Here are the top ten handguns that provide maximum quality and function for the dollar.
So, you're in the market for a top-notch handgun and now you're
suffering from sticker shock. Good handguns rarely come cheap. Most
shooters like old-world craftsmanship, but such labor-intensive
manufacturing is expensive.
New techniques have helped. Ruger
pioneered investment casting in quality handguns. HK pioneered the use
of polymer in pistols and Glock advanced the concept to the vanguard of
popularity. In all cases, fine guns became available for less money.
Another concept that goes back to the 1950s is the "plain Jane"
version of conventionally manufactured handguns. It was during the '50s
that Smith & Wesson introduced the Model 28 Highway Patrolman .357
revolver and the Model 46 .22 target pistol. Each was basically the same
gun as the expensive version -- the Model 27 revolver and the Model 41
pistol, respectively -- with corners cut in production. Their finishes
were a sandblasted-gray to save labor-intensive polishing. Fancy
touches, like checkered topstraps, were left off. Actions were not so
finely honed, but the accuracy and the basic functions were the same,
for much less money. While the Model 28 and Model 46 are long gone from
the S&W catalog, the concept remains in S&W's Value Series.
Here are the 10 best-value handguns currently produced. "Value"
is defined for our purposes as "high quality and function at a low
price." Don't look for "fancy," look for "function."
Big-Bore Handguns
In full-power fighting handguns, there are a handful of real best
buys available. Each uses a different approach to manufacturing to cut
costs while maintaining quality.
SIG sig pro
SIGArms went to a polymer-frame pistol in 1998 to reduce cost,
essentially creating a Cadillac for the Pontiac price range. They more
than succeeded. At 27 ozs., the sig pro is over 3 oz. lighter than the
allsteel P-229 in the respective calibers, .357 SIG and .40 S&W. At
$596 suggested retail, it's $199 cheaper. It carries the same number of
rounds and each pistol is caliber interchangeable between .357 and .40
-- simply by changing barrels.
The sig pro has other advantages. It comes with different-sized
grip inserts that allow you to better fit the pistol to your hand. Most
importantly, for me at least, the sig pro in .357 SIG has the same fine
accuracy as the P229 in that caliber. Even better, the sig pro SP2340
in .40 caliber is more accurate than any P-229 in that caliber that I've
ever tested or seen shot.
The sig pro has the same round count, it's lighter, better
adapted to your hand and produces good or better accuracy. Plus, it's 25
percent less expensive. That spells V-A-L-U-E.
S&W Model 457
The spirit of models 28 and 46 lives on at Smith & Wesson
in the Value Series guns. These reached their position of "best buy"
status with the 1996 introduction of the Model 457, a compact 7 1 shot
.45 ACP with an aluminum-alloy frame. This series of pistols has plainer
finishes and the edges are squarer and blunter to save machining of
contours.
All Value Series versions of the conventional DA first-shot
S&W autos are good buys. For example, the Model 908 at $466 is the
Value Series treatment of the top-line Model 3913 in the same 9mm
chainbering, which retails for $662 -- an almost 30 percent savings. The
457 carries a suggested retail of $515, compared to the stainless
top-line Model 4516's $822 price tag. This is a whopping 37 percent
savings.
It gets better. The 4516 is a chunky, all-steel pistol. The
aluminum alloy-framed 457 is much lighter and more portable. The only
counterpart in the S&W line is a very high-end pistol, custom made
for a certain distributor and selling for roughly twice the price of a
457.
Very reliable and very accurate, the Model 457 is probably the best buy in the S&W catalog today.
Ruger P97
Sturm, Ruger & Co. has long led the way in quality
investment casting to lower handgun prices. In 1995, with their P95
pistol, they combined investment casting with polymerframe technology to
produce a highcapacity, high-quality 9mm at a price so low it was
previously unheard of: $351. The price still holds today. In 1999, Ruger
celebrated its 50th anniversary by introducing one of their finest
values ever, the P97. It's a P95 in .45 ACP.
Accurate enough for most competitive target shooting, the P97
delivers groups equal to those found on the best ($1,000-plus price
range) factory target pistols in .45 ACP. Exceedingly reliable, the P97
retails for around $460, but can generally be found at gunshops in the
low $400 range or less. Rugged? I deliberately ran over a P95 with a
Jeep Grand Cherokee and it still worked fine. The P97 shares the P95's design and construction.
These pistols are ergonomically exquisite, completely lacking
the boxy feel of the P90 .45s that preceded them. No sharp edges are to
be found. Actions and trigger pulls are smooth and easy, both double and
single. Magazine capacity is one round more than the P90: eight rounds,
and the mags are interchangeable between the two models.
The P95 stood by itself for value in a quality centerfire auto
pistol, but the .45 exceeded it. It did so by being literally twice as
accurate. In the time of the "high-capacity magazine ban," a nine-shot
.45 also delivers more bang for the buck than an 11-shot 9mm. The
combination of polymer frame and investment-casting economies of
production makes the P97 the best buy of all current .45 autos, period.
Medium-Caliber Handguns
Handguns in the medium-caliber category are perhaps the
most-shopped of guns, especially by owners who want acceptable punch and
ease of carry.
Kel-Tec P-11
At only $309 suggested retail, the P-11 sells for less than
half the price of some other sub-compact 11-shot 9mm pistols.
Polymer-frame technology, coupled with the ingenious design work of
George Kelgren, makes it possible. Surprisingly accurate, it will accept
15-shot S&W Model 59/5900 series magazines, which are still readily
available on the gun-show market.
The double-action-only trigger pull is heavy and tiresome, but a
gun-smith familiar with the design can work wonders in altering it to
your touch. The sights are adequate. Best of all, this pistol is
extremely small for its power level and round-count. Concealing it is a
snap. Coupled with its small size is its light weight: 14 ozs. unloaded.
The P-11 is comparable to the dimensionally similar Airweight five-shot
.38.
There were malfunctions with the early P-11 s, but these were
cleared up quickly. Most P-11 owners rave about the gun's reliability.
How about durability? One sheriff's department put 7,000 rounds through a
P-11, most of it hot Winchester P , with no breakdown and no
malfunctions.
This gun has been produced in .40 S&W as well, but the 9mm
is far more in evidence. Kel-Tec's new .32 ACP, the P-32, is garnering
rave reviews from the mousegun crowd. Barely over 5" in length, it
weighs 6.6 ozs. and has a much lighter DAO trigger pull than its big
brother.
A lot of companies make compact "concealed carry" 9mm pistols,
but none can touch Kel-Tec's P-11 in terms of "bang for the buck."
Taurus 85
Available in blued steel or stainless, an aluminum-framed
Ultra-Lite variant and an aluminum/titanium version, the small Brazilian
gun is the best buy on the "small-frame snubnose .38" market. Very
similar outwardly to the S&W Chief's Special, the 85 starts at $285
suggested retail in blued steel with 2" or 3" barrel, versus $406 for
S&W's equivalent Model 36. They fit the same holsters and do the
same jobs, making the Taurus some 30 percent more cost effective.
The small-frame Taurus is surprisingly accurate. Handling is
functionally identical to its S&W counterpart. A CH (concealed
hammer) version is available in double-action only with snag-free
profile. Taurus revolvers also come with a built-in lock on the hammer
that can be secured with a key easily kept on your personal keychain, an
option that can be useful.
A lot of professionals who insist on long-established prestige
brands go to the Taurus 85 for their smallframe .38 needs. This gun's
excellent value explains why it's perennially the best-selling Taurus.
Traded Service Revolvers
In the '80s and '90s, police departments swapped their service
revolvers for semi-automatic duty pistols, en masse. Many of these
revolvers were nearly new and many more were in excellent condition,
well maintained by department armorers. (Cops take better care of their
guns than their vehicles.)
For under $300 -- sometimes well under $300 you can purchase a
perfectly functional sixgun in nearly new condition, except for some
holster wear or scratches, that would cost $500 new. Smith & Wessons
are the most common, followed by Rugers and a few Colts.
These are almost all .38 Special/.357 Magnum guns. The .38s
slightly predominate and, of course, all .357s will re the .38 Special
cartridge. If you want a medium-bore but high-powered revolver, L-frame
and larger Smith & Wessons and Rugers will stand the buffeting of
.357 Magnum fire the longest. Among the Colt sixguns, Mark Ill and King
Cobra models are somewhat heavier duty than the Trooper revolvers that
preceded them.
Many of these target-grade revolvers, with adjustable sights,
are 4" barrel versions of famous 6" target guns. The Model 15 Combat
Masterpiece is the shorter version of the famously accurate K-38, and
the Colt Trooper is only 2" short in the barrel of being the legendarily
accurate Officer s Model.
Apart from their sporting applications, these all make great
home- and store-defense guns. A famous policeman in Texas and his wife,
also a cop familiar with DA service revolvers, bought a 4" .38 for each
room in the Liouse, creating as secure a home-defense environment as can
be imagined. An East Coast
jeweler bought several such revolvers, along with some shotguns, and
trained his staff in their use. They were stored in strategic locations
in his place of business. The day came when they were able to secure
their business and its inventory from heavily armed robbers. The staff
successfully defended themselves and the store, with no casualties on
the good-guys side.
These durable guns are excellent bargains. One of my favorite
revolvers is a Ruger Service Six .357 I bought in 1988 for $100. It came
from a police department that was going to S&W 4506 .45
semi-automatics. In 1998, I bought a Model 15 S&W, with most of its
finish worn off, for $130 after it was traded by a department that
bought Glocks. Mechanically perfect, this mild-mannered sixgun delivers
1" groups at 25 yards.
Smallbore Pistols
The .22 rimfire is the most popular "fun gun," and is still the
best introduction into the world of shooting. This is as true for
handguns as for rifles. There are even people who can use them
effectively for self defense when, for one reason or another, something
at a more appropriate power level is out of the question. There are some
excellent buys in new .22 pistols.
Ruger .22/45
In 1949, Bill Ruger's company began with the Standard Model .22
auto pistol. Ever since, it has been an example of "best-buy firearms."
It was a great deal even then, at $37.50, a figure that the company was
able to hold to for several years. Inflation
eventually took its course, but even today the gun, now called the Mark
II Standard, costs only $252. A 50th Anniversary Commemorative is
available at $287 while supplies last.
The best value in this particular "best buy" series is the
.22/45, which again takes advantage of polymer-frame technology. The
least expensive, sized for woodsmen and plinkers, is the P4 variant with
4" barrel and adjustable sights. It costs a mere $237.50, yet delivers
amazing accuracy.
Ruger's true "match .22" is the Mark II Target Model. Starting
at just $310.50, I've seen it win bullseye matches against the $800
S&W Model 41, the $500 Hi-Standard clones and the $1,500 Walther
GSP.
The .22/45, and its siblings, assure that Ruger will continue
its uninterrupted half-century reign as the best value in a sporting .22
semiautomatic pistol.
S&W "Maine Guns"
Produced at S&W's modern satellite factory in Maine, the
422/622 series are low-priced, accurate, functional .22 autos aimed at a
market once owned by the Colt Woodsman on the "light and accurate" side
and the Ruger Standard Model on the "cheap but functional" side. A
compact model called the Sportsman is today's answer to S&W's Kit
Gun, a little six-shot revolver that was hugely popular with outdoorsmen
since it was introduced in the 1930s. Modern manufacturing economies
now allow a "cheaply made S&W auto" to work reliably in .22 LR.
S&W's ill-fated first attempt at such was the short-lived Model 61
Escort pocket pistol introduced in the 1960s.
Not built as a target gun, the flat little Sportsman is accurate
enough for plinking and shooting small game at close range while hunting
or fishing. It weighs only 18 ozs. and takes an eight-shot magazine. It
is extremely reliable with its .22 Long Rifle cartridge. It goes for
under $300 with blued slide and alloy frame (Model 2214) and $340 with
stainless slide and an aluminum frame of matching color.
A lady I know in her mid-70s finds her favorite .45 auto a bit
hard on her wrists at the practice range and a bothersome burden to
carry in her Florida retirement neighborhood. The big 1911 has been
relegated to home defense and a S&W 2213 .22 pistol is her constant
companion when she is out and about. She can qualify on a police-style
shooting course with it and handle it well at "mugging distance."
Beretta 950.25
The .25 auto has long been a favorite of those who appreciate
its tiny size and light weight. Professionals have seen so many failures
with these small-caliber guns, however, that they steer away from them,
except in rare cases where they need the tiniest, most undetectable
firearm.
The Beretta Jetfire .25 automatic is always at the top of the
list of guns of its type. There has never been a more reliable pistol in
this caliber and only a few of the other best-quality brands have ever
equaled it in this regard. Despite its tiny, vestigial sights, it will
easily stay on the center "5" zone of an International Practical
Shooting Confederation target at 25 yards.
This gun has three claims to fame that earn it "best buy" status.
First, consider its "most reliable" factor. This is the non-negotiable
baseline from which you begin any assessment of a firearm's worth,
especially a firearm that might ever be used for defense. Second, its
nine-shot capacity puts it above almost everything else in its category.
This is especially important when you consider that the less powerful
your gun is, the more shots you are likely to need.
Now, let's tallc dollars. This is a genuine Beretta, a brand
known for very high quality. My favorite of the newest generation
Berettas, the Cougar .45, goes for almost $700 in the base-line model.
The famous Model 92 9mm pistol starts at $629 suggested retail. The
cheapest Beretta .380 goes for $543. By contrast, the 940 sells for a
piddling $220.
How do they do it? The 950 was introduced roughly half a
century ago. It was the first Beretta pistol to be produced in the
United States by Beretta USA.
The equipment it was made on was phased out long ago. Little things
like a trigger guard of sheet steel can result in big-cost savings to
the manufacturer. This is why a Beretta .25 costs less than a third as
much as a Beretta .45, even though the quality is essentially the same,
which is to say, top-drawer.
Phoenix Arms HP-22
This looks like a cheap little junk gun. Don't be fooled. It's
actually a cheap little gun that works. I've talked to a number of
owners who marvel at this, since they expect lowpriced pistols to jam
and fall apart.
No, it doesn't have "class." What it does have is a very small
size. It has numerous safety devices, enough to make it a pain in the
backside to juggle them all when you unload it and then check that it's
empty.
It also has is a suggested retail price of $116. The HP-22's
low-acquisition cost combines with the low cost of the .22 Long Rifle
ammo to make it the most affordable entry portal to recreational handgun
shooting.
A lot of people will buy a Phoenix Arms HP-22 who may not ever
buy a more expensive pistol. They will learn to shoot. They will learn
gun safety. Some will go on to more expensive guns. Their lives will be
better and safer for it. Each time this happens, at least one more
person will become a gun owner and have a stake in gun owners' civil
rights.
Sounds like a best buy to me.
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