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Thread: Is There a Budget Pistol You'd Trust Your Life To?

  1. #1
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    Is There a Budget Pistol You'd Trust Your Life To?

    We all make fun of cheap pistols like Lorcins, Jenkins, etc., as being junk (and usually they are).

    But have you ever run across a budget pistol that you shot, carried, and would trust your life to?

    For my own experience, I can't name a "recent" offering that I thought was an inexpensive gem, except my Ruger LCP, mostly because I don't keep up with the handgun market anymore.

    I currently have not had a single malfunction with my Ruger LCP, but mine has a very low round count.

    Back in the 1990's I thought the Makarov pistol was an inexpensive gun I'd trust my life to. I had several Russian and one East German Makarov. Those pistols were generally around $200 each for a time and they were more reliable than the $600 Walther PPK/S that would malfunction at least once per magazine.

    Most Maks are chambered in 9x18, but the one or two I had that had been made in .380 auto were as reliable as the ones in the original caliber.

    Deep down inside I wish I'd kept my Makarovs as a "budget" handgun that I thought was worthy of carry.

    Any others?
    Last edited by Doc Safari; 05-08-19 at 09:36.

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    I've tried to help a few people get a cheap 1st gun. Mil-surp is a good choice. I have two Maks and they have been flawless. Both were $225 or less but might be closer to >$300 now. You can still find Polish P64 for under $200.

    I've shot the Taurus G2C. It has the typical sharp edges and mold flashing that makes it feel inexpensive but it worked fine when I shot it. My bro-in-law later said it was not reliable enough to take hiking in AK.

    I haven't shot anything else near $200 to comment further.

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    I had an EAA SAR B6P that went 3k rounds before i sold it without a failure. I would have trusted that for sure.

    I recently bought a Canik TP9SFX to try a red dot on a pistol and it has been very reliable so far but only 500rds. My buddy has the Canik SF model he carries and it has been very reliable for him. I would say the Caniks are about as good as it gets for a budget gun. They have the "one" line as low as $250. The guns from this line are the same, they just come with less mags and accessories when purchased

    There is a long thread on TOS by Battlefield Las Vegas and they have reported the Caniks have been abused and they are really impressed with them. They said they are their beater gun they rent out due to price and they get used a ton, but only one gun has broken 1 part so far with heavy use

    I would also recommend looking into the Walther Creed for $250 at CDNN if someone was looking budget

    I have shot a Taurus G2 or whatever and people report they are reliable, but i just couldnt trust one. The one i shot a few mags from didn't have any failures but didn't lock back on the last round most of the time.

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    "Budget" is subjective.

    My CZ P10c's are budget guns and I do carry them, i.e.- "trust my life with them".

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    Since "budget" was not defined, I bought a Shield for $250 and a 642 for $230. I trust my life to both, but I trust ME with the Shield. I honestly never shoot the J-frame, so I suck with it. I really don't have a time when I need the snubbie because the Shield is too big.

    Call me a snob, but I'm not interested in the bottom of the barrel guns under $200. I got both handguns on sale, but I'm kicking myself for not grabbing a shield a couple years back when they were $220 with that rebate. Oh well.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by gaijin View Post
    "Budget" is subjective.
    All right. Point taken. For the sake of being consistent let's say "budget" refers to a factory new or military surplus pistol with a common price of around $300 or less.

    I'm sure anyone here can locate a well-known brand name reliable used firearm at a bargain price. I've done it a dozen times.

    I don't want to include things like police trade-in Glocks and the like which clearly sell for less than retail. These are a known quantity. Yes, a police trade-in Glock for $299.95 is certainly a bargain-priced reliable handgun, but we already know that.

    I'm seeking experiences with those "pleasant surprises" in an inexpensive handgun that turned out to be as reliable and/or durable as a more expensive handgun and may not generally be known to the public as really great guns for the low price.
    Last edited by Doc Safari; 05-08-19 at 10:32.

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    When a blue label Glock 19 MOS Gen 5 is like $425,
    What possible reason would I be interested in a gun just because the price is $300?
    “Where weapons may not be carried, it is well to carry weapons.”

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    Quote Originally Posted by ramairthree View Post
    When a blue label Glock 19 MOS Gen 5 is like $425,
    What possible reason would I be interested in a gun just because the price is $300?
    Isn't it obvious? Not everybody can afford higher dollar firearms and yet still want something for self defense.

    I personally know people who bought a $299 whatever and could barely afford one box of ammo for it.

    I know a couple of women who bought Ruger LCP's and could barely afford that.

    Why does everybody have to argue with the premise of every thread all of a sudden? If it doesn't apply to you don't worry about it.
    Last edited by Doc Safari; 05-08-19 at 10:43.

  9. #9
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    Sure even a hi-point works but combining "trust my life" and "budget" in the same sentence is like oil to water. Having a budget backup (dedicated vehicle, other locations in house) is fine but as a primary, get a quality handgun that's proven and do not settle.

    Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

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    My son bought a little kel-tec 9mm, that had a really long trigger pull. I shot it a couple times and once you had the tiny grip and trigger pull sorted out, it did okay - for a small CCW. Extractor looked like it was made of a bristle from street sweeper brush, but it worked.

    I've since got him into a Glock 43.

    I've also known several guys who swore by and carried Taurus TCP's as BUG's.. I've shot a couple casually, kind of the 'here you shoot mine, I'll shoot yours' deal, and they seemed okay, pretty comparable to an LCP, although not nearly as nice to shoot IMO.
    Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the President... - Theodore Roosevelt, Lincoln and Free Speech, Metropolitan Magazine, Volume 47, Number 6, May 1918.

    Every Communist must grasp the truth. Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun. Our principle is that the Party commands the gun, and the gun must never be allowed to command the Party Mao Zedong, 6 November, 1938 - speech to the Communist Patry of China's sixth Central Committee

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