What cheap guns are actual bargains?

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Sawney Bean

Sawney Bean

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Oct 21, 2023
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Tacoma, Washington, USA
I thought I'd ask this after seeing a reply in the "guns you regret buying" thread from rokonman, saying basically "all the cheap guns I wasted my money on". I'm pretty sure everybody here has had that experience multiple times, but every now and then you really do find a diamond in the rough, that bargain basement gun that performs like one that costs 4X's its price.

I'd nominate the P17 as tops in this category. I think I paid $30 for mine and it's still going strong.
My Hatsan 135 has also been pretty good for a cheap sledgehammer. I hear stories about the gas rams going flat, but mine is still shooting at 31 fpe about 8 years after purchase.
 
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Sawney Bean said:
I thought I'd ask this after seeing a reply in the "guns you regret buying" thread from rokonman, saying basically "all the cheap guns I wasted my money on". I'm pretty sure everybody here has had that experience multiple times, but every now and then you really do find a diamond in the rough, that bargain basement gun that performs like one that costs 4X's its price.

I'd nominate the P17 as tops in this category. I think I paid $30 for mine and it's still going strong.
My Hatsan 135 has also been pretty good for a cheap sledgehammer. I hear stories about the gas rams going flat, but mine is still shooting at 31 fpe about 8 years after purchase.
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Wow what a timely post I've been looking hard at a P17, at 45$ I don't know why I haven't pulled the trigger. Maybe a little concerned about the noise level .
 
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TimeRabbit said:
Wow what a timely post I've been looking hard at a P17, at 45$ I don't know why I haven't pulled the trigger. Maybe a little concerned about the noise level .
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The only real gripe I have about the P17 is that I find it somewhat difficult to close the action and my palm ends up pushing down hard directly on the rear sight in the process.

Other than that it’s a great pistol. It has a bit of a pop to it when it fires, but it’s definitely backyard friendly unless you have very snoopy and obnoxious neighbors that are looking for something to complain about.
 
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In many cases companies skip on fit, finish and inspection to save costs on their "economy" level stuff but the basic product shares a lot of components with the regular priced and premium priced units. Blemished or out of spec parts, quantity price breaks for components and design reuse reinforces this practice.

If you don't mind a couple of scratches or doing a bit of work (shimming, deburring, polishing) you can end up with a fully functional product at a bargain price. As you say, a diamond in the rough.

Cheers!
 
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Hatsan 95.

For the price you pay you can't beat them. If they break send them back. When the warranty expires buy another.

Great offhand shooters and plinkers. Cheap as dirt. I shoot one daily. I keep a pair running at all times. I have bought 9 in the past 5 years and I'll buy another one soon.

Just save the box. You will be sending them back.
 
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Bedrock Bob said:
Hatsan 95.

For the price you pay you can't beat them. If they break send them back. When the warranty expires buy another.

Great offhand shooters and plinkers. Cheap as dirt. I shoot one daily. I keep a pair running at all times. I have bought 9 in the past 5 years and I'll buy another one soon.

Just save the box. You will be sending them back.
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Why return it? Ram fails? Just buy the parts and convert to spring power, buy the needed o-rings and rebuild the gas ram or make the part or 2 needed to be able to use a Crosman Nitro Piston in it. They're not one bit hard to work on and can be made into pretty nice rifles with a good tune and better lubes, just like any other rifle from any other maker out there.
 
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Vana2 said:
In many cases companies skip on fit, finish and inspection to save costs on their "economy" level stuff but the basic product shares a lot of components with the regular priced and premium priced units. Blemished or out of spec parts, quantity price breaks for components and design reuse reinforces this practice.

If you don't mind a couple of scratches or doing a bit of work (shimming, deburring, polishing) you can end up with a fully functional product at a bargain price. As you say, a diamond in the rough.

Cheers!
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I laughed at that. It describes my QB78 quite well. It eventually allowed for great pride in re-workmanship.

Cheers,

J~
 
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The Walther Reign, UXT (the one that I have), or M2 (newer version).

Let it sit, or shoot every day, mine's held its air pressure (that is, no pressure leakage) for the three or so years that I've owned it.
The only things that I've done to it, put a lighter spring in the trigger, clean the barrel, put some oil on all of the moving parts, and, fill it with air before a shooting session.
Oh yeah, I cut a few inches off the end of the barrel !

Mike
 
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SteveP-52 said:
Why return it? Ram fails? Just buy the parts and convert to spring power, buy the needed o-rings and rebuild the gas ram or make the part or 2 needed to be able to use a Crosman Nitro Piston in it. They're not one bit hard to work on and can be made into pretty nice rifles with a good tune and better lubes, just like any other rifle from any other maker out there.
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They have all been spring guns. All have been repaired or replaced under warranty. By the time the warranty is expired they aren't worth fooling with . It costs half as much to rebuild an old one as it does to just buy a new one with a warranty.

I've rebuilt many. I have broken many more. I finally decided it just wasn't worth it. At $129 a pop ill buy a new one.

Out of 15 rifles (9 purchases and 6 replacements) I have never had a trigger last more than 8000 shots. A trigger alone is $35 plus shipping. Spring and seal another $25. That's half the cost of a new one with a one year warranty. Add the pivot bushing, a breach seal and maybe a safety spring and you will have a gun just like "new". No warranty though. 6-8k shots later the trigger will break. Then you are doing it again.

I'll rebuild an HW. They are worth the time. A Hatsan 95 is like a disposable lighter once the warranty runs out.

I love them. They are good shooters and a great value. I shoot one every day. But I'm not going to spend time or money to repair one. It just does not seem logical to me.

That's why I listed the Hatsan 95 as my favorite budget airgun. I can shoot them all I want and never have to repair one for a measley $150 bucks delivered. That's a smoking deal in my book.
 
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