what is the cheapest handgun brand?

Question

it is gonna be my first handgun and i am just wanting the cheapest brand

Answer 1

Find yourself a good used revolver....preferably in .357 but .38 will do. Try gun dealers and pawns shops.
There are a lot of retired police revolvers on the market, look around and expect to pay around $300. S&W, Colt, Ruger or Taurus.
On a limited budget, this will give you the most quality and protection for your money.

Revolvers are easy to use and ultimately dependable.....

The Hi Point products are nothing to be asamed of. They are cheap, fun and sort of cool.

I have a Makarov pistol that cost me $129 and it have fired at least 750 rounds flawlessly. It's not powerful enough for defense, but it's a great training pistol.

Answer 2

Short,

The most inexpensive handgun would depend on the caliber of the weapon you have in mind.

In the .22 Long Rifle - .25 ACP calibers, would fall the Phoenix Arms brand. One could pick up a brand new Phoenix Arms semiauto pistol in .22 long rifle for about $150. In revolvers, Charter Arms makes nice ultra-compact .22 LR and .22 Magnums which gives you five shots. I've owned Raven and Phoenix semi autos in .22 LR and never had a problem with either. They conceal easily due to their size and weight...what you get in favorable size and weight, you lose in stopping power. Most folks relegate these firearms to a 'backup' role...something to have when all else fails.

In the larger caliber category, you have some options. You need not look very hard to find a used offering from Hungary...FEG model PA63's are commonly found for about $120.00. It's roughly the same size as a Walther PPK and chambered in 9 X 18mm 'Makarov'. It's a nicely made weapon, however, you may have problems in finding ammunition for it...the 9 X 18mm is NOT the same as the '9 mm' everybody here talks about. Therefore, the ammunition that is so readily available is not compatible with this firearm.

I've sang the praises of my Hi-Point on a couple of occasions...here's where I start to lose favor with the crowd. I have a Hi-Point chambered in 9 X 19mm (or 9mm parabellum or 'para'), through which I've put over 3,000 rounds, with nary a failure to feed, failure to extract, or double feeds...no hiccups whatsoever. No slides coming off the frame and smacking me in the face. I suppose that folks here are reluctant to recommend the Hi-Point because they are relatively new to the market, and folks cannot believe that a $175 handgun can be reliable. I can say that I do clean it throughly every time I shoot it (which entails removing the slide...something the manufacturer recommends doing every 1,500 rounds). Perhaps I'm getting better performance due to my diligent cleaning habits...I cannot say for sure. I will say that I am not afraid to carry this weapon...and I do quite often.

My opinion...if it comes down to carrying something you can afford, be it a Hi-Point or whatever, or nothing because you can't afford a 'quality' handgun, buy what you can afford and carry it. Practice with it whenever you can, and throughly familiarize yourself with your weapon.

Answer 3

DJ answered the question perfectly.

However, the cheapest handgun brand is not the one that you would want to use.

I forgot which model it was, but it it was a compact Chinese 7.62 x 17mm pistol that would jam every 20 shots, and would break after 200-300 rounds. Very disposable handgun but terrible for any other purpose.

So before you consider the cheapest brand, realize that the trouble of removing jams every 20 shots, as well as the risk of overpowered ammunition forcing the slide to break off and hit you in the face is too great is not worth the cheapness of the handgun.

Sorry if I took your question too literally.

Answer 4

Please note I am not trying to be out of line.
If this weapon is for just going out to plink or target shoot, cheap will work to some degree.
But if it’s in any way for self defense for you or if you have children for them or any other loved one, Then “NO to Cheap”.
I do understand wonting to save money, but when defending your life or your loved ones buy one that you can depend on working when you need it.

It don’t have to be a NEW weapon, you can save money by shopping around for a used Quality weapon.

I would also say you should be able to save money by buying less popular style of weapon that in my belief would be the best one for you to start with.
What I am talking about, is every body and their dog wants a semi auto and that in turn runs up the price even on used ones.
There for the price on a quality semi auto will be higher then the price of a used quality name brand revolver.

Next please don’t buy a 22, 25 or 32 caliber, these are too small and will not stop an attacker 50 to 75% of the time.
In the hands of a trained shooter with steady nerves when facing a crises, yes they could kill but in the hands of a new shooter no, you would be gambling your life and your loved ones life.

What you need for a minimum if you must have a semi auto would be a 380 but a 9 mm is better the 40 S&W has a bit more kick but also a good caliber, I prefer a 45 ACP but it to has a kick.

If you go with a revolver the minimum would be a 38 special or a 357 magnum is better, the 357 magnum can shoot the 38 special safely so if you find a good deal on a 357 magnum get it and just shoot 38 Special ammo in it if you don’t like the recoil if the 357 Magnum ammo.

The brands I would recommend you buy that will work every time when needed would be Taurus, Ruger, Smith & Wesson, Colt and Dan Wesson. For revolver or semi auto no other brands yes I have seen the cheap ones out there and know people who bought them and regretted it.

The revolver is the easiest to use and the most accurate of the two semi auto or revolver.

I look at it like this how much is your life or your loved ones life worth?
A cheap weapon will cost you around $175.00 to $200.00 a good used gun not much more then that of a new cheap one.
Last year I bought 2 used revolvers a few months apart 1 was a Ruger Security Six in 357 Magnum for $165.00 in very good shape, the other was a Colt Trooper in 357 Magnum for $200.00 that was in very good shape.

Good used guns are out there, you just have to shop around and don’t be afraid to haggle on the price, believe me they wont to sell those weapons, and revolvers don’t sell as well as the semi autos do, so they will come down on the prices.
The sticker price on a used weapon is for those people that wont haggle, used weapons have a lower price, make believe the salesman your “husband” and argue over the price.
( I have had and divorced 3 wives I know women can argue with the best of them, nail that salesman to the wall )

Now if you was just out to buy a pistol to plink with, I may of just wasted your time.
But if it was for self defense then it was not a waste of time.

I hope you the best of luck.

D58

Answer 5

Rather than go to a retail store and pick a cheap shooter, why don't you try a gunshow or browse the small shops for used guns? You may find a deal on a higher-quality firearm. Also, think hard about its intended use if your budget is that slim. If for recreation, it's always best to start with a 22 revolver, and quality 22's aren't going to bust the bank. Sorry, this is a non-answer, but the way you asked made me think you're heading into your purchase unprepared.

Answer 6

No, you don't want the cheapest brand, because you want it to work when you need to use it. I would say the the "cheapest" reliable brands are Taurus and Ruger. I prefer Ruger. You can also go with a Bersa, which makes reliable pistols in size most women find comfortable.

Answer 7

Stuff like hi-point, phoenix arms, a few others.

Saturday Night Specials!

Like the guy above said, if it's for shooting at the range, to accustom yourself to shooting a handgun, go for it. But, yeah I certainly wouldn't carry a Hi-Point for a CCW. They're reletively reliable and an overwhelming majority of self-defense shootings aren't going to require you to line up the shot precisely over the sights, but I wouldn't trust one to my safety.

Unless you're in dire poverty, you ought to save up the extra $350 and buy a good quality middle of the line handgun like a Glock, XD, CZ75/85, a 24/7 or revolver from Taurus, etc. etc.

And, like he said above, if you're going to carry a self-defence pistol, unless you have some specific, special reason not to, don't carry a weapon less than 9mm, preferable 9mm +P's or something like .40 or .45.

Answer 8

Hi Point firearms are by far the cheapest on the market, yet they still offer surprisingly good performance. I wouldn't trust my life to one, but they are a great, cheap 1st pistol, or carbine for the money. They offer carbines in 9mm and 40sw, both are priced around 240 to 270 dollars. They offer pistols in .380, 9mm, 40sw and 45acp, ranging in price from 160 to 220 dollars. LIFETIME warranty.

Answer 9

I never recommend a cheap handgun.

Answer 10

cheapest is hi point but keep in mind you get what you pay for and some day that tool might save your life something to keep in mind