Looking for a great handgun with which you can defend your home? You do not want to pay too much but still get some quality? The answer is surplus guns. They are used pistols from armed forces and law enforcement agencies that can be had for little money.
Granted, they might come with some wear and tear, but they are guns. As such, they do live much longer than cars or phones so that they can still serve you well for many years to come. With the right aftermarket parts, they even work again like new.
Also, do not forget that the military or law enforcement did choose these guns for a reason. Their decisions are made after long testing, so you do get at least a decent system that has proven itself in the past. With that being said, let’s take a look at what the market has to offer.
Table of Contents
9. Beretta 92/M9
Beretta 92s as well as M9s are easy to find. The M9 was the primary sidearm of the US Army, so you can not only get a ton of them but also with a real discount. For concealed carry, they might be a little bit too big, but with a little bit of effort, it is doable. As a home defense gun, they are just great. You can keep them loaded and ready in your nightstand or safe, and still be sure that they go bang when called upon to defend your life.
While once being one of the top pistols, the Beretta 92 has lost some ground to polymer wonder nines. However, that does not diminish their accuracy and reliability. Also, they are available as police trade-in and some have very little mileage on them. The capacity stands at 15+1 for both.
8. Glock
Yeah, Glocks are everywhere. That does also include the surplus market, for example as a trade-in. There are a lot of them, but they are not always easy to find. Glock 17s and 19s are almost always sold out. The moment they hit the gun store, you can count the seconds it takes for them to be gone again. However, there other Glocks for you, like a Glock 22 or Glock 23. Both are chambered in .40 S&W. That might make them less attractive for 9mm fan boys, but they are still very good guns, and they are available. Also, the .40 S&W does pack more punch making it more desirable for home defense anyway.
7. SIG P226
The SIG P226 is very common for law enforcement and armed forces all around the world. It is tough, reliable, and accurate. You can find it in 9mm and in .40 S&W. The 9mm goes like hotcakes, so do not be shy to take a .40 S&W. They are fairly cheap, and are very good for home defense no matter which one of the two calibers they are. You get a decent capacity with up to 20 round magazines for 9 mm and up to 15 rounds for .40 S&W.
6. 1911
Yes, there are surplus 1911s on the market, and they are still the king. In fact, everyone loves a good old 1911. It is easy to use, accurate, and packs a real punch. They have proven themselves in both World Wars, Korea, and Vietnam. They will prove themselves also when you have to face an intruder in your home. If you want to buy one, check its condition carefully, as some of them come with quite some mileage. Also, while they are solid built, they will not be free from nicks, naks, and scruffs.
5. .38 Special Service Revolvers
They might look old school, but a .38 Special Service Revolver comes with quite some advantages. There are a lot of them out there for little money. More importantly, as revolvers, they can easily withstand neglect while lying in your nightstand, and still go bang when needed. The ammo is easy to find, and does not cost too much.
Depending on the make or model, you might be limited to standard pressure ammo in .38 Special. While some might think this cartridge underpowered, it has a good track record. With 158-grain lead round nose or semi wadcutter hollow points, it can produce a decent effect on the target. Also, there are models that can use +P ammo with more punch.
Another big advantage of the revolver is that there is not much to it when it comes to manual of arms. Put the rounds into the chambers, close the cylinder, and you are good to go. There is no chambering a round or a magazine with a weak spring making for failures to feed. Load it, point it, shoot and hit.
4. Hi-Power
The Browning Hi-Power can be found as surplus from different manufacturers and of course also different armed forces. While not that popular on the civilian market, militaries just love this gun. That is, why it is still in use today, and why you can find so many of them on the surplus market. In fact, eve the Nazis made them after they seized the FN factory and couldn`t keep up with their own P38s.
If you want to get one, check thoroughly. Some of them are more on the old side than others. Also, while their capacity of 13 rounds is not bad, you might find yourself with limited firepower. Some of them do not cycle hollow points well. You need to try with your Hi-Power before you rely on it in a defensive encounter.
3. TT-33 Tokarev
The TT-33 Tokarev is decent when it comes to surplus guns, but it does have one serious downside. That is its caliber of 7.62x25mm Tokarev. Interesting enough, with its .32 caliber, it is actually nothing to sneeze at. It achieves velocities north of 1500 fps with more than 500 ft-lbs of energy. These rounds fly fast ad hit hard, so that they do some serious damage even with their smaller diameter. Also, thanks to this performance, there are factory loads out there from different companies. Some even come as hollow points.
The magazine is single-stack with a capacity of 8 rounds. That being said, it is actually slimmer than a 1911. This makes it quite comfortably to carry while also being a good gun for your nightstand.
There is a clone of this gun made by Zastava, a manufacturer from Serbia. Dubbed as the M57, it is being imported to the US and can be had for a small price. Also, there are replicas and other variants from several former satellite states of the Soviet Union available. They also still produce the ammunition for this gun.
2. Makarov
From the era of the Cold War, it is the Makarov that is the most popular and easiest to find pistol on the surplus market. It was the sidearm of the Russian Army. Being produced in great numbers, they are quite cheap now. Borrowing heavily from the Walther PKK, it is very reliable as its internals are simplified.
Chambered in 9mm Makarov, it does not feed your typical 9mm which it 9x19mm. Instead, the 9mm Makarov comes as 9x18mm. It is small and light enough for concealed carry. Also, it is reliable and accurate. Given its origins, it is also very durable, so that you do not have to worry keeping in your nightstand at all times.
1. CZ-82 and CZ-83
The CZ-82 comes chambered in 9mm Makarov. The CZ-83 is chambered in .380 Auto. You might even find some chambered in .32 ACP. They are small enough to carry them concealed and reliable enough to keep them for extended times in your nightstand.
Based on the design of the Walther PPK, the CZ-82 comes with a fixed barrel blowback action. Its take-down procedure also follows the PPK. However, there is an important difference. It does come with a double-stack mag that holds 12 rounds.
A great feature is its low bore axis allowing for very good accuracy and making it easy to point. The safety is mounted on the frame and just a manual safety without a decocker. If you want to carry it ready for double-action, you have to let the hammer down manually. Otherwise, you carry it condition one, meaning cocked and locked. While the 82 is not always easy to find, you will not be hard pressed to get your hands on an 83.
There you have it guys, some great surplus guns for your home defense needs. If you think we forgot one, write it into the comments. Tell us what makes this gun so great as a surplus gun and of course for home defense.
1 Comment