Money’s tight and, as the man said, you’re taxed to no end. Good guns aren’t cheap — and cheap guns aren’t good. However, that doesn’t mean you have to spend three grand on a SCAR-L to get a decent firearm. There are plenty of excellent budget guns out there that won’t break the bank. I think it’s important to realize there is a difference between a cheap gun and budget-friendly gun.
A cheap gun is a gun that won’t work very well for very long. Cheap guns are unreliable and typically poorly made. Guns like the famed Raven or German-imported Rohm series are cheap guns. Meanwhile, budget guns may not be fancy and definitely won’t have all the frills and whistles of fancy guns. However, a good budget gun will do the basics well. It will be accurate, reliable, and won’t fall apart under stress.
When anyone says the term budget, we have to establish that budget. For today, we’re looking at guns that cost less than $400. Anything less than $400 falls into the modern world’s budget category.
Heritage Manufacturing Rough Rider
The Heritage Manufacturing Rough Rider is a lot like Arizona sweet teas. These guns seem to be inflation-proof. The price just doesn’t seem to change. In fact, I’m writing this shortly after Black Friday and they were going for as little as $80! On average, you can find a plain Rough Rider for less than $150. There are tons of Rough Rider configurations with varying barrel lengths and sight options, and outside of the rifle variant, typically cost less than $200.
The Rough Rider series are Colt SAA clones in .22LR or .22 Magnum rimfire. You can swap cylinders to handle the respective rounds (they cost about 40 bucks a cylinder). Rough Riders hold six rounds of ammo and range in barrel length from one-inch “Boot” models to the mighty 16-inch option. There is a tactical variant that’s optic-ready and even has a threaded barrel.
These are very fun plinkers and are a blast at the range. They can be used for hunting small game and, in a crazy pinch, as defensive firearms. The Rough Riders are super fun to shoot and quite accurate. The revolving design ensures total reliability regardless of the power of the .22LR fired. For less than $200, it doesn’t get better than this.
Taurus G3C
Taurus has quickly risen from its reputation as a sub-tier gun manufacturer. A number of changes in Taurus leadership resulted in a shift in their quality and innovation. One of the first firearms from Taurus to mark this change was the G3 series, specifically the compact G3C. The G3C is a little bigger than most subcompacts but smaller than other compact handguns.
It’s a genre unto itself. The G3C is a 9mm handgun and comes with two 12-round magazines. The price of these guns hovers around $279. I’ve never seen them exceed $300. Even the fancy tactical optics-ready G3 models are less than $400. The G3C fits the concealed carry bill, but, if you want something bigger, then the full-sized G3 is still less than $400.
The gun is striker-fired trigger design with an odd operation. Instead of being DA/SA, it’s SA/DA. The first shot is single action, but, if it fails to fire, it can be fired in double action to try one more time to fire the gun. The magazines are SIG P226/229 compatible while sights are Glock compatible, making it easy to find extra sights and mags.
KelTec SUB 2000
Finding a reliable and easy-to-shoot semi-auto carbine for less than $400 can be tough. The only one I know of that’s worth the purchase is the KelTec SUB 2000. This rifle costs around $369.99 and is one of KelTec’s flagship firearms. It’s a folding pistol caliber carbine that’s available in both 9mm and .40 S&W. One of its big claims to fame is the ability to use popular pistol magazines from most major companies.
The KelTec SUB 2000 is a simple blowback-operated carbine. Blowback operation provides you with an affordable and reliable semi-auto operating system. This doesn’t mean you get a rough recoil impulse. It’s not a shoulder thumper that’s tough to control. The KelTec SUB 2000 uses a pistol magazine design that keeps things compact and also allows it to fold in half.
The front of the gun folds over the back of the gun and locks in place. This cuts the overall length down to a mere 16 inches and change. This makes it easy to store and secure. The rifle comes with a set of iron sights and a single magazine, so it’s ready out of the box for action. It’s tough to add optics, but the iron sights work pretty well. For less than 400 bucks, it’s a fairly nice rifle.
Mossberg Maverick 88
Shotguns are awesome, versatile weapons that can be used for a variety of purposes. From hunting to home security, the shotgun can do it all. There are tons of cheap shotguns out there, but the one that stands tall amongst them all is the Mossberg Maverick 88. The Maverick 88 is a budget-friendly pump action shotgun that comes in 12 and 20 gauge and in tons of configurations.
This includes a security option, a field gun, and even a rifle-sighted slug gun. Every configuration costs less than $400. Even the Field Security combo, which comes with a short and long barrel, costs less than $400. The Maverick 88 series is as simple as it gets. Most come with cheap bead sights and polymer furniture.
There are camo models and even a folding stock option for less than $400. The Maverick is really well-made and super durable. They can be used and abused for years without an issue. They even accept most Mossberg 500 furniture and parts.
Savage Axis XP Compact .223 Remington
Getting a proper full-powered rifle for less than $400 is tricky for a few reasons. I can suggest a ton of rifles that cost $399, but they likely don’t have sights and won’t be ready to shoot out of the box. That’s a lame option. Luckily, there are still good options for less than 400 bucks. The Savage Axis XP Compact in .223 Remington can be found for less than $400 and comes with a magazine.
For $399.99, you can find The Savage Axis XP Compact with a very simple 3-9X Weaver scope. Is it a great scope? No, but out of the box, you can shoot this rifle and hit a target. Would I upgrade the scope? Yes. However, until you can save up for a decent scope, it’ll work. The Savage Axis XP Compact is a bolt action rifle fit into a pretty standard polymer stock. Certain models with camo finishes will cost a little more than $400.
The Savage Axis XP Compact has a detachable four-round magazine, carbon steel barrel, and even a set of sling swivels. The synthetic stock is impressive and comfortable and includes inserts to adjust the length of pull. The Savage Axis comes with the AccuTrigger, which is Savage’s own all-around excellent trigger. It barely meets our budget requirements, but it’s a great rifle for a great price, and ready out-of-the-box.
Budget Guns and Beyond
You don’t have to spend a ton of money to get a good gun. You won’t get a fancy gun, but you can find something accurate, reliable, and robust. These affordable firearms are all effective and reliable with a proven record of success. Each one is also ready to shoot out of the box for less than $400. What are your favorite budget guns? Let us know below!
