Settling For Less (Budget Firearms)?

[tiechshlime]

I'm in the BOCO camp. I look at firearms as lifelong possessions that will eventually be handed down to my children.

[CSACANNONEER]

I saw a 9mm at the local Pawn-Shop for $125 with 4 mags.

It was a High-point, so I high-tailed it out of there...

Which shop? I'm interested. I own a few +$5000 firearms but, I also know the utilitarian value of a HP. They are currently one of the best guns for the money. I'd jump on one with 4 mags for $125, sell 2 of the mags and keep the gun with 2 mags.

I'm in the BOCO camp. I look at firearms as lifelong possessions that will eventually be handed down to my children.

Some are, some aren't. I own a few that are legit museum pieces and I own some that I consider to be nothing more than disposable toys.

[xMAC1x]

No, before you know it you will have spent more money on ammo.

[Paperchasin]

Would you care to share the guns and reasons?

What you didn't like might be a desired feature for someone else. Plus your lower end might be the other guys higher end they are saving for.

I started off with a basic P229...sold it for a P229 Elite...then sold it for a P226 X5. Each time I sold I took a small loss. I've always wanted the P226 X5 from the very beginning and did my very best to refrain from spending the $$ on one. But I ended up spending the money anyways. Same applies to other gear like range bags, scopes, mounts, etc.

Regarding your last comment...you are 100% correct. Different budget for everyone. But the same principle applies. I did not mean that the more expensive the better it is. I meant that, for me, I've never regretted having to save a little longer and/or spending the extra $$ to get higher end model. I've yet to acquire a 1911, but when I do, my goal is the $1500-1800 range, very similar to the cost of my P226 X5. Currently have $1k for a 1911 but I do not want a Sig or what the current offerings are in that range. If I did buy one now, I'd feel like I was "settling" and would still have that envy whenever I saw a higher end 1911. Again, these are just my sentiments and experiences.

[myk]

What would those other brands have done that the RIA wouldn't? Or couldn't be made to do?

I have a Colt (series80), Kimber (Pro CDP II) and a RIA Tactical and honestly the only one I regret buying is the Kimber. With the trouble it's given me (2 warranty trips/still not right and all the holier-than-thou crap I got off Kimber) I wish I would have spent the extra $400 on a LesBaer but I still don't regret buying the RIA at all.

To begin with, the other guns have a forged, steel frame-the RIA does not, and that's become a major nagging point for me; a gun like a 1911 should have a forged, steel frame, not a cast one. Sure, the RIA can be made to have the quality of the higher-end guns but I'm not a tuner-I want things good-to-go out of the box without having to spend any more money on 'mods in the future. Additionally, I only want to own one 1911, and with that being said I should've made it a higher-end one in the first place.

Again, nothing against the RIA but for my personal application I should've spent more...

[voiceofreason]

Buy nice or buy twice.

Get what you want or you'll always be thinking about what you really wanted/wondering...

I've learned that many times, the "best" just isn't as great as people make it out to be.

Best value/popular/common stuffs... they seem to hit my happiness button better than the "higher end" stuff I get.

ie. Glock 9mm , M&P .40

I don't like low end or mediocre holsters though as I've noticed the nicer ones mold better to my body.

[E92335i]

I'm trying to get another 308. Ruger American 350 bucks vs Remington 700 AAC-SD at 700 bucks.

[Steve_In_29]

To begin with, the other guns have a forged, steel frame-the RIA does not, and that's become a major nagging point for me; a gun like a 1911 should have a forged, steel frame, not a cast one. Sure, the RIA can be made to have the quality of the higher-end guns but I'm not a tuner-I want things good-to-go out of the box without having to spend any more money on 'mods in the future. Additionally, I only want to own one 1911, and with that being said I should've made it a higher-end one in the first place.

Again, nothing against the RIA but for my personal application I should've spent more...

Where/how has the RIA ever let you down?

EVER heard of the Rocks frame having issues? There are guys on the 1911 boards with tens of thousands of rounds through their Rocks with no issues.

RIA has some MIM parts, well so does Kimber and others. MIM is not your daddies cast metal. All those higher-end brands, lightweight models also have cast aluminum frames.

Ruger's new 1911 has a cast frame and according to their spokesman, it would have had a cast slide as well except for it worked out to be cheaper to machine it from stock. That Ruger goes for almost twice what the Rock does but does that make it a "better" pistol.

Paras use a cast frame as well.

Quality? My Kimber left the factory with a frame whose rails were not parallel to each other. A situation they never did rectify. My wife's Para managed to leave the factory with an unfinished throat cut on the barrel which Para did make right.

I can understand someone wanting to buy American (as another mentioned) and also have no problem understanding the desire for a high-end pistol (as I said I wish I had bought a LesBaer over the Kimber) but that is no reason to cast aspersions on a perfectly acceptable pistol.

Until you step up into the $1700+ range the parts/quality are not that much different among 1911s and you are simply paying for a name.

It would appear you have a perception problem and not an actual issue with your pistol.

[toby]

ALWAYS get the best you can afford, down the line you will rather have good firearms rather than budget firearms the budget stuff will always be budget and will loose value quickly whereas the good or better keep it's value or increase. Take pride in what you own and spend your money on. Note I left out Nice and High end, they are in a complete different territory.

[Haz]

Back in the pre-ban heyday, I had an AR vs Mini 14 debate on my purchasing trip. The AR was $60. more. I went with the Mini. No regrets...but it did cost significantly more when I built my post ban AR.

[thomashoward]

How many of you guys out there have had your choice firearm in mind, but you did not to fork out the extra cash for it?

I am talking about going in for a Mossberg 500 and leaving with a Maverick 88 or a Remington 700 versus a a 770 (which I have heard are garbage).

I want to know which firearms are really great for the money and which to steer clear from.

When I had acquired 4 of every common caliber I decided to trade up. So I have sold several and bought better (IMHO) Going for quality over quantity

[negolien]

Sometimes being a tightwad has advantages. I waited and searched high and low for both AR and 1911 deals. My AR was a private sale on here where the guy jacked up the the fcg on a brand new gun. He failed to mention it to me before I purchased it. He also sold it at a $600 price point because he couldn't figure out what was wrong with it. in wnet a group buy SD3G win win... The 1911 came from Wild Sports and was on sale for $200 of retail.. Oh btw it was a Kimber for under $600 another win win LOL...

Sometimes waiting and looking for the right weapon at the right price is not really settling for less it's more about getting a good value for your $$$$

[Paperchasin]

Buy nice or buy twice.

You get what you pay for....Buy once cry once.

[Altahick]

a few years ago i went into sportsmans warehouse looking at rifles. i was looking at savage and a remington that were in the $400 range. i ended up going with the stevens mdl 200 in .243 , which was $250. i put the extra money into a better scope and mounts and have not looked back. it shoots damn good, i would highly recommend one.

[Batman]

First handgun I bought was a Taurus PT92, because there was no way I could afford a real Beretta. I beat the living snot out of that gun, probably had about 12K rounds through it, and it had to go back to Taurus TWICE for broken locking blocks. After the second time, I sold it for just over what I'd paid for it years earlier, so no great loss.

I have a Polytech M14, again because I couldn't afford the Springfield. Still have it, and it still shoots great!

I had a Sig SP2022. Only paid $399 for it, and after also owning a P226, I can see why it was so much less. Sold that one within a year of owning it.