Looking for a budget pistol

A

Adizzle19

New member
I'm looking for a new or used pistol that fits close to a $200 budget. A tough task, but I'm hoping the TFL brain trust can help me out. Honestly, revolver/semiauto doesn't matter, and as long as it's in a caliber commonly stocked at Walmart/dicks/sporting goods stores I would be happy. Looking primarily for mag capacity of 10 rounds or less if it's a semi since I'm in Massachusetts which makes this search that much more difficult! In case you don't know, lots of pistols are wicked hard to find here, cheap ones specifically. So far I've been considering a BG380, H&R .22 revolver, or perhaps a milsurp .380/9mm to scratch my history itch.

May also consider a rifle or shotgun if I'm Really sold on it!
In advance, thanks!!!
 
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Onward Allusion beat me to it,,,

The hi Point C9 is one of the ugliest pistols ever designed,,,
It more closely resembles a drill than a gun.

But they are cheap and they work very well.

I have a friend who bought his along with 1,000 rounds of FMJ ammo,,,
The dang gun just keeps spitting out the bullets.

Lifetime warranty and made in the USA.

Click here please.

Aarond

.
 
I'm looking for a new or used pistol that fits close to a $200 budget. A tough task, but I'm hoping the TFL brain trust can help me out. Honestly, revolver/semiauto doesn't matter, and as long as it's in a caliber commonly stocked at Walmart/dicks/sporting goods stores I would be happy. Looking primarily for mag capacity of 10 rounds or less if it's a semi since I'm in Massachusetts which makes this search that much more difficult! In case you don't know, lots of pistols are wicked hard to find here, cheap ones specifically. So far I've been considering a BG380, H&R .22 revolver, or perhaps a milsurp .380/9mm to scratch my history itch.

May also consider a rifle or shotgun if I'm Really sold on it!
In advance, thanks!!!
Click to expand...

MA has an approved gun list, doesn't it? You have to get around that, too.

$200? HiPoint. Avoid like the plague the Jennings/Bryco/Jimenez/whatever-they-are-this-decade guns. Not worth the trouble, since you'll just have to end up replacing it anyway.

My local gunmonger of choice has a Norinco 9mm Tokarev, used, that he's wanting $200 for. He also sells the Taurus Gen 2 Milleniums for not a whole lot more.
 
Taurus 709FS Slim 9mm - about $210
Taurus PT111 9mm - about $250
SCCY INDUSTRIES CPX-2 9mm - about $240
 
Hate to tell all of you this: the ma approved roster doubles the price of guns which aren't on it. Taurus pistols might be 200$ new elsewhere, but here they're probably 350-500 depending on model and even if you can find one.

I guess based on circumstance it's hard to get a good idea of what may be out there. I'm actually trying to trade .45acp ammo that I don't have a gun for so just trying to get a sense of any pistols I may have overlooked.

Hi points simply don't exist in MA except the carbine...and now that I'm thinking of it I might want one lol.
 
$300 is easy. $200 is tough. CDI Sales on Gunbroker typically has some pretty good milsurp pistols for $250 or so. With shipping and an FFL handling fee, that would put you at about $300 OTD. The last time I looked they had S&W 9mm's and CZ 380's for that price.

Brand-new, Hi Point is probably your only choice. If you want to scrounge small gun shops and pawn shops and gun shows for a used gun...

Taurus made some very serviceable revolvers in 38spl and 357 that you can sometimes find used in the $200-250 range. I know that there is a place on Gunbroker that has some surplus Model 82's starting at $189 - you might find something similar at a gun show.

Star Super B's are excellent 1911-looking Spanish 9mm military surplus pistols that are sometimes still found in the low $200's.

Kel-tec makes some very unfancy but reliable pistols in 32acp, 380, and 9mm. You might find a used one in your price range. I own one of the 380's (P3AT) and it has been perfectly reliable for the five years or so that I've owned it.

The cheapest handguns that I've owned that are reasonable for SD have been a couple of H&R/NEF revolvers in 32 H&R magnum. The ammo is not cheap or easy to come by, but it is reasonable for SD and similar in "stopping power" to a medium 38spl load. They are not range toys and might not stand up to thousands or rounds of shooting, but I got little-used examples for $89 and $114 off of Gunbroker after being patient.

Good luck! Let us know what you end up with.
 
Um, in the haste, I forgot to ask - WHAT are you planning on using it for? Casual shooting, concealed carry (if you are lucky enough to have a CCW in MA), home defense, trunk gun . . . etc...
 
if you plan to do any kind of shooting beyond testing one magazine's worth thru it, your expenditures on ammo will far exceed the cost of the pistol, so keep saving and get a decent pistol. budget $500 for it.
 
As for intended use: I do have an LTC and a carry gun already (a couple, and most people with guns here do have the license which allows for carry). That said, the would probably be a range toy or zombie defense gun. Really I'm trying to turn the 600 rounds of .45 I have no use for into something I can have fun with for economic/practical fun. I already have 9mm pistols so if I could get another it would be nice. Or a 9mm carbine. I figure a pocket gun would work too since I don't have one, I probably wouldn't shoot it too much so ammo would need to have much stock on hand.

Ammo is one of the bigger issues. We can't order ammo online in MA and the only stores near me are pretty much Walmart and Dicks so I'd like to stick with the most common calibers.
 
Heh, I was in exactly the same boat. I had about 500 or 600 rounds of 45 that was just sitting there 'cause I'd sold all my 1911's. Didn't feel like selling the ammo so I went out and bought a Hi Point. The thing turned out to be the softest shooting 45 I'd ever shot, due to the massive slide. Too bad HP's are not on the MA list. :(
 
My new under $200 guns (I like them all)

Hi-Point C9
Phoenix HP-22A
Taurus TCP 380
Heritage Rough Rider 22 revolver
 
Sorry to say, precisely 0 of those guns are widely available in MA through normal channels! If they were this would be way easier...

Primarily looking for a pistol as I said, but I would be open to rifles like the hi point 995 which you can get here. Of course, AR lowers...
 
If available in Massachusetts, the Armscor M200/M206 revolvers sell for around $200. They're in .38 Special, which is commonly available in most Wal-Marts.

http://ezine.m1911.org/showthread.php?140-Armscor-M200-Series-Revolver-Review

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so you have 600 rounds of 45acp, worth say $400, and you want a pistol for about $200 to shoot the ammo up? why not sell or give it away?
 
not that long ago

You might watch for used S&W revolvers. Just a couple of years ago, a local shop was selling Model 10's, cosmetically rough, but functional, for $185 bucks.

You might not find one at that price again, but old S&W's surface in bulk now and again. I'd just as soon have one of those than one of the pot metal auto's.

And the Armscorp revolver comes to mind as mentioned earlier.
 
ok, so the ammo is worth about $250. that's retail. good luck selling ammo at retail prices to someone. you might get $200 for the lot.
 
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