It’s easy to love most expensive guns. Handguns like the old double-action SIGs, S&W N-frames, custom-shop 1911s, shotguns like the Silver Pigeon a Browning Citori, a Daniel Defense AR, Winchester Model 70 or a Montana Rifle Co bolt gun. Most of us can appreciate an FN SCAR. Just to name a few.

Anyone can admire the gorgeous engraving and grain on a Purdey, a Boss, Holland & Holland, a Westley-Richards, or an Aguirre y Aranzabal or Arrieta for that matter. It’s hard to look at a CheyTac rifle and not drool. 

What’s harder for many people is to appreciate a cheap gun. It may not be attractive. It may not be the most accurate shooter. However, there are lots of inexpensive guns out there that go “bang” every time and – despite some being so ugly that you have to put a bag over your head in case the bag you put over the gun breaks – manage to find their way into many gun safes and more than a few concealed carry holsters.

But a low price and homely aesthetics don’t stop many people. Plenty of waterfowlers only occasionally take out that pricey semi-auto they saved up for and stick with their trusty Remington 870. Lots of shooters finally get that .300 Winnie they’d always wanted with the gorgeous stock and Leupold Mark 8, only to leave it at home in lieu of the Savage AXIS in .270 they got started with.  

One of the best-selling concealed carry pistols out there is the Taurus PT111 G2 and it isn’t too hard to see why. Decent capacity, a trigger that isn’t much worse than other popular plastic carry guns, and they’re the perfect size and weight for daily packing.

There are also plenty of people who love their Hi-Points. Yes, those. Lots of them have never had so much as a hiccup. Heck, one of the guns you can count on almost every store to have at least one or two of is the Heritage Rough Rider .22, and they’re about as inexpensive as a revolver gets.

What’s the one inexpensive gun you love, no matter what anyone says? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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158 COMMENTS

      • I dig my Mav 88. Sure, it shakes and rattles, but every single time I’ve ever asked anything of it, its response through its performance has always been “Let’s roll.” Not bad for couple of c-notes and change.

      • I think the 500 combo is a better budget value because it comes with both barrels. But I own and love both the 88 and the 500. If someone only wants a great budget gun for defense and doesn’t care about skeet or hunting then the 88 7+1 version is amazing for that.

        • I got the 500 combo for hunting and an 88 as a dedicated house gun.

      • Another vote for the Maverick 88 here. Both 12 and 20 gauge models. However, I also enjoy a .40 Hi Point carbine and Mossberg Plinkster 702 (.22lr). You could buy a pair of each of these and still have spent a dollar total less than you would for just one of some of the leading edge stuff out there.

      • Mossy maverick 88, confidence at first acquisition.
        Best in class.
        Then do due diligence and then branch out

    • Pointer Break action single shot 12ga @ $188 USD. Great gun to learn on. Distributed by Legacy Sports International.

  3. I’d say a solid Mossberg 500 or any decent milsurp like a Makarov or Enfield. I love milsurps.

  4. I acquired a Charco .38 about 15 years ago before I knew better. Tried unsuccessfully to sell/trade it a few times to get a J frame but for all the hate it gets from myself and others it functions fine every time I take it out and knowing it’s a cheap POS kind of adds to the Saturday Night feel.

  5. Taurus 709Slim. Perfect and accurate…stupidly discontinued. Top placer in Guns & Ammo single stack shootout. I use a Handall Jr. which makes it EZ to shoot.

    • I would agree. I had a love/hate relationship with mine, but it was supremely dependable for a carry gun. It even ate the cheap stuff that made my CZ choke.

    • Same for me. My slim even seems to beat out my PPS M2 which i bought to replace it, but the slim is lighter and carries an extra round. It has never hiccuped, is very controllable and accurate too. I put a talon grip on mine. I wanted to hate the slim after i got the M2, but it still wins out for me most of the time – and all for $229. The M2 is much more ergo and fun to shoot at the range, much higher quality, great trigger and grip – but those extra few ounces are noticeable when you have it on your hip all day and one less round in the flush grip bugs me a little for some reason (although it didnt apparently when i bought it).

    • I bought one for carry when I first got my permit and thought I needed something small and slim to conceal. But I’m a pretty big guy and after a while it just started to feel silly on my hip. No complaints though, at least not at the price I paid.

  6. Picked up an FIE ‘Titan’ .25 for $60. Went to the range with a friend to try out his expensive Para-Ordnance 1911-style 9mm. His turned out to be a jam-o-matic.
    Handed him the mouse-gun and said “Here, try this”. My Titan went Bang every time!

    DrDKW

    • Had a Titan with one mag back about 1980. Silly little thing never jammed or malfunctioned. It was as reliable, at least, as my 1903 Colt and more reliable than my uncle’s 1911.

  7. Stevens 520/620 pump shotguns.

    Takedown pump in multiple gauges designed by John Moses Browning? Yes please.

    • “Oh wait, I tricked it out with about $1000 in upgrades.”

      Don’t sweat it.

      Ever seen how much money some kids dump into cheap import cars?

      If it makes you happy, it’s all good…

      • People spend that much on Call of Soldier and StarCraft Citizen. At least you have a tangible investment.

  9. 870 has already been covered, so Ruger 10/22. Great for everything from teaching people to shoot, to plinking to practice to taming snakes and rodent control. If you get bored with it just buy some legos and you can take it to gun prom.

  10. Every truck, tractor, or back door needs a simple, break-action .22 – fixed sights, no scope. Brand not really important.
    🤠

    • Last Autumn I purchased a Savage Axis rifle with Weaver scope for $190 after rebate. It is far and away the most accurate long gun I own and I love it.

      And it even looks pretty nice.

      • Agree! Very fugly. Also very accurate from the box w/iron sights. Shoots ANY 9mm I can find cheap. Will take a badger at 30 yards. I know, so will my 10/22. But… 9mm!

    • HiPoint 995TS carbine was my first purchase. $250 plus FFL fee brand new. 8″ group at 100 yards with Tula ammo and the iron sights. I put a laser on it and with a 25 yard zero, you don’t even have to aim it. Hold it in any weird position, place the dot, and good to go. I would put this up there with a shotgun for home defense use, especially if recoil or sound level of the shotgun is a concern.

      My other cheap gun is a Taurus TCP. I did upgrade it with Galloway innards and other niceties, so now it is not so cheap and much more like an LCP Custom or LCP2, but they were not made at the time. Nonetheless, for the distances intended and an original cost of $195, it is plenty accurate. Like all those little guns, it has to fit your hand. If it fits your hand, the recoil is tolerable. And the concealability, which is why I got it, is amazing.

    • For sure on the 995! It’s ugly as sin, barrel shroud is rusting on mine, cocking bolt is stiff and hard to lock back, but good Lord does it go BANG every time I want it to. An excellent budget 9mm carbine.

    • Yep. Ugly as all get out, the stock isn’t a normal fit, but it just goes bang and is accurate.

    • You can shoot 7mm Mauser cheap if you buy Privi Partizan (PPU). Should be less than $15 a box (ammoseek lists some for $12.88 online). And you could always reload for it too!

  14. Marlin 60 with Simmons 22 Mag 3-9×32. Whole setup put me out about $140. Shoots accurate enough and is a bunch of fun.

    • Another vote for the Marlin Model 60. It’s as cheap as they come, shoots like a laser and just doesn’t quit. Those are great little rifles.

      • Add another vote.

        I’ve yet to have an issue after 25 years and a truckload of ammo.

  16. One inexpensive gun? ONE? Forget that, here’s the cheap guns I love the most:

    Raven .25- the original Saturday Night Special. Cheap, heavy, pot metal… but they work and that’s what a gun should do.

    I like the Charter Arms revolvers made from 1964 to 89. Which one? ALL of them.

    NAA Hogleg or Earl or Minimaster. In the realm of quality revolvers, $300 is cheap and the 4 or 6 inch long barrel NAA’s are worth every penny.

  17. One of my favorite guns is my RIA 1911A1. $500 out the door. Shoots everything into 2 inches at 7 yards. 100% reliable, long as I clean it every 800 rounds or so.

  18. I’d have to say my favorite “cheap” gun is the Sig SP2022.
    Sig’s polymer DA/SA hammer fired gun that is very similar in size to the P229.
    It’s not the same as P229 by any means, and if you can, go for the 229. But for a gun that can be found for around $400, it’s actually really good.

  19. Norinco 1911 bought in the early 1990’s when I was a “poor” lieutenant in the Army.

    It is, by far, the best value gun I have ever bought. It’s very reliable with ball ammo and its trigger is light and crisp even though it is stock. Has probably a few thousand rounds though it.

    I still have it and the only work it has required was a recent $35 trip to a gunsmith to adjust a spring (on the sear, it think). The only modification is that I replaced the stock grip covers with a Colt wrap-around rubber grip; wish I had kept the originals somewhere.

  20. Taurus PT111 G2 is already covered (got one), so I’ll say that my Bersas (Thunder .380CC, Thunder .380 Deluxe 15-shot, and Thunder UltraCompact .45 ACP) are my favorite inexpensive (but not cheap) handguns. They go bang every time, have sweet triggers, and are well-made. My Mossberg 12-ga “Shockwave” is an inexpensive gun, perfect for a vehicle gun or home defense.

  21. Well, it wasn’t originally cheap, but I picked up my P99 for $100 with a trade in. I felt that was a screamin’ deal. Exceptional pistol.
    The best ‘cheap’ gun ever was an unissued Yugo SKS. I paid $140, tax, title, dealer prep and delivery, everything out the door. Can’t be found for less than $450 now. For my needs, there is nothing better anywhere.

  22. Savage Axis. The shoot great out of the box and make a good platform to build a custom higher end rifle if you want one.

    • Bingo! I have a Pardner Pump Protector. Cheap, but it works flawlessly. Built like a tank? I think it’s made from old Chinese Type 59s.

    • Another vote for the Pardner Pump. Feels solid. Works great. Suitable for defense against anything one might encounter in North America (depending on the load). About $150 out the door as I recall. What’s not to like?

    • I was waiting for someone to list the Pardner Pump shotgun platform — count me in as well.

      I purchased the compact Pardner Pump in 20 gauge with a shortened stock and 20-inch barrel. It cycles and goes bang every time. It is an awesome home-defense firearm. And I purchased it for $180.

    • I picked one up a couple of months ago at BiMart (West coast) for $129 and change, (sale price) A lot of gun for the price, and 3″ chambers to boot!

  25. CZ p07 duty.. although thanks to cajun, it isn’t so cheap now.. My first 9mm and I still love it.

  26. My go to Hi-Point carbine 9MM. Good all around car, boat, camper or anything else firearm. Goes bang. A total just in case to have something weapon. This is my inexpensive choice.

  27. Sigma. Makarov. H&R single shot shotguns.

    • Most of my guns are milsurps and they are a joy to shoot. Even the .223 Lee-Enfield conversions. The M48s are built like tanks and will probably outlast my son’s grandchildren.

      But special mention has to go my Lee-Enfield No8 trainer. Single shot and with very good iron sights. And a trigger that is almost perfect. The groups out to 100 metres are really good and better than many modern .22s. Having a receiver designed for a .30 cal with the magazine well plugged means there is no flex in the receiver on firing. It is a joy to shoot and I use it in every match I can.

    • What about surplus Mosin-Nagant rifles chambered in 7.62 x 54R which were available for about $50 each several years ago???

  31. NEF Pardner single-shot, break-action, 12 Gauge, mod choke. Makes me smile the entire time I shoot it and it always reminds me of autumn.

    Marlin Model 60 1994 NRA edition. Great .22 semi auto.

  32. Norinco ATD 22LR cost me $100.00 in 1995. Basically a copy of the Browning 22 Auto, that costs about $600.00. Has been very reliable for me.

  33. My safe has a pile of old SW wheel guns, worth a bunch. I have 2 house guns that are Rossi 38 specials. Shoot as well or better than the SW/’s and only about $250 to replace in case of fire or theft. I also have been carrying Glocks for decades in law enforcement, and carry a 43 everyday. However, when I boat or canoe or hunt, or have any risk of losing one I carry the Keltec Pf9, the lightest and smallest 9mm made. The Keltec is simply perfect in size and function. Prolly will not last as long as the bigger Glocks, but I use the Glocks for the range, and the Keltec, when I have another long gun. The Bersa line are also a top value. IMHO

    • I carry my PF9 daily, and I shoot it at the range weekly. Once you learn to deal with the trigger (which is a lot like a staple gun) you can put together some very tight groups at 10 yards.

    • I will second this. My hawk is awesome especially for right around $200. I really need to snap another one. Mine gets oiled, neglected, shot every once in a while, and then neglected, and eventually oiled again. Not pretty by any means, but utilitarian cool and built like a farm implement.

  35. How about a mosin nagant? Well they used to be cheap, all the milsurp and c&r prices are going up, well I guess pretty much everything but ARs and non-Glock ‘glocks’ like Ruger American, Rem rp9, apx, etc.

    With lcp, PPS, shield, security 9, etc, on sale you can get modern, .380 or 9mm guns for about the price of Makarovs, tokarevs, p64s, etc.

    Actually I guess we should say AR15 as best cheap gun of 2018.

  36. I have two. The first is my Savage Model 3C single shot .22LR made sometime before WWII. My dad learned on this rifle and I learned on this rifle. The second is a 1905 S&W Hand Eject in 32-20.

  37. Kel-Tec P11 9mm. Never a feeding problem after over 10 years of use. Cheap, great ergonomics and easily concealed.

    • +1 – I love it when I buy a g un, get to play with it for a few years and sell it used for more than I paid for it new.

  39. Sks. Any, but preferably with the blade bayo. You feel like a man just handling it.

  40. My CZ-82. Finish is kind of beat up but runs great. 12+1 capacity in 9×18 and a fairly decent DA/SA trigger.

    • Moist nugget carbine???

      Perhaps you were using a talk-to-text application and the application converted Mosin-Nagant to moist nugget?

      • @ Uncommon Sense

        Have you tried PW Arms, they have Mosin-Nagant M44 Carbines! I don’t how much, but they list themselves as having them.

  45. I’ll give a second shout out to the single shot H&R (New England) shotgun.
    My 410 was one of the first guns I ever got, It’s my go to bird slayer.

  47. For me it’s a toss up between my PT 111 G2 and my H&R Pardner Pump Protector. Neither one is winning any beauty contests but they both go bang every time.

  48. A M1911A1 .45ACP purchased in 1983 for only $299.99 and a 98k Mauser [German made] in 7.92×57 in 1981 for $249.99…

  49. my hand-me-down sears roebuck bolt action tube Fed .22s/l/lr from grandpa, he seems to recall a $19.99 pricetag from a sears catalog shipped to his door at 16. current values in mint condition are around $140. I prefer it over the 10/22, and can ring 3″ steel at 175yd on a good day.

      • I also have to agree on the Star BM. Granted I bought a hand select right when they hit the market for just under 300, but dear God it’s been nothing but a reliable tack driver. Ironically it also seems to be a go to gun for most of the first time shooters I take to the range, especially female shooters. For some reason most of them hate my full size handguns or my M&P Shield, but I hand them the BM and they burn through magazines faster than I can load them.

        The Star and my Ruger Standard are now my go to range handguns for first time shooters, and now I just have to hope I can hunt down a Star Model B to complement the BM.

  52. Any milsurp C&R firearm is worth buying from the importer, it is only going up in value and they are a lot of fun.

  53. My house gun, a Walther PPX .40. Cost me $200. Big and kind of bulky but goes bang when I pull the trigger and that’s what I look for in a self-defense gun

  54. H&R Pardner Pump- bought it in 2006 for $160 and has never let me down. And a S&W Sigma SW9VE I bought for $180, had it for 5 years then sold it for $180. I regret selling it.

  55. My Canik 55. Its alot of gun and got it at around $300 new. If you watch you can sometimes still get them.

    Also the Stevens 320 security shotgun.

    • The caniks can be a great value. I had a cz clone that was very smooth. Nice pistols for the money that’s for sure

  56. Iver Johnson 22LR Carbine. Replica of a M1 Carbine. Got it 1988. Put thousands of rounds through it and it still runs like a charm.

  57. Oh for Pete’s sake!
    Where’s the love for the Ruger P series ??
    Inexpensive (especially used), accurate, eats all brands of gun food, can’t break the damn things…

    I have no plans nor desire to ever ride myself of my P95 & P97.
    They’re gonna be in the will for somebody.

    • Maybe a very dependable line of guns.
      But
      As fugly as a brick of a semi auto.

  59. Tie between Taurus PT111 G2 and S&W SD9VE (both already mentioned here, but worth repeating).

  60. How about a RIA .38 special snub nose. Got it brand spankin’ new for $214 out the door. Goes bang every time I ask it to. Heavier than a dead preacher, so it soaks up recoil. Uglier than homemade sin. At 7 yards it hits minute of torso, every time. Hogue grips for a Colt Dick a holster, and HKS speed loaders for same. Inexpensive, but effective. For those times you don’t want to send the very best.

  61. My favorite gun is my carry gun. My Hi-Point JCP 40. It’s big, it’s ugly, but I’d bet my life on it for reliability. It will go bang, every time I pull the trigger.
    Now, I will put in a caveat, since I know I’ll get heat for using a Hi-Point as a carry gun. When I can afford a Ruger, I will likely make the change. Until car repairs and maintenance, food, gas, daily expenses get much cheaper, or I get a raise, I’m going to stick with my Hi-Point. It just works.
    Alas, my budget only allowes me to collect cheap pistols and rifles from friends, so I guess my favorites are my Hi-Point JCP 40 followed by a damaged and beat up Ruger 10/22, and a pellet rifle that I can’t remember the name of, but it’s great for the backyard when I want to put holes in things, but don’t feel like driving out to the range or the ass end of nowhere.
    My least favorite gun, is easily my Jennings J-22. It’s a hateful little thing, that always jams and recently slamfired a round.

    • I forgot to add in, my little pew-pew! A little .22mag derringer! It’s great for night shooting. Puts out a nice fireball with the right ammo, and is just fun to use! For self defense, I might load it with ratshot, but only because it has no accuracy. It keyholes at short range, so at best, it’s a noisy distraction. However, there are times when I would want something less than lethal. Plus, it’s primary purpose, is a controlled firecracker. Noise, fireball, that’s it.

  62. SD9ve, even before the Apex trigger kit I already liked it better than my G19x, which heretofore was my favorite striker fired gun. Fits the hand better and points better for me. Just as reliable so far and I’m a wheel gunner, so I’ll take a heavy but smooth trigger over a light and mushy one any day, though the Apex was well worth the upgrade. After that I’d say the Sccy CPX 2 really exceeded my expectations.

    • Heh, picked up a few of those when they were in the ‘we can’t give these away’ price range several years back.

      Solid, with not-great but workable triggers.

  63. M91/30 Mosin Nagant. Paid $99 for it and wouldn’t part with it. It’s a great gun and mine is surprisingly accurate. Also helps that I happened to score a matching parts one from 1938.

  65. Back in 1981 I was stationed in SanDiego,CA and wanted a cheap brush gun- I endedn up with a Ruger model 44. It worked fine every time, whether plinking, shooting coyotes or harvesting javelina. Sold it when I transferred to Japan.

  66. My cheap fun gun was my SMLE 303 for $59, yes that was about 25 years ago.
    Now they are worth big$$$$$

    • @ Mike

      If your looking for a Replacement Parts train? Navy Arms bought out Old Western Scrounger and Gibbs Rifles of West Virginia which among other Rifles produced Lee-Enfield Rifles, most notably the SMLE Model 5 Mk. 1 Jungle Carbine…

  67. Savage Mark II .22 rifle. I think I paid $250 with a scope for it. Super fun, really accurate, really reliable, shoots everything, never had a problem.
    I had an WWII Beretta M1935 that I got for under $200. I sold (at a modest profit) it because it was the .32ACP version and it was really hard/expensive to find ammo for it. I regret that sale to this day.

  69. Got a Marlin 795 on account of the great price
    $150
    wouldn’t trade it for a 10/22 much better sights better much nicer more slender stock size as opposed to the fat 10/22 stock options

    rapid fires better than just about anything
    and it was my first gun

  70. My second choice would be the Ruger 10/22. It even shoots dirt cheap Winchester whitebox HV ammo reliably with decent accuracy. I highly recommend putting a cheap red-dot on it.

    My weird first place choice is the Walther P22. The new/out-of-the-box issues were significant. Sent it back once, had to polish the feed ramp and hammer face. The magazines required some careful de-burring, polishing, and lubing.

    If you stick to quality HV ammo, it now runs flawlessly. I consistently shoot it more accurately than my XD or CZ-75 at 25 yds. The baby Walther taught me to love the paddle release too. Unequivocally better than the push button.

    I like having a manual safety, and with the Walther you can dry fire with the safety on, and save wear & tear on the firing pin. The position is a little too high, but you can operate it with your grip hand thumb. Worst, is that it rotates in the opposite direction of a 1911. Can’t have everything.

  71. Stoeger Condor O/U 12 Ga. No ejector, no barrel selector; action so stiff I had to break it over my knee when I was a kid. But I can’t believe they got wood so beautiful on such a cheap gun. I think my Dad got it for like $150 for my Christmas present back when Dick’s weren’t such…you know.

  72. Rossi single-shot combos.

    Love shooting clays with a youth 410 and other silly stuff. Hands off my Rossi pipes 🙂

  73. Mosin Nagant. You used to be able to buy them by the crate, and the ammo too. 7.62×54 used to be some of the cheapest ammo around. You could outfit a platoon with a weeks pay. Ah the good old days.

  74. Marlin 881. Tube fed 17 round magazine with a proper bolt action and proper wood. Love shooting it, cost $100 off a certain online gun classifieds website back in 2012.

  76. -Mossberg 500 sits behind the door with the Short Barrell. I have the long Barrel for hunting in the woods. 7+1 capacity with 2.75-inch shells. I know I paid something less than $300 back in the ’70’s.

    -Taurus PT-111 for EDC or a great glove box gun – 12 + 1 capacity in Double Stack Mag. $200

    -Glock 17 Gen 4 full size. Sits on my Nightstand with 17 + 1 Capacity – Double Stack Mag. $500

  77. Heritage Rough rider. Versatility and fun all for a low entry price.
    As for an inexpensive home defense gun the H&R Pardner pump, is good bang for your buck.

  78. Star BM 9mm, fantastic shooter for $250. Scored a Smith & Wesson 410 (economy 3rd gen) for $200 at a gun auction, fantastic shooter. And my CZ82, which gets carried sometimes, dead reliable for $250.

  79. Mossberg 702 plinkster. Won it in a breast cancer raffle. It’s pink, but will knock freckles off a gnats ass at anything under 75 yds.

    • The 702 Plinkster get’s my vote. I got the 25 round mags for it, fun for all day shooting. I also like my new Ruger Security 9 for a good budget gun.

  82. Wife came in to a local gun store, said her husband wanted a 12 gauge shotgun so she was going to surprise him for his birthday. She bought a Rock Island Armory M5, took it home, gave it to him on the day. The day after they both came in and traded it in on a Remington 870 field gun. I walked into the store a short time later and got the M5 (used but unfired) for just over $200.

  83. Man, no love for the SCCY CPX-2! 10+1, small gun, very well made, comes in any color you could imagine (I got black on Black 🙄)
    I like the double action trigger, makes me feel more comfortable carrying hot with no safety to disengage. $250!
    My current everyday carry gun.

  84. I gotta say that I have mad respect for Hi Points. Despite all the disrespect they get, my carbine and pistol both go bang every time. The carbine was an early buy, and I only bought the pistol this past year…just to have a Hi Point.

    BUT! BUT! BUT! My favorite “cheap” gun has to be, as mentioned in the article the Heritage RR. An LGS in my area had them on sale for $99 a few years ago. I went to high school with the owner’s daughter, and she also worked at the store, and dropped the price a little further for me. I walked out with a 6″ .22 LR (with the additional .22 WMR cylinder) for $85! It shoots great, accurate, looks fantastic…what else can you ask;?

  85. My newly acquired brand-new German-made Walther Creed 9mm. $300 for everything. A steal.

  86. I reviewed my inventory, and I don’t actually have a favorite cheap gun. Unless it’s my 2008 Remington 870 Express Synthetic 18″ with the mag extension.

    I like it because I have a PFS-87 top folder stock on it, and if need be I can replace it with the stock wood stock and a longer barrel for birding or squirrels. I got it at Dick’s (lol), and it cost about $350.00 (best price at the time).

    Charlie

  87. SAR K2P-dead reliable and more accurate than I am. It comes with a 15 round mag but will also use the 17 round CZ-75 mags. Mine rides in my truck at all times.

  88. Not made anymore, and just cheap not ultra cheap, but I’d have to give props to the R uger P-95. Very accurate and reliable G19 sized DA/SA semi-auto. They are a little heavy in the slide. But a few years ago you could easily find a NIB stainless model for $300.

  89. Taurus 85 stainless. Got one last year when they were offering the $40 rebate. Final cost was right around 2 bills.

    • +1
      fired my 85 next to a s&w j frame
      much nicer trigger pull
      the s&w belongs to my wife, after shooting my 85 she wouldn’t give it back

      its my edc

  92. I got 2.

    1. SCCY CPX2- trigger is meh, accuracy is decent once you get the hang of the trigger, it holds 10 plus one, and so far (1000 rnds) mine have been reliable*.

    2. Ruger Security 9- this became my carry gun. Runs great shoots good enough for government work and it’s less than $400.00.

    * YMMV I clean my guns after every range trip so it never really goes more than 50-200 rounds without a cleaning.

  93. My IAC 982 Hawk was less than $200. I spent roughly another $100 upgrading it with a Wilson Combat one shot extension, Wolff Extra Power Spring, S&J Hardware follower, Remington 870 Police Magnum carrier dog and sear springs as well as the same Speedfeed forend used on the 870 Police Magnum. I now have a shotgun equivalent to the 870 Police Magnum 24447 for less than half the price.

    • We love our Hawk pump action. All we did was add a light for low light home defense situations. Great gun.

  95. $350 Palmetto State Armory AR-15

    Can AR prices get any lower?

    Have plenty of AR’s but when you can build one for $350 how can you not get another?
    $299 free shipping builder kit. Picked up locally a Anderson lower for $50 out the door. Threw on an old carry handle I had laying around, ready to rock and roll.

    Hate the A2 grip though, so just sanded off the finger groove then stippled it.

  96. Lot’s of people here are listing their great deals , I don’t think this is what Tim is asking for . I think he wants our favorite (s) out of the box , inexpensive purchases .
    Mine would be thus ;
    Rossi Youth combo 22LR/ 20 gauge…. $139.00
    Heritage Arms 22LR/22WMR …………….$149.00

  97. I’m into this a little late but I have to put my couple of pennies in –

    Charter Arms Pathfinder .22 mag. Bought it off a co-worker who needed money for a hundred bucks. Plenty of holster wear but the gun shoots into a quarter at 25 feet and the grip fits my hand. Its probably my favorite rim fire pistol.

    Davis .32 derringer. Don’t laugh guys. When I started out as a deputy I needed a hide out gun. I didn’t have a lot of money and didn’t know much about pistols. I found a Davis at a gun show for $50 – it was probably overpriced but I didn’t know any better. I bought a box of .32 ball, stuck the gun in my left front pocket and went about my business. That was back in the days when we didn’t have to qualify with our back up weapons. I put a few rounds through it just to verify that it worked and thankfully never had to use it. It always went bang and hit the target at conversational distances. A female officer from another agency called it “cute”. I don’t know if two rounds of .32 acp would have done any good but I carried the gun until I could afford something better. I still have it because I know that I’d have to pay somebody to take it off my hands.

  98. I have not one, but two:
    1) My first favorite inexpensive rifle is the CVA Scout Takedown in .223 Remington, only $400. This has a 20″ threaded stainless steel barrel, but even with the 20″ barrel it’s only 35″ overall. It’s a “take-down” model, meaning I can take it apart in three seconds with no tools, and the longest part (the barrel) is only 20″ long. It even came with a nice take-down case, and all for only $400, case and all. It’s handsome, accurate, a takedown model, and stainless steel. The drawback is it’s single shot, but it’s about half the price of a comparable TC Encore, and the TC Encore requires tools to disassemble (a hammer, punch, and screwdriver), while the CVA Scout Takedown is a true takedown model, no tools required.

    2) I have another inexpensive CVA rifle, the CVA Apex. Now discontinued, just two years ago this was CVA’s “top of the line” model, a single-shot interchangeable-barrel centerfire rifle which is handsome, accurate, stainless steel, and every bit as high quality as my T/C Encore Pro Hunter, but for only $340, about half the price of my TC Encore Pro Hunter! With its 16.5″ 300 BLK barrel mounted, my CVA Apex is so short (31.5″ overall) that it looks like an SBR, but it’s not, no tax stamp required! The only drawback to the CVA Apex is that it has gotten nearly impossible to find barrels for it, so I just keep the one I have with its .300 BLK threaded 16.5″ barrel, and if I need new calibers, I get one for my TC Encore instead (but the barrels for the TC Encore each cost more than the entire CVA Apex rifle cost!) My TC Encore Pro Hunter that’s twice as expensive is no better than the CVA Apex (other than greater availability of spare barrels for the TC)! I keep the CVA Apex because it would cost more just to buy a new barrel for my T/C Encore in .300 BLK than I paid for the entire CVA Apex rifle, including everything (lock, stock, and barrel as the saying goes)!

    Yes, the drawback for both of these rifles is that they’re single shot, but for sacrificing follow-up shots, you get an overall length that’s 5 inches less than a bolt-action rifle with the same barrel length, plus they’re stainless steel (weatherproof), simple to clean (no action to clean), and few moving parts means they’re reliable, no bolts or bolt carrier groups to break or need replacement parts.

  99. All the pistols make by SAR arms, a Turkish gun maker. I have the K2p in 9 and the k2 in 45 and they both under 400… Amazing gun

    • Agreed. Turkish guns are actually really well made. My wife loves her ATI Beretta 92 clone.

  100. Any pistol with ATI (American Tactical Imports) stamped on the slide. We own two 1911 models (Government and a Commander made in the Philippines) and a Beretta 92 clone (made in Turkey) and they work great. Amazing reliability and quality from pistols costing under $500.

  102. For bargains in pistols, I like police trade ins. I don’t think I’ve spent more than about $350 for one and they are generally in pretty good shape. My most recent was an M&P 9mm that I gave $270 for. Nice gun.

  103. EAA Witness polymer small frame in 9mm or .40 about $300. A CZ75 “clone” with a few upgrades.

  104. Any Makarov. I once bought an E German Mak for $160; no gun I’ve ever owned had a better slide-to-frame mating than this Commie gun. Now I have a Polish P-64 that chambers the same 9X18 mm round, basically a clone of the PPK with slightly hotter ammo than the 9 Kurt. Picked up the Polish gun for about $240. It’s very concealable, extremely accurate, but a bit snappy in the hand because it weighs so little. That said, all Makarovs & many guns that chamber the Makarov 9mm round have one huge flaw: no firing pin safety. If dropped on their muzzle, they will fire, so the only way to safely carry them is condition 3.

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