[old fart]

i traded around and have a little money to spend, i have $300 max to spend and no more. if i try and save more it would only be about $20 a month so it would be next year before i could get a more expensive gun. i only have a heritage rough rider loaded with 22 mag for defense now when i go walking and hiking, i would like to get a bigger caliber but don't know yet which way to go. i'm leaning to 2 calibers a 357 mag revolver as i'm a revolver guy and they make great woods guns. or a 9mm even though i don't like auto's that well they tend to cost less for people on a budget. also i will have to have my local shop order it as i can't order online and have it shipped to them as they don't do that, but they offer good prices. and the nearest dealer that does is 80 miles away thats 160 round trip so gas would take care of any savings i could get. now i have a 12 gauge for home defense with pistol grip and it wouldn't be bad to hike with but since i have a little money i thought i would try and get another handgun. i'm up for any suggestions on any guns that fit my budget, i know in the long run you get what you pay for, but just need one now to last untill i can get a better one. also how would 38+p be against hog or feral dogs?, i've looked online at alot of revolvers from eaa to taurus as for auto's i don't know much about them. thanks for any help.

[Rick1967]

The EAA Windicator comes in .357 mag. I used to have one. It was a nice gun. It was just a little heavy. I would buy another EAA long before I would buy another Taurus.

[purehavoc]

I paid $319 OTD for my Ruger LC9 its a subcompact 7 + 1 9MM . Super easy to conceal , smooth ,long DA trigger more like a revolver . and best of all cheap to shoot ,
It eats every type of ammo I have put in it , I have roughly 400+ round thru it and I have had one FTF from aguillia FMJ ammo but it ate the rest of the box fine .
Fabulous little gun for the money . Im sure you could find a used one for less , but everyone I talk to that has bought one wont get rid of it so used ones may be hard to come by but another $19 will get ya there

[JTJ]

Look used but not abused. It might be possible to find a good used 357 in that price range. Look for something that has been carried much but shot little. Cosmetically challenged would be the term. Holster wear can drop the price considerably.

[c3shooter]

With everybody jumping on the bandwagon for the newest and latest Grunchenticker auto in caliber $1.98, good quality .357 mags turn up on the used market frequently. One that I feel is undervalued is the Dan Wesson Model 15. The older Monson Mass. guns were extremely well made, well finished, tough as a tank. You can swap between a 2 inch bbl for concealed carry, or a 6 inch for target.

[mountainman13]

Have you taken into consideration the cost of the ammo ?

[sweeper22]

I think the best common $300 (new/like new) 9mm is probably a Ruger P-series. S&W Sigma isn't a bad gun for $300 either. And the Arcus BHP clones are solid.

For a 38/357, I'd suggest scoping out the used market for a S&W or Ruger. If you want new, it's tough to beat Charter Arms at that price. While it will be half the capacity, a 357mag is capable of a far wider range of loadings than any semi-auto.

I don't think I'll ever buy a Hi-Point, but they seem to be pretty reliable (but not pretty looking). You can pick 'em up in 9mm, 40sw, or 45acp for about $140-180.

[Polygon]

I have no suggestions for the .357 but the 9mm is easy. For that price I would get a Ruger P95.

[pioneer461]

A .357 will give you more ammo options, with the ability to shoot lower powered .38 spl ammo.

Sometimes good used guns can save you some money, at pawn shops or gun shops that deal in used guns.

[smoooth308]

For hiking and woods gun I would hands down go for the .357 mag due to the extra power for anything you might run into out there plus you can shoot the cheaper .38 special out of it as well.
Take some time and look for a nice one on the used market. Better to shop around a little and find the right one then just jump on the first thing that you find in your price range.
Best of luck with the search