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Best Inexpensive Firearms

I love cheap guns and have a few that are mentioned in the article (Taurus 856, Citadel 1911, Ruger 10/22). I've read great things about the SAR and Canik polymer handguns, and believe that the SAR9 is currently the best striker-fired polymer gun for the money. The only reasons I haven't bought a SAR9 are that I already own several polymer 9mm's and the mags are expensive (if you can find them). I'd pick up a SAR metal-framed CZ clone in a heartbeat if I could find one in-stock, and my TriStar L120 (CZ75 clone) is one of my favorite guns to take to the range. I'm not a fan of Turkish politics, but some of their guns are fantastic.
 
While cheap guns have always appealed to budget-minded buyers, I think the current situation may have caused an unexpected shift. From what I have seen at stores and from online sellers, the midrange ($400-$800) guns are the ones that are sold out. The "cheap" guns have gone up in price by $25-$100 depending on model, but they still appear to be available. The guns in the $1200+ price range also seem to always be in stock.

I think that those of us who already liked guns, whether to avoid a price hike or possible legislation, have been purchasing our bucket list guns or the mid-range guns we were always curious about. The first batch of new gun buyers seem to have mainly purchased offerings from well-known manufacturers, which just happened to be the mid-range guns.

I don't think many current first time buyers are intentionally buying cheap guns. I think they would be perfectly willing to buy a $500-$600 gun from one of the few brands they have heard of, but those guns just aren't available. These buyers just want to leave the shop with a reliable firearm, and are unwilling or unable to buy a $1500 race gun.

If the cheaper brands are reasonably reliable, I think there is a good chance that this market will create a lot of new SAR and Canik fans. It shouldn't be too difficult to appear reliable because the current buyers won't be able to purchase more than about 100 rounds of ammo. I'm interested to see what the market looks like when this crisis passes.
 
I’ve got a Rossi .32 S&W Long that’s just plain fun to shoot; paid under $200 for it.

Same for my Beretta 81’s in 7.65/.32acp—they were just over $300.

Had a Czech CZ52 in 7.62x25 that I paid $89 at a gun show circa 2003 or so, and a Polish P64 Radom 9x18 that ran $159 at about the same time.

Cheap (but good) guns, in my book = surplus guns.
 
I like my few Rugers. LCP, LCP max, SR-40, LC9S. Not top of the line but all of mine always shoot and cycle reliably, and the LC9S is very easy to conceal carry (thou my new Hellcat Pro has recently become my most carried now).

Spent much more on a sig P238 Scorpion 10 years ago that took me a few years to get it where it was reliable. Still not real comfortable with it. So money doesn't always equate to reliability!
 
I have two cheap handguns. I have a KelTec PF9 that has always been reliable except when I tried to run Rem. Golden Sabre through it. Anything else it doesn't miss a beat and I have carried it many miles for protection.

The other is an NAA .22 LR revolver w/ 1.625" BBL. While cheap , it is very well made.
 
The Croation made HS2000 was considered a "cheap but good" polymer pistol according to many. That is the only criticism I have seen about the Springfield Armory XD line. Springfield had Hrvatski Samokres stamp their name and logo on their pistols and sold them at twice the price.

At least Springfield added the XD-M, XD-Elite and others to the line with the improvements and upgrades that justified the price.
 
RickAnderson said:
The Croation made HS2000 was considered a "cheap but good" polymer pistol according to many. That is the only criticism I have seen about the Springfield Armory XD line. Springfield had Hrvatski Samokres stamp their name and logo on their pistols and sold them at twice the price.

At least Springfield added the XD-M, XD-Elite and others to the line with the improvements and upgrades that justified the price.
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I paid $500 for an XD Mod 2 4" .45 that's one of the most reliable and accurate guns I own. Doesn't seem like twice the price to me. And it came with 4 mags and a case.
 
papa said:
I have two cheap handguns. I have a KelTec PF9 that has always been reliable except when I tried to run Rem. Golden Sabre through it. Anything else it doesn't miss a beat and I have carried it many miles for protection.

The other is an NAA .22 LR revolver w/ 1.625" BBL. While cheap , it is very well made.
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I too am a fan of KelTec in general, and the PF9 specifically. I actually carried a PF9 for several years, then got the Hellcat for the extra capacity. Really liked the feel of the Hellcat and the extra rounds, so made it my EDC. Still own the PF9 and will always have a special place in my heart and my safe for it. Often take it to the range as I would an 'old friend'.

Both guns have been flawless and will eat just about everything. Did have a minor issue at first with the PF9, but it turned out to be the mags rather than the gun or ammo. The front edge of the mag for some reason just didn't like a couple brands of JHP's and would feed the first round, then snag the 2nd one. After a slight mod to the lip of the mag, no more issues after several hundred rounds of all kinds.

As an aside, my wife will occasionally carry the PF9 in place of her Judge if she's using a smaller than usual purse when she goes out.

Oh yeh, since this was about 'cheap' handguns ..... I also have a small "Phoenix" brand .22LR semi-auto I bought several years ago. Not even sure they're still in business ..... but was typically considered by many a 'Saturday Night Special'. It was actually a pretty neat little .22 semi although it had a very unique way of field stripping. It also had irritating little snafu relative to a mag interlock. That was an easy enough fix though, and after that fix the little gun is a lot of fun.
 
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