Help me pick a handgun

[BIGdaddy]

best sub-$300.00 gun in my book is the Bersa thunder .380.

Its solid, reliable, and fits very well in my big hands due mostly to the thin single stack mag well as well as the pinky extension on the magazine itself.

It holds 7 or 8 rounds and .380, with good golden saber or good ball ammo, is likened to the 38 special as far as power goes.

(no-one being shot with 7 center-mass rounds is going to stop and ask what caliber it is..hahaha)

I just traded mine to my dad, for some jeep parts, and don't regret it due to the circumstances. It certainly wasn't due to anything on the guns part, be assured.

I wouldn't feel undergunned at all in the back country or in a downtown area, because of four things:

-I was a bulls-eye shooter @ 15 yards with it
-It was small enough that I always had it
-It never failed to fire or feed, once broken in (540ish rounds)
-I had three well-tested mags as backup.

 

[KG6BWS]

Went and found the paperwork on my .45 colt. Might meet your sub 300.

Its a Uberti Cattleman 1875 with 4 5/8" barrel, in .45colt. Was 360 including all of the fees, tax, etc.

 

[BKCowGod]

Went and found the paperwork on my .45 colt. Might meet your sub 300.

Its a Uberti Cattleman 1875 with 4 5/8" barrel, in .45colt. Was 360 including all of the fees, tax, etc.

I do like this one, looks to be the same as you are describing... MSRP is $580, so it sounds like you got a good deal!

 

[Colorado David]

If the purpose of the gun is defense, whether in the truck lock box or in the home, I think you should stick to a double action.

 

[nebep]

I've found the Ruger LCP to be a very capable unit - price was right around where you seem to want to be...The in-pocket holster by Don Hume is a tad pricey, but VERY comfy...

S&W Airweight is a nice unit too - but, it is a firecracker!! (.38 - and *MY* wife HATES it!!)

SIG P250 - out of budget, but, would be worth saving for. (Wife LUVS this one..9mm.)

Don't leave KAHR out of the picture...Personal taste - CW45. The PM's are stellar as well.

Remember, in a defense situation, even if you're right, it probably won't be yours anymore. So, choose the defense wisely, and don't hesitate to buy 2.

 

[sjk99]

You can do some web window shopping at J&G Guns of Prescott, AZ. They carry some police trade-ins and some other surplus. Add whatever your dealer charges for a transfer & ....

Sig P6(225) 9mm single stack German Police trade-in $349

Glock 23 40S&W police turn-in $379. Looked like it was on the Cali list (?)

Ruger KP95R 9mm 339.95. Looks like it's on the list.

 

[Scenic WonderRunner]

I love my Browning Hi Power....9mm.

I bought it for the history....the NATO Round and the very few moving parts. I think I could feed it in a Homeland war, that's why I bought it back in the mid 1980's! It has already gone up in value!

http://www.browning.com/products/catalog/family.asp?webflag_=007B&catalog_=B

http://www.hipowersandhandguns.com/HiPowerComments.html



But this is my dream hand gun!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__JkOUheyVk

http://www.magnumresearch.com/




.

 

[Scenic WonderRunner]

.50 Action Express.....


Holy!

What would you prefer in your handgun?!!!!




.

 

[Martinjmpr]

If your criteria is:

* Easy to use/learn

* Reliable with any kind of ammo

* Safe

* Rugged

* Under $300

Then you can't do better than this:

http://www.jgsales.com/product_info.../4120?osCsid=2fcd23fac96ab7642a1ef377dc6576f0

Smith and Wesson M67, Stainless Steel, .38 Special, 4" barrell Police trade-in guns, modified to double-action-only. A screaming deal for under $300. The M67 has adjustable sights. A buddy of mine just got a model 64 (same thing but with fixed sights, a stainless version of the M10) for $200 from J&G.

I'm a big fan of revolvers, especially for a "casual use" self defense gun. Autos are nice but their biggest advantage is magazine size - a factor that is irrelevant in a self defense situation (where typically no more than 3 shots are fired.) Automatics require more training and are much more prone to accidental discharge (look at the statistics of police agencies that switched from revolvers to autos in the 1980s and 1990s.)

If you don't need stainless, you can get a M15 for under $225:

http://www.jgsales.com/product_info.../4124?osCsid=2fcd23fac96ab7642a1ef377dc6576f0

Some people dismiss the .38 special round but with the proper bullet it's every bit as good as a 9mm for self defense.

As for quality, S&W is one of the best out there. I trust my life to a S&W revolver that's at least 30 years old.

IMO A used $279 S&W is a much better buy than a new <$300 Rossi or Taurus.

 

[Mercedesrover]

Smith and Wesson M67, Stainless Steel, .38 Special, 4" barrell Police trade-in guns........IMO A used $279 S&W is a much better buy than a new <$300 Rossi or Taurus.

AB SO LUT LEY!!!! For the money and your use, you won't beat this.

This isn't going to be a shooter. It'll spend 99.9% of its time locked up in your truck. You want a revolver for sure.

 

[6Pins]

I'd agree on the revolver. I've got a Colt Detective special that is my HD gun, and its every bit of 40 years old. Still shoots like a charm, and the grip is small enough that my wife has no problems with it.

 

[Mr. Leary]

.50 Action Express.....


Holy!

What would you prefer in your handgun?!!!!




.

Off topic...

Well... I personally prefer a round that allows rapid re-acquisition. If you know how to shoot, all it should ever take is two to the chest, one to the head. 9mm has many advantages. Chambering a bigger round gives you more beef, but is expensive and hard to handle. My favorite pistol to shoot is my Baretta 92.

Back on topic...

Double action. Do it.

You will never stick a wheel gun. Think of them as the Toyotas of handguns. They may not be the slickest peice around, but they won't let you down! The gun I carry with me most often while out and about is my Taurus Judge. The simplicity and reliability of a wheel gun is what I want if I have to act when I'm not at my best. I have never faced a situation where I needed to pull out a firearm on my terms. You need to be ready to meet them at a time of your attacker's choosing, which like I said is often not at your best. I feel confident that my wheel gun will do the job if asked, with no issues.

 

[Gunnslinger]

If you are an inexperienced shooter the revolver, in my opinion, may be the way to go. I would consider the .357 magnum and am personally fond of the ruger DA revolvers (GP100 and SP101). The SP101 will conceal well.

A used Ruger Blackhawk SA revolver would probably be in your price range as well. My father carried one for years and was deadly with it. It does not conceal well.

The .357 will deliver more energy on target. With 180 grain loads from Buffalo Bore (for example), it may even persuade a bear or other large predator to stop eating you (if not, repeat as necessary). Two legged predators can be persuaded more effectively as well.
I believe most of the .357 revolvers will also chamber the .38 special cartridges for practice or reduced recoil if you feel that is relevant. Ammunition is precious these days, having a choice of two common calibers is a good thing.

At the end of the day, mindset and skill with the weapon and not the weapon itself will win the fight. Save your money and get training. Gunsite is my prefered venue but there are many others that provide excellent training. There are also many to be very wary of, ask around before you sign up.

Unsolicited advice: Wear the pistol. Left in a car or a dresser drawer it will probably make an interesting prize for whoever kills you. If I have to go and fetch a weapon, it will probably be a 12 gauge.

Remember:
All guns are loaded. It is not safe to assume otherwise, handle them accordingly.

Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy.

Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on the target.

Positively identify your target (and what's behind it).

 

[SunTzuNephew]

Yup. It's because they can't afford the SigSauers.:sombrero::bike_rider:

About the only agencies that can are paid with federal tax dollars...

There's nothing magical about Sigs..

 

[BKCowGod]

If you are an inexperienced shooter the revolver, in my opinion, may be the way to go. I would consider the .357 magnum and am personally fond of the ruger DA revolvers (GP100 and SP101). The SP101 will conceal well.

A used Ruger Blackhawk SA revolver would probably be in your price range as well. My father carried one for years and was deadly with it. It does not conceal well.

The .357 will deliver more energy on target. With 180 grain loads from Buffalo Bore (for example), it may even persuade a bear or other large predator to stop eating you (if not, repeat as necessary). Two legged predators can be persuaded more effectively as well.
I believe most of the .357 revolvers will also chamber the .38 special cartridges for practice or reduced recoil if you feel that is relevant. Ammunition is precious these days, having a choice of two common calibers is a good thing.

At the end of the day, mindset and skill with the weapon and not the weapon itself will win the fight. Save your money and get training. Gunsite is my prefered venue but there are many others that provide excellent training. There are also many to be very wary of, ask around before you sign up.

Unsolicited advice: Wear the pistol. Left in a car or a dresser drawer it will probably make an interesting prize for whoever kills you. If I have to go and fetch a weapon, it will probably be a 12 gauge.

Remember:
All guns are loaded. It is not safe to assume otherwise, handle them accordingly.

Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy.

Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on the target.

Positively identify your target (and what's behind it).

Thanks for the continued advice, y'all. Just a few further notes to explain why I am dismissing some of it:

* Concealment is not an option, nor (for the most part) is wearing it most of the time. In Cali, when it is in a car it is locked in a box unloaded. When it's not in a car, it must also be unloaded. Because of this, size is less important than comfort.

* The reason I am leaning automatic is because 99.99% of my shooting will be at targets, so the extra 4rds capacity of most automatics and the ability to load multiple magazines will be a huge time saver. Additionally, again due to the state I live in, when it is worn on my belt it must be visibly unloaded. I would rather have a loaded magazine on one side and a gun on the other than have a revolver that would take longer to load.

I really do like the .38's at JG, but I am still wondering (back to my original question), which would be preferable of my three original choices - 9x18 Mak, .9mm, or .40S&W and why.

Oh, and Mr. Leary - the absolutely best way to make me decide against anything is to compare it to a Toyota. I just can't stand 'em - I've driven every model they have made in the last few decades and I absolutely hate how they feel. But I do understand what you were getting at and the advice is taken to heart. Honestly, I would love to have a Smith revolver and the CZ-82, but I can only afford one for now.