whats the best pistol under 200 dollars hands down?

Question

i want it for a great shooter pistol that my wife can protect the house with and somethin i can take out on the weekends and shoot at the range for fun

Answer 1

The makarov is certainly a great handgun, super-reliable and within your price range. It's also a really fun gun to plink with.
Another inexpensive choice, and probably a little better for self defense use (if using hollowpoint ammunition to prevent over-penetration--it will shoot through body armor) is the CZ-52 pistol. Not as fun for weekend can shooting, IMO, but a powerful handgun that's cheap and built tough. For home security it's hard to beat a 12-gauge shotgun, though.

Answer 2

Hay now lets talk about this. I am not going to just jump on here and tell you to go buy X pistol.

I understand budget and all. I also understand many people can not go out and drop $500 to $1000 on a single purchase for a pistol.

But what is the life of your wife and kids worth?

I know that hi-points are rather inexpensive. But I have heard they are unreliable. I owned a cheap pistol once. A lorcin 380 i got at a feed store for $99 it was a jam-o-matic as many of the low cost pistol are.

You do not need a semi-auto for your purpose. Why not look for a used pistol or Revolver. You can get many used Smith revolvers for not a lot of money. I would look at getting a 4" revolver from either Smith or Taurus in 357 mag. This is plenty to stop any person from hurting anyone.

You might even be able to find a better used semi-auto than trying to buy new.

Answer 3

That question is kinda like asking-"What's the best new car I can get for under $10K". Answer-not much. You will probably be told to stay away from this one, but a Hi-Point semi auto might serve you well. Sure they're cheap, ugly and not well made, but they seem to get decent reviews, like this: http://www.gunweek.com/2006/feature0120.html

and this: http://www.shootingtimes.com/handgun_reviews/hipoint_100605/

They come in some serious defense calibers like .45 ACP and .40 S&W, and feed a wide variety of high performace hollow point ammunition (which is more than can be said of some more expensive autoloaders).

Another good deal would be one of the Russian or Eastern European surplus Makarov pistols, like this: http://www.gunsamerica.com/976984497/Guns/Pistols/Military-Misc-Pistols-Non-US/POLISH_MAKAROV_9X18mm_NICE.htm
These pistols are based on the Walther PP series of pistols (for a whole lot less money), and chambered for 9x18mm cartridge (and sometimes .380 ACP).

You could also get a used .38 Special revolver, like a Taurus http://gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=87589212 or a Charter Arms.

Answer 4

Well, that price range naroows it down to a .22 caliber. Probably the Ruger Mark II but they may be over 200 now. Why not spend the money on a Winchester defender for her. That would do much better at home protection than a 22.

Answer 5

None that I can think of. If you want it for home protection you need something that is guaranteed to work if you need. I strongly suggest not going with hi-point. Save up another 200 bucks and you can get a Ruger P series, a Taurus Millennium Pro or maybe even a 24/7 series pistol. You could also look into Taurus revolvers. But there is nothing worth buying under 200.

Answer 6

I will add one more thought to this. Look at the current prices of new firearms. Check your name brands. Remember that you get what you pay for. High Point, Davis and Charter Arms are probably the lowest priced on the market today and the quality ( or lack of ) is exactly why. If price alone is what motivates you, go with one of those, but dont expect much. Otherwise, either save until you can get something better or start looking at used firearms. If you decide to go that route, stay with your better makes (Smith & Wesson, Colt, Ruger, etc). I hope this helps you.

Answer 7

Hi Point. They chamber them in .380, .9mm. and .45 acp.
I own two of them. I also own and 800 dollar para ordinance 14-45.
My customized pistol has a 4lb trigger pull and is extremely accurate, plus it will fire every hollow point I can throw at it.
So does my two high points.
My wife and daughter limp wrist my ruger p95 and make it misfire, They can both fire the Hi Point with no trouble.
The biggest detractor on the Hi Point, it is ugly (UGLY), but it is a fine functional firearm. I paid 185 for the .45, and the 9mm were cheaper.

Answer 8

There is nothing you can buy for under $200 that is any good. You can buy a RugerMK III .22 LR cal pistol for about $250, or the Bersa .380 Thunder semi auto for about $240.

Answer 9

A used Ruger GP100 .357 Magnum.

Answer 10

The best choice for your purpose is the 357 Magnum revolver with a 4" barrel, because you can also shoot 38 caliber ammo in it.* You get two (2)* handguns for the price of one.* It is a proven man stopper and comfortable to shoot.* I prefer the Smith & Wesson Brand or Colt Brand.* Buy used and save $$$.* A new handgun doesn't shoot any better than a good used one.*