Let's talk about any "cheap" gun that works and works well. In other words a firearm that is reliable and does not cost much to own.

First on this list is a couple of pistols. One is a Tisas and the other is a sweet little Charter Arms Undercoverette. Tisas 1911s Ive talked about before and they are a very affordable but most importantly reliable pistols. Mine was only around $400 and it has an all hammer forged frame slide and barrel something you only see on guns that cost double or triple the cost of the Tisas.

The Undercoverette is a wonderful small revolver that only weighs a little over 13 ounces loaded and most importantly it is loaded with six 32 magnums which is nothing to sneeze at for sure. This one is fitted with a Barami hip clip that negates the need of a holster where you can ride this gun for maximum concealment Magnum Pi style. Im going to get into the Charters more later. So what do you have?" Thanks for looking!

Back in the 1980's there was a "Street Sweeper". A cheap 12 ga pump shotgun, pistol grip, 18" barrel and a 12 rnd drum magazine. You could mail order one to your FFL for under $200.

I didn't buy one then, but now wish I did.

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2B1ASK1

Oh, I've got one...



The Smith & Wesson Sigma SW40VE
This is one of the classic gang bangers from the mid 90s clear on to today. A budget-priced pistol based on those produced by Glock which unfortunately became popular with street thugs due to their low cost. Fortunately, these pistols have a notoriously heavy trigger which often results in a tendency among inexperienced shooters to pull low-left, and they don't feed reliably if you limp wrist them either, so anything but a point blank shot was likely to end up off target, not to mention malfunction in the hands of your typical mook marksman who prefers to fire them sideways without even bothering to use the sights at all.

That being said, they're actually decent pistols, as this one has been my primary Winter Carry Gun since I bought it back in 2019 for a mere $199.

UPDATE:
The SW40VE has since been replaced by a newer model known as the SD40VE, but it's pretty much the same gun with some aesthetic tweaks and an improved trigger.

The Ruger LCP is likewise an excellent, yet inexpensive pistol, albeit not one which is particularly popular with the criminal element as far as I know. The one pictured is actually a 10th Anniversary model, yet it was still cheap at $230, and standard models obviously run substantially lower. I've seen them sell for as little as $150, which is an outstanding value for such a great little pistol. What it lacks in power it more than makes up for in sheer carry comfort. This sweet baby is almost always in my pocket, even when I'm just walking around the house, because it honestly takes more effort to leave it behind than it does to take it with me.

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Shooting Comfort is bilateral.

Of course, there is always the Hi-Point. Pictured is my one and only. It is a Haskell. I have had it for years and bought it as a LE Trade-In. I suspect it was a confiscation.

I have never had it fail me, and it could serve as a boat anchor if need be.

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I had a High Point that shot anything but it did finally work the rear
"Plastic sight" loose , and it needed a new sight to fix the problem.

Did you know that they are made in the USA ? !!

My CZ 82 in 9x18 Makarov that I bought for 149.00 years ago wins for me.
Reliable as the day is long.

Randy

The Raven .25 acp. Yep, it was cheap junk. Sold for around $30 or less brand new. But the darned things go bang every single time. I have one and its never jammed or misfired.

Maybe the "king" of this category at $150:

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My partner's little brother has a Haskell.

Taurus G2 or G3. They can use Sig P226 or 229 mags too. The G2C comes in a .40 S&W too.

I'll take a wild leap as to the OP's now rephrased intentions : That the emphasis is on current production , and not so much guns that were once plentiful surplus , nor models that for a period of time were blown out by a mfg for cheap to make way for a subsequent model or variation . ( In S&W context , after the Shield 2.0 came out , I bought the daughter an Original Shield for $199 after rebate .)

Hi Points . The pistols are AMC Pacer Ugly , unbalanced , are picky with jhp, and embarrassing to be seen with . But they reliably go bang with fmj , and you can't wear them out even when you try to torture test to destruction .

Since 1911's were evoked , Turkey and the Philippines are in a price/ value war , with a plethora of brand names , but from only a handful of actual factories .

Bersa's remain excellent values

I'll have to disagree about Ravens . My 1982 purchased had about a 20 lb trigger pull ( NOT a joke ) , making it essentially unusable even as a belly gun . The 1st Gen safey wouldn't self disengage if you even thought about looking at it , making it essentially uncarryable except in condition 3 . And they were notorious for breaking fine pins , then the owners were shock that the firing pin plus even a modest shop minimum fee added to more than the cost of the gun new . Later descended generations , under different brand names did have better triggers , and safeties on par with typical cheap pocket guns .

Probably my most "bang for the buck" is my RIA 1911 .45 acp. Payed under $300 for it maybe 2009 or so. I made a set of stag grips for it, and have since mounted a Burris Fastfire red dot on it. About 1500 rounds, mostly lead hard ball handloads with reliability and accuracy. I have payed less for a gun, but this one is at the top of my cost / enjoyment ratio... Gun on the right in the pic.

Larry

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Old Bridgeport Charter Arms Undercover. Not "cheap", but "affordable". I shoot it better than either my 642 or 36.

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John

I picked up this Star "Ultra Star" single stack, DA/SA, 9mm a couple of months ago, for less than $300, with two magazines, which in today's market is pretty decent, at least in my world. I don't shoot it a lot, but when I do, it's both reliable and surprisingly accurate. As a size comparison, it's a little smaller than a Smith and Wesson Model 39-2.

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John 3:16 .

Mine is a 9mm RIA 1911. It has good sights and is totally reliable.

Probably saved yourself a lot of headache that you didn't buy one. In 1994, the Treasury Department issued a finding that the Striker-12 and Streetsweeper shotguns did not have a sporting purpose. Since they have bore diameters over .50 inch (as do all 12ga and 20ga shotguns), this redefined them as Destructive Devices under the NFA. As such, existing ones had to be registered with the ATF, and sale of one today requires a $200 tax stamp and the standard NFA transfer process.

My Charter Arms Pitbull .45 ACP. Not as inexpensive as most of the examples thus far, but it's the perfect truck gun for me. .45 ACP goodness without needing moon clips.

I did buy one, and it was a fun toy to blast tin cans with in spite of its awkwardness, awful trigger pull, heaviness, lack of accuracy and the fact that it was miserably slow to reload. The ATF then made it a class III firearm and insisted that it had to be registered, sold or turned in. I sold it at a loss to a class III dealer, and the whole deal really ticked me off that I had to do so. Existing pre-ban guns should have been grandfathered, but no....

John

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- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

The SCCY CPX 9mm’s... cheap, reliable, revolver-safe, holds 11 rounds of 9mm in a package lighter than a Glock 26.

Light enough to have a little snap!

I’ll nominate my SCCY CPX-1 9mm. I bought mine used for $175 about two years ago, in its original box with two magazines. It appeared to be unfired. Probably the safest 9mm mini ever made. It has a fairly heavy DAO trigger pull, an external safety, and is absolutely drop proof. Mine is 100% reliable with 115 and 124 grain RN loads, and shoots respectable 3” groups at 7 yards, with dead-on sights. It’s all I need in a carry gun. SCCY now has several somewhat improved models.Prices are very reasonable. All have lifetime guarantees.

I have been very happy with my Walter P22, maybe not quite "cheap" but reasonable. Frequently get stuck in my pocket on long walks. Always fun at the range

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Kind regards, Heinz

Charter Arms is a good bang for the buck. Here is a target I shot, standing, double-action with mine at 15 yards.

Canik.
Basic gun all the way up to the most elaborate.
My first USPSA gun was TP9sf, cost me $299 with 2 15rd mags, holster, etc, new. Upgraded to a Walther PPQ5 Match, but the Canik was just as good. Never had and issue and just bought a Canik Elite sc.

PSA Dagger, a 9mm Glock 19 gen 3 clone.

I paid $299 for one, just to see if they are any good. The one I got digests even ****** ammo, and is accurate to boot, right out of the box. It even like the extended capacity ETS magazines.

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Only a cold warrior

I agree with the OP about the Tisas 1911's. They are a great bang right out of the box.

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Live long and prosper

Highly recommend the G3C - local chain currently is running them on sale this month at $199.99 - and they come from the factory with three 11 round magazines. Like many others these days it's basically a Glock, but a well done version. Never been much of a fan of Taurus revolvers, but these little semi autos (they make a full sized G3) are an under the radar bargain for us gun snobs. (Yeah, I said it !) If it gets damaged or goes over the side of the boat or quarantined until the case is resolved - big deal. At that price I'll just go get another . . . .

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Qui plantavit curabit

My GSG 1911-22......22 LR caliber. Goes bang every time I pull the trigger.

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S&W Accumulator

I’ve owned a Charter Arms Bulldog .44 Spl for over a decade and while I don’t run particularly hot loads thru it, mines seen between 500-600 rounds and it’s been great. Additionally I have a Maverick 88 12 Ga pump that I think I paid $160 for and it’s perfectly reliable.

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Some Might Say.

Bersa Thunder 380. They work. They're small. Not expensive.

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Brassmonkey/ a coastal Canuck.

But today, you can buy a shotgun that takes magazines, and get a drum or long stick magazine anyway. The ATF is just plain goofy sometimes.

Overall design stolen from KelTec P-11, which uses 59 or 69 series 9mm magazines too.

I’ll kill two birds with one stone in this post.

I own a total of three 9mm Star BM (bottom) pistols and all of them cost me under $300 each with a spare magazine.

I also bought a lightly used Citadel officer framed sized 1911 in 9mm for $350.

Both are accurate, reliable with both FMJ and my carry hollow points, and nicely sized for a 9mm 1911.

I bought an RIA Baby Rock a few years after they were introduced partly because I’d heard good things about it, partly because of the longer barrel and the positive impact that has on .380 terminal ballistics, and partly because it was inexpensive at just under $300.

It more accurate than my Kimber Micro and just as reliable, and like my Kimber Micro, has never had a malfunction.

Felt recoil is a bit more and it’s heavier, but it still carries and conceals easily and gives the same excellent performance for about half the money.

I picked up a very lightly used RIA 1911 Rock Ultra from a shop who’d gotten it back from a shooter who decided a 1911 in .45 ACP was too much gun for him. $500 with two holsters and a half dozen spare magazines.

Not Bullseye accurate but on par with non match 1911s, very reliable, and a nice low profile adjustable rear sight. I’m not a bit fan of the front sight, but that’s me, no fault of the sight.

I picked up one of the CC models used for under $200. It came with one mag and FTF on the 3rd or 4th round the first time I shot it. Disassembled the mag and cleaned out the crud and it never failed again in any way. Several spare magazines and a pocket holster later it went to my daughter-in-law. Still ticking last I heard.

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I need ammo, not a ride.

I’m not normally a Rossi fan as quality on the pre 1989 Rossi handguns was spotty and in the post buyout by Taurus Rossi firearms the the buyer is a large part of the quality control process.

But I picked up this Interams imported M88 Rossi revolver with no particular worries as Interams had high standards specified for their imports and stuff with their label on it generally works well.

Buying it for $225 was a good move and it’s proven to be very nice to shoot and not far behind my S&W Model 36 and Model 60s in terms of feel and performance.

It’s a nice stainless steel 5 shot J frame sized pistol, with nice Rossi logo Pachmayer grips. For about half the price of a Model 36 in similar condition.

I've had one for over 20 years and I cannot make fail. A lot of detail in that gun for the price.

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Music/Sports/Beer fan

I picked up my Tisas 1911-A1 about six months ago. Great remake of a WWII version

Where did you find one that cheap in the last 10 years?

I picked up two of these over the years. It’s a Zastava CZ-99 Precision. It was imported by Remington for a few years as the Model 5, and both of mine have Model 5 stocks (picked up from Stocky’s stocks for $25 each after they bought Remington’s left over stock inventory).

I got one for $150 and the other for $175 a year or so later. They are currently being imported by Zastava USA as the MP22.

They are 1.5 MOA 5 shot at 100 yards accurate with Sk Std Plus, not quite on part with my various CZ 452, 453 and 455 Americans and Varmints, but close, and for 1/3 the cost.

They are also well made.

Here's one that's current production, and a little more expensive than most that we've been talking about, but at $505 out the door, just last week, I think it's a pretty good for a Hi-Power copy.

Girsan MC P-35, a Copy of the P-35 Hi-Power. I just got it back from the range where I put about 75 rounds through it without a bobble. Heck, I was even able to hit the target with it, so it's gotta be good.



My target (21 feet). Not much to brag about but the gun seems to work.

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John 3:16 .

"Cheap" is relative these days and mostly bears little resemblance to what it meant even five years ago.


My Glock 43X at $560 two years ago works for me.

I carry it AIWB in a Galco Royal Guard GEN 2 holster.

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Chris S.
Fort Lauderdale, FL

I've got a Charter Arms Off-Duty .38 that I was given to me by my mom years ago when she upgraded to a LadySmith (a decision that she still regrets). I shoot it well - so well, in fact, that I bought a Charter Arms Southpaw ($300). I keep both in a Galati Gear double pistol case, along with 20 speedloaders in the mag holders. These little revolvers are reliable, accurate, and a lot of fun.

Several years ago, I bought a Ruger EC9s in 9mm. It holds 7 + 1 and it is light and handy. The slide has fixed integral sights, but mine shoots to point of aim. I carry it in my front right trouser pocket, in an Allen pocket holster.

We have copperheads and timber rattlers here in the mountains, so I bought some CCI shotshells. When I went to shoot it with these loads, lo and behold, this little Ruger actually feeds them! So, when I'm out on the land, in addition to the extra mag full of hollow points that I always carry, I tote a second mag filled with shotshells.

The price? Rural King had a sale when I bought mine & I got it for $179. Currently, the cheapest price I have found is $249.99 & that is at Rural King.

Ruger(R) EC9s(R) Centerfire Pistol Models

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

Late 2015 CDNN was advertising SAR ARMS B6Ps for $244.95. The B6P is basically a Turkish polymer framed 17rd 9mm CZ75 clone. Before making the purchase, I did a lot of research and the consensus was that it was pretty much indestructible. Other than some sharp edges and mold lines that were easy to smooth out and remove the gun has been a flawless traditional da/sa performer.

Not sure how reliable but here is a nice collection of inexpensive firearms.

zipgun | Impro Guns | Page 3

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Thirty characters. Exactly...

I must agree with the Tisas1911 full size. I bought a pretty cool-looking set of stocks for it and it's very reliable AND looks cool all at the same time; haven't had any failures yet and it hits paper at 25 yards. (The paper that I'm actually aiming at.) So far I've only run FMJs, but they work. I also bought an ATI 1911and I was very impressed: my 1st shot I barely was back at my space (nobody else was around), pointed, and bang dead center. The other 7 hit about the same spot. It's never failed. My son confiscated from me and he & his wife both love the accuracy. .45ACP is a nice equalizer! Then, my EDC is a Ruger EC9S and 15 yards is the max for accuracy, but I trust my life enough to keep it as an EDC; never failed to fire or anything. All 3 guns added up MIGHT fetch $1000 on a good day. Inexpensive, yes; cheap, NO. I never heard anything bad about those RIA 1911s, but I don't own one yet.
About a year or so back I posted that I wanted to get a nice 1911, maybe around +/- $2500, but since I got that Tisas those plans are long gone.
Good thread, lots of good ideas.

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There's a Monster on the loose

Gen 2 Glocks $275-$325 is hard to beat.
$50-$120 Mossberg 500's and $100-$160 Remington 870's.

Here's another one that is current production. Picked it up at Sportsman's Warehouse for about $270.00 NIB. Walther PPK/S in 22 Long Rifle. I know there are a lot of people who don't like these, but I thought I'd give it a try. Never owned one before.

At the range yesterday, in the S/A mode, it worked like a champ, but for some reason, regular 22 ammo (Federal bulk pack) wouldn't eject the first round when fired D/A. Shoot it S/A it went "blap" every time. Tried some Winchester Super X, same thing. Then I dug out a box of CCI Stingers with a 32 grain bullet, and it was off to the races. S/A, DA...it didn't matter the little gun just cracked. The D/A trigger is awful I admit. At least it's heavy, about 15-16 pounds I've read...my gauge doesn't go that high, but reasonably smooth. The S/A isn't bad at all though.



We've only got 100 rounds or so through it, so I'm hoping a little breaking in will take care of the D/A trigger problem. I'm going to try some more ammo through it too. If not I'll just pick up some more Stingers or Mini-Mags for it. It's not a long range gun but at the 3-5-7 yard range it just cut the X out of the target like one of those BB gun things at the fair. A load of fun really.

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John 3:16 .

I have two Windicators that fit the bill. A 357 2” nickel plated model and a blue 38 spl 4”. The 357 has about 5000 rounds through it with no problems. The 38 is newer and has maybe 1000 rounds fired. Both sturdy, not as ‘pretty’ as a S&W or Colt, but they do the job. Paid about $300.00 a piece for them several years ago. Good shooters.