Best Budget Guns

Inflation is a lot of things, but it most certainly isn’t fun. We are all on a budget these days, and guns aren’t exactly cheap. Many would describe guns as a luxury item; to some extent, some are. A Staccato is a luxury item, but guns as a whole are not. They’ll also be necessary to defend my home and family and put food on the table. With necessity in mind, we wanted to gather some of the best budget guns from across the industry for those who have to pinch pennies. 

What’s In A Budget? 

There is a fine line between cheap and budget-friendly. Cheap guns are a dime a dozen, but they often suck. Have you ever seen a Turkish bullpup shotgun that’s magazine-fed? It was only 300 bucks, so it was budget-worthy, right? No, it’s cheap. It’ll break before it hits 500 rounds. That’s cheap. 

A budget gun is one that provides excellent performance at a low price. That’s what I’ve strived to bring to you today. I wanted to find a variety of affordable firearms that bring excellent performance. They won’t all be top-tier guns capable of 1 MOA group. That’s not realistic. The guns I’m bringing you are reliable, will last a long time, and provide you with more than adequate performance.

They aren’t often fancy, and you won’t see a bevy of modern features. They’ll be perfectly safe, useable, and capable. We might not see ambidextrous controls, cold hammer forged barrels, fancy sights, top-of-the-line stocks, handguards, and similar accessories. 

The most insulting thing people will say about my picks is that they are just kind of boring. Nothing on this list will be called innovative, but it’ll run, and for most people, that’s enough. It also won’t kill your wallet and will leave room for some ammo, at the very least. 

When picking these guns, I didn’t stick to a specific budget. I used a relative budget depending on the firearm. It’s easier to produce more affordable shotguns than more affordable rifles. Sticking to a specific price point didn’t get me what I think are honestly the best budget guns. 

With that in mind let’s dig into my budget finds. 

Best Budget Guns

1. Heritage Rough Rider		Single Action Only Design Manual Safety  Swappable .22LR to .22 Magnum	Check Price
2. Mossberg Maverick		Compatible With Mossberg 500 Parts Bead Sight  Field and Security Models Available	Check Price
3. Taurus 856		Snub Nose and 3-Inch Variants Available Optics Ready Models Available  Double Action Revolver	Check Price
4. PSA Dagger		Glock Gen 3 Clone Optics Ready Metal Sights	Check Price
5. Anderson MFG AM-15		Available in Multiple Configurations  Modern Handguards  Carbine, Rifle, and Pistol versions	Check Price
6. Ruger LCP .380 ACP		Pocket Sized Fixed Iron Sights Six Round Capacity	Check Price
7. Savage Axis II		Tons of Caliber Options Accutrigger Accustock	Check Price

Best Budget Guns Reviews 

Heritage Rough Rider 

When it comes to budget-priced guns, the Heritage Manufacturing Rough Rider series breaks all the standards. I’ve seen Rough Riders as cheap as 75 dollars during sales. On average, the guns retail for less than 200 dollars, and depending on the model and options. A bare-bones model is often sold for less than 150 dollars. These are very simple and not very fancy guns. Heritage Manufacturing pops out a ton of them every year. 

The Rough Rider series are single-action .22LR or .22 Magnum revolvers. Shooters can swap cylinders to convert the gun’s caliber easily. The barrel lengths vary from an inch to 16 inches. Yep, a 16-inch pistol. In between, we have some more lengths, like 6.5 inches and 4.75 inches. The Rough Rider guns come in varying finishes, grip designs, and grip types. There are just tons of options available. I have two as I type this and have a blast with both. 

The Rough Rider series shoots and shoots well. The simplistic single-action design makes them easy to operate and helps keep the price point low. When you cock the hammer and pull the trigger, the weapon fires reliably over and over. It’s simple but still quite capable for target practice, learning to shoot, pest control, and small game hunting. 

The Rough Rider series provides little in the way of features. It’s quite plain. The gun has a simple blade front sight and a trench rear sight. The trigger won’t impress you, and the accuracy is fine, but it’s no marksman’s pistol. There is a manual safety, which seems sacrosanct on a single-action revolver, but it makes decocking the game exceptionally safe and well-suited for new shooters.

The Rough Rider series aren’t fancy, but they shoot when you pull the trigger, and the bullet goes where it’s aimed. They are great for new shooters and enjoyable for experienced shooters. The Rough Rider is the standard bearer for budget firearms. 

Heritage Rough Rider Pros and Cons

Mossberg Maverick 88 

I have a friend who owns a gun store and calls the Mossberg Maverick 88 the no-margin stick. These budget-based pump-action shotguns have long been the premier option for a budget shotgun. Even in a world where cheaply imported, crappy, and often easy-to-break Turkish shotguns are imported in massive numbers, the Maverick holds on. It’s almost as if Mossberg is too stubborn to be beaten by Turkish imports. 

The Maverick typically retails for less than 300 dollars. Less than 250 is the most common price point. A few models retail for above 300, but they come with both a security and field barrel. The Maverick is suitable for various tasks, including hunting, home defense, and learning the basics of a shotgun. The guns come in 12 and 20-gauge, but the 20-gauge guns are limited to field models. 

These budget guns are Mossberg 500 adjacent and share a number of parts from the 500 series. The stocks and friends can be swapped with options from the 500. The forend swap will require more than just the pump but also the action bar assembly. The Maverick comes with very plain and standard polymer furniture. Nothing’s wrong with it, but it’s not fancy. 

The Maverick succeeds because it’s a manual action gun. A reliable pump action is easy to build compared to a reliable semi-auto. This is especially true for companies like Mossberg, who’ve more or less mastered the art of pump action shotguns. This was the first shotgun I ever purchased and I’m still a fan of the gun. 

The low prices come from a streamlined manufacturing process. Things like the tang safety are gone; instead, it’s just a simpel push-button design. Mossbergs are typically optics-ready, but the Maverick isn’t. You get a simple bead sight, and that’s about it. It’s plain, but shotguns don’t need to be fancy to be functional and capable. It’s a great option for home defense, hunting, and for keeping more money in your wallet. 

Mossberg Maverick Pros and Cons

Taurus 856 

Decades ago, the Taurus 85 offered shooters a reliable, concealable, affordable imported revolver. The Model 85 ruled the budget revolver world for decades, and only a few years ago, Taurus gave it a facelift. The Model 85 became the 856. The model 856 features a six-round capacity instead of a five-round cylinder. While the price increased slightly, finding a better budget revolver is tough. 

The 856 comes in numerous models. We have the standard snub-nose revolver, a Defender model with a 3-inch barrel, and a Defender TORO with an optics-ready design. The Taurus 856 Defender TORO changed my mind about Taurus guns, and it’s not just a good budget gun but one of my favorite revolvers all around. The 856 series retails differently based on the options. The cheapest model costs less than 350 dollars, and guns like the Executive Grade retail for 400ish dollars. 

The Taurus 856 features a fairly standard modern revolver layout. The guns have exposed hammers and barrel lengths of 1 ⅞ inches to three inches. The rear sights are just a trench design. Taurus made a smart call by pinning the front sight, making it easy for shooters to swap the front sight if they choose. I’m fairly impressed by the features Taurus includes with the 856 series. 

The 856 Defender I have is super reliable and has proven quite accurate. The small size of the snub-nose design makes the gun easy to carry in your pocket. A pocket gun with six rounds of .38 Special ensures you aren’t under gunned

It’s almost like a buffet for a revolver. I want this feature, but not that one. I do want that one. It goes on and on and allows you to buy what you want at the price point you want. The Taurus 856 series are concealable, lightweight, and modern in their design. Yet, they remain affordable and capable defensive firearms. 

Taurus 856 Pros and Cons

PSA Dagger 

The PSA Dagger kicked off the glut of Gen 3 Glock clones that have since flooded the market. A lot of those companies are pumping out cloned guns with some fancy cuts on the slide, slapping a thousand-dollar price tag on the gun, and shipping it out. PSA does things differently. They’ve made some notable changes to the design, but they don’t have a big price tag on them. Somehow, PSA sells these guns for less than $400 in most cases. 

PSA has redesigned the frames and made a number of excellent changes. Your hand can get up higher on the gun with a redesigned trigger guard and beavertail-style overhang. Most Glock Gen 3 guns give me a lot of slide bite, but that’s not true with the PSA Dagger. 

It’s just perfect for my hand, especially the compact frame. It’s just a hair taller. With a standard Glock Gen 3, my pinky would just barely hang off the gun and pin the magazine in the frame. That also doesn’t happen with the PSA Dagger. 

These guns also feature those fancy slide cuts, and like most PSA products, there are dozens of options. Optics ready is standard. There are threaded barrel models and models with mag wells, various finishes, and more. The PSA Dagger series also incorporates the Micro Dagger, a G43X clone that holds 15 rounds instead of ten. 

The PSA Dagger still takes Glock magazines and Glock accessories. They fit in a variety of Glock holsters, but not all, to be clear. The Dagger series really impresses me, and I think PSA might be producing one of the best budget-friendly concealed carry or home defense guns on the market. 

The downside will eb holsters. They will fit some standard Glock holsters, but it’s a guess which. I wouldn’t most certainly do your research before plopping down 100 bucks on a chunk of polymer holster. The PSA Dagger has plenty of holsters available, so there isn’t a shortage of holster options, but you might not get the Glock model you want. 

PSA Dagger Pros and Cons

Anderson MFG AM-15 

It seems almost cliche to say the AR market is saturated. It’s gotten better, and there aren’t a dozen new boutique companies producing guns anymore, but it’s still a full market. One of the leading budget brands is Anderson. I firmly believe that ARs can be argued as common use solely because of Anderson and PSA lowers and everybody and their mom building an AR-15 of some kind. The Anderson AM-15 provides a complete AR-15 rifle for less than 500 dollars.

Anderson makes a ton of AM-15 models, and some will exceed the 500-dollar price point. If you’re buying the 20-inch model with quad rails or an optics bundle, then it’ll exceed that price point. Most won’t break the 500-dollar price point, including models with M-LOK handguards, six-position stocks, and even my favorite, the Dissipator build. 

These guns are functional, reliable, and surprisingly well-made for a budget gun. They won’t be mistaken for Daniel Defense rifles, but they are a solid starting point in the AR-15 world. They allow you to dip your feet in the market without pulling out of your 401K. The rifles also come as large format pistols for a trimmer, non-NFA option. Also, the Anderson braces look quite nice. 

These can be great starter guns that you upgrade as you go. An AR-15 is an AR-15 through and through. There isn’t much that changes between models, so you can strap on a wide variety of stocks, handguards, and muzzle devices from various companies, and they’re all compatible. 

These won’t eb the most accurate rifles, and they won’t go through 5,000 rounds with a single drop of lube. They will require regular maintenance, and sure, they might be a bit over-gassed, and the finish will probably scratch, but at this price point, those are small compromises. It’s still a functional, easy shooting, and fun gun. 

Anderson MFG AM-15 Pros and Cons

Ruger LCP .380 ACP

The Ruger LCP .380 ACP ushered in the modern pocket pistol. Ruger probably sold buckets of these guns, and even though a Gen 2 arrived, the standard Gen 1 still sells. If you need a deep concealment pistol and you can’t spend more than 200 dollars then Ruger has you covered. I’ve even seen these guns sells for 99 dollars on Black Friday. That’s a crazy good deal for a reliable defensive firearm. 

The micro-sized LCPs are the gun you can carry anywhere at any time. If you can’t find a way to conceal an LCP, I’m going to assume you’re a nudist, and even then, you just need to be creative. The gun is only 5.16 inches long and weighs a mere 9.4 ounces. The fact that it’s .82 inches wide makes it pocketable, and heck, they make cell phone cases that could holster this thing. 

The Ruger LCP .380 provides six rounds of .380 ammo on tap, which isn’t a ton, but it’s one of the smallest guns that’s this affordable. Going smaller means getting into Seecamp territory, which means spending a lot more money. The little Ruger LCP might be a bit out of date, but it still goes bang when you pull the trigger.

That trigger is a long one, but it’s also heavy. Oh, and the sights kind of suck. Plus, the little .380 ACP creates a hand smack worth of recoil, which isn’t always pleasant. There are some downsides to the LCP, but when you need it to work, it will work. It’s a close-range defensive firearm, and as long as you set your expectations accordingly, you’ll be hard-pressed to be disappointed. 

The age of the Ruger LCP also guarantees that there are plenty of holsters available for it. You won’t have a problem finding plenty of high-quality and capable firearm designs. You could be ready to conceal carry without breaking the 300-dollar mark with ammo, gun, and holster. 

Ruger LCP .380 ACP Pros and Cons

Savage Axis II 

The Savage Axis II brings us an affordable bolt action rifle that’s perfect for various shooters. Most people will buy these guns for hunting, but they are also fun to shoot, accurate, and enjoyable at the range. Still, it’s best for the tree stand or deer blind. The Savage Axis II builds on a very successful design and incorporates several improvements to create a more modern rifle. 

What caliber do you prefer for hunting? Name one, and Savage probably makes an Axis II that chambers it. We get rounds as light as .223 Remington and as big and old as the .30-06. In between, you’ll find modern calibers like the 6.5 Creedmoor, the .350 Legend, and even oddballs like the .280 Ackley Improved—lots and lots of options are the name of the game. 

The same goes for barrel lengths, finishes, and options like included optics or threaded barrels for suppressors. There is even an Axis II Precision in a chassis, but that takes us out of the budget world with its north of a grand price tag. The standard price point of the Axis II is between 400 to 500 dollars. 

With the Axis, we get a great trigger, specifically the Savage AccuTrigger. The AccTtrigger features an adjustable weight and an integrated safety that allows for a very short and light trigger pull without any safety concerns. The Axis is optics-ready and uses a detachable magazine design. Models with the AccuFit system allow you to adjust the length of pull, which is a fantastic feature to accommodate various shooters. 

The Axis series is a great way to get into bolt-action rifles. They might not be Bergaras, but they shoot straight, eject and feed reliably, and come in many calibers. 

Savage Axis II Pros and Cons

Saving Up

A little money can go a long way. To make it so, you have to be smart, well-informed, and ready to make some sacrifices. We won’t sacrifice reliability, durability, or good accuracy. We might be fine without night sights, ambidextrous controls, and other fancy features. Budget-worthy firearms don’t have to be cheap firearms. You can obtain a high-quality firearm without emptying your wallet. 

What are your favorite budget-worthy firearms? Any experiences with mine? If so, let us know below!