Battle of the Budget 9mm's

I love my canik s-120. It's a near identical clone to a cz75 but with a better finish. The thing shoots so well. Also yes parts do break but cajun gun works has you pretty well covered. I can't get enough of mine.
 
I sometimes lurk in the forums when I am tired and miss stuff, like posts about the buddy's decision. In any case, for future reference, I stand by my recommendation(s).

The Canik company is attributed to be the company that supplies the Turkish military's sidearms, to wit, Cz-75s, built to NATO standards. I guess I could have bought an exceptionally good specimen, but I think it unlikely. Various gunsmiths (and Tri-Star) tell me that parts interchangeability with CZ is essentially 100%.
 
My thing is this... If you cant afford to buy a $600+ gun or around there, you probably should wait until you can afford to buy it.. Dont settle, when saving a little bit more will give you a much better result.
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take advice like this with a very small grain of salt, possibly crushed with a mortar/pestle. this poster apparently has never researched the Canik/Tri-Star or EAA series of CZ clone. did he not see how many of us have had thousands, some over 10k, that have NEVER had a malfunction?? My brother has a hi-point that runs great, it does OCCASSIONALLY have a fail to eject, maybe one in 500(generally attributed to my weak handloads), but it works and can save a life as good as a 600$ gun. I am of the theory that you get a gun that you can afford, waiting could mean the difference between life or death if something happens in the mean-time, that'll pretty much ruin the act of saving up for a snob piece that may or may not be as reliable s a Turkish clone. I would rather your friend buy what he can afford with the best option available in his range ASAP, and then save up for that 600$ gun that he really loves. be protected as soon as he can, save the pretty and accurate weapons for when the time is right, just look for reviews showing stellar reliability. don't get your house broken into while "saving" for his dream piece. silly to think that's its better to stay unarmed and vulnerable for the many months it may take to save up.

it's obvious that they're many pistols in the 300$ range that have been run hard and 100% reliable at the same time.....are the BEST otion, depends. but the reliable solid ones are also accurate enough to put down a threat while you wait. if this isn't conceal carry, will be used to learn the art of the pistol and use for home defense, the CZ clones of any kind will serve that duty with no issue. I have a 600$ pistol and I have a 675$ pistol.....other than some small differences in comfort, sights, slight increase in accuracy and a tighter fit(which may require a god deal of break-in) they all do the exact freaking thing when the chips are down.

I can't count how many times I get slammed for not having an Aimpoint or EO on my AR's, even when I have stated several times that Bushnell makes my favorite "AR-series" magnified optics and never had a trip back to the maker despite almost 10k rounds of "highpower" heavy-weight loads under them, that they are not "battle-tested" and the classic "you get what you pay for" and all the other nonsense. Or my little SightMark reflex sights that were under 100$, yet have held zero on a Blackout pistol for three years of heavy abuse and being tossed on the ground, but apparently it's complete garbage and I am just naïve and maybe even a post-grad of the "short-bus" high-schools for using a sight that isn't "battle-proven" by the military, or more importantly all the paid gun-product pundits, like Vickers and the like. it keeps blasting way and doing it's job. you get what you pay for???? I can agree with that, but it doesn't mean cheaper accessories just DON'T work, it means you are sacrificing the long-term field testing by military forces and not being able to show that some "internet-famous" dbag that thinks physical aptitude is of zero importance when in a true SD scenario, but that buying a magic bullet/caliber/ optic/lube and tactical MOLLE vests is what's truly important to save your hide, that and pistol with a minimum 5-600$ price tag and 20 magazines along with your back-up pistol is 100% necessary....that's unfortunate since I will likely be dead in a gutter, holding my $200 Taurus PT111, and floating to the heavens thinking ho much better I would have faired if I had just saved up for a USP 9. The best part about these comments is that these guys have never spent much time with pistols that are priced in the very competitive "budget" market, since the kick-backs are not going to be nearly as plentiful.

pick the pistol you/he likes in your range and ask for opinions from first-hand owners....and also check the big online sellers for a cumulative view of customer reviews. if your seeing more than 1:20 or even 1:30 bad reviews about it's reliability, then take a pass. you will be hard pressed to find a first-hand owner of a Turkish clone that has negativity toward the pistols in terms of reliability and accuracy. GOOD LUCK!!! think for yourself, and don't get swept away by branding, even the high-dollar pistols are plagued with "some" negative reviews. or just fall in line and get you a Sphinx 9mm, because if you don't your just going to be using your Taurus as an expensive set of brass-knuckles because it will NEVER work when you life depends on it, it's a proven fact. and your cheaper reflex sight will NOT hold zero and will likely just get you killed since you brandished a weapon that you can't hit a target with unless you invest in a 600$ red-dot.

so much silliness from the sect of the gun crowd that let their pride and bragging rights get in the way of some quality pistols at half the price of the Lulu lemon or Doonie&Burke pistols that are able to compensate for other "guns" that are anatomically broken on the tactical operators part.
 
You can find Bersa 9mm pistols for between $300 and $400 at Buds and other online websites. Probably a little more at your LGS. IMHO Bersas are far superior to all of the other economically priced handguns available today. Bersa is a vastly underrated firearm manufacturer that does little advertising. They fly under the radar and just keep making a quality product at a reasonable price.
 
I know the gun has been bought but thought I would give my vote in the budget 9 debate here.
Ruger SR9E, I walked mine out the door for $325 total and it is a whole lot of pistol for the money, plus if I ever have a problem with it Ruger has got my back, very comforting. It just came with 1 mag but I walked over to the box full of used mags on the shelf in my evil pawn shop and dug around in it...found one $10 :). gun has run like a dream for close to a 1000 rounds now and is as accurate as I am, only mod I have done is removed the magazine disconnect safety( I could feel it dragging on the striker,much smoother with it out).
Those of you wanting a "good" pistol on the cheap dont overlook the SR9E
the sheet is 8x11 paper and the circle is a trace around my coffee cup base, distance 15 yards.





 
Have you guys heard about the Canik TP9SF?

Its essentially the same gun ans the TP9SA but without the decocker that everyone complains about, century is hoping to begin importing them in 2016... if only there was a waiting list... I would be the first to sign up.
 
Based solely on the responses and feed back on this thread I've come up with an up to date summary and results for what are the best budget 9mm's:

The SAR B6P is the best bang for your buck based solely on a price to function basis.

A close second would have to be the canik/Tristar CZ clone variants. Second only because of price, but with the slightly extra price you do get a better availability of parts.

Next would be a tie between the ruger 9E and S&W SD9VE. Being from 2 of the most popular manufacturers in the U.S. They are quality guns backed by great warranties. Personally I would lean more to the ruger.

To many mixed reviews on Taurus.

Honorable mentions:

Walther PPX
Bersa
Stoeger

Personally if it was my first gun I would lean towards the Ruger or Smith & Wesson, only because of the availability of parts/accessories and the companies that back them.

If I already have a fire arm and am just looking for a quality gun at a reasonable price the SAR or canik I would buy the first one I found for a good deal. And I plan to do just that!
 
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I am of the theory that you get a gun that you can afford, waiting could mean the difference between life or death if something happens in the mean-time, that'll pretty much ruin the act of saving up for a snob piece that may or may not be as reliable s a Turkish clone.
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Our natural right to possess and carry dates back to the origins of our genus. We would not be who we are today if our early ancestors had been denied their ability to make and carry stone edged weapons.

John Lott has pointed out that the factions of our society that can most benefit from concealed carry are the weak and the poor. The weak -- eg, women, the elderly, the disabled -- are attractive prey for the predator class. And, the predator class reside among and prey extensively on the poor.

We do a big disservice to the poor -- which are overrepresented with women, elderly, and disabled -- by erecting high bars to gun ownership and use, whether the bars are financial, regulatory, or class snobbery. As members of what used to be a constitutional republic, we should be striving to reduce these bars to their practicable minima.
 
Also, on trading/selling firearms, typically the cheaper models take more of a hit financially as there are more of them in the wild. Supply and demand anyone? Anybody ever traded in a Taurus? Liking a gun is no reason to rewrite basic economic rules.
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sort of...
They may proportionally hold their value better, but nominally you will lose more money on a trade. Maybe that $2000 1911 only drops ten percent to $1800 while a hipoint drops 20% to $140. Your still going to lose ten times as much on the expensive gun.
I haven't really seen expensive guns hold their value well to be honest. In my experience once you get to brand reputable brand names the value drops about the same. That might not be true for a LNIB firearm, but most first pistols won't be so described. It isn't always easy to find a buyer either. May have to wait months. May be true selling to a gunshop, but no matter what you are going to be doing some bending at the waste if you sell to a LGS.
Taurus drops for an entirely different reason at a higher proportion than almost any maker. Maybe jennings/Bryco/Jimenez can match.
 
Also, on trading/selling firearms, typically the cheaper models take more of a hit financially as there are more of them in the wild. Supply and demand anyone? Anybody ever traded in a Taurus? Liking a gun is no reason to rewrite basic economic rules.
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You can buy a $250 handgun, abuse the tar out of it, and sell it for $200. Just look at the C&R market. C&Rs that are 50 years old and little more than functioning steel pistols go for $200-300.

So the dollar hit is trivial - the cost of a gun rental at a range.

Conversely, Springfield TRPs are $1500+ new. There's a pristine used one sitting on the market here in Tacoma now for weeks at $1100 and no takers. That's at least a $400 hit or 25% hit to the seller.

Used guns fair just fine on the used market given the low initial investment.

It's my experience the high end "customizable" guns take the larger hits in the pocket. Just look at used HKs and Sigs, again sell for much less than retail.
 
I would have to agree the dollar hit is trivial, more money will be spent on ammo range fees, within the first 5 trips to the range with guns costing under $300. selling at a $50 loss is very little compared to the cost of ammo and range fees you payed for to use that gun.
 
Yesterday we took out his SD9VE for the first time, so I here are my thoughts:

Owning and carrying a glock 19 every day with over 1000 rounds down range with it I am very comfortable with this platform and since the SD9VE is essentially a clone of the glock 19, I did a side by side comparison of the 2 when we were at the range:

First impressions of the S&W is the ergo is slightly better, the grip texture at the front of the frame fit my forward thumb perfectly and I actually noticed a slightly better purchase on the gun due to it. The gun feels lighter weight (not in a good way), borderline cheap feeling. When I pick it up and rack the slide, the grip feels a little more plasticky compared to the glock and the slide feels like a thinner metal. The trigger pull was not anything special but it wasn't bad, in fact his was the best feeling trigger I've felt on one after handling a few at gun shops and shows. I believe coupled with the apex trigger kit ($20) it could be a very nice trigger for this gun. So first impressions would leave me thinking its okay but not anything special.

Now more of a comparison with the g19:

Size -
The S&W had a slightly longer grip and was slightly wider, not enough to notice when carrying concealed though but enough bigger to feel nice in my hands. the extra length also adds 1 round making it a 16+1 vs a 15+1. I loved the feel of it in hand in fact I think the slightly larger size was a plus, my pinky fit on the gun perfectly and my g19 with the finger grooves sometimes feels like I'm cramming my hand onto it to make it fit. Being a compact size that fills the hands like a full size gun yet conceals like a compact makes the S&W(and the g19) the perfect size for a do everything gun. So size wise the
advantage in my book goes to the S&W but just marginally.

The trigger -
I was pleasantly surprised by the trigger, it felt great for a factory trigger, almost as good as the glock with a lone wolf connector. I have to think he lucked out on that because I've felt a few that were no where as good as his at gun shows. I would still have to say the glock wins here, only because there are so many more aftermarket upgrades for the glock triggers than there are for the S&W, though i know apex tactical has some good parts kits for them.

Shootability-
It shot great, Drew, my friend who's the proud owner, way out shot me using it. When I shot it side by side I noticed no difference in recoil. I was able to hold slightly tighter groups with my g19 but the groups with the S&W were nothing to laugh at. Shootability goes to the glock, but not $300 better.

I say $300 better because thats the approximate difference between the two guns, he walked out the door spending less than $300 and between cost of gun, sights, trigger connector, exteded slide release and magazine release, I have over $600 invested in the g19.

Looking at how well the SD9VE fared next to the g19, I was honestly a little bummed the g19 didn't just blow it away. Any time someone is looking for a first gun I think I will now be steering them towards the S&W instead of the glock 19 I commonly recommend. Dont get me wrong I dont plan on selling my glock and buying the S&W, but that just because I know how dang reliable glocks are, how many accessories and parts are out there and I appreciate the ability to interchange magazines with any glock of the same caliber.

Without taking price into consideration, I would overall give the Glock a slight edge on the S&W. But being a $300 gun that is up to par with the staple g19, it would be hard to beat. Wish I had shot one of these before making my g19 purchase.

Im sure he will be extremely satisfied with it for years and years. I loved shooting it and if ever the need for another pistol exactly like the one I already have arises I wont have to look any further than the SD9VE.
 
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Nice review.

I have been wanting to get another 9mm pistol, so I might give the SD9 a chance. I can get one online for $270.
 
He got his at a gun show for 279, which after tax was just a hair under 300. Might just be on the lookout next gun show your at, possibly skip the shipping and FFL fee:)
 
Nice write up. I've got to agree with most everything you typed. The heavy Smith trigger is the SD's downfall, and the Glock ergo's need improved. The SD, IMHO, is one of those "best bang for the buck" firearm deals people ask about.
 
Brando1992 said:
He got his at a gun show for 279, which after tax was just a hair under 300. Might just be on the lookout next gun show your at, possibly skip the shipping and FFL fee:)
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They go for $300 plus around here still. I can usually find deals with free shipping, or at least shipping under $10, and the transfer fee at the dealer I use is $10, so I can save about $40 buying online. That's good for a couple hundred rounds of range ammo [emoji3]
 
I bought a PT111 G2 in August. I love it. I took it out of the box and fired 600 rounds through it of 115 fmj and it never had a problem. 50 of the bullets were the Walmart Aluminum cartridge ones. I cleaned it afterwards because I felt like it has proven itself to me about reliability. It was plenty dirty. I am strongly considering a Sccy cxp2 for CC. I think the PT 111 just doesn't fit as well in my pocket. I was almost ready to buy a Diamondback, but their back and forth between Taurus has me leery.
 
Today I went to a gun show with some extra money looking for a good deal on a new gun. I went looking specifically for:

canik tp9sa
Ruger 22/45 or browning buckmark
EAA SAR B6P
EAA Witness

I found all of them and finally got to handle and dry fire a few of the guns we talked about on here. I ended up not liking the feel of the grip or trigger on the 3 or 4 EAA's I got to hold, though they were decent prices but, there wasn't much appeal at that point. I absolutely flipped over the trigger on the TP9SA... Honestly I am still surprised I didn't walk out with the display one. but it was just a little more than I wanted to spend. But I did find a great deal on a 22/45 that I just couldn't pass up.

I am sold on the TP9SA and the SD9VE at this point though.The canik is high on my list and the SD9VE will always be my suggestion for someones first gun at this point.

I still wish I had liked the SAR B6P...
 
I ended up not liking the feel of the grip or trigger on the 3 or 4 EAA's I got to hold,
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I'm shocked. I now have probably 5 or 6 of these SAR/EAA pistols. They are remarkably identical in fit, finish, trigger, feel... and I find the triggers on all of them consistently awesome. DA is a consistent pull and break, and SA is fantastic.

Oh well, to each their own.
 
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