In the realm of budget-friendly firearms, it can be tough to find the right gun for the right price. There are plenty of affordable firearms on the market; the problem is that it’s tough to tell the budget-friendly from the cheap. A budget-friendly gun delivers a great deal of value that’s reliable and proven. A cheap gun is affordable but is less likely to be reliable and more likely to break.
With that in mind, I’ve gathered five of the best budget-friendly blasters on the market. These guns are proven, reliable, and very capable. I aimed to find guns that have been on the market for years and have seen their fair share of reviews and consumption by the general public. Additionally, they have to cost less than 500 dollars.
1. Mossberg Maverick Model 88 — $210 to $238
The ole Mossberg Maverick Model 88 is Mossberg’s budget-friendly pump-action shotgun. It’s been around for decades and is a slightly modified Mossberg 500. The price differences vary depending on options, with the base model costing around $210 and the security model costing a few dollars more.
It’s tough to find a more budget-friendly option in the shotgun realm. For less than five hundred dollars, you can have a shotgun, a side-saddle, and a light setup, making the gun perfect for home defense. For less than that, you can add a sling and have a competent hunting option for any North American game.
The Maverick can be a do-it-all option for a little more than two utility bills. It might be the best bang for your money firearm on the market and the best budget-friendly shotgun ever.
2. The Beretta APX Carry — $309
In the face of the Sig P365, single-stack 9mms seem a little out of date, but the Beretta APX Carry might be the best carry gun on the market for the money. Sure it doesn’t hold ten rounds of 9mm but eight is plenty for most. At the time of this writing, a mail-in rebate can even get you the optics-ready A1 option for a hundred dollars off, bringing it down to about 300 dollars.
If that doesn’t tickle you, the standard APX seems to be on clearance, with the normal price being around $309. This simple, striker-fired 9mm provides Beretta quality at a budget-worthy price. It’s a simple but robust and reliable handgun that I’d drop in a holster at a moment’s notice.
The APX Carry model hides away with ease and features an excellent trigger, nice big sights, and even replaceable grip frames if you want to swap colors around or do some at-home framework. It doesn’t get much more budget-friendly for a Beretta.
3. Ruger Security 9 — $350
Ruger occupies a weird space. They seem to produce a wide variety of guns at different price points. The fantastic No. 1 rifles are not budget-friendly, and the GP series guns certainly cost a pretty penny. Yet, Ruger also produces the Security 9, a very budget-friendly compact handgun in 9mm.
It’s roughly Glock 19 sized and provides 15 rounds of 9mm to the end-user. While striker-fired seems to rule the market, the Security 9 uses an internal hammer backed by a trigger dingus-style safety. The trigger is surprisingly good for a budget-friendly firearm, and it’s fairly light and short with a nice reset.
Best of all, the gun is reliable and easy to shoot. It’s not fancy and doesn’t come looking for an optics-ready design or any fancy ambidextrous features. What is impressive is the three magazines Ruger includes with the Security 9. Typically guns this affordable come with a single magazine, and that’s it, so three is a nice touch.
4. Extar EP9 — $449
There are lots of stripped-down, simple AR-style PCCs on the market that take Glock mags. Heck, a good variety of them can be had for less than 500 dollars. What makes the Extar a bit different is the value it adds. The Extar EP9 is a simple, semi-automatic, blowback-operated large-format pistol that comes with a brace and three magazines.
Blowback might not be fancy, but it’s dang-sure reliable and simple to operate. The gun allows you to use AR pistol grips, and the gun has an AR-like appearance. However, it’s a side charging design and doesn’t have a whole lot of parts commonality with the AR. The gun is optics-ready and features an M-LOK handguard and even a flash can.
For less than 500 dollars, this is a budget-friendly, reliable, and capable firearm. It’s well suited for home defense, and the Glock magazine compatibility makes extended and affordable magazines a reality. Sure, it might not be JP5 fancy, but it’ll work when the trigger is pulled.
5. Ruger American Compact .308 — $449
While we often get caught up in the realm of tactical, we can have a blind spot for the practical. It’s tough to find a more practical and reliable option than a full-powered, bolt-action rifle. The Ruger American Compact in .308 offers you a light and handy rifle that’s plenty powerful and capable of engaging out well beyond most of our skill levels.
The Ruger American Compact .308 is only 36.75 inches total in length and weighs a light six pounds. That’s not bad for a full-powered rifle with an 18-inch barrel. It’s fairly handy and is still capable of those 500-yard shots.
A good .308 will take you a long way, and the Ruger American Compact comes rather feature-filled for the low price point. This includes an adjustable trigger between 3 to 5 pounds, a cold hammer-forged barrel, sling swivel studs, and even an included scope base. Not too bad for the price of $449. Heck, if you shop around, you can easily find one a bit cheaper.
Budget-Friendly
Plenty of guns in all categories come from all over the world. Sometimes it’s tough to find something you can trust at an affordable price point. Hopefully, we’ve provided you with a few budget-friendly options to consider for your next firearm.
If you have your own budget-friendly options, drop them in the comment and share what firearms you’ve found to be budget-friendly as well as reliable, accurate, and easy to shoot.
