than I would sell 2 or 3 of tem in order to buy a much nicer hand gun. I did the same with rifles. Some more memorable hand guns that I had.

Bare bones Springfield 1911 in stainless. At the time I purchased it $400. I don't think you can get them any more for that price.

witness .40 $380 CZ nock off and heavy as a brick but accurate.

Old colt .38 revolver officers model. I paid $150 for it

S&W .357 service revolver I bought at a gun show $250 it was well worn but the timing was flawless and the rifling was good I bought that in 1999 and sold it a few years later for a $100 profit bad mistake.

Ruger .22 revolver at the time I paid $375 for it. To this day it is one of my biggest regrets. I should have never sold it

I have hade more but the above are the ones that are above are the ones I wish I still had and would buy again

 

[Unknown]

Smith and Wesson 296. It is a hammerless titanium framed .44 special. It looks just like a bodyguard airweight on steroids. The only problem is that with hot 200 grain loads it is downright nasty to shoot. I nicknamed one "Geezus", because that is pretty well the standard exclamation when I let people shoot it.

But in a serious "social situation" I imagine that the recoil will be much like the noise from a gunshot under similar circumstances. Many people say they don't remember hearing the report of the firearm. It is one of those "carry it alot, rarely shoot it" pistols.

 

[steve123]

Glock 42, 380 ACP. The most "shooter friendly" small pistol I've ever shot.

 

[BurnOut]

EAA Polymer Witness. CZ75 knock off, $325-ish, GREAT shooter. SA/DA... DA pull is heavy as shit, but SA is pretty good... especially at this price point. Since it can be carried cocked-and-locked, the SA is the only pull I use.

 

[Deadshot2]

If you're looking for an inexpensive gun that you can take just about anywhere and conceal in a shirt pocket the Kel-Tec P3-AT is a good one. Even if you have to buy one at Retail they are available in the mid $200's. Mine is ALWAYS with me (except the usual prohibited places) even though I am almost always carrying a Sig P229.

CZ's are great pistols for the price as well.

If you want a full sized pistol that's incredibly reliable even though it looks like crap there's always Hi-Point. I watched a video once that showed some incredibly stupid things done to a 9mm in order to get it to fail. It finally took the guys threading a bolt into the barrel to make it stop altogether.

 

[kellogg2185]

I bought a Raven Arms .25ACP little mouse gun for $75, chrome plated and in 90% condition. The thing shoots the various brands of ammo I've been able to find without a hiccup. I don't carry it or anything, but when I pull it goes pop, and I can usually go bullet for can at 15 yds. I've talked to some police buddies, and they all know it as a "throw away", saying they find them pretty frequently on small level drug raids, and on guys busted for B&E, but it's still fun to plink with.

 

[remiglockoholic]

I think ATI 1911s when put up against "American made" always get slighted even I think they're reasonably priced.

 

[rg1911]

Beretta 70S in .380. Incredibly comfortable to shoot, accurate, and easy to slick up the trigger. I sold it so I could get a Walther PP (and have been kicking myself for nigh on 40 years).

Star 30M. Surprisingly-good fit and trigger. At the indoor range, I put a magazine's worth (15 rounds) into such a small group at 75 feet that the guy next to me asked what I was shooting.

Richard

 

[DocUSMCRetired]

Rugers new line, the SR9-45. Ive handled a couple, that were impressively accurate, and reliable for a 300$ handgun. So impressed with them, my wife bought one. We use it as a loaner for friends and family who always have to take a second look to see that it is a Ruger thats performing so well.

 

[40xs]

I carry a Kel tec pf9 in a belly band with velcro closure. It's only abut 7/8" wide, holds 7 rounds and don't even feel like I have it on me. It's not a match gun, but I don't carry it for matches. It still shoots minute of head at 10-15 yds.

 

[rdinak]

S&W police trade in model 10's at buds. While no longer the cool kid on the block, these old guns offer a lot of bang for the buck. No brass to chase for reloaders, nice training tool for new shooters, and some people like my wife prefer a revolver.

 

[Philotimos]

Taurus PT111 Millenium G2.......$239!!! Got mine in 9mm and has never failed. Accurate, comfortable in the hand and easy to conceal. Just love it

 

[jeo556]

I also have a Bersa .380 that I swear by. It will shoot with its more expensive counterparts all day and not miss a beat. My example is as accurate as any smaller pistol I've encountered and more accurate that most. I once sold it to my Dad when I was hard up for cash in college and then bought it back off hime later in life. I will never sell her again.

I also think that the Taurus PT-XXX line is a very good value for a pistol. I've had a PT-101 for longer than you'll believe and it has never failed in any manner. It's reasonable accurate and the only downside I can comment on is that there is some rough maching on some of the parts and the trigger is less than stellar. Mag quality is also questionable but they can be replaced.

 

[Victory]

Any Tokarev or Makarov.

Also W. German 226's, you can grab them for around 400 to 500 bucks.

 

[kansas]

Tarus model 85 light weight revolver. I had $200 in mine and was slicker than most of the Smiths out of the box. Spent $40 having the hammer bobbed and was the perfect pocket gun. Of course I had a chance to make a few bucks on it so I sold it.

 

[jrassy]

I had one of those little Raven .25, fun, concealable as hell. Sold it, bought a pre-68 Beretta 950 B in .25, still got it and carry it as a vest pocket gun. Both shot very well, although the saying goes" if you shoot somebody with a .25 caliber, and they find out about it, they're going to be pissed!

 

[bigmatt17073]

EAA Sar B6P full size or compact are under $300 at a few places (only one mag though), and the Tristar/Canik CZ75 clones are $300-400. CGW even sells aftermarket parts for the Tristar/Canik clones as well. I've been eyeing a Tristar C100 as a future purchase.

Zastava CZ999? maybe? I've good things about them, but have no personal experience. They are around $300.

 

[snipe10]

Any CZ, particularly the 75B SA

 

[Veer_G]

Any CZ, particularly the 75B SA

Agree, especially the CZ-82s/83s. I'd probably just about do something billable to lay my hands on an 83 in .32 ACP. Great guns, especially carrying in SA.

Also, most 3rd Generation S&W semiautos, especially the 39XX series. Totally overlooked by most.

 

[para72]

I can't speak for all, but my PARA P-14 has treated me quite well.

 

[The Lawn Ranger]

I have an Eastern Block Highpower knockoff that shoots lights out and feeds reliably.

I don't know if it's the the use on the gun but the trigger is "broke in" perfect.

I think I bought it used at a gun show for $150.00

 

[mallrat]

Got my Lorcin 9mm for $50, replaced the firing pin, and it's worked great ever since.

 

[SquarePizza]

Smith and Wesson model 10

So many of these 38 special revolvers can be had under 300 bucks, police trade in. Lots of wear but shot very little. GReat buys and very nice guns.