Some "off brands" are guns made by "quality" makers for dept stores and the like. JC Higgens is an example. Those were frequently made by Savage, Mossberg, etc for Sears.
Chris
He's talking about stuff like the EAA russian made revolvers and stuff like the Escort shotguns...definitley not made by the better makers.
Some of the stuff is OK. Some ain't. The Escorts are a bit meh...I'd look for a used Rem or Mossberg myself...the Mossberg Mavrick 88 shotguns are phenomenal deals... You need to shop at a different store, over the internet, or used to get some better deals. Forget Colt, frequently way too expensive because they got out of the DA revolver business and prices shot way up. I'd prefer to buy a used Ruger instead of an EAA revolver. EAA is just the importer, by the way.
Look for stuff like Ruger GP-100s and Security Sixes, particuarly used guns or guns on trade in from police or security businesses. I've seen GP-100s in great condition, trade ins, for $350.
Some smiths are available for around $400, their basic airweight snubbies, for example.
Forget CAI done stuff except for Romainian WASRs and say, the sterling actually made by Wiselite. Avoiding the FALs, Galils/Golanis, and such is a wise move.