Is no gun better than cheap junk?

2

2DaMtns

New member
I was replying to another post and something I said reminded me of something. When I was younger, I was the not-so-lucky owner of some less-than-reliable semi-autos. At the time, I thought a cheap gun was better than none, but my feelings on this are changing.

Nowdays, I feel that no gun may be better than a cheap (read - not reliable) gun. Why? Well, I feel that, if faced with a situation where a gun may be needed, you are going to react differently if you actually have a gun on you. Now, if you pull out a paper weight with 8 or 10 rounds of ammo in it for added weight, you are probably up the creek without a paddle. Now, had you not had a gun at all, you'd probably handle things differently.

I used to tell people who asked me what gun to start out with that a cheap gun was better than nothing at all (although I did tell them to go with a cheaper revolver, I just never had the opportunity to practice what I preached). Anymore, I think I am gonna tell them to take the money they'd use on a cheap gun and use it as a layaway payment on something worth laying your life on its dependability. But I guess it varies from situation to situation. If I lived in an inner city with a lot of gang activity, I would probably change my mind.

What are your thoughts on the matter?
 
I still think a cheap gun is better than no gun in all cases. While a $150 HiPoint may be butt ugly, heavier than a brick, etc., it still does the job the vast majority of the time. A cheap gun in a sub-par caliber is another matter. Anyone walking around with a pot metal .25 auto that considers themselves well armed is foolish.
 
You can have a problematic gun for range or plinking use, occasional jams etc. do not matter there, up to the point they are so bad that you cannot stand it for that. If they are collectable that helps some. Cheap junk is just no good for SD unless you can work with them to get them reliable, or just melt them down, they are mostly zinc guns anyway. You want the bad guys to have the guns that click or jam. So they serve that purpose!
 
One could choose cheaper or unreliable products among items such as paper plates, scotch tape, kids' crayons, and probably not realize too many consequences.

In the realm of pulling out a firearm to protect life, reliability and quality have to be considered among the top priorities.

Unless one just likes to take risk and get killed.
 
While a $150 HiPoint may be butt ugly, heavier than a brick, etc., it still does the job the vast majority of the time.
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What if you just had a heart attack and you are laying in the ER and the cardiac surgeon comes in the room and tells you that you need open heart surgery but not to worry, since he is successful "the vast majority of the time"!

If you chose to carry a gun for defensive purposes, the first thing on the list MUST be reliability.

Scott
 
If you are concerned about your safety...

and you absolutely only had let's say 50 bucks to spend... you'd be better off getting a really good knife with the longest blade your local law allowed.
 
If you chose to carry a gun for defensive purposes, the first thing on the list MUST be reliability.
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So it is better to carry no gun at all if one cannot afford one you approve of?

Look at it this way, a HP is going to go bang with the first shot every bit as reliably as any other handgun providing there is a round in the chamber.

isn't that worth more than nothing, even if the 2nd or 3rd or 4th round fails to feed? and there are plenty of pricey guns that have issues.

I know people who have had to sell all their guns because they determined they needed what the money could bring more than the guns. Are they wrong for doing so?
 
There are many great firearms available for about $200 or less...
Polish P64 in 9mm makarov, CZ82 being a couple examples. Others for a bit more would be the Romanian Tokarevs. CZ52's were around for $125 for a while. Sig P6's could be found for less than $300, more like $350 now.
I have run into S&W Model 10's for $175. What is your life worth?
 
Cheap, low quality guns are the way to go! They are without a doubt the single best insurance policy you can spend your hard earned money on!
 
Tough question, so think of it this way...

Think of carrying (an unreliable) cheap junk gun like driving an un-roadworthy car.

If you can hack it, bully for you! Just bear in mind that the practice can eventually get you killed.

Now a cheap, reliable piece, on the other hand, is a different story altogether. And, as has been pointed out before in this and other forums, such creatures definitely exist. You either seek them out, or make them so.

The operant word is "reliability".
 
I said
If you chose to carry a gun for defensive purposes, the first thing on the list MUST be reliability.
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And ilbob responded with
So it is better to carry no gun at all if one cannot afford one you approve of?
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I never said that so please do not put words in my mouth or twist my words. So what is the top priority for your SD gun? If its not reliability, then you are a fool, and will probably be a dead one.

ilbob goes on to say
Look at it this way, a HP is going to go bang with the first shot every bit as reliably as any other handgun providing there is a round in the chamber.
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This is the reason many people chose a revolver for SD. You put the cartridges in and you take the cartridges out therefore there is no question as to whether or not a round makes it from the magazine to the chamber.

ilbob continues
isn't that worth more than nothing, even if the 2nd or 3rd or 4th round fails to feed?
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If your first shot does not succeed in stopping the attack, chances are pretty good you won't get the chance to find out whether or not that 2nd, 3rd or 4th round will fire.

ilbob goes on to say
I know people who have had to sell all their guns because they determined they needed what the money could bring more than the guns. Are they wrong for doing so?
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People need food, they need shelter. If someone has to sell their guns to get something they truly need, they are doing the right thing. Personally, I would rather be fed and unarmed than starving with a gun in my hand.

Scott
 
What if you just had a heart attack and you are laying in the ER and the cardiac surgeon comes in the room and tells you that you need open heart surgery but not to worry, since he is successful "the vast majority of the time"!
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I'd feel fairly comfortable, as that is all any surgeon can say. Would you reject the surgery because it is only successful "the vast majority of the time"?
If your first shot does not succeed in stopping the attack, chances are pretty good you won't get the chance to find out whether or not that 2nd, 3rd or 4th round will fire.
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I don't think that is particularly accurate. Chances are if you have time to get off one round you will have time to get off multiple rounds.
 
What if you just had a heart attack and you are laying in the ER and the cardiac surgeon comes in the room and tells you that you need open heart surgery but not to worry, since he is successful "the vast majority of the time"!
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Nah . . .I'll just tell him I don't approve of his medical pedigree and it's probably best he just let me go ahead and die.
 
OK, maybe the cardiac surgeon wasn't very good. But what if the mechanic that just performed the maintenance on the engine of the airplane you have just boarded says that he does a good job "a vast majority of the time"?

If your gun works, you will probably get a chance to fire successive rounds, but ilbob said
isn't that worth more than nothing, even if the 2nd or 3rd or 4th round fails to feed?
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Scott
 
Depends on if I need to fly.
but ilbob said
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YOU said: "If your first shot does not succeed in stopping the attack, chances are pretty good you won't get the chance to find out whether or not that 2nd, 3rd or 4th round will fire." That was not accurate.
 
I look at it this way; If you're dead broke and can afford no more than $80-$150 to get a gun - any gun to protect yourself then by all means do so. I have a lot of good knives, but I'd take a cheap .22 over any of them.

Now, on the other hand, if you can afford a $300 gun or more and choose to get a bargain gun just because you are a cheapskate then so be it. But are you a fool for doing so . . . no doubt.
 
The last statistics I read put the percentage somewhere around ~98%... %98 of the time no shots need fired. The presentation of the weapon itself is enough of a deterrent.

Having said that... I'd gladly take an inexpensive gun over nothing for self defense.... Hell, i'd take a spray painted water pistol over nothing for self defense....
 
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