cheap, reliable, handgun?

I really like my Springfield XD in .40 cal with the 4" barrel. it's reliable, very ergonomic, and affordable. $500 for the pistol and two mags. good SHTF gun, but still concealable for while Under Rule of Law. (That's when we're not in SHTF mode, and society's functioning. e.g., right now.) It has a rail for lights or lasers.

for a light, I highly recommend the Streamlight TLR-1s. its cheap at $100, has adapters for almost any rail, puts out a respectable 160 lumens, has a strobe mode, plus it can be toggled on/off AND has a momentary on/off function.

But that's just my preference. there is not one-size-fits-all gun. you need to get your hands on and shoot as many as you can, and decide on whichever one fits you best. Here are some of my recommendations to get you started.

Beretta 92

HK USP

SIG P220-series

Springfield XD series

Glocks

FN Five-seveN

Quick guide on calibers.

5.7x28mm: definitely a special round, but effective. only used in the FN Five-seveN and the FN P90, (which is a submachine gun) it's very accurate, very fast, has decent range, barely recoils, but still creates a formidable wound due to the fact that it tumbles once it finds an organic target. despite this, it's high velocity and shape allows it to easily pierce skulls and even light armor. (unless you use hollowpoints.) It's light enough that its inertia will be quickly overcome by the soft tissue, and so I hear it tends to stay in the target, which is nice if you don't want to shoot through and hit something behind your attacker. it's almost like a "smart" round. bad news is, its less common, and kind of expensive. You probably won't find too many of these rounds when the SHTF.

9mm: accurate, high velocity. Low recoil. Alot of guys dis on this relatively small round, but I've never heard of anyone that took a 9 mil to the chest and called it a good day. 9 mil pistols tend to have a relatively high mag capacity. widely available, affordable round. I consider it adequate, but I wouldn't go any smaller if I had the choice. (except for the 5.7x28)

.40 cal: a little bit more recoil than the 9mm, but still quite manageable with a little practice. pretty good ballistics and accuracy, and you get a somewhat more massive projectile for that added assurance in making sure your target knows he took a round. Another common round. just a hair more pricey than the nine, but not a big deal.

.45: Getting into "bigger gun" territory, here. accuracy suffers noticeably, (though you can still shoot cans at 25 yards, if you're good) as does velocity. (though that makes it quite suppressable, if you're inclined to put a suppressor on your gun!) Recoil isn't terribly high, but it's enough to make your follow-up shots noticeably slower and/or sloppier. Packs quite a wallop on your target, though! You're definitely in trouble if you soak up a .45 slug. I consider it a great option for a close-range, secondary weapon. It's popular, available, and relatively affordable.

.357: *Just* starting to get borderline ridiculous. This one's recoil is enough to bruise your hand if you keep shooting it for a little while. it packs enough punch to ruin even a grizzly bear's day. It'll stop any human attacker almost straight away. you can forget about fast, accurate follow-up shots completely, though. I'd save it for very close-up "oh, ****, gotta stop him right-*******-now" type scenarios. it's mostly revolvers that use this round. pretty available, but somewhat pricey.

.44 magnum: Very intimidating, Harry Callahan. But your bulky, unwieldy six-shooter's a bit out of place in a modern gunfight. Forget about this caliber unless you're just trying to make hamburger out of someone you've got the drop on. Also, sorry about your small penis.

.50AE: Holy mother of God. Who would even put this round in a handgun? Oh, yeah, that would be the Israelis. They call it a Desert Eagle. Pretty sure they just did it for the lulz. or perhaps for the heavily-armored insurgents.

My stock answer for anyone asking advice on their first handgun on a budget is a medium framed 4" barreled .38 or .357. . It is large enough to shoot well, yet small enough to conceal if necessary. Colt, Smith, Ruger, Taurus and many other quality manufacturers have produced millions of these guns and they are available on the used market for $200.00 or less-just look around.. The .38+P or the .357 are effective combat rounds. Use it to learn the basics of combat pistolcraft, With a revolver you can practice indoors with wax bullets for about the price of .22LRs. While not accurate, they are an effective training tool for ranges under 7 yards-this is the range most gunfights occur at. As Jeff Cooper said "Owning a handgun doesn't make you armed any more than owning a guitar makes you a musician." It takes practice, and a revolver such as this is the most cost-effective tool to use. If 6 rounds doesn't buy you time to improve your situation and reload, a double-stack racegun probably won't help much either. If you go to a gun range on a Saturday afternoon and ask this question you will be pleasantly surprised at the information you can get. Several people will likely offer you the chance to shoot a wide variety of revolvers and pistols. This will let you "try it before you buy it." Then you can see what appeals to you. Someone at the range may have a gun for sale that suites your needs at the right price. Also, the practical shooters there will help you make the transition from hunting with a rifle to defending yourself with a handgun. It really is a different skill set. Don't become too enamored by all the bells-and-whistles. I would rather face an untrained person with an Uzi than a combat master with a .22.

As far as laser sights and flashlights on a handgun-they are double edged swords. They can aid in target acquisition, but the give your position away. If I hear someone shooting at me, and see a laser or flashlight pointing at me, I'm going to shoot the light out. Since you are behind the light, you will be shot. If you don't already have a good foundation in handgun basics a laser can lead to bad habits such as ignoring your front sight and they are useless in bright light under the stress of combat. They are also expensive and add complexity at a time you simplicity. You can not buy combat proficiency. KISS. You said ". I'm interested in something that is relatively cheap... and most of all it is reliable". Reliability is the key word in defense, and in the economy (used) market you're better off with a revolver. It will not be your last handgun. When you refine your preferences and decide you want a different piece, you can trade your revolver for something else and get most, if not all of your original investment back.

Here is an article you should read-then read the book. http://www.personaldefensesolutions.net/MassadAyoo...

I hope this gives you food for thought. I applaud you for your decision not to be a victim.

First off, for someone who doesn't know much about handguns, I think you should consider getting a revolver. They are almost foolproof; a semi-auto has a steeper learning curve. You can always sell it for a semi-auto later, but I don't see why you'd want to do that.

Second, you do NOT want to attach a flashlight or laser to your gun. If the person you're going after also has a gun, an attached light is just a target for them. Hold the light in your other hand, or just turn on the lights in your house. Oftentimes, just turning on lights will be enough to scare a bad guy away. Integrated lasers are okay for concealed carry guns, but in the dark they are just as much of a target as a flashlight. Like the old military saying goes, "tracers work both ways."

As for your price range, it would be great if you gave us a number. "Relatively cheap" to some people is $1,000 or less... "Relatively cheap" to others is $200 or less. If you spend less than $300 on a pistol, you aren't getting a pistol that you can necessarily depend upon.

Now, for some recommendations:

1) For a semi-auto, a S&W M&P, Springfield xD, or Glock. I dislike Glocks in the extreme; they don't fit my hand. 9mm, .40 S&W, and .45 ACP are all good self-defense rounds. For each of those guns, you'll pay at most $500 if you look hard for a deal.

2) For a revolver, get a .357 Magnum. My first choice would be a Smith & Wesson 686. The MSRP on one is about $830, but you can probably find one for about $600-$700 if you keep your eyes open. If money were no object, I'd buy a Smith & Wesson TRR8, which is a .357 Magnum revolver with an 8-shot cylinder... But that's just a dream gun for me, not a realistic purchase. Ruger also makes excellent revolvers; the GP100 and the SP101 are two that come to mind. They run in the $450-$550 range. Taurus also makes respectable revolvers in the $350-$550 range.

3) You might also consider getting a shotgun, such as a Mossberg 500, but shotguns are harder to maneuver in cramped quarters, like a hallway. If you do get a shotgun, get a pistol, too. Incidentally, a Mossberg 500 will cost about $300, making it one of the cheapest (and most reliable) self-defense firearms.

Again, I am going to strongly urge you to purchase a revolver. The reliability aspect, combined with your limited handgun experience, would tip the scales in favor of a good wheelgun.

No matter what you choose to buy, though, you need to go to a shooting range or gun shop, hold the gun you're interested in buying, and see how it feels in your hands. If it doesn't fit your hands (i.e. the Glock for me), it isn't worth buying. It would also be a good idea to shoot a few and see which one gives you the best accuracy.

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RE:

cheap, reliable, handgun?

I'm looking to buy a pistol for personal defense but i don't know much about them. I'm a responsible hunter and own many rifles but never really thought about owning a handgun until lately when a co-worker was harassed by several gang members while driving to work. I live in the country...

SIG PRO SP2022 in 9mm is an excellent gun and 100% reliable and can be found new for under $500 which is a hell of a bargain.cheap and reliable don't go well together in gun terms and you get what you pay for so if you wanna protect your life with a $200 hi point or other cheap junk then obviously u don't value your life much. Just spend a fair price on something reliable and something that fits your hand perfect just shop around also look into the Springfield Xd line

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cheap reliable handgun

Anything smaller than a 9mm may not knock a bad guy down quickly enough to matter if he's on the attack. I carry a .45 for that simple reason. On reliability and price -- Most cops in America carry a Glock for a reason....

Remember, proper training is JUST as important as the proper firearm...

Get yourself a 9mm Glock. Cheap, reliable, and relatively uncomplicated. If your first handgun has GOT to be a semi-auto, go with a Glock, or if you don't like them, get a Springfield XD or Smith and Wesson M&P.

I just put a Smith & Wesson M&P .40 cal on layaway.

New price is about $539, I found it barely used for $479.

I tried some Glocks to fit, and they were uncomfortable & didn't fit my hand at all. They seem overrated to me.

The .40 is a mid range priced ammo, and has plenty of stopping power in a defense situation.

If cheap is what your looking for cheaper than dirt and many other dealers sell hi point pistols I got my dad a 45acp for Christmas it was only 179.00$ that is insanely cheap and it's not a bad gun plus it has a rail for attachments the only drawback is its really large it is really hard to conceal in regular clothing. Personally I think you can't beat the 1911 in 45 acp Taurus makes one that goes for as low as $600 in Texas.

Good luck shoot safe and support the 2nd ammenment