First time handgun owner, need recommendations for under $250

[lakerzpew]

My budget is quite strict, under $250 would be great.

I want to buy new as well, which I know will limit my options as far as reliability and well recommended guns go for. From my brief research, although not a revolver, the cz82 seems to be highly recommended. Is this still available for purchase currently? ( I am in CA by the way ) If so, how much?

I am also very open to a revolver. I currently have 2 shotguns and want to also have a hand gun available. Since I am in CA, am I limited to buying only in physical stores, instead of online?

Any help would be appreciated.

[RJ]

What are you going to use the pistol for?

[RevolverRob]

The California guys will hopefully chime in on what is or is not legal and how to get it. Here's a test done recently by Sean O - Specifically aimed at a low-cost pistol available on California's roster - http://pistol-forum.com/showthread.php?13363-S-amp-W-SD9VE-2-000-round-test-thread The Smith SD9VE - New they run about $300 but used they run $250+.

If I were choosing an affordable low-cost handgun this would probably be me first choice.

In revolver land, since most of the used Smith M10s and M64s have dried up it's hard to recommend anything under $250. Mostly because long-term reviews on the sub-$250 guns are largely non-existent. If you can find a used Smith and Wesson 4" gun for less than $250, we can walk you through checking it out, it would be a good purchase, otherwise, I'd say you're best bet is one of cheaper semi-autos.

-Rob

[Mike C]

lakerzpew, is there any chance you'd be willing to part with one of your scatterguns? Doing so would increase your budget enough to find a used/police trade in Glock which wouldn't be a bad way to go. They generally get run through before they get sold and have any worn parts replaced so there really isn't a whole hell of a lot to worry about. In my experience police trade-ins are usually scuffed up from being carried everyday but shot very little.

A Glock is simple to operate and have a shorter learning curve due to the trigger and are typically very reliable. Parts are also plentiful and cheap, magazines if you search are easier to come by and cheaper than most semi autos. Police trade-ins also usually have night sights installed as well, dim but still operable which is something you won't find on the lower end of the price point you are looking at. In my opinion a police trade-in would be a very good way to go. You can typically find a police trade in any where from $365-$400. I have seen them as cheap as $350, if you are interested and can't find any where you are located PM me I know of a store in NC and SC that will ship and typically carry trade-ins, much of the time they are Gen 3 G22's or 17's. I would recommend getting something in 9mm simply due to cost but you can always get a drop in barrel later when your budget allows if you end up with a 22.

Hope this was helpful.

[ReverendMeat]

Dunno what their current market value is (nor legality in CA) but Makarovs used to be dirt cheap. Good guns, too.

[JM Campbell]

Save the 250, save more money and patience will get you to a larger savings for a real duty gun.

Patients is a virtue and not a regret.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk

[JHC]

The California guys will hopefully chime in on what is or is not legal and how to get it. Here's a test done recently by Sean O - Specifically aimed at a low-cost pistol available on California's roster - http://pistol-forum.com/showthread.php?13363-S-amp-W-SD9VE-2-000-round-test-thread The Smith SD9VE - New they run about $300 but used they run $250+.

If I were choosing an affordable low-cost handgun this would probably be me first choice.

In revolver land, since most of the used Smith M10s and M64s have dried up it's hard to recommend anything under $250. Mostly because long-term reviews on the sub-$250 guns are largely non-existent. If you can find a used Smith and Wesson 4" gun for less than $250, we can walk you through checking it out, it would be a good purchase, otherwise, I'd say you're best bet is one of cheaper semi-autos.

-Rob

+1 That's pretty much that.

[Joe in PNG]

In regards to handguns, the diminishing returns point is about $450, or whatever a new Glock 19 or M&P retails for in your area.
Anything with a MSRP above that range, and you're really not seeing a whole lot more for the money (subject to opinion and experience, of course).

However, when it comes to guns under that price point, each $25-$50 increment brings a dramatic improvement in the quality of gun you can get.

[LittleLebowski]

Buying a used handgun is not like buying a used car.

[Mike C]

Just doing a few searches here is a link with some Model 10's as Rob pointed out, also some of the trade in Glocks and S&W M&P's. You can see that the price point varies based on generation and condition.

http://www.sportsmansoutdoorsuperstore.com/category.cfm/CurrentPage/1/sportsman/used-firearms M10's & Glocks various prices and availability
http://www.jgsales.com/used-glocks-c-497.html A good place to search for some cheap deals, sometimes used Glocks, Bersas, Surplus Maks, Toks and other various guns in the price range you are looking for.
http://www.smga.com/p-93903-glock-22-police-trade-in.aspx Gen3 G22 w/ night sights $319.00
https://www.wideners.com/itemdetail.cfm?item_id=100001676&dir= PA63 FEG Makarov w/ 2 mags for $198.00
http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/93512/SIG+E20229TSS+2022+9MM+Night+Sights+2Tone+15R Brand new Sig E2022 w/ night sights for $399.00
http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/cPath/654_910/products_id/411555599/Smith+%26+Wesson+M%26P+40+3+mags+and+NS+Police+Tra des Police trade in S&W M&P .40 3 mags and night sights for $349.00
http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/84625/Walther+Arms+2790025+PPX+M1+9mm+4%22+Blk+16%2B1+Bl k+Poly+Grips Walther PPX 9mm new $338.00

You can also search for slick gun deals on the web and find lots of other deals. Again my vote would be to save some more or part with a scattergun for the extra cash. You can see that going up about $150 in price point can significantly change the quality of options. Sig makes a great gun and I have always had excellent customer service with them. Glocks I touched on earlier, M&P's are great but if I bought one I would simply stay away from the 9mm's I have had bad personal experience with them but YMMV. Walther PPX,PPQ aren't bad guns but the parts availability since swapping over CS from S&W has been spotty and their attitudes suck.

Completely agree with LL, there is nothing wrong with a used gun. Good analogy.

[cclaxton]

S&W M&P 9mm, $375. You can't get a decent handgun under $250 unless you happen to get a good deal from an individual.

http://www.targetsportsusa.com/smith-wesson-mp-semi-auto-police-trade-in-9mm-17-rounds-black-night-sights-p-54208.aspx

Cody

[NerdAlert]

I can definitely say that police trades are a good value. They are typically fired very little and are maintained by an armorer. If you are ok with cosmetic wear I would start there. Like many are saying $250 is kind of outside the "service grade" price point for new guns. Save a little more and you could buy a shield http://www.gandrtactical.com/cgi-bin/commerce.cgi?preadd=action&key=180021 or any of the other m&p's from G&R are the cheapest I can find online. I'm pretty sure they ship to CA but you can call them to be sure. That's my .02, don't settle for a gun that's not built for extended use if you intend to use it extensively.


Sent from my iPhone, I apologize in advance for typos.

[elsquid]

My budget is quite strict, under $250 would be great.

I want to buy new as well, which I know will limit my options as far as reliability and well recommended guns go for. From my brief research, although not a revolver, the cz82 seems to be highly recommended. Is this still available for purchase currently? ( I am in CA by the way ) If so, how much?


If you are buying from a dealer, you are basically limited to items on the CA 'safe handgun roster'...

http://certguns.doj.ca.gov

or certain single action revolvers or Curio&Relic handguns. There is another option, but it's only possible for 3 more months and it's not feasible at the $250 price range (http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=383692).

You can buy online, but you'll need to find a local dealer willing to make the transfer. Generally a fee of $50-100 is charged for this service.

Buds has a list of CA-approved handguns. It's not exhaustive, but it'll give you an idea of what's available.

http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/index.php/cPath/1153_1796/page/1/sort/6a

You can also buy used from private persons; all such transfers must go through an FFL. Dealer fee is fixed at $35 for this. Any legally owned handgun may be transferred in this manner.

CA has magazine restrictions ( 10 rounds or less ) and an "Assault Weapons" law that affects certain pistols (http://wiki.calgunsfoundation.org/Penal_Code_covering_Assault_weapons_and_.50_Calibe r_rifles).

That's the view from 30,000 feet...

-- Michael

[okie john]

My budget is quite strict, under $250 would be great.

I want to buy new as well, which I know will limit my options as far as reliability and well recommended guns go for. From my brief research, although not a revolver, the cz82 seems to be highly recommended. Is this still available for purchase currently? ( I am in CA by the way ) If so, how much?

I am also very open to a revolver. I currently have 2 shotguns and want to also have a hand gun available. Since I am in CA, am I limited to buying only in physical stores, instead of online?

Any help would be appreciated.

Lots of good advice thus far, especially about waiting until you can afford to spend around $450.

I consider a police turn-in handgun to be a BETTER bet than a new one. A Glock or M&P in 9mm has a service life well north of 75k rounds--the first few thousand rounds barely get the parts settled in. That's about as much as most police guns ever get fired, so someone has already bought all of that ammo and done all of that that work for you. Also, anything that is going to break will already have broken and been fixed, so you'll be ahead there as well.

Taking a look at ammo costs also underscores the wisdom of getting a 9mm--that stuff adds up way faster than you'd think. 40 S&W and 45 ACP ammo is more expensive than 9mm or 38 Special ammo. It's also tempting to consider guns chambered for cartridges like the .32 ACP and .380 ACP because they tend not to be expensive. But practice ammo for them costs about as much as premium 9mm ammo, and premium ammo for them is off-the-charts expensive.

Food for thought.


Okie John

[lakerzpew]

Where can I get a police trade-in handgun ?

[NerdAlert]

Online: buds gun shop, jg sales, center fire systems, cdnn investments, and many others.

Locally you could check gun shows or large local gun stores. Good luck.


Sent from my iPhone, I apologize in advance for typos.

[Rich]

I would wait and save for a NIB Pistol or Revolver.

SFP
G17/19
M&P 40S&W or if S&W totally fixed the 9mm accuracy issue then M&P 9.
FN FNS 9mm
HK VP9

TDA
Beretta M9 series A1,A2 and so on.
Sig MK25
HK P30L 9mm , P2000 9mm , USP&C 9mm


Revolver in 38spl-357mag I would use 38spl or 38spl +P only.

S&W M 686 3inch 357mag easier to carry IWB and for me faster on the draw than a 4incher
GP100 3inch 357mag


I would use any of the above handgun once its proven itself.