Inexpensive Handgun

C

Cameronrulz

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Hello everyone. I have been reading The Firing Line forums for a while now, but now I need to ask something of the knowledgeable people here. I currently own a Ruger MK I, but I am wanting to step up the power a little bit. I am getting married this summer so I feel a need a handgun for home defense. I have a Benelli Nova as a primary home defense gun, but I want something near the bed that can get me to the gun safe if needed. Unfortunately, as much as I'd like to drop $500 on a Glock 19 and call it done, just about all of the money I have right now is going towards a wedding and savings for paying the bills after that. This is why I am limiting myself to $300. I've actually found a couple of guns that fit my price range, but I wanted some opinions on what to buy and to see if there were any more recommendations out there. I have found a new Bersa Thunder .380 for $280, a new Rossi 3" .38 special for $230 and a used Taurus 85 snub for $299. I am leaning towards the Bersa, but my concern is that .380 ammo is so hard to find. As of yesterday only one store in my area had it, and it was $25 a box. Also, a revolver for home defense has always sounded like a better idea to me, easier to keep 5 rounds in the cylinder than keeping a clip loaded and ruining the spring for an auto. Anyway, any suggestions you guys have would be appreciated. Thanks
 
I had a Bersa Thunder .380, and it was a fine little automatic. I ended up selling it because I do stuff like that, I'm stupid that way. The Bersa wouldn't be a bad choice, in my opinion, although like any automatic (or any gun for that matter) you should run a good many rounds of ammunition through it before you trust it with your life. It should be the same ammo you plan to use for defense, also.

But don't rule out buying used. For all the yakking about durability, it's pretty rare for a privately owned gun to get shot out. It's especially rare for a self-defense gun, as opposed to a target piece, to get shot out. Most of these are going to be fired from time to time but spend most of their time in a nightstand or, at most, a holster.

In the revolver forum here there is a post on how to make sure a used revolver is working properly. Maybe somebody could direct you to similar means of checking out an automatic, but if not you could have a gunsmith check it out quickly without it costing you the premium you'd pay for a new gun.

There are police trade-ins, and while they might be worn or battered it will be more holster wear than shooting wear, in most cases. CDNN, located at http://www.cdnninvestments.com/ , sometimes has them; their catalog is always interesting in any case. I can't speak to how good they are for ordering entire guns, but I've bought grips and stuff from them from time to time and service for that was always good.
 
I would opt for Taurus over the Rossi; at $299.00 for a used Taurus if I were making the decision I would come up with the extra $50.00 - $75.00 and buy new.
I have had very good luck with my Taurus 617, but from some of the stories I hear my Taurus experience is not the same as many others. Hope this is of some help.
 
Given your limited budget, you might want to look at the used market and get a quality handgun. If wanting new, your pretty limited under $300. For around another $50.00 to $75.00, I'd consider Rugers lineup because of price and reliability. Your list includes semi auto's and revolvers and Ruger offers a pretty good selection at the low end price point for an American made quality handgun. You might want to consider the SR9 9mm or in the revolver catagory, the GP100 or SP101, both offer the ability to shoot .38 or .357 mag.
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Can't say I know much about all the gun manufacturers you mentioned, but I think I can offer a few comments.

Keep in mind you'll get what you pay for. A cheaper gun may be fine for plinking, but is it one you want to gamble your life on? Personally, I own several handguns, both revolvers and semi-autos, and by far the best gun for the money is the Glock. Some people love them, some hate them, but nobody can argue against their reliability. Recommend a .40 caliber for defense, and a standard sized one (not compact) for home defense because of the longer sight radius (easier to shoot accurately). Seriously, just suck it up and spend the extra $$ and get something you'll never need to replace.

I do not recommend a snubby, but that's just me. Bought one for my wife once, a really nice light-weight S&W Model 642 with laser grips and all. It was "hammerless" in that the hammer was not exposed, so it was double action only (DAO). Neither one of us could hit a thing with it. The recoil was a bit much, and the trigger pull was too hard to maintain any kind of accuracy. Sold it and bought her a Glock-17. She loves it. Maybe there are other snubbies out there without these problems, but again, you need to go with something you can use and hit what you aim at (and not hit what you don't want to).

Sounds like this is your first gun. If you don't know how to shoot, get some instruction. Get to a range and practice. Ask the guys to help with grip, stance, etc. Get comfortable with the gun so that you can use it without having to think too much about the mechanical features. If you ever HAVE to use it in defensive situation, the adrenaline will be pumping and your body will revert to whatever its used to. So, practice, practice, practice.

I also recommend getting one of those gun safes about the size of a bread-box with the large push buttons on top (to open in the dark), bolt it to the wall next to the bed, and keep your gun in it. It only takes seconds to get it open, and you won't have to worry about someone like kids getting their hands on it accidentally.

I suppose I could say more, but this will have to do for now. Hope this helps. Good luck.
 
I was recently in the exact same situation. Not wanting to spend a wad of cash I purchased a Hi-Point C9. I'm pretty satisfied with it. I don't want to turn this into a hi-point hate fest, but it should be one of the options you consider. Its a decent, relaible gun that can do the job. Its not as nice as other guns, but like others have said, 300$ really limits you, even in the used category.

EDIT:

Just remember that whatever you get, expect to spend an additional 100-150 on ammo, range time, holster, additional magazines and some cleaning supplies.

Oh, and the tons of cash you will eventually spend when you realize you want more than one pistol.
 
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I'd buy a used revolver from a quality mfg. Colt, ruger or s&w. A s&w model 10 is at my bedside. I got it for $210 several years ago. For home defense I'd stay with a 4 to 6 inch barrel. Much easier to be accurate.

Ready the sticky on the revolver forum for checking out a revolver. Great advice.
 
Ruger's SR9 can be had for between $300 and $400. I've fired it; it's an apparently rugged, dependable high capacity 9mm gun and it's quite accurate.

S & W manufactures the Sigma series of semiautos. They can be had, with rebates, for under $300, in 9mm or 40 S & W. There's a big difference of opinion about these guns. Some folks love 'em, others hate 'em. Personally, I'm a fan. The Sigmas are rugged, ergonomically well designed, and very accurate. One thing about them, and this is where folks divide, they come with a double action style trigger that's quite heavy. It takes a firm pull to discharge the gun and there are a lot of people, especially those who cut their teeth on single action triggers, who just despise the heavy Sigma trigger. I actually like it. I've spent most of my shooting years firing double action revolvers and the firm Sigma trigger is right up my alley.

As for a revolver, look around some of the on-line sales sites like Bud's Guns and consider buying something like a used S & W Model 10 or a Model 64 or 67. For decades police and security guards carried these revolvers and the online sites occasionally will sell trade ins at $300 or less. They're all basic .38 specials, with the 10 being a blued fixed sight gun, the 64 being a stainless fixed sight gun, and the 67 being stainless with adjustable sights. They're all great guns, rugged as can be, and very accurate. My pistol range has a model 10 on its rental board that probably has more than 50,000 rounds through it. It's still among the most accurate guns I've ever fired.

I'm not meaning to slight Ruger revolver fans. Ruger makes a .357 magnum gun, the GP series, in both blue and stainless, and you can occasionally find used versions of that gun for under $400. There are older Rugers, like the Security Six, that also show up on the online gun sites, often as police trade ins at around $300, and they make great all purpose guns.
 
I have 2 of the guns you list.
The Bersa is a great gun. Reliable and accurate but as you mentioned .380 is not only hard to find it's expensive.

The Taurus 85 in my mind would be your choice. It's the orginal "point and click" Mine hasn't ever malfunctioned in years fo use. And .38 is easy to find.

AFS
 
Keep in mind you'll get what you pay for. A cheaper gun may be fine for plinking, but is it one you want to gamble your life on?
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If it works, why not? Cheap and inexpensive aren't the same thing (sometimes yes, but not all the time). In Oct '09 I paid $279 for this 4" Ruger Police Service Six in .357 Magnum, and I carry it quite frequently, including now as I type this. There are a bunch on the market right now, all trade-ins from a Canadian LE agency. It's probably one of the best values on the revolver side right now. Mine is reliable, accurate and very well balanced. It's nearly as tough/durable as a GP100 too.

The finish is well worn, but it is mechanically solid:


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S&W Model 64s through J&G are another great option.
 
consider used

Of the ones you mentioned, only the Bersa merits consideration IMHO. Personally I would rather buy a used Ruger,or S&W revolver for your budget. Both would be better handguns and both will hold their value much better than a Taurus or Rossi.:cool:
 
From the choices given I would go with the Taurua 85.

Look into the S&W Sigma for about $250 after the $50 rebate.

Used S&W or Ruger revolvers sometimes show-up under $400 which is a little higher than ideal but this is for possibly saving your life.

I know weddings can be expensive. I do not know how large or fancy an event you have planned BUT unless you've already gone over the budget with a fine-tooth comb, you can more than likely find a $100-200 to trim.

You will find the under $400 range will have ALOT more choices than the under $300 range.

Also, you will be fine keeping a semiauto magazine fully loaded and the gun cocked. It is the actual loading/unloading and firing that put the most wear on a pistol and magazine. However, a revolver is a good choice too. It comes down to preference.

Good Luck
 
I have a large choice for home protection, and considering the noise factor, I chose my ATI stocked Hi-point 995 9mm carbine.It is simply so quiet the bad guy would have to check his body for bullet holes or copious amounts of blood coming from those bullet holes.:D It is almost as quiet as a weapon with a silencer.
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I do not recommend a snubby, but that's just me. Bought one for my wife once, a really nice light-weight S&W Model 642 with laser grips and all. It was "hammerless" in that the hammer was not exposed, so it was double action only (DAO). Neither one of us could hit a thing with it. The recoil was a bit much, and the trigger pull was too hard to maintain any kind of accuracy
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The problem you had was buying a LIGHTWEIGHT snubby. They will have significantly more recoil than an all steel gun. I often carry a 3" Taurus 605 (the .357 version of the 85) and it's recoil is quite reasonable. It came with factory Hogue rubber grips and that helps a lot, compared to my wife's .38 Ladysmith with the pretty wood grips.

I want something near the bed that can get me to the gun safe if needed.
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I agree about something near the bed, but what kind of war do you expect that you would need to get to the gunsafe? Life does not imitate Hollywood.

For a reasonable priced home gun, I agree whole heartedly with the recommendation for a decent used .38 (or preferably .357) revolver. If you can find an older Smith or Ruger, that would fit the bill very well. Another option would be something like a used Ruger P89 or KP89 (9mm) which are very solid semiautos with reasonable prices.

Ken
 
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robhof

I add another vote for the Ruger, either auto or revolver. Ruger has a history of building strong revolvers and their auto's are no lightweights. Their lifetime warranty and excellent customer service can't be beat. I own three of their revolvers and they have very dependable for many years.
 
I feel a need a handgun for home defense
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I'd highly recommend a used S&W 4" 38spl revolver, like a Model 10 or Model 64. They're very easy to shoot accurately, extremely reliable, and readily available in good shape on the used market. Load it with some good quality hollow points and you're all set.

No safeties to fumble with, no slide to rack, and no misfeeds. Point it at the target and squeeze the trigger. Perfect for home defense.

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Another advantage to the Sigma (IMO) is no external safety to have to fiddle with in a middle of the night when you might be awakened from a deep sleep. It does have a trigger safety, and with long/heavy DAO trigger, gun only goes off when you pull the trigger with purpose.

You like the idea of a revolver for HD. Well just think of a high cap DAO semi w/no thumb safety as an extemely high capacity revolver. ;) 16 (if 9mm) in the magazine, +1 in the pipe, I'm thinking that's plenty. Besides, any situation that can't be taken care of with double digits of your choice of SD ammo is probably not going to allow you time to fiddle with getting your gun safe open.

It is a subject that gets a lot of discussion, but I've never seen any hard data that says you ruin a magazine spring if you keep mag loaded. If that's a big concern, keep 15 in the mag, go to the range occasionally, fire them off, then put the other mag into the cycle.

My GF is a cop... that like many cops doesn't shoot other than when required for qualification. Keeps her service Glock's mags loaded all the time, months long periods of time, doesn't come home and empty them out every day. No issues ever.
 
Whatever you do, buy the gun before you get married and keep the receipt. That way, if you live in a community property state, she can't get your guns when you get divorced a few years from now. Your guns will be considered "sole and seperate property," since you obtained them before you were married.
 
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