I guess even cheap pistols have thier place

[DGNY]

Inexpensive Arms

The Second Amendment makes no distinction between the Smith & Wesson and the lowliest brand. To each his own.

Whether she could recite the Second Amendment or not, that lady knew her right to defend herself - and the youth got the message.

Regards,

Dyson

 

[walnutred]

Yesterday the news had a story about an 84 year old woman using a handgun to discourage a youth (who was just turning his life around BTW) from breaking down her front door. The police were able to apprehend the youth and even reloaded her pistol for her. After all, the police probably knew the local judicial system would have the youth back on the street before the story hit the news.

Anyway, the story mentioned the woman owned a 22 revolver and they had her holding what looked like a RG, Falcon or another of those black, aluminum framed revolvers you could buy for $19.95 in the 70's. It had probably been setting loaded since the 70's "just in case".

 

[Jellybean]

I have an unexplainable fondness for cheap firearms. As long as they shoot reliably is doesn't really matter how cheap they are made, how ugly they may look or how little they cost.

A few of my former fellow officers would make fun of anyone carrying a cheap handgun until I showed them what they could really do. They may not last a lifetime but if you're on the wrong end of one they'll last longer than yours.

 

[G.T. Smith]

RG, wow, that brings back some bad memories. I had an RG .22revolver that threw as much lead backward as it did forward. I tried to hit a beer can from about 10 feet and missed it. It really hurt to shoot it. I sold it for 7 bucks and went and got a 12 pk.

gordon

 

[therevjay]

I'm a lot like "Jellybean". The cheapies are kinda interesting. And they will do what a gun is 'sposed to, even if they won't stand up to prolonged use. (because thats not what they were made for)

 

[truckemup97]

I have two RGs. One is a great little gun; the other is a paperweight. Ya pays yer money and ya takes yer chances.

 

[Krull]

I've had it in mind to go buy a Hi-Point in 9MM or .45 for the hell of it,I know they're ugly SOB's and may not last forever but it'd be fun to just try out

And hell it's under $200.

 

[snakeman32]

I have a raven arms .25 auto that I paid $20 for at a gun show. That stupid liitle thing shoots every time you pull the trigger. I was shocked.


snakeman

 

[TennTony]

I have an I.N.A. copy of a S&W snubby I bought for $35 in 1969. Groups well when I do my part but it is definitely not a Smith & Wesson. I also have a couple $80 Marlin .22 rifles I got on sale at Dick's 2 years ago. Perfect for leaving in a vehicle with a brick of ammo 'just in case'.

 

[mlk18]

I picked up an FIE Titan .25acp a long time ago for $25. Took it to the range and was floored to find that it shot POA and never malfunctioned once in 25 rounds. Second range session, more of the same. All told I probably put 250 trouble free rounds through it. Gave it away a year or so later but learned not to dismiss anything as junk until I knew personally it was junk.

 

[GatorFarmer]

20-25 dollars was a lot of money "back in the day". Once upon a time both Sig P210s and S&W 39s (before they were called that) retailed for around 120 to 130 dollars (suggested retail price).

I've had decent luck with cheap guns though. My wife has a Lorcin .25 that I traded a couple of boxes of .45 ammo to get her. Seems oddly functional once I cleaned it and put a nice set of pink grips on it for her.

 

[CajunBass]

I've had it in mind to go buy a Hi-Point in 9MM or .45 for the hell of it,I know they're ugly SOB's and may not last forever but it'd be fun to just try out

And hell it's under $200.

I did buy one of the 9mm's a few years ago. That thing runs like a new car. I put a couple thousand rounds through it back when 9mm ammo was cheap. IIRC, I had a half dozen malfunctions in that run, and four of them came out of one box of "range reloads" so I suspect they were more ammo related than gun. It hits where I aim it about as well as any gun I own. I don't see any sign of what I'd call "unusual" wear on the thing.

It's no Smith & Wesson or Colt, or even a Glock, but it was $149.00 NIB when I got it. I don't shoot it anymore, but I do still have it. It's worth nothing on a trade, so I'll keep it, just in case.

 

[walnutred]

I've always had a fondness for the little H&R and IJ top break revolvers. I actually bought a Hi Point carbine a month or so ago just out of morbid curiosity. I had sold my 9mm pistol but still had a few thousand rounds of 9mm reloads. So I figured I'd use the carbine to plink up the reloads then sell it. Now I have no intention of selling it, too much fun.

I still miss those little Davis derringers you could buy for $60 ;D. I fired one Cobra and it was almost nonfunctional because of the heavy trigger pull..

 

[m657]

In the early 80s I picked up a NIB "NEF" 32 mag 5 shot revolver for about $75. Shot a couple cylinders full and put it in a drawer as a stealth can opener. Left it untouched for about a decade.

Took it out to shoot it. Was shocked to find it wouldn't work at all. Not gummed up, the cylinder would free fall and the trigger wouldn't release the sear in either SA or DA.

Traded it to an unfavorite gun dealer I knew.

 

[Wayne02]

I got my first exposure to cheap pistols a couple of weeks ago when a close relative said, "I have this pistol that was given to me as a gift and it won't feed the first round out of the magazine. Do you suppose you could take a look at it"?

Wanting to help out I naturally said yes and he proceeds to bring out a Jennings/Bryco model 58, 9mm. I didn't know anything about these guns other than recall hearing they were cheap 'Saturday night specials'. The gun feels like it weighs 5 lbs. and I have never in my life seen a feed ramp that was so jacked up.

When I returned home I jumped on the internet to do some research on the gun and now I'm not sure I want to touch it.

 

[labworm]

I guess like most folks here, I have brands like S&W, Colt, and Beretta. But then there is the group of people trying to make ends meet, to them that word "Cheap" dosen't exist. Like many others I've seen Saturday Night Specials that I have taken a liking to, don't own any myself.

And then there is the cheap rifle, Marlin 60, love that guy.

 

[Horseless Trooper]

Back in the early 80's I had a Raven .25 that was reliable and would keep them in the chest at 25 yards with no problem. Bought it for $35 new and sold it 10 years later for $45. Still miss it. Replaced it with a Jennings which I still own. It is my pocket pistol when I am doing yard work and such. A little more accurate than the Raven but no quite so reliable. It really seems to like those Aguila 60gr. SSS loads. I also have Davis 22mag. and .38spl. derringers and have had no problem with either of them.

 

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

I distinguish between "cheap" as in "inexpensive" and "cheap" as in "poor quality". I recall an independent gun review magazine I read in 1980, the authors tested a cheapo German made .357, they said it looked and felt like junk but was amazingly accurate. My cheapest-i.e. least expensive handgun is my pre-war Enfield No. 2 Mk I, paid $35.00 for it in 1972. Paid $110 for my Colt Trooper .357 then.

 

[Jellybean]

Wayne02, I happen to have a Jennings/Bryco model 58 I bought used. It came with two magazines and when I tried to shoot it it would jam every time. Then I switched magazines, never had a failure since and threw the first mag away. Many of the cheap autos have that problem, poor quality control on the magazines which are often outsourced. As a side note, it is amazingly accurate and draws a crowd everytime I shoot it, especially at the 100 yard range.

Horseless Trooper, the Jennings .22s were designed to shoot CCIs minimags. Other hot loads will work too, but milder ones will cause failures.

 

[photoman]

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