zefram47
New member
The Ruger LCP gen2 (not the new version 2) are selling regularly on sale for $199 at the big box stores.
Official T4R "Firearms" thread
- Thread starter d3cypher
- Start date
The Ruger LCP gen2 (not the new version 2) are selling regularly on sale for $199 at the big box stores.
New guy here. Just got a 4R that will be mostly used as my shooting trip/fishing vehicle. I'm based in Seattle and pretty active on local firearm boards there, some of you may recognize my username. Thought I'd post up my pre-election buy.
DDI USA Forged AK-47s.
DDI USA Forged AK-47s.
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clweathers
New member
I'll share my 2 main workhorses.
Gen 4 G34 USPSA handgun
My franken Ar.
The upper in the background is 80% a carbon copy of my comp ar, it's a build I'm doing for my little brother for Christmas.
Gen 4 G34 USPSA handgun
My franken Ar.
The upper in the background is 80% a carbon copy of my comp ar, it's a build I'm doing for my little brother for Christmas.
Gunslinger-13
New member
^THIS!
When one is buying a firearm to carry and possibly need to defend their lives or the lives of family- "Bottom budget" should never enter the equation.
Gunslinger-13
New member
You should be researching which tool is accurate, high quality, has great reliability and which manufacturer of said tool supports the platform with customer service and armorers.
A big hint and clue would be the firearms that continue to win the majority of military and police contracts.
That being said, if you need the tool NOW and money is an issue, buy what you can afford and save accordingly to upgrade later (ASAP) to something more reliable/higher quality.
A POS pistol is better than nothing if you really need it RIGHT NOW and funds are tight. I'd highly recommend tightening your budget and getting a higher quality firearm over a POS cheapo pistol.
You'll run into a lot of mall ninja internet commando brand-boy fudd's. There's tonss of "firearm" magazines that are just marketing magazines with little to no real world info and WAY TOO MANY self proclaimed "gun experts" with youtube channels who will proclaim "Shot 100 flawless rounds" "it's good to go"; they are complete douche bags who make recommendations based on a sample of size of one and very little knwoledge or data/metrics. Stear clear of those douche bags and what they say about gear and shooting in general.
Don't listen to the fudd, do the research yourself on firearms forums with vetted subject matter experts, BTDT dudes and heavy hitter industry guys like m4carbine.net
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You can get a police surplus Glock 27, 23 or 22 for sub $450. These are typically carried a lot more than shot. I'm personally not a fan of .40 but if you're on a budget and need a reliable gun cheap, this is a good choice.
I've also had good luck with Caniks. The TP9SF can easily be found for under $400 at most gun shops and thus far has built a solid reputation. I have the original TP9 with the DA/SA trigger and decocker. While not my favorite gun, it has been extremely reliable and accurate. I'd get the TP9SF if I were to pick now (It didn't exist when I bought mine).
I also own a SCCY CPX2. This is a small gun about the size of a sub-compact Glock that holds 10+1 of 9mm. It's DAO and the trigger is a bit heavy but for sub $300, it is reliable and plenty accurate as a self defense tool. It's easy to conceal as well.
While arguably one of the ugliest guns ever made, HiPoints are pretty reliable and can easily be found for under $200. I can't say I enjoyed shooting my friend's, but the thing went bang every time.
End of the day a Jennings .22 that works half the time is better than nothing. Pick the best you can afford within your budget and upgrade over time.
I've also had good luck with Caniks. The TP9SF can easily be found for under $400 at most gun shops and thus far has built a solid reputation. I have the original TP9 with the DA/SA trigger and decocker. While not my favorite gun, it has been extremely reliable and accurate. I'd get the TP9SF if I were to pick now (It didn't exist when I bought mine).
I also own a SCCY CPX2. This is a small gun about the size of a sub-compact Glock that holds 10+1 of 9mm. It's DAO and the trigger is a bit heavy but for sub $300, it is reliable and plenty accurate as a self defense tool. It's easy to conceal as well.
While arguably one of the ugliest guns ever made, HiPoints are pretty reliable and can easily be found for under $200. I can't say I enjoyed shooting my friend's, but the thing went bang every time.
End of the day a Jennings .22 that works half the time is better than nothing. Pick the best you can afford within your budget and upgrade over time.
Thanks for the input Gunslinger. I'm "tightening the budget" as it is to buy an inexpensive firearm. But I figure in a bad situation I would rather have an inexpensive/used firearm in my hand than no weapon and almost enough money for a nicer weapon.
zefram47
New member
And regular time on the range.
LandCruiser
New member
Police Glock Fotays are going for much less than 450.
You can find them for 300-350 when PDs dump their 40SW guns for 9mm.
That sounds about right. I couldn't remember off the top of my head. My local FFL never has a shortage of the .40s. Pretty common to have some 21s and 21SFs as well.
RuggedRunner
Member
I'm so glad this thread was made. I just found it today and now I'm going to waist so much time on here.
RuggedRunner
Member
I'm turning 21 in just a few months. I've been counting down for so long and I'm way more exited to buy a pistol than alcohol. I've been looking at the tarus millennium G2. My friend has one that I shot and I was very accurate with it and might be a good starter for carrying. sub compact 9mm it's only around $300-350
Gunslinger-13
New member
This is going to seem a little ranty and I will almost certainly get flamed and hurt a few peoples feelings for this post, but I don't care- here goes...
Guys buy guns and attach their ego to them- they feel as if the gun and the decision that THEY bought it is an extension of their self worth and "manliness"; a gun is a tool, some tools are better than others, some MUCH better than others and some total trash you shouldn't waste your money or time on.
I would suggest doing some research on Taurus and ALL firearm manufacturers before buying.
Get what you want, by all means, but please inform yourself. And not from "Guns Magazine" or any of the self proclaimed internet firearm pros with youtube videos and "operator tacticool bullet proof beards".
Not all firearms are created equal, take for instance AR-15's/M4's.
Even if they are marketed as "Milspec"; that's the marketing department- not necessarily that it conforms to, or exceeds the military TDP for a proper M4/M16.
So you have to ask and research if the manufacturer actually has access to the technical Data Package? Do they actually follow it or exceed it? Do they actually test every part properly, or just batch test? Etc, Etc, etc...
When talking guns it can be like the Ford Vs Chevy guys. Equal parts ego, machismo and bullshit wrapped up in a manly and stubborn "This is what I bought, it's the best, screw everything else" package.
The fact is, that Bushmaster, Oly Arms or DPMS is not equal to/the same thing as a Colt, a BCM or Daniel Defense. Even though there's millions of people who say it over and over again on the internet just about every day.
Does that mean that Bushmaster, Oly arms and DPMS are total crap and not worth buying? Or that you are less of a man or made the wrong decision for buying one? NO. Of Course not. But they are not equal to Colt, BCM, Daniel Defense and a bunch of other manufacturers. Reality.
Go to M4carbine.net and read, read, read and then read some more. Then ask questions.
M4C is to guns what T4R is to 4runners. In fact it is well beyond what T4R is- it has some of the leading firearms, instructor, military, police and tactical subject matter experts in the USA/world contributing to the knowledge base and that's hard to replicate. The signal to noise ratio is great and the moderators do a wonderful job of keeping it that way.
It is a place where very, very good and properly vetted subject matter experts post really good, real world experience based knowledge- not internet commando mall ninja "I shot 200 rounds flawless at the indoor range.the fit and finish is great" BS that is typical of most internet forums and firearm/youtube channels.
I implore every firearms enthusiast to go there and lurk around, read the AAR's, read ALL the sticky's and then start posting. It really is a wonderful bunch of folks with TONS of knowledge and much less bullshit than the average firearm forum. http://www.m4carbine.net/forum.php
I can hear it now: "But my friend owns this, I've shot it tons of times and it's accurate and never had an issue..." -or- "I've been shooting my whole life- I own one, and it is the best pistol made..."
Great, that's a sample size of one, worth absolutely nothing as far as how the specific manufacturer and firearms they produce are quality, perform well across the entire platform and have good quality control and customer service versus poor/okay quality across the platform and have poor quality control and customer service.
Marketing and "Tacticool-operator" BS is a monster these days with the interwebz, it is in every industry, really. Firearms are no different, (probably one of the worst for this BS actually) you'll get worthless opinions and garbage "experience" from guys that shoot at a static range less in a year than others shoot in a weekend at a class taught by a quality instructor.
In this world of equality, PC bullshit and the internet being a sounding board for every bed-wetter turned pro over night by reading a few blogs and doing the activity a few weekends in a row- ACTUAL subject matter experts are either ridiculed or ignored in favor of tough guy bravado vomited from the mouths of stereotypical idiots who scream loud and represent a specific persona. It's maddening and a disservice to us all.
Bottom line, you should be looking at what firearms are consistently winning American Military and Police (Not Brazilian or third world countries) contracts and do the research to determine what is the best firearm decision for you and why.
What are your expectations, what do you plan to use the firearm for, etc. Does the weapon you are choosing meet those criteria? Why?
At the end of the day, everyone has some experience/knowledge and an opinion to go along with it and you will buy what you want. But I implore you to do your due diligence, do the research and inform yourself to make the best decision possible for YOU.
I'm stoked you are turning 21 and get to buy your first pistol, very cool stuff. Hope you enjoy yourself, are responsible with it and have tons of fun with it!!
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^ Gunslinger is right. Want to see a grown man's head explode? Tell him that his $2,000 1911 is no better than your $500 Glock or M&P.
I also agree that you should purchase a reputable and reliable pistol. Especially if it's your only one. Taurus is not a name associated with quality or reliability in the firearm world.
In the $300-350 range you should consider a surplus Glock, M&P or a brand new Canik TP9SF.
In this price range you can also get a new S&W Shield which is a delight for EDC and is better than nothing for defending yourself.
I also agree that you should purchase a reputable and reliable pistol. Especially if it's your only one. Taurus is not a name associated with quality or reliability in the firearm world.
In the $300-350 range you should consider a surplus Glock, M&P or a brand new Canik TP9SF.
In this price range you can also get a new S&W Shield which is a delight for EDC and is better than nothing for defending yourself.
RuggedRunner
Member
I completely agree, thanks for the advice. I take carrying/self defense very seriously and am very cautious about it because I'm a newbie. Owning and carrying a pistol is a great privilege, but I definitely don't want something to go wrong because I got a crappy pistol, or have a lack of knowledge and experience.
Gunslinger-13
New member
Not to nit pick, but it is NOT a privilege, it is a RIGHT.
Good luck on your journey, hope you learn a lot and have a great time!
Come back here and let us know what you buy and why.
Take care buddy and Happy 21st Birthday!
RuggedRunner
Member
Darn right you are! Thank you, I sure will!
nevada
Senior Member
I have purchased a few firearms that were considered budget pieces. And I think that's OK.
I also think that everyone needs to go out and buy at least ONE high-dollar-exactly-the-one-you-want piece.
everyone needs to experience that at least once. even if it means saving up for a year or more.
I also think that everyone needs to go out and buy at least ONE high-dollar-exactly-the-one-you-want piece.
everyone needs to experience that at least once. even if it means saving up for a year or more.
