Cheapest Gun you consider Good not SW

[Wyatt Burp]

These Great Western single actions were dirt cheap up to a few years ago. This one was my Dad's that he got in the late 50s or around there. I had it refinished for him in the 1980s. It's a .44 special rebuilt to better than new internally by master Colt and Great Western gunsmith Jim Martin. These are often confused with the foreign Hawes but were made in Los Angeles entirely.

 

[Bat Guano]

"Cheap" and "good" don't normally belong in the same sentence. Are you talking "cheap" over the short term or the long term? If the thing goes "click" instead of "boom" at the worst possible time, I hope you will think it was all worthwhile.

A reliable S&W or Ruger wheelgun will do, as will an (argh) new or used Glock.

All this reminds me of a guy in the early 1970s in a quandary over whether to buy a Chevy Vega or a half ton pickup. He bought the Vega.

 

[LoboGunLeather]

By "good" I presume that you mean consistently reliable, reasonably accurate, and sufficiently powerful for personal defense use.

By "cheapest" I presume that you mean inexpensive when compared to most others available.

Based upon those two presumptions I would recommend the Makarov (Russian, Bulgarian, or East German, military rather than commercial models), the Polish P64, and the CZ82. All are reasonably available at attractive prices and are chambered for the 9X18 Makarov round, something like a .380ACP on steroids. Simple, durable, reliable and effective for the purpose.

You could also look around and probably find a very good used S&W Model 10, 12, or 64 in .38 Special for under $300, in which case you would have a very good handgun for personal defense, and ammunition would be both easier to find and less expensive.

 

[Lost Lake]

I bought an old Ruger Standard 30ish years ago, and never had a moments trouble.

I picked up a Taurus .357 25 years ago and that thing is rock solid reliable.

But my most recent purchase, knowing what I know and wanting a gun that will outlive me and my heirs, I picked up a Ruger SP101.

Only because I couldn't find the S&W I wanted.

.

 

[ACP230]

I have a stainless Charter Pathfinder .22 that shoots accurately and works well. Had an Charter Undercover .38 for a while too. I think the Pathfinder is a better gun.

 

[Kframes4me]

My cheap EDC is a Ruger LCP. Two years and a 100 rounds a month and I still love it. Replaced $3 guide rod but that was my choice. Love it !

 

[pharmer]

Kel Tec PF 9. $250 and most work all the time. Joe

 

[TAROMAN]

Several possibilities.
Taurus 441.
A 696 isn't a 4x better gun in my experience.

Czech VZ.82 probably the best $500 gun you can buy for $200.

 

[duppie]

My little Taurus 605 .357 with a 3 inch barrel.... I must have got lucky,this one has over 800 rounds of everything from wad cutters to supposed hot .357 loads cycled through her without any issues.
I did install Wolff springs and hand buffed a bit so while it doesn't break like my Smiths,It has smoothed out quite a bit and I remain quite impressed by this little gun.

Paid $315.00 NIB with NICS and transfer.

 

[Texas Star]

I'd look really hard for a used S&W M-64. Would take a clean M-10, but prefer stainless. Would try to find a nice set of used Pachmayr Presentation grips, or Uncle Mike's.

A Ruger DA .357 would also be a high priority purchase.

In autos, the 9mm CZ-75B has been fairly cheap at Academy Sports. Mine was accurate and reliable.

 

[Texas Star]

[URL="http://i1287.photobucket.com/albums/a628/currymouth/Bang%20Bang/012_zps3db872d8.jpg"] [/URL]
My little Taurus 605 .357 with a 3 inch barrel.... I must have got lucky,this one has over 800 rounds of everything from wad cutters to supposed hot .357 loads cycled through her without any issues.
I did install Wolff springs and hand buffed a bit so while it doesn't break like my Smiths,It has smoothed out quite a bit and I remain quite impressed by this little gun.

Paid $315.00 NIB with NICS and transfer.

And the grips?

 

[duppie]

And the grips?

$23.00 shipped.

 

[Smithsrevenge]

Taurus. but only 2.

PT92AF 9mm. Eats anything, never jams, doesnt die easily

and the PT1911AF. Same as the above but so much sweeter *non rail*.

Other than that I dont buy cheap pistols. EVER .

 

[LVSteve]

You cannot go wrong with any of the CZ-75 clones.

As for revolvers, I believe that the Armscor M200 series is a robust piece as are the Windicator (German?) series.

 

[DaSandmanCometh]

I have a Taurus Raging Bull in 44 mag, and the raging bull series is there premier line I guess from what I've been told. But that thing shoots every bit as good as my 629, anaconda, and SB. But I've also seen on the Taurus forums that it's really hit or miss with them. Good thing is they seem to have a great customer service from what I've read. All the Taurus 1911's that I've shot have seemed to be good guns and comparable to lower to mid-end Springfield 1911's. The revolvers I can't say too much about as I don't have much experience with other brand revolvers under the 44 mag caliber.

 

[walnutred]

I paid $219 for this CZ82 and it's as accurate and reliable as anything in my safe.

I have a CZ82 I bought several years ago at about the same price and I am very happy with it. So much so that my wife carried it for about a year after she got her CCW until she found something she like better.

Then one of my sisters called and said one of my nephews was working though his last two years of college (Masters in something or other) as an armed guard and had to provide his own sidearm. He was going to buy a High Point C9 because it was what he could afford and she wanted to know what I thought. I told her I had nothing against the C9 but to save his money and borrow the CZ. After some training and range time with me he had no problem passing the qualifications course and carried the CZ82 for a couple years.

 

[S&W45Colt]

I've done well with Taurus Revolvers, as well as Charters. They are not my carry or primary guns, but they shoot well enough and fill the hide out gun niche. I see no point in spending $600-800 for a gun that's stuck under a table/held by a magnet that gets shot twice a year to make sure it goes bang.

Most of their triggers are not as good as S&W, but I have a Charter .32 Mag that's the best trigger I have.

 

[wildenout]

I actually really enjoyed my Cobra Arms 9mm Derringer ($60 for me since my buddy runs an LGS). It shot every time I pulled the trigger for the 350 rounds I put through it, course it hurt and I could barely hit anything. Sold it off though for the .22lr version and the thing doesn't work at all!!! Went in for repairs last week, but I dunno. Now REAL guns, I would have to say if it's below $400 new I prolly wouldn't trust it.

 

[H Richard]

I have a IZH 35M .22 RF pistol I bough new several years ago for $400 that I will put up alongside any Mod 41 or High Standard for accuracy and reliability. It is a true match pistol and will hold it's own along side just about any out of the box international match pistol, (which cost more like $1200++). The Russians know how to build a gun, superb where it needs to be, and not so much to look at. No effort to put any kind of finish on it, just a rough matte black finish, but oh the barrel and the 5 way adjustable trigger.

 

[sigp220.45]

$250 brand new, out the door.