Best New Guns Under $1,000 for 2026, and the Best Under $500

By Cole Harlan, Editor · The Release Desk · Updated Oct 21, 2026 · How we verify · Editorial standards

You don't need a four-figure budget to buy one of this year's new guns. Of the new firearms we track for 2026, 32 carry a maker MSRP of $1,000 or less, and 27 of them are confirmed shipping. This guide sorts them by the job you're buying for: carry, duty and home defense, hunting, the range and the field. Every price is the maker's own MSRP, and every status is from a dated check.

Every new gun under $1,000 at a glance

Sorted by status, then newest first. MSRP is the maker's suggested price. For model families it's the starting price.

The best new guns under $500

Seven new firearms come in at $500 or less MSRP. That's real money saved for ammo, a holster or a good optic:

• Stevens 320 20-gauge pump ($289): the least expensive new gun we track. A 5+1 pump with a 3-inch chamber, in a 22-inch field model and an 18.5-inch security model with a ghost ring sight.
• Taurus TX22 Brace-Ready ($416.99): a .22 LR pistol with a 4.6-inch threaded barrel and an optic-ready slide, sold with 16- and 22-round magazines. Listed, no stock
• Ruger LCP MAX with ReadyDot ($449): an 11-ounce, 10+1 .380 with Ruger's battery-free fiber-optic ReadyDot already on it.
• Savage 334 (from $459): a bolt hunting rifle now offered in .223 Rem through .30-06 and 350 Legend, with compact versions for smaller shooters.
• Savage Axis 2 ($489): Savage's entry bolt rifle, now with the user-adjustable AccuTrigger and a redesigned bolt handle.
• Savage REVEL Classic ($499): a takedown rimfire lever gun with a Turkish walnut stock and an 18-inch barrel.
• Taurus TX9 ($499.99): the only new 9mm under $500 MSRP. It's a striker-fired duty pistol on a serialized steel chassis that swaps between full-size, compact and subcompact grip frames.

Best for concealed carry

Under $600: the pocket and deep-carry picks

The Ruger LCP MAX ReadyDot ($449) weighs 11 ounces with a 2.80-inch barrel and holds 10+1 rounds of .380 Auto, per Ruger's spec sheet. The ReadyDot is a 15 MOA fiber-optic dot that needs no battery. Smith & Wesson's Bodyguard 2.0 with Viridian RFX1 ($599) is the other new .380 with a factory dot: a 3 MOA green dot, a tritium front sight and 10+1 or 12+1 capacity at 12 ounces. It comes with or without a thumb safety. Pick the Ruger for the lowest price, or the S&W if you want a powered green dot and extra capacity.

The 9mm carry picks

FN 309 MRD ($549) is FN's entry-priced 9mm: 16 or 20 rounds, a 3.8-inch barrel, 22.5 ounces, an easy-rack slide and a direct-mount optic cut for DeltaPoint Pro and Shield RMS footprints. Springfield's Echelon Alpha 4.0C ($599) is the value Echelon, with a 4-inch barrel, a 15-round stainless magazine, a small grip module and an optics-ready billet slide at 24 ounces. And the Glock 19 Gen 6 ($745) is the default compact 9mm, now with a palm-swell frame, a flat-faced trigger and Glock's new optic-ready system with plates included. See our Glock 19 Gen 6 vs Echelon 4.0FC comparison and the full new carry pistols list.

Best for duty, home defense and the range

The Taurus TX9 ($499.99) and Ruger RXM ($579 for the new Copper and Blue PVD models) both put the serialized part in a removable chassis or fire-control insert, so the grip frame is just a part. The TX9 Full has a 4.5-inch barrel and 17 rounds. The RXM ships with Magpul PMAG GL9 magazines in 15- or 17-round versions. Our Taurus TX9 vs Glock 17 Gen 6 and Ruger RXM vs Glock 19 Gen 6 comparisons go deeper.

Spend a little more and you get the Glock 17 Gen 6 ($745, 17 rounds, 4.49-inch barrel), the Echelon 4.0FC ($710, full-size grip with a 4-inch slide, one 17- and one 20-round magazine) or CZ's modular CZ DUTY ($729, Listed, no stock). For a flatter-shooting gun, the Echelon Pro Comp ($899) has an integrally compensated slide and a ported 4-inch barrel, and CANiK's METE MC9 Prime Radian ($899.99) adds a ported RAMJET barrel and 17+1 capacity to a micro-compact.

Long guns for the home

Ruger's Harrier AR-15 starts at $699 for model 28601, with a 16.1-inch nitride barrel, a 15-inch free-float M-LOK handguard and a threaded muzzle, built in Hebron, Kentucky. Smith & Wesson's M&P FPC 5.7 ($719) is a side-folding 5.7x28mm carbine that takes M&P 5.7 pistol magazines and folds to 16.4 inches with an optic still mounted. If you want a shotgun, the Stevens 320 20-gauge Security is the budget answer, and Mossberg's special-edition 590 Bliksem ($728) is the head-turner. See every option in new AR-15s of 2026 and new shotguns of 2026.

Best hunting rifles under $1,000

This is where the under-$1,000 list is deepest. Savage alone has four new bolt guns here:

• Savage 334 ($459 to $629): a 3-round detachable magazine, an ambidextrous release, synthetic or walnut stocks and compact 18.5-inch models with a 12.75-inch length of pull.
• Savage Axis 2 ($489) and Axis 2 Pro ($689): the Pro adds a spiral-fluted heavy sporter barrel threaded 1/2x28, a one-piece 0 MOA rail and an adjustable length of pull.
• Savage 110 Core Hunter ($799): more than 30 chamberings from .204 Ruger to .375 Ruger, the toolless AccuFit V2 stock, a threaded fluted barrel and left-hand actions.

Ruger's American Rifle Gen II Ranch Left-Handed ($769) finally gives lefties a Gen II, with a 16.1-inch threaded barrel in six chamberings including .350 Legend and .450 Bushmaster for straight-wall states. The American Rifle Gen II Scout ($929) adds iron sights and an extended rail. SDS Imports' Spandau RL .308 ($799) is a Turkish-made Remington 700-pattern rifle with a walnut stock, a threaded 20-inch barrel and AICS-pattern magazines. More in our new hunting rifles of 2026 guide.

Best for the field, clays and fun

For birds and clays, Mossberg International's Maverick SA ($623 synthetic; $693 walnut, per Mossberg) is a gas semi-auto 12 gauge with five chokes and length-of-pull spacers. Franchi's 2026 Affinity 3 update starts at $999, with 15 new Affinity 3 and 3.5 models, including a compact 20 gauge and left-hand guns. For rimfire, the REVEL Classic and REVEL DLX lever guns and Beretta's aluminum-framed B22 Jaguar ($749, 15 rounds, 5.25-inch threaded barrel) are the cheapest way to shoot a lot. See new lever-action rifles.

What we've seen them sell for

MSRP is the ceiling, not the price you'll pay. Here's the street price we last recorded for some of the picks above. Each is one retailer listing on our check date, not a quote.

MSRP is the maker’s price. Street price is one retailer listing on the check date, not a quote; — means we have not recorded one.

Every price change we record goes into our price change log.

Five ways to stretch a $1,000 budget

1. Budget for the whole setup. A carry gun needs a holster, a belt and practice ammo. A hunting rifle needs glass. Our new red dots and new rifle scopes guides list optics with MSRPs.
2. A factory optic can save money. The LCP MAX ReadyDot and Bodyguard 2.0 RFX1 come with a dot already on the gun.
3. Buy what's shipping. A gun that's only announced can't be bought at any price. Check the status pill on each product page.
4. Threaded barrels are common now. The Harrier, Axis 2 Pro, 110 Core Hunter, Gen II Ranch and Scout, Spandau RL and TX22 Brace-Ready all have threaded muzzles. With the federal NFA tax at $0 since January 1, 2026, read how to buy a suppressor in 2026 before you add a can.
5. Know your state. Magazine limits, roster rules and waiting periods vary. Buy from a licensed dealer, fill out the Form 4473 and follow your state and local law.

Release dates and shipping status

Here is where every one of the 32 new guns under $1,000 stands as of our latest checks. 27 are shipping, 4 listed without stock and 1 announced with no confirmed ship date. The newest is the Taurus TX22 Brace-Ready ($416.99), announced Oct 15, 2026. The table below and each product page show the status and the date we last checked it.

How we chose

Every product here comes from our release database, which tracks new products from announcement to shipping. To make the list, a product had to be announced for 2026 (or in late 2025 for 2026 availability) and have a cited maker or trade-press source. We grouped products by job using maker specs, then weighed MSRP and verified shipping status. If two did the same job, we favored the one you can buy today.

We haven't range-tested these products. Picks are editorial judgments based on published data. Prices are maker MSRPs, and status comes from our latest dated check on each product page. Read how we track releases and our editorial standards.

More: best new handguns of 2026, best new rifles of 2026, new American-made guns of 2026 and the 2026 releases by the numbers, including the median MSRP for each category.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

1. Savage Arms Stevens 320 20-Gauge: specs and price source (rkguns.com)
2. Taurus TX22 Brace-Ready: specs and price source (taurususa.com)
3. Ruger LCP MAX with ReadyDot (13758): specs and price source (ruger.com)
4. Savage Arms 334 expansion (new calibers/compacts): specs and price source (savagearms.com)
5. Savage Arms Axis 2: specs and price source (brownells.com)
6. Savage Arms REVEL Classic (rimfire lever): specs and price source (savagearms.com)
7. Taurus TX9: specs and price source (taurususa.com)
8. Smith & Wesson Bodyguard 2.0 with Viridian RFX1: specs and price source (smith-wesson.com)
9. FN 309 MRD: specs and price source (fnamerica.com)
10. Springfield Armory Echelon Alpha 4.0C: specs and price source (springfield-armory.com)
11. Glock G19 Gen6: specs and price source (us.glock.com)
12. Ruger RXM Copper and Blue PVD: specs and price source (ruger.com)
13. Glock G17 Gen6: specs and price source (us.glock.com)
14. Springfield Armory Echelon 4.0FC: specs and price source (springfield-armory.com)
15. CZ DUTY (4.0C / 4.0F, with or without manual safety): specs and price source (czfirearms.com)
16. Springfield Armory Echelon Pro Comp: specs and price source (springfield-armory.com)
17. Canik METE MC9 Prime Radian: specs and price source (canik.com)
18. Ruger Harrier: specs and price source (ruger.com)
19. Smith & Wesson M&P FPC 5.7: specs and price source (smith-wesson.com)
20. Mossberg 590 Bliksem: specs and price source (armseast.com)
21. Savage Arms Axis 2 Pro: specs and price source (savagearms.com)
22. Savage Arms 110 Core Hunter: specs and price source (savagearms.com)
23. Ruger American Rifle Gen II Ranch Left-Handed: specs and price source (ruger.com)
24. Ruger American Rifle Gen II Scout: specs and price source (ruger.com)
25. SDS Imports Spandau RL .308: specs and price source (spandauarms.com)
26. Mossberg Maverick SA: specs and price source (mossberg.com)
27. Franchi Affinity 3 (2026 update): specs and price source (franchiusa.com)
28. Savage Arms REVEL DLX (rimfire lever): specs and price source (shop2.gzanders.com)
29. Beretta B22 Jaguar: specs and price source (beretta.com)

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