One evening, Grayson H. and five of his friends decided they wanted to go catch a 7:00 movie at the Central Mall in Fort Smith, Arkansas. The mall was overly crowded so they parked about 100 yards from the door and walked to the ticket counter. Before the movie started, the group decided to go back to their vehicles since they had a little time to waste before the movie began.
One of the friends in the group named Tabitha was going through a difficult divorce and the group of friends were looking forward to a fun evening to cheer her up. However, while the group was standing in the parking lot waiting for the movie to start, Grayson noticed that Tabitha’s ex-husband was driving around.
Before he knew it, Tabitha’s ex had jumped out of his vehicle and was walking toward the group. The ex, identified as 34-year-old Fadi Qandil pulled a gun from his waistband and fired multiple shots at Tabitha missing her.
Grayson saved Tabitha by pushing her out of the way, but he was hit by the gunfire and fell to the ground. Immediately, Grayson pulled out his own gun, a Smith & Wesson, and returned fire striking and killing Qandil. Grayson made a full recovery from his wounds.
Obviously, Grayson saved lives that day and while he carried a Smith & Wesson, which is a great gun, it’s definitely not the most expensive gun on the market. I hear from a few folks that think guns are too expensive these days, but you don’t have to spend a fortune to get a quality gun. Here are 5 good handguns on the market that are under $500.
Sig Sauer P250. Believe it or not, Sig Sauer manufactures a handgun for less than $500, which is an incredible value for a high-quality gun and one of my personal favorite guns to carry. The P250 is a double-action-only pistol with a modular system that give the shooter the option to change to different calibers, barrel lengths, and grip sizes.
The P250 can be purchased in 9mm, 357 SIG, 40 S&W, 45 ACP and 380 ACP. The price will depend on the specific options you choose but this is a great value for a gun under $500.
Walther Creed. This is a relatively new pistol from Walther that the company came out with to meet the demands of folks wanting a decent entry-level gun without breaking the bank. The Creed is designed with very comfortable ergonomics and a high-quality trigger that you will typically see on guns that are much more expensive.
In addition, in the 9mm you get 16+1 rounds, which is a great number for a compact 9mm. The Creed starts around $400 and I love to carry this gun.
Smith & Wesson SD9VE. Smith & Wesson is known for it’s long tradition of making quality firearms including both revolvers and semi-automatics. The SD9VE is a polymer framed striker-fired 9mm pistol with a magazine capacity of 16 rounds.
The thing is, this firearm has been around since the 1990’s and legend has it that the company spent millions of dollars on researching the shape of the human hand to create the best grip and shape of the pistol. Essentially, for around $400 you can get a solid handgun.
Canik TP9. Canik is a Turkish company that broke into the U.S. market with their poly-frame striker that is extremely accurate and reliable. One of the biggest advantages to this firearm is that you can easily purchase aftermarket accessories to upgrade or replace any parts.
Plus, you get a 9mm with an 18+1 capacity for around $350. I own this gun and it’s never given me any issues.
Ruger P Series. For over 25 years, Ruger has produced the P Series, which are used by law enforcement and civilians alike. This series of firearms are known and respected for being reliable, and simple to use.
The P Series is made with a custom polymer or hard-coated, aircraft-quality aluminum frames, steel slides and polymer grip panels. The .45 starts around $400 and the 9mm for around $300.
