The surprisingly good value firearms ....

[CountryGent]

Rampant inflation, out of control prices, the dollar just not going that far. Well, how about some good news, you know, a counterpoint to this old thread:

What guns have become desirable/popular/expensive for no good reason?

For me, I cannot understand the huge popularity of the snake guns. Yes, they are nice, quality guns, but are they worth the prices they are commanding? Yes, I understand supply and demand, but what prompted the demand? Second, the Moisin Nagant. I’ve shot them, cumbersome, ugly, boring...

www.northwestfirearms.com

What guns have you found are great and can be had at reasonable rates these days?

I'll get this party started: nicely blued, accurate, well built, classic Smith & Wesson revolvers. To whit:


Smith & Wesson 25—2 1955 Target Model in .45 ACP and 10—6 in .38 Special. Former built in the early 1980s, the latter the late 1960s. Both rock solid reliable and accurate. The former, if I do my part, prints nice little six peddle clovers on the target; damn that thing is accurate. The kicker? Got them both for around, give or take, or a tad more what one would spend on a contemporary plastic-fantastic, striker-fired auto.

What say you on the the surprisingly good finds? Thanks for sharing.

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[Joe13]

There was a $400 shotgun with a few hundred dollars in ammo in Eugene yesterday for $75.

If I was employed I'd have driven down last night.


Mostly on the good deal front I see people undervaluing their goods or just want them gone fast.

It's hard to get a decent shotgun for $300 now - new or used.

 

[TTSX]

Can't say I've found any surprisingly good deals this year... or any guns that seem to be underpriced in general. Then again, 19/20 guns I buy are new so I'm generally looking at new prices.

I will say if you can get a nice blued Smith for $4-600, you've found a deal. I'm seeing them at more or less $8-1200.

 

[oremike]

Rock Island 1911's are every bit as good as the comparable name brand models for quite a bit less

 

[Knobgoblin]

Rimfires of all shapes sizes and colors seem to be sitting in place while inflation takes everything else up, up and away.

 

[CountryGent]

Rock Island 1911's are every bit as good as the comparable name brand models for quite a bit less

Word. I had a GI variant M1911A1 for a long spell. Absolutely rock solid and acquired for around three c-notes. Sold it to my retired airman father-in-law during an epic purge. RIA puts out a nice piece and at reasonable rates.

Rimfires of all shapes sizes and colors seem to be sitting in place while inflation takes everything else up, up and away.

Hadn't noticed, but that is good news. Alas, I find anything rimfire, with the notable exception of the American 180, about as interesting as vanilla, eh, ice cream.

 

[TTSX]

Rock Island 1911's are every bit as good as the comparable name brand models for quite a bit less

Every bit as good how, specifically? From a mechanical perspective I'm inclined to agree but from a fit/finish perspective, they're laps behind. Heck, on my RIA you can literally see where they took a grinder to the slide/frame in an attempt to blend them together. However, it hasn't hiccuped so I can't talk too much trash

 

[Knobgoblin]

Word. I had a GI variant M1911A1 for a long spell. Absolutely rock solid and acquired for around three c-notes. Sold it to my retired airman father-in-law during an epic purge. RIA puts out a nice piece and at reasonable rates.


Hadn't noticed, but that is good news. Alas, I find anything rimfire, with the notable exception of the American 180, about as interesting as vanilla, eh, ice cream.

The new cheap .22s seem to retail at $300 or less , while 15 dozen eggs cost double what they did last year.

15 dozen eggs can be a lot of fun when you're a kid. Much like a .22

 

[oremike]

Every bit as good how, specifically? From a mechanical perspective I'm inclined to agree but from a fit/finish perspective, they're laps behind. Heck, on my RIA you can literally see where they took a grinder to the slide/frame in an attempt to blend them together. However, it hasn't hiccuped so I can't talk too much trash

I've got 2 an ultra in 45acp and a 38 super ultra that I built out of their parts bin more or less. Both have not given me a lick of trouble. I will say they aren't as pretty as a royal blue Colt but are a step up from a plain jane GI. I like them better than my Tisias. Also they are known for great customer service in Parump NV.

 

[Alexx1401]

For value for few bucks I would have to say Hi-point. The much maligned a joked about gun line. While I don't own any I have to say they impress hell out of me in the what you get for what you pay. Being a LONG time PCC fan their little PCC's are again for the price, impressive. Their hand guns? The very definition of butt ugly but, they just work. Many hours of video of people buying the guns just to try to break them. Then finding out its actually a lot harder than they thought it would be to break the damn things.
Another who I do own and have had many is Kel-Tec. First one I ever bought was decades back P-11 that I still have and it still impresses me. Both for how cheap it was and how well it works. The 3 generation of their folding PCC I would love to have but sadly not allowed in my state.

 

[Alexx1401]

Rimfires of all shapes sizes and colors seem to be sitting in place while inflation takes everything else up, up and away.

I finally learned to stop selling mine. All my life I would get tired of them, sell them. Then in time want one again. Now I have many. Each range trip at least one will go with me.

 

[Jay Walk]

1977 Colt .38 special for $400

Not perfect but pretty nice and also not $1,200 to $1,500 like the two on GB.

As an and added bonus, I can actually take it out and shoot it, like a real gun.

 

[arakboss]

My Savage Trail Hunter seems to be a great value. After $50 rebate it was $430 Shipped.

There are some great deals out there on plastic fantastics, ARs and budget revolvers. Parts are especially cheap. Inflation has mostly passed by the firearms market over the past couple of years.

 

[Bill Siegle]

A recent find was a Stoeger STR-9 for $199. Pretty nice Gen3 Glock type handgun design with some nice features I'd consider upgrades

 

[ilikegunspdx]

Some current excellent deals imo:

- 10/22 for $169
- AR complete lower with Franklin binary trigger $349
- mke mp5 HK-licensed clone made on hk tooling ~$1100
- arex zero $429 or $529 with optics ready threaded barrel, ultra reliable sig p226 clone
- sar 2000 9mm $364 cz75 clone in stainless (uses cz-75 mags)
- sar k12 sport x $609 stainless (uses cz-75 mags)
- beretta 92 brigadier $589 (CA residents have $100 rebate making it $489 for them)
- hk USP .45 elite or expert $869
- hk 416 22lr pistol $329
- Rossi satin stainless .357 revolver $409
- Taurus 7 shot .357 ported barrel matte stainless $409
- Colt/Walther 1911 22lr $279

For me I look at value first always. Value to me means best bang for the buck for you (personal tastes differ). For me reliability is a pass/fail as I don't consider any gun that is not reliable. Also extreme ugliness such as the disgusting hi-points take them off the table permanently.

To me the arex zero and MKE MP5 clone are the best deals available right now. Arex was built to be even more reliable than sig p226 if such a thing were possible. For target pistols I believe all steel k12 sport is on par with high end such as cz shadow at a fraction of the cost. From the list above the only unknown to me is the Rossi revolver. Everything else is rock solid. Some like arex, Sar, usp, and mke could be considered more than rock solid imo.

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• ilikegunspdx
• Aug 14, 2024

Sar 2000 is so inexpensive you can play around with your own stainless finishes Fe matte/"satin"/"jeweled"

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• ilikegunspdx
• Aug 28, 2024

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• ilikegunspdx
• Aug 1, 2024

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• ilikegunspdx
• May 24, 2024

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• ilikegunspdx
• May 24, 2024

Mke mp5k clone with red dot and custom furniture total cost is still $1000 less than just an hk mp5k alone. For me that is value. To someone else it may not be.

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• ilikegunspdx
• Apr 19, 2024

 

[arakboss]

A recent find was a Stoeger STR-9 for $199. Pretty nice Gen3 Glock type handgun design with some nice features I'd consider upgrades

I was looking at adding one of those to my collection but never got around to it. It's suppose to be a pretty good gun for the money. Supposedly p226 mags will fit with a little modification.

 

[Member 89510]

I finally learned to stop selling mine. All my life I would get tired of them, sell them. Then in time want one again. Now I have many. Each range trip at least one will go with me.

Please tell me more of this special power or technique you have developed to stop selling your guns to buy more guns. How long and hard did you have to work at it?

 

[arakboss]

Please tell me more of this special power or technique you have developed to stop selling your guns to buy more guns. How long and hard did you have to work at it?

First step is, hand over control of bank accounts to wife.

Second step is, realize if you sell one you probably won't be able to replace it with a better one.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

H&R 649 Revolver.

• Andy54Hawken
• Jul 22, 2024

H&R .22 revovlers.

While never a expensive firearm to begun with...they are very stout and well made.
If you can find one for sale they seem to round around $200 or so ...at least where I am at.
In any event ...I like mine...I shoot well with it...and it holds lots of memories.
Andy

 

[Nosrac]

Some current excellent deals imo:


- Colt/Walther 1911 22lr $279

I've been extremely happy with this one. It has run flawlessly on a variety of 22 ammo. It's been a fun suppressor host.