Sidearms & Scatterguns Under Valued/ Overlooked and Sleeper Guns

[Austinjunks]

I picked up a Smith lemon squeezer for $30...
And a 10-2 for $100.

 

[Dolomite_Supafly]

Marlin bolt .22s, those older heavy barreled rifles. I would like a couple back that I let go

I have an early model of the 880SQ that uses the M2000 target barrel. It uses a 15 twist instead of 16. I shoot Aguila SSS rounds and they are stable. You can tell an early 880SQ because it has a bull barrel with screw blanks where the target front sight goes as well as a dovetail blank.

It is an amazing shooter.

 

[kthomas]

H&K P7

Finding one in 40 cal is even more collectable.

I would say P7's are over valued and appreciated.

They command crazy prices, and I imagine it has more to do with nostalgia then actual performance.

Now I'm not knocking the P7, in fact I would love to own one. But not for the prices they are going for.

 

[bobke]

5.5” 41M Ruger Redhawk. 8.375” 657. Had DW’s in 357/41/44 mag. Regrets on selling all of them, especially the Redhawk-a really accurate and handy caliber/revolver.

 

[Blueknight99]

I have the most beautifully blued Colt 1903 pocket hammerless. It was my great-grandfather’s CCW when he was an engineer on the SP. My grand father, then father had it wrapped in muslin, in the sock drawer, from about 1948 till 2014 when it became mine.

Pure joy to shoot.

Underrated scatter gun, the Savage Milano.

Let me know if you ever decide to sell it

 

[Basher]

I would say P7's are over valued and appreciated.

They command crazy prices, and I imagine it has more to do with nostalgia then actual performance.

Now I'm not knocking the P7, in fact I would love to own one. But not for the prices they are going for.

QFT. I would LOVE a P7, but the 600% appreciation in cost over the last decade or two is ridiculous, IMO. I’ve wanted one since I was a kid, but for what a P7 would set me back, I can think of five other things I’d rather have in it’s place. Heck, if I was patient and willing to accept a little less than perfect, I could grab the ‘05 ZX10R I’ve always wanted for only a few hundred more!

 

[Sutherlandsd]

Walther Q5 match. Amazing trigger. Love shooting it

Even bigger sleeper is Canik TP9SFX somewhat of a clone of the Q5 (can even run the Q5 slide on the Canik) even better than that amazing Q5 trigger especially with a little freedom smith upgrade and its 20+1 and ready to compete out of the box.

$400 if you look online also.... and may imo be the best $400 gun available.

Mine with the cheapo Vortex venom in tactical peanut butter flavor.

 

[JordanGriff]

Tanfoglio witness line is a hell of a sleeper

 

[Tchitcherine]

Now that P7s are (arguably) over-valued, they are probably under-appreciated, because once they became "collectible" they tend to live in the safe or under glass. IMO they all shoot great, very accurate, fast reloads, reliable cycling, and the M8 and PSP are really decent carry guns. But collectibility is the kiss of death. And now people just wonder if they "perform". Yeah they do, if you run 'em.

 

[jakelly]

+1 for the Tangfolio
S&W 581 & 681
Bersa Thunder (Not a secret)
Sig Trailside (Though these have appreciated)

 

[Kickin45]

CZ550
Not sure it’s overlooked by users, but definitely overlooked and under appreciated by the aftermarket.
I’ve wanted to build a custom for years now, just no aftermarket support.

 

[kenzup]

Winchester Model 88 lever action mag fed rifle. I inherited the one I used to envy as a kid. There is no better north east deer gun. Just this guys opinion.

 

[fdkay]

I have the most beautifully blued Colt 1903 pocket hammerless. It was my great-grandfather’s CCW when he was an engineer on the SP. My grand father, then father had it wrapped in muslin, in the sock drawer, from about 1948 till 2014 when it became mine.

Pure joy to shoot.

Underrated scatter gun, the Savage Milano.

I have, and sometimes carry a factory nickled 1903 that was manufactured in 1920

 

[DanGroves]

I have a soft spot for the early Remington 40X's. Starting with the rimfires of the late 50's through the centerfires of the 70's with the Hart stamped barrels.

 

[Greg Langelius *]

Smith 422, 622.

 

[txguero]

I think the modern FN semi autos (FNS and 509) get overlooked by many. I think they have great ergos and workable triggers, but in a day and age where there are so many outstanding polymer semi autos it’s hard to stand out. I would probably switch completely over to the FNs but I’m stuck on Glock since 1) it’s what I have to carry at work so I want to be proficient with it and 2) I shoot and handle them well.

 

[powerspc]

S&W pc 945

I must be suffering from what the Elder’s called “Cabin Fever” as I have taken to both reading and resurrecting old posts. Anyway, I was perusing this thread when I came across this post citing the S&W Performance Center 945. Bravo! Perhaps not just an “Under Valued [sic]/Overlooked and Sleeper Gun” but the Undervalued/Overlooked Sleeper Gun of the last 30 years. A hybrid-“sort of”-1911 at least from the rails down that was lovingly hand crafted by true Gunsmiths when S&W employed some of the best ‘Smiths in the Industry. Guys that shot and shot well on the weekends and had a real ear to the ground for what made a large caliber target pistol an excellent target pistol.

Although not a true 1911 they rival anything that is being put out today by Wilson Combat, Cabot, Les Baer, Nighthawk, Ed Brown you name it. I’ve shot all of those and they are all beautiful but have never come across anything that shoots as well as a 945 (personal bias towards the Lew Horton early no dash versions). Unfortunately they went the way of the Colt ‘Snake Guns’ in that they could not sell for what it cost to make them. Based on the machining and hand fitting of parts, these were easily $3,500 guns in the late 80’s (If you manufactured it today, twice that) that sold for around $2,100 ($4,600 in today’s dollars, a fortune for a semi-auto in 1988, thus the law of supply and demand). I think sometime over the next 10 years you will see these hitting similar prices as the Colt’s on the auctions.

 

[Shooter McGavin]

Even bigger sleeper is Canik TP9SFX somewhat of a clone of the Q5 (can even run the Q5 slide on the Canik) even better than that amazing Q5 trigger especially with a little freedom smith upgrade and its 20+1 and ready to compete out of the box.

$400 if you look online also.... and may imo be the best $400 gun available.

Mine with the cheapo Vortex venom in tactical peanut butter flavor.

View attachment 7256426

I just ordered on of those. With tax came it to $635.00. I plane on changing out the Vortex because it's a 6 MOA dot and I prefer smaller 3 MOA dots.

 

[NFAJohn]

Older Browning Buckmark 22lr pistols are total sleepers. Excellent triggers, crisp sights, the manual of arms mimics a 1911 very closely and they just keep chugging along. I’ve owned several of the Ruger and newer Browning rimfire pistols and I go back to the old Buckmark I was given as a kid over and over. It’s been a great pistol to teach new shooters with and stay sharp plinking for cheap.

 

[BikePilot]

I'm new here, but a couple that I've really liked that are a bit off the beaten path are the hammer fired grand powers and the walther PPQ line. Both have amazing triggers and are really good shooters. I've found the 5" PPQ to be exceptionally accurate and the Grand Powers to be very soft and flat shooting.

 

[sideshowbob]

Anything made by Ruger, especially their revolvers.

 

[Healy]

Kel Tec cmr 30 it’s not pretty but it’s light and compact and plenty accurate enough for a ranch gun, it’ll fit most anywhere great to throw in the combine, sprayer, etc.

 

[BrigandActual]

I think the modern FN semi autos (FNS and 509) get overlooked by many. I think they have great ergos and workable triggers, but in a day and age where there are so many outstanding polymer semi autos it’s hard to stand out. I would probably switch completely over to the FNs but I’m stuck on Glock since 1) it’s what I have to carry at work so I want to be proficient with it and 2) I shoot and handle them well.

I think one of FN's issues is that they bring new pistols to the market fairly often and discontinue their older ones. A lot of people were burned when they replaced the FNP series with the FNX. I own an FNS that never really enjoyed much aftermarket, and then they ditch it for the 509 and go full-press on everything. It kind of left a bad taste in my mouth even if the pistol has worked well for me.

On the thread topic, I'm a big fan of my Cajunized CZ P07, but you really don't hear much about CZs outside of shooting enthusiast circles. They're kind of like revolvers in that there's a inverse bell curve where newbies end up with them because they tend to be cheaper, but then popularity drops off as you get into the mainstream (i.e. Glock, HK, S&W), and then popularity picks up again as you get to experienced shooters who use them for matches or appreciate other details.

Edit for photo

 

[Shooter McGavin]

I don’t really consider CZ to be sleepers, but I have a lot of them and want more.

 

[Doctorwho1138]

CZs aren’t underrated IMO. Every one knows they are great guns and crazy accurate. Underrated would be the beretta 92fs or m9. They were once super popular but have fallen off the radar but they still shoot great and they are very reliable.

 

[bab029]

Smith Model 10 and 13 4" heavy barrels. Had one of each. Should not have sold either, but at least I was in a bind both times.

With a t-grip, they pointed great and were very easy to shoot 38 swc very fast. I still have an ancient Colt Commando that is similar.

 

[TxDerek]

I agree with the keltec. We have the pmr30 and cmr30. Both great guns. Super compact and easy to shoot and keep wherever.

 

[TxDerek]

Having 30rd mags is pretty great as well with the keltecs