Posted on 03/30/2020 10:34:51 AM PDT by PROCON
If you have been spooked by the coronavirus and are looking at purchasing your first firearm, but do not want to break the bank, there are several things that you should keep in mind. Aside from choosing a handgun that is going to be affordable on your wallet, you will want to think of caliber. The Top 5 BEST Budget Handguns we are about to name are all chambered in 9mm. For someone who is a 1st time handgun buyer, it goes without debating that they should purchase a 9mm. The ammunition is typically the cheapest you can get among all the popular semi-auto handgun choices on the market, the self-defense (hollow-point ammunition) available in 9mm is stout enough for defense, and there are exponentially more options available in 9mm than any other possible cartridge out there.
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TOP 5 BEST BUDGET HANDGUNS – SMITH & WESSON SD9VE 9MM
The Smith & Wesson SD9VE 9mm is the embodiment of what we are looking for. The funky name and acronym for this pistol stands for “Self Defense 9mm Value Enhanced.” It has a simple dis-assembly and maintenance process (it copies a standard Glock) and it has only the bare, essential features someone would need in a home defense or beginner CCW pistol. It also carries 16 Rounds in its 2 magazines you receive and has a semi-attractive look with a Bi-Tone finish. At an MSRP of $389 and often sold for much cheaper than that, it is hard to go wrong with the Smith & Wesson SD9VE 9mm.
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ugh. I hate plastic guns.
I’d suggest a Star BM. They’re solid service weapons which have generally been well taken care of and which were recently surplussed by Spain. You can get one for about $250.
Smith & Wesson MP shield compact.
As a long time shooting instructor, I tell my students that if you go into a gun store to buy a gun, and the person behind the counter says "this is what you want", turn around and walk out. They don't know what you want because they haven't asked a lot of questions that go into finding the right gun.
Having said that, 9mm is a certainly a good option for a lot of people.
great pistol, but parts are impossible to get.
I lucked out getting a firing pin.
I am a 1911 dude. I am not a fan of plastic guns. Or striker fired pistols.
But...
I did recently pickup a S&W Performance Shield .45ACP
And that plastic, striker-fired pistol is a real, smile-inducing pleasure to shoot.
For later.
L
They buy the gun. Maybe fire a box of shells. Put it in a drawer. A year later they take it out and maybe have forgotten how it operates.
My 1911s have external safetys. Up is safe; down to fire.
My Beretta 92FS Inox also has an external safety. Down is safe. Up to fire. Two of my Sigs (226 and 220) have external levers, but none are safeties. A hammer drop. A slide lock. And a slide release.
My P239 SAS DAK Sig has neither a hammer drop or safety. It's DA only.
All the above can be confusing to someone who doesn't plan to spend consistent and frequent range time.
I'd recommend a Ruger SP101 over any in the article. Pick it up. Look at the side. You can see if it's loaded or no. Point. Shoot. I have one I use for CCW if I really need concealment.
For someone who is a 1st time handgun buyer, it goes without debating that they should purchase a 9mm.”
Wrong wrong wrong.
L
I think panic buyers like these will just put their newly purchased handgun in storage with the stockpile of TP they bought.
There is still an embarrassment of riches to be had in this area WRT polymer-framed, striker-fired 9mm handguns of decent quality. The prices are up however, and the ammo selection is down.
Buy American made whatever you do.
Colt has restarted production of the Python. Lest you go out and start buying I don’t know how available they are and the price is $1499.
I bought a Smith & Wesson SD9VE 9mm just because it was brand new for 279 bucks. Say what you want, but it has been stone cold reliable. up to 1200 rounds so far and not a single malfunction or ANY kind. Not one hiccup. It feeds absolutely any profile of 9mm. (it’s called an Oprah gun, it will eat anything you feed it)
I dropped in the Apex spring kit for another 20 bucks and that cleaned up the trigger nicely. It is more intrinsically accurate than the M&P series pistols. The grip is perfect but not adjustable. Fits my hand like it was my... well, it fits my hand perfectly.
Fully loaded it is 2 ounces lighter than a Glock 19 with the same capacity.
Look at the slide machining and it is perfect. No cheapo feel. Don’t let the SD trigger throw you off. An APEX spring fixes it well. And to anyone raised on revolvers it will be a non event to run this trigger, but it has nothing like a revolver double action trigger pull distance.
And the best part, in the unhappy even that you use it, it won’t hurt your heart that it’s in a police crime lab just tossed on a shelf for a few years while the case is ongoing.
First time handgun buyer should never buy a semi auto. Get a double action revolver. Much easier to use.
9 mm is a good choice due to available ammo. It’s easy to accumulate reloading components in good times. Also, if all hell breaks out, you’ll be able to readily find 9mm ammo from sources no longer functioning.
Yer gonna put yer eye out with that thing.
My Star BM had FTE's when I first got it. Replaced the extractor, and found out the old one looked like it had been chewed by beavers.
Back then, the Spanish company IPAR was still available. They had bought the remaining factory parts when Star went under. Now they're gone too. You might find a trickle of parts through Numrich or Gunbroker, but I wouldn't recommend it for a noob.
Now that it's sorted out, it's a solid single-stack, all-metal pistol, with a crisp military (i.e. not light) trigger. It even doesn't choke on hollow points. Oldsters like me can find value in that, but it's not what the kids are looking for these days.
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