I'm looking to buy a new pistol

N

northdakota

Inactive
Hey everyone, I'm looking to buy myself a new pistol now that I'm on to college and can't sport shoot with my dads guns as I now live across the state. I've looked at some Hi Points, which I know don't sit well with some gun enthusiasts, but for the price and the amount of use it will get, they really are a good buy for my specific situation. As for size, I really haven't thought out what I'm looking for yet, the gun will be used to sport shoot and will also be a means of protection for my fiance and I, if ever needed.

Any advice on sizes and/or models that I should go with?
 
Personally, I wouldn't trust my life to a hi-point, others might, but I won't.

I'd pick a pistol that fit comfortable,accurate, I could practice regular with, and could be fairly familiar with in a short time.

I wouldn't go smaller than a 9mm hollowpoint.

Search around and see what you come uo with. :)
 
If you're on a budget, there are plenty of guns on the surplus market that are far better than Hi Point pistols and within that same price range. The folks that use Hi Points give them high marks for reliability and acceptable accuracy. They are however very unpleasant to disassemble for cleaning, they're also too bulky and heavy for their calibers and capacities.

If you're not able to spend much more than $200, look into guns like the CZ-82, Pa-63, P-64, or Tokarev. These are all much better-made, easier to disassemble and maintain, more practical in size and weight, and more accurate and reliable too. These pistols often get ignored by new buyers but they'll do the job just as well as any brand new gun and in many cases, better.
 
A lot of people don't like Hi-Points but some think they are the best of the really inexpensive new handguns. For under $200, you'll be hard pressed to find any new handgun cheaper. Personally, I would raise my limit or find a used gun. Right now, Smith and Wesson is running a $50 rebate program that will take their Sigma models down to about $300.

Other posters have mentioned used or surplus. At around $200 your options are somewhat limited as well. You might be able to find a CZ 82 in caliber 9x18 (Makarov) at that price. Probably easier at that price would be the Polish P-64 in 9x18 (Makarov) caliber. I haven't shot one but they supposedly have very heavy triggers but are dependable. Dependability is the first order of business. These can be found pretty easily. Check www.gunbroker and you'll find some for under $200.

p.s. Good luck in your search. Sometimes you gotta' buy what you can afford. When I was a student, my only handgun was a .38 special RG, not so affectionately derided as meaning "Rotten Gun."
 
The S&W Sigma 9mm would serve you well.

It's light, reliable, affordable, and comes with two 16 round mags.

Some people think the trigger is a little stiff, but that gun was designed that way to prevent accidental firing.

I had one. Once I got used to the trigger, I could shoot it pretty darn good with less than a box of ammo up to about 15 yards (SD range).

The fit is good in the hand, and the sight's are nice. The reason I sold it after 3000 reliable rounds, was to help my brother to get a gun, and to update to a gun that cost twice as much, but I actually use my Sigma for carry after I bought my more high end gun because I liked to carry it better.
 
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Not any gun pick, just advice

On tools:

You only regret buying the best once (when you pay for it).

You regret buying cheap every time you use it and you have to work around a shortcoming, can't get the job done right or take longer or have some other problems.

So, I advise you evaluate your needs (not wants, but needs) sacrifice what you must to get whatever will serve you adequately without cutting corners and do what you have to do. If that means waiting six months to save up, do it. If that means dropping you cable TV service, or turning your thermostat down or cutting back on dinners out.... You get the idea.

Lost Sheep
 
Hi-points are nearly as bad as a lot of people make them out to be. But for less you can get better guns. People talking caliber will scare you away from ALOT of guns that are better than you can get cheaper. a Feg PA-63 in 9x18mm is a viable choice, as is a Tokarev in 7.62x25mm and even Feg AP-7s in 7.65 Browning. P64's are another choice. Oddball model would be a Nagant that you can load .32S&W, S&WL and H&R into plus the 7.62x38mmR. All of these aforementioned guns are cheap to buy, easy to maintain and cheap to shoot.
 
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