My favorite cheapo's.

[K191145]

I'm assuming most all of us has some cheapo's, the very first handgun I ever bought, not telling my age then, was an RG 22 DA revolver for $50 off a friend, still have it. The second handgun I ever owned was a $60 Raven 25 bought at Friedmans 28 years ago, traded that for two decent tires. Still have an RG 22 single action with no ejector pin and left handed cowboy holster and belt for $30 at a yard sale, a piece of coat hanger works just fine for an ejector. And many years ago I bought an NEF 32H&R mag snubby for around $200 at Friedmans. The finish wore off and I tried to re-blue it myself but that didn't work so well so I just took the finish completly off except the cylinder. It had a hard crappy trigger pull untill yesterday when I dug it out of my cheapo case and clipped some mainspring off both ends and now it has a nice trigger action. I shot a few cylinders today at my brothers and it shoots great. I've shot good groups before in SA so it's accurate. It's a butt ugly gun but I think I will place it as a home backup under the TV.

Just because it's a cheapo doesn't mean it's not a shooter.

What's your favorite cheapo"s?

[Guest waffenldr]

I hhave a pa63. Paid less than 100.00 for it. I did the .380 conversion on it. Cheap but it's a decent pistol. I keep it on top of the fridge incase someone decides to break in while I'm getting a midnight snack.

[Guest SUNTZU]

CZ52. I really like this gun, too.

[Idaho]

Sounds cool, what is Friedmans, a pawn shop?

Is this a thread about regrets? I had a 380 Makarov that I sold, wish I still had it. Kind of rough but it was unique and I think I only paid 125 for it.

[Guest crotalus01]

Hi Point 9mm - bought new at a gun show for $139.00. It was a jamomatic until I put around 600 rounds through it, since then it has been as reliable as any of my other guns. Ugly, heavy, cheap and reliable after the breakin period = good buy (to me anyway).

[Guest crotalus01]

My absolute favorite is my M11 9mm FA subgun - not exactly a cheapo at $2,490 but super cheap for a full auto civilian transferable machinegun (see my avatar pic).

Planning on adding a Lage Max 11 upper and bolt to slow the beast down to a controllable 600 RPM (currently in stock configuration its 1,200 RPM), final price will be around $3,200 for a subgun that routinely beats $18,000+ MP5s in subgun matches. Not too bad for an entry MG.

[56FordGuy]

Sounds cool, what is Friedmans, a pawn shop?

It's a gun/ surplus store on 21st Ave in Nashville.

[K191145]

It's a gun/ surplus store on 21st Ave in Nashville.

Army-Navy surplus. There used to have one in Bellevue. I haven't been to the 21st ave store in a while but you could buy alot of cool stuff there.

[K191145]

I hhave a pa63. Paid less than 100.00 for it. I did the .380 conversion on it. Cheap but it's a decent pistol. I keep it on top of the fridge incase someone decides to break in while I'm getting a midnight snack.

It's smart to keep a weapon in another part of the house unless you wear your primary weapon all the time. A cheapo fits that need often, that's why I put the NEF 32 in the drawer under the TV in the front room. I have no kids but when my grand nefew comes over I put it up high on the shelf. I'm thinking about one of those clocks that you can mount on the wall and hide a pistol in.

[craglawnmanor]

Army-Navy surplus. There used to have one in Bellevue. I haven't been to the 21st ave store in a while but you could buy alot of cool stuff there.

In the really, really, old days, they had a store on Nolensville Rd.. and I believe on Gallatin Rd. also.

[K191145]

Sounds cool, what is Friedmans, a pawn shop?

Is this a thread about regrets? I had a 380 Makarov that I sold, wish I still had it. Kind of rough but it was unique and I think I only paid 125 for it.

I wish my Makarov was a .380, 9x18 is very limited in what you can buy. They are a no frills gun, the decoker is hard as hell to engage but mine is very reliable and to me that's the most important thing.

If this was a thread about regrets I would talk about the Colt Python I sold some years ago.

[Idaho]

I wish my Makarov was a .380, 9x18 is very limited in what you can buy.

I think you can swap out the barrel and shoot 380, although from what I have been hearing lately 380 isn't exactly easy to find either.

[Garufa]

9x18 ammo is readily available. 50 rounds will set you back about 10.50 + shipping. More powerful than .380.

[Guest B J Elliott]

Mine is a Charter Arms, they are supposed to be down the barrell but for some reason, I really like them. Hell, they fire, do what they are designed to do and what more can you ask for. BJ

[VERO1]

I had a Raven .25 cal and a Jennings .22 auto. Both were that cheesy chrome finish. I bought the pair for $100. Both actually worked pretty well. This would have been in the early 80's. Really have no idea whatever happened to them, come to think of it.

[Guest mikedwood]

CZ52. I really like this gun, too.

Yeah, CZ52 is one of my favorites of all.

[Guest waffenldr]

I think you can swap out the barrel and shoot 380, although from what I have been hearing lately 380 isn't exactly easy to find either.

You jus have to by the barrell press. I can't remeber where I got it from. It was kit that came with the barrell

[K191145]

9x18 ammo is readily available. 50 rounds will set you back about 10.50 + shipping. More powerful than .380.

Yea, I noticed that .380 is hard to find these days but you had more variety of makers, HP's, +P's etc. in the past with .380. Is the 9x18 that much more powerful than .380?

[orientalexpress]

I've got an old F.I.E. .25 that's a beretta knockoff i bought off an old guy at the Nashville fairgrounds. It's never jammed the only problem I have is that it won;t eject an unfired round and I never could find an extra mag for it. No big deal it just sits in the safe.

Edited June 21, 2009 by orientalexpress

[Guest Arko]

I bought a Phoenix .22 plinker about 2 months ago just to have cheap fun with while my wife was using her Ruger MKII, and damned if it isn't less ammmo picky than the Ruger, and nearly as accurate! At the price I paid, if it lasts a couple years I'll be happy.

I also have a CZ82 in 9x18, and THAT litle 200.00 piece is 2nd favorite only to my CZ75 EDC.

[Guest Britestar]

someone mentioned the makorav the chinese were rough but if get a hold a good german or russian the are as fine a gun as any. Had a two tone german that was a good as any walther I had, it may have been the exception but I doubt it. The chinese can be good with alot of work fine tuning and honing

[Guest Hi Point]

Gotta be my Hi Point JHP .45. Got it for 190 tax tag and title. Hasn't had the slightest hiccup yet.

[TK47]

Favorite cheapo? It's a tie between my High Point carbine ($199 plus the new ATI stock) and my Bulgarian Makarov. ($149 at the Gunshow)

The 9x18 (9mm Makarov) cartridge is only mildly more powerfull that .380 Auto(9x17). Just one millimeter more case capacity. I have a couple of boxes of JHPs for it that I got some years ago, and some FMJs to plink/practice with so I'm not that concerned with Ammo variety.

Regrets? My old AMT Longslide .45. It went to pay for car repairs sometime in the late 80s.

TK47

[Oh Shoot]

Favorite cheapo? It's a tie between my High Point carbine ...

Yep, gotta agree...matter of fact, it's a little difficult to believe that $200 or less CAN buy something like the HP carbine. Helluva hundred yard gun, love mine.

I bought a Browning Nomad .22 pistol in college from friend for $40, kept it all through the years, shot it now and then, only had the one original mag, it never malfunctioned and I even killed a BUNCH of rabbits (not on the run, a different story) and a few squirrels with it... course it was only a "cheapie" because I got it cheap, wasn't really an inexpensive gun...

(not my pic)

traded it at gun show about 4 years ago for old Charter Undercover, cause I had no big bore handgun at the time, but had two .22 pistols.

And here's another favorite cheapie pistol, an old H&R .22. Might be worth $125, but shoots fine. Matter of fact, I used it to get my HCP.

- OS

[SHARPPOINT]

Ditto on the H&R .22, just last week bought one for $60 mine is the short barrel, nickel plate. Have not had it to the range as of yet, but a heavy gun that holds 9 .22LR has to be worth a tank of gas...