Can inexpensive guns be worthwhile?

I carry a Taurus TCP and purchased the gun because it was cheap. Have roughly 400 rounds through the gun and have only had troubles this last weekend when I bought Blazer ammo. Never any issues with the few personal defense ammo rounds or Winchester target ammo I have run through on previous trips to the range. Learned a valuable lesson with the cheaper ammo.
 
I would say as long as it comes with a firing pin( ha ha), a solid ejector, and appears to be made out of quality materials, the price tag shouldn't matter.
 
I have been told my rock island 1911 is cheap. While I prefer inexpensive, it has never failed me in over 1000 rounds. I carry in in support of my family's safety and that is the biggest compliment I can give. It just plain works. Oh and its a compact as well so I am double messed up.
 
Ive got a Hi-point 995TS. That thing is way more fun than I thought it would be, and accurate too. I run nothing but cheap, dirty TulAmmo in it....never had a single problem.
 
The cheapest POS gun ever made that prevails over a bad guy has more worth than the most expensive ego stroking mega bucks bragging rights gun that sits in the safe.

Now... will a cheap POS gun prevail over a bad guy? Well... considering that since Gary Kleck did a study

http://www.pulpless.com/gunclock/kleck2.html

that showed guns that were used effectively for defensive purposes weren't even fired... then even a cheap ass gun that doesn't work has is likely to be more effective than no gun at all...

And considering that some cheap guns actually do work well enough to put bullets out the business end if needed...

I would suggest .. a gun that works is better than a gun that doesn't... a gun that works reliably is better than a gun that doesn't.. but... there is no way to get around the simple fact that....

.... any gun is better than no gun.

There are folks out there, for example a single Mom with 3 kids and a stalker exboyfriend/exhusband, that need a gun to protect themselves and their kids but simply cannot justify choosing between spending many hundreds of dollars for a gun.. or buying winter coats for her kids.

For those folks, in my not so humble opinion, a cheapo gun that works more often than not is still better than no gun at all.
 
The cheapest POS gun ever made that prevails over a bad guy has more worth than the most expensive ego stroking mega bucks bragging rights gun that sits in the safe.

Now... will a cheap POS gun prevail over a bad guy? Well... considering that since Gary Kleck did a study

http://www.pulpless.com/gunclock/kleck2.html

that showed guns that were used effectively for defensive purposes more often than not ..weren't even fired... then even a cheap ass gun that doesn't work is likely to be more effective than no gun at all...

And considering that some cheap guns actually do work well enough to put bullets out the business end if needed...

I would suggest .. a gun that works is better than a gun that doesn't... a gun that works reliably is better than a gun that doesn't.. but... there is no way to get around the simple fact that....

.... any gun is better than no gun.

There are folks out there, for example a single Mom with 3 kids and a stalker exboyfriend/exhusband, that need a gun to protect themselves and their kids but simply cannot justify choosing between spending many hundreds of dollars for a gun.. or buying winter coats for her kids.

For those folks, in my not so humble opinion, a cheapo gun that works more often than not is still better than no gun at all.
 
inexpensive guns.

Before you believe the Myths about the so-called "Saturday Night Specials" You might refer to the "The Shooters Bible" & see what they say about some of them. I was discussing My "pocket gun" which is loaded with Gazers, which (according to the manufacturer " give a .25 the knock down & accuracy of a .9mm as 45 ft. with my gun salesman who was also a police officer. He said that the "bible" , which he showed me said in a review that "The Raven p25 was the closest you could come to Barietta? quality at one fifth of the Barietta price" the Raven actually fired many more rounds in their test before any problems then did the Barietta. While there are many inferior guns out there , please refer to the book before you dismiss all "Cheap guns" A CAUTION A lot of the cheap guns & not a few of the others CANNOT fire high power loads such as Glazers & you need to check your manual to see if they can stand the pressures created by hot loads.
 
If you can find a Ruger P85/89/90 etc. for sale somewhere, it won't be expensive, but it's very likely to shoot anything you shove into it, even if it hasn't been taken care of. The P85 I've got sitting in the bedroom right now spent who knows how many years in the glovebox of my uncle's Bronco until he decided to lend it to me for a while. He pulled it out, sprayed some WD-40 in it and blew it out with an air compressor. Then I put 100 rounds through it with no problems at all. He actually gave me a hard time the next time I came to visit because I'd cleaned it. The only failure it's had since it's been in my possession was a FTE from my wife limp-wristing it. That's many thousands of rounds made by just about every manufacturer I can find.

And hey, it's heavy enough that you could give a guy a concussion if you threw it at him.
 
gunnerbob said:
Not all guns work all the time, no matter what they cost. Can cheaper guns work? Hell yes they can. Can expensive guns not work? Hell yes the can.

If you buy a gun, no matter the price, make sure you use the most reliable ammo possible.

Would a cheaper gun be my first choice of protection, no. But, if it works... what the hells the difference?

I own a few cheaper guns that have been extrememly reliable, so I keep them.
Click to expand...

True that, it's not like you get a guarantee from Heckler and Koch that their gun will ALWAYS work.
 
All I know is that my Cobra .380 will work if I need it, which I probably won't. But buying an inexpensive gun and getting it ready to shoot has been a good experience. It also makes me realize that bad guys with cheap guns can kill you. So only laugh at a cheap gun if it's not pointed at you.

:pleasantry:
 
Just became a handgun owner about a month ago. Got a Hi Point C9. Plan on getting a Ruger SR9C within the year, but after making the recommended adjustments to the feed lips and polishing the feed ramp, the gun has performed perfectly after over 150 rounds through it. I would have no problem putting all my confidence in this firearm. It is very accurate and a lot of fun to plink around with. It is inexpensive because it is a very basically built machine. No frills. No bells and whistles. Just a point and shoot. Inexpensive does not mean cheap, nor does it imply a lack of quality.
 
I've had a Jennings J-22 now for a bout 20 years and I won't take anything for the one I have. Out to 10-15 yards, I can bounce a tennis ball across the backyard with it using CCI Mini Mag 36 Grain Hollow Point ammo, and I've never had a jam, fail to load, of fail to fire in it putting several hundred rounds through it. I keep it cleaned and lubed religiously. Most of these that I have seen out for sale by flea market dealers or at gun shows are so cruddy from lack of cleaning that usually the slides won't even work properly. I saw the slide break in half on a Jennings J38 380 last year, but you could also have plated potatoes inside of it to due to all of the crud that was in it. You have to keep ANY GUN clean and lubbed for it to work properly, especially so with the more inexpensive makes. But just because you spend a wheel-barrow full of cash on one of the top-line gun manufacturers names doesn't mean that you aren't going to have problems with it if you are using cheap ammo and never are cleaning the heater.

I also love S&W K22s but didn't even look at the one I saw at the last gun show I was at because the cylinder was rusted shut and wouldn't open, but the dealer still wanted $550 for it "becasue it's a Smith and Wesson"! I won't post on here what I told him he could do with it, or where he could put it as well! :eek:

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Ask a bad guy what he rather be shot with. A cheap gun or a high price top of the line gun. My guess he will say neither one!!
 
i cary a taurus .38 snubby. ive had it for about a year and, it has never ever ever miss fired or jammed. aprox 1,000 rounds thru it.
its not realy a cheap gun. aprox 375.00 . and i dont need to shoot at anyone more than 20 ft. away.
 
bellyfat said:
i cary a taurus .38 snubby. ive had it for about a year and, it has never ever ever miss fired or jammed. aprox 1,000 rounds thru it.
its not realy a cheap gun. aprox 375.00 . and i dont need to shoot at anyone more than 20 ft. away.
Click to expand...

Are you typing this on a phone or just don't give a damn...? Geesh...

Oh, yeah... I too have a Taurus Ultrlite .38Spl snub, love it.
 
I have several guns ranging in price. I still like my $150 High Point. Too heavy to carry, but fun to shoot. Before I put 1 round through it I did all the little things to it that you see on YouTube. Since then I've put all kinds of ammo through it............no prob
 
Sorry but not really getting the thread. Does a Mercedes or Ferrari do the same thing a Chevy does? For the most part ya get what ya pay for. Cheap doesn't necessarily mean bad. Just means it's usually not to standards that others are built to. ZIP gun verses a Smith & Wesson. Both will make a hole! ( I know, I know, ZIP gun really.....how archaic)
 
In the past, I used a Bryco .380 off and on for about 20 years with no malfunctions until it got a crack in the slide. Seems like I paid $79 for it new. Today all my handguns are Rugers.

On the bad spelling, I use a spell checker to keep me straight. Right now, the word "bryco" is highlighted but won't be after I add it to the dictionary. Thee only thing aye don't like ewe can misspell some legitimate words, like Thee, aye and ewe and it won't highlight them.
 
I have stepped up in firearms from Cobra to Bersa. Bersa makes very good guns at a reasonable price. I now recommend Bersa to all I meet with cheap guns. Don't sell your cheap guns, just get one that is better to go with it.

:triniti:
 
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