In Canada, handguns are heavily restricted and regulated. You can take them to certified ranges. . .and that’s pretty much it. Before I get in to listing out the cheapest ones you can buy, a few recommendations:
- Go to a handgun course once you have one. Handguns require skill to shoot well, and it’s best if you learn that skill from others.
- Budget for a 2 part belt, kydex holster, and mag pouches as well. A DAA belt is ~$70, Safariland GLS is $50, and mag pouches are around $20-30/ea. Some pistols come with this stuff.
- Get a gun in 9mm. It’s cheap, it’s appropriate for competition, and it’s common. Mags and whatnot will all be easier to find.
I’ve only listed centerfire, 9mm pistols below. 22 handguns are great as well; you should get one, but I won’t cover them in this article.
$300 Level
Here, I’ll show handguns that retail around $300. You can try the used market, but you probably won’t save much money buying used vs buying on-sale new.
Girsan MC28 (Review here)
The Girsan MC28 is $280-320, and it’s made in Turkey. They’re cheaply made, and the finish is Ceracoat (not great), but they run and they’re very similar in operation to every other striker-fired, polymer-framed guns. Mags are proprietary, but you can easily mod the gun so it’ll take CZ75 mags. I ran one at a 3 gun match one time and while it wasn’t as great as my gamer guns, it was OK. This pistol is probably the best ~$300 option as an all rounder that doesn’t need a bunch of mods to not be shit.
Norinco NP22/NP34 (Review here)
The Norinco NP22 and NP34 are $270-320 Sig clones from China. The NP22 is a 226 clone, while the NP34 is a 228 clone and has a bit shorter of a slide compared with the NP22. There’s a short trigger reset kit for the Sig that also works on the Norcs, and it makes a big difference. Mags are proprietary, but holsters and whatnot will all work with Sig versions. Since they’re aluminum frame, they’re a bit softer to shoot compared with the polymer framed guns here. Finish quality varies greatly from pistol to pistol: some are OK, some are godawful. The 2 stage trigger pull is pretty bad (10-12 lbs), but single action is OK (4-5lbs). The decocker system is pretty simple to use.
Norinco CF98 (Review Here)
The CF98 is a newer design service pistol. It’s an export version of the one that’s used by the Chinese military. The single action is pretty good, it takes down like a modern pistol, but the aftermarket parts scene is garbage.
Tara TM9 (Review here)
The Tara TM-9 is a ~$300 pistol from Montenegro. Its DA/SA trigger is interesting, but trigger pull weight is absolutely atrocious. Build quality is not great.
Tokarev TT33/Type 54/M57 (Review here)
Surplus Tokarevs are around $150-250. Trigger pull is pretty bad, sights are crap, etc. These are not appropriate for competition because competition mag pouches and holsters are not really available. Non corrosive 7.62x25TT ammo is available but if you’re real cheap, you can buy cheaper corrosive ammo: just remember to clean it after shooting. These are more interesting as a milsurp/old pistol curiosity than as a great shooting pistol.
$400-550 Level
At the $400-550 price range, some of these pistols can be had on the used market for $100 less, and it becomes worth checking the used market.
CZ P10F
CZ runs MAP pricing (all retailers will essentially have the same price), and are around $500-550. IMO, they’re easily the best pistol in this price range for competition/quality/shootability. The design is very modern, materials are good, and they’re a hell of a deal. CZ prices their stuff very competitively in Canada. If you want to save a hundred bucks, buy a used model.
Canik TP9
Caniks are budget-priced pistols that are pretty popular in the US and have decent aftermarket support. You can find TP9SAs for $499 in Canada.
S&W SD9
The S&W SD9s are inexpensive at around $450. The trigger pull is pretty bad from the factory, but there’s a trigger spring kit that makes a world of difference. The plastics on it are kinda cheap feeling.
Norinco 1911 Clone
There are a few Norinco 1911 clones. If you have some 1911 parts, or if you want to race out a 1911, they can be an OK starting point. If you want to see how I upgraded my Norc 1911, check out this article.
Girsan Regard
The Girsan Regard is a Beretta 92 clone for ~$550. The ones I’ve shot have been really good: just as good as a Beretta. If you want a Beretta, but don’t have the money for one, they’re worth looking at.
Another option is to get a surplus Beretta 92. These are also around $400, but beware that a “92S” isn’t the same as a 92FS or the Girsan Regard (92S uses a heel magazine release and has really shit sights).
IWI Jericho 941
The Jericho 941 is based on the CZ75. They’re available in both polymer and steel frames, as well as hard chrome. Polymer framed ones are going for $550. Some are single action only, but most are DA/SA. Police and Military surplus pistols are currently available on the Canadian market and are around $400-550.
Conclusion
Without knowing what you’re going to do with the handgun, in my opinion, the Girsan MC28 is the best option for the lowest price handgun in Canada. If you have a bit more money in your pocket, the CZ P10F is a huge jump in quality and a far better value for the money. Actually, just save up for the P10F.