Whats the "cheapest" new gun for HD?

For home defense, the shotgun is definitely the ultimate. And the good thing about a shotgun, is that they don't really wear out. People don't usually put thousands upon thousands of rounds through their pump shotguns. As such, while you can indeed get a maverick for $170, you can also walk into most gun shops and pawn shops and buy a remington 870 or winchester for around $200. And personally, I would take a used remington 870 over a new maverick, if the price was close to being the same.

If you want to go with a pistol, the same rules apply. If you're only going to use it for home defense, you should look at a 357 magnum revolver. It doesn't matter if you are 4 foot tall and 90lbs, or 6 foot tall and 300lbs. You can find a load of ammunition to fit you. As light a load as a 380 or as heavy as a 41 magnum. Don't let people scare you into believing that you're going to get into a "Gunfight". Especially in your home. You don't need a semi-auto with 15-18 rounds in it. If that was the case, then a shotgun wouldn't be a good choice. And I don't know of anyone who would say that a 12 gauge shotgun isn't probably the best home defense weapon available.

If you're looking for a gun that you can also double up for carrying in public also, then the 357 magnum is still a great choice; but depending on what your needs are, there might be some semi-autos that would be better. And of course, if you can or will be having more than one gun, then you can specialize on different guns. Some are perfect for self defense (Out of the house), while they suck for home defense. Likewise, there are some that are perfect for home defense, but suck as a carry weapon. So, you could have both. Both that's something you have to decide. The hardest choice is when you're only going to have 1 gun, and want it to fulfill numerous purposes.

P.S. That $169 price for the maverick would NOT be the final price for you. That gun comes with a 28" barrel. That's almost IMPOSSIBLE to swing around in your home for defensive purposes. If you're looking for ONLY home defense, you want to find an 18" barrel if you can. The 28" will bang into walls and all sorts of things while you're moving about. Great for geese, sucks in the house.
 
Well, sticking with quality firearms, it would be that or a single-shot rifle from Wal-Mart. In handguns, it would be a Ruger P-series or S&W polymer frame model, along with some cheaper revolvers (Taurus 85, for example).

Technically, there are some trash guns you can get very cheaply. I don't know any of them very well, but there are some for less than $100. The HD requirement makes me think one would want reliability.
 
You can pick up a 6-shot Maverick 88 security 18.5" (really a Mossberg 500 with no bells and whistles) for the same price new. I have one, and it does everything a 870 can do. Don't get caught up in a brand war, as it's meaningless.
 
Check out the New England Firearms Pardner Protector. Very reliable well made shotgun. Mimics the 870 so much the internals will interchange as well as most accessories. Remington imports this shotgun btw.

Many great reviews on this shotgun. I've owned 2 of them and never had a single issue. They are chambered for 2 3/4 or 3".
 
You're correct that a brand war can be meaningless. But a remington 870 has nothing to do with the brand remington. That particular gun in know all over as being about the most reliable and dependable pump shotgun known to mankind. It's simply a matter of track record. And I simply said, that being you can get a good remington 870 for about the same price as a new Maverick, I would choose the remington 870. Especially considering that it's almost impossible to wear out a shotgun by the average shooter. Nothing wrong with a maverick. But for the same price, i choose the 870. I know what I'm getting with it. It has a much longer and proven track record.
 
If you are looking for a shotgun fr HD, then I suggest looking into something that has a 18" barrel. A 26" barrel is just too long when you are moving in and out of doorways and through hallways that can be rather cramped.

And since this is the handgun forum, the "cheapest" I usually go with is Ruger. That is not to say Ruger's are cheap guns, far from it. They are merely "inexpensive", because you get a whole lotta gun for your money. Ruger's all seem to be accurate, reliable, and built like a tank, all the while costing less than their competition. You can't go wrong with one.
 
What is the cheapest gun you can purchase new for home defense?

I was thinking this Maverick88 12 gauge shotgun for $169.99
Click to expand...

IMHO, you should think more in terms of reliability and quality than just price.

Your life and your loved one's lives may depend on it.

I think there are a great many shotguns available that are well made, reliable and good values.
 
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Parder Protector 870 clone imported by Remington is the best buy. Better fit and finish than the current production 870 Express for about $200.00. Thank you Remington for importing the Pardner "870." For about the same $$$ you can get the Winchester SXP (1300) which is the fastest pump gun action - my next 12 guage purchase -
Thank you Browning for importing the SXP "1300"
 
I vote for an S&W revolver in 38spcl.

They last seemingly forever, in fact the alot of people prefer to buy a used one because the trigger is "broken-in," they are heavy (IMHO too heavy) out of the box. Plus, they don't have to bother removing the internal lock which is standard on the new ones.

The .38spcl was/is still carried by law enforcement for 35+ years with a good track record.

You don't need friggin' magnum power in your house. If you find one for the same price then get it (b/c it gives you a choice of caliber) but don't pay extra. It's too powerful a round for inexperienced shooters and to say it's a "little loud" indoors without earplugs is a fair statement.

The revolver is the easiest handgun platform to operate and reliabilty is not a question.

You can find a police/brinks trade-in at J&G Gun Sales for under $250.

A second choice as mentioned by others is a 12ga shotgun. I recommend the 50+ year legacy of the Remington 870. They are solid and have smoother actions than the Mossbergs. The shotgun should have an 18-20" barrel. A brand new 870HD goes for about $375.00 and is available at Dick's Sporting Goods and other big box stores if you don't have a local gun store. 6rds of 00 buckshot should stop your problem.

The only thing to remember is the shotgun is harder to
manuever than the revolver. Plus, a small person may not be able
to handle the recoil or work the action.
 
What is the cheapest gun you can purchase new for home defense?
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Cheapest and for home defense shouldn't be in the same sentence however I understand where you are coming from.

If I were on budget, I'd look for a used Glock or a S&W or Ruger revolver. A handgun is a little easier to use in confined quarters.

If you are going shotgun, a Mossberg 500 is good choice with a lower price point. NEF mades some great single shots that pretty inexpensive as well.

No matter what you chose, it needs to be reliable so there is a trade off between price and reliability. A cheap gun that doesn't function when you need it too does you no good.
 
A good quality revolver will usually be worth more over time, and usually doesn't cost you anything to own. I have some S&W revolvers that I bought years ago that are now worth two to three times what I paid for them, making them a pretty good investment. If you can, pay what it takes to get a quality used revolver in excellent condition. When you sell it you will probably find that it was pretty cheap to own.
 
Well, the cheapest would likely be a crossman BB gun........though I would hate to have to try shooting a bad guy in the eye a bunch of times in the dark!:D

OK sorry for the joke! In reality if you are limited on cash, I agree that an inexpensive 12ga would be the way to go. Preferably one with a short barrel, for ease of mobility. Like others have said you DON'T want so cheap of a gun that reliability will be a known issue. Remember even the "best" name brands have bad days, if they didn't you wouldn't need any type of warranty.
 
Buy once, cry once. That being said, there are great inexpensive guns out there for home defense. A couple i'd recommend:

Revolver: Ruger GP100
Semi: Rock Island Armory 1911, Ruger P-Series, Trade in Glocks
Shotgun-Remington 870

Take a look at summitgunbroker. They usually have a good selection of used guns in good condition.
 
I'll throw in my vote for a Pump 12 ga., pretty much any Pump 12 ga. would suffice I think. I have a Remy 870 that I added a Blackhawk collapsable stock and forend, a buddy has a Maverick 88. When we go shoot, we bring the Shotties along as well, neither he nor I have had any issues at all with em.
 
I don't know why this thread was started in the hand gun forum but I'll play anyway. First ammo for any gun that you will use for defence (HD or SD) will cost you more in just the training period than the gun itself IMO. So a gun that is cheap doesn't end up so cheap if ammo is expensive. What cartridge it shoots is just if not more important than cost.

What's the cheapest? Think that would have to go to the Hi-Points. They're ugly as sin, heavy as lead and feel like a brick in your hands. But owners that get by the cosmetic/handling issues swear by their reliability. What ever you get, make sure it's utterly reliable and will go thru a minimum or 200-300 rounds (or more!) without a single hiccup. I can't think of another sub $200 centerfire "new" gun that is worth thinkin about. Would I own one? No, I can't get over the cosmetic/handling issues.

For shotguns, there all sorts of 12ga. shotguns that will fill the bill. Other than confirming their reliability on the range I can't think of one that would be called bad. Remington, Mossberg, Winchester, H&R, Stoeger etc etc.

LK
 
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Well.... How bout... A clean older pump, say, a mossberg 500- with a pistol grip. In some states I think it counts as a handgun!:D
 
HD firearm

I'd fire that weapon a few times at a target, and if the subject of me owning a weapon came up, I'd always mentions that I'd taken it out to try target shooting/skeet/hunting.

My opinion (IMHO):
Your reputation can be affected by the dumbest:
friend/fellow-worker/family member/neighbor
who claims to know you very well.
.
 
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