Cheap pistol for all around use?

I wouldnt use a hi-point for a hammer, much less all around use.

the Pietta is a decent repro. I rather like thier stuff. its also limited for most options since its BP.

i suppose the ruger wins this one to me. Its quality, not too expensive, and no one likes .22 caliber holes punched in thier torso.

Since the discussion is strictly academic and you're not going to buy a handgun. A good .357 magnum with a 4 - 6 inch barrel is the best all around handgun you will find. It isn't the best for a lot of purposes, but it is good for everything.

Self defense is the one area where a .357 magnum with 125 grain high velocity hollow points is not a compromise. It will get the job done.

For sporting use a .357 with 158 grain soft point ammo will take down medium sized or smaller game reliably at reasonable ranges for a handgun.

For target shooting or plinking, you can shoot .38 special cartridges. Wadcutter bullets are accurate, inexpensive loads.

None of the guns you listed will be even close to a decent .357 revolver for any of these purposes, with the exception that the Ruger .22 will be better and cheaper for target use and/or plinking.

I've gotta agree with Tahoe on these choices. I'll take the Ruger any day of the week over the others. The 9mm is a better stopper than he .22 but the key to self defense is the gun working and knowing how to use it. I know when I pull the trigger on the Ruger it's going to go bang and I've practiced enough to know I'll hit what I'm shooting at. There is no way I'd trust my life to the others.

Depends on how cheap you are trying to go. I'd go for a 9mm minimum because a .22 just won't cut for self defense, I don't care what people say.

For around $300 you can get a Ruger or old Smith semi-auto. The Ruger P89 or P95 is a rugged, durable piece with decent accuracy. The Smith 5906 or similar (just gunbroker.com "Smith 9mm used") is also very reliable.

Barrel length only comes cheap in the Mark II and III's. If you get a long barrel of larger calibers they are in limited production and always more pricey.

For the $100 range, you CAN get a Hi-Point. Ugly and cheap-feeling compared to most other guns, I know several people who have owned them and they swear by them. YES, they are cheap, but YES, they go bang every time you pull the trigger. It was never designed to be a Glock or Sig, but people expect them to perform like them and take abuse like them, so they bash 'em. On a budget, it still works. I WOULD buy one, but I got my eyes on another Kimber at the moment.

For me, it's a tossup between the Mk.III and the 1858 clone.

I own a bull barreled Ruger Mk.II (that was my carry gun for a good while), that is loads of fun to shoot, and is unbelievably accurate (had to re-crown the barrel after a particular incident though...). Can't beat the .22LR for shooting on the cheap.

Then again, I own a Pietta 1858 Remmy (.44, blued, 8'' barrel) that is one SWEET shootin' iron! Loads of fun to shoot, and real cheap to feed. It's as much fun loading it as it is shooting... not to mention it's pretty accurate. Very well balanced too. Packs a pretty hefty punch as well.

Cork: My newborn baby only can gurgle... and somehow she still makes more sense.

well all of those sound ok for their own purpose, though id say it would be smart to get somthing that has a conversion capabillity. for example the sig sauer p229 is an awesom gun you can get in.... lets say .40 s&w but it also has a .22 conversion kit available for it which means you can have your sig in .40 for self and home defense and you can convert it by swapping out a few parts and have yourself a .22 for target shootin. but then again thats just an example because the sig p229 is about 850 to about 1000$ pistol brand new so you would have to look into some other pistol that you would like that have this capability, and i know there are alot out there.

Go with Ruger. No Hi Point, they are boat anchors. How bout the Ruger p95? Pretty good price for a reliable accurate firearm.

WTF CORK????? YOUR CAPS LOCK KEY IS STUCK

Id say a CZ-82 in 9x18 makarov. Reliable, built well, cheap ammo, and priced way below what i think its worth quality wise. Fun to target shoot with and a good carry gun. One of the contributors (Sir Bobby) and i carry one on a regular basis.

Hard to find a semi auto thats is worth a crap for around $200...

Ruger MkII or MkIII. Honestly, if I were going for SD with these choices, I'd go with the MkII because the MkIII has 'features" that might be to your detriment EXCEPT I like the position of the mag release on the MkIII.

hi point. they're not bad guns besides being horribly ugly. they're reliable, accurate, and has the same problems like all the other guns. they're just ugly.