Thinking about buying a hand gun

[Angry Dragon]

Anyone out there with suggestions??

Stopping power with standard large mag

[geckosfeet]

1. Google search. Then visit a shop or range with rentals.

[MicaelS]

15. I second this...

Go in and shoot several guns. I'd stick with 9mm, .40S&W or .45ACP.

[armueller2001]

2. Need more info

Home defense or CCW?

Previous firearm owner or new to them?

Large or small hands?

[Angry Dragon]

4. Home defense for now

Previous firearm owner
Small hands

[LibertyFox]

6. Taurus Judge is very popular right now.

I would normally recommend a shotgun for a purely home defense solution but I think that the Judge is an excellent alternative.

Firing .410 shells its barrel is too short for much beyond 10 yards but that makes it just fine for close quarters situations. It has also been successfully used to repel home invasions.

I've got one in my desk drawer.

[shadowrider]

13. The "Judge" is my choice for home defense also. A shotgun in convenient revolver form n/t

[cleanhippie]

25. I LOVE the commercial for the Tarus Judge!

The watermelon heads exploding is frikking hilarious!

[armueller2001]

8. If you were new to shooting

I'd recommend 9mm so you can practice a lot with cheap rounds because shot placement is more important than caliber IMO... but depending on your preference you may like a .40 or .45. My home defense firearm is a Smith & Wesson M&P 9mm with a rail light and laser. The gun is a tack driver at 15 yards and has excellent accuracy out to 25yd. The fact it holds 17+1 rounds helps as well.

If you're considering carrying the firearm too you can check out some of the compacts (XDM, Ruger SR9C, Glock 26) that accept larger magazines... that way if you switch from carrying to home defense all you have to do is pop out the small mag and insert a full size.

[jpak]

9. Get a shotgun

yup

[Name removed]

11. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[ileus]

21. I recommend the HS12

[eqfan592]

30. Ya know what, jpak, I know we don't agree much when it comes to firearm issues...

...at all generally speaking actually, but I have to say that I actually agree with you on this one. :)

If you are physically able to handle one, a shotgun makes an excellent option for a home defense firearm. It's what I keep in my bedroom for home defense (though my wife keeps her 9mm in her night stand as the shotgun is a bit much for her, and because of my schedule there are plenty of times where she is home alone at night and may need to defend herself).

However, if you are hoping to get one firearm to serve several purposes, especially if you are new to shooting in general and/or are on a tight budget, a 9mm is a really great option. Solid enough stopping power with very manageable recoil and inexpensive ammo so you can get proficient with its use. I HIGHLY recommend the Springfield XD line of handguns. Good ones can be had used for 350 if you shop around enough and get a little lucky. But if you don't like the XD there are plenty of other great options out there.

Like others have said, go to a range and rent a couple of 9mm's to see what you like best. :)

[ProgressiveProfessor]

3. Find a range/gun store where you can try some out

Fit/feel/pointing is very important. Actually shooting them will aid greatly in figuring out what model/make works best for you. Springfield Armory (XD), Glock, Baretta, Colt, Ruger, and Sig Sauer are all good manufacturers, there are others as well.

As for caliber...9mm, .40, or .45 are the normal recommendations, unless you have small hands or other limitations.

[Ready4Change]

5. Walthers get good recs from those with small hands.

But every ones hands are different. I second the above recommendations of visiting ranges that have a variety of rentals to try out.

Another comment: A pistol isn't necessarily better for small hands if it is labeled 'compact.' Sometimes the grips on compact pistols can be wider and harder for small hands to grip around. (Especially if they are trying to keep the round count in the magazine high.) Another good reason to get to a range (or at least a shop) with a good selection, so you can handle a variety and see what works for you.

[Bonhomme Richard]

7. I recommend the Bersa and it won't break the bank.

I have the Thunder 9mm high capacity (17 rounds in mag) and have put about a thousand rounds through it without a single hiccup. They do make ultra compacts if that is what you are looking for.

[eqfan592]

32. I hear a lot of great things about the Bersa's as well.

I plan on getting a .380 for CCW.

[Bonhomme Richard]

37. When I went to pick mine up from my FFL, a friend, who....

is also a gunsmith, was very impressed with the quality just handling the pistol. Great price and it came with two magazines.

[vandelay]

10. Seems every law abiding American is buying a handgun.

Good for America.

[DWC]

12. The best gun for you

is the gun you are comfortable shooting and shoot best. Find a reputable gun shop with a range. Find the gun that fits you best. Practice at least a little at least monthly and stay with the same gun for at least a year. After that period of time you will either be satisfied or really know exactly what you want in your next purchase.

Semper Fi,

[Hoyt]

14. You planning on carrying in public, or is it for home protection?

Who do you think you might have to stop?

[rrneck]

16. If I knew where I was going to die

I wouldn't go near the place.

[Logical]

19. LOL....true!

[PavePusher]

20. Ask him about his crystal ball....

he seems to be warming it up again.

[ileus]

23. OP said it's for home defense, should they not go home?

[rrneck]

27. Only to get my

grandfather's war watch. :D

Actually. Hoyt was just sleazing his way to another "toter" insult. I referring to carrying on the street.

[rl6214]

28. Yeah, for him it's "toter" or "stuff it down your pants" or

"packing heat".

Every time he tosses out one of these veiled insults I call him on it, I think we all should call him for what he is.

[pipoman]

44. good response...check my sig line..

[rrneck]

45. Gah! I dig it. Tarantino's best wotk. nt

[rl6214]

29. You?

:rofl:

[TheWraith]

17. Some variant of a Colt 1911 is generally good.

You don't get much better stopping power than .45 ACP without going to much more expensive and higher end cartridges, which can be harder to control.

The standard magazine is only 7 rounds, but that's always a trade off. Small grip, more bullets, better stopping power... pick two.

[Logical]

18. I love my FNX-40.....

Big gun, not a small CCW gun but had all the options I love......

Initial Double action then single action
Decocker but allows cocked and locked
Safety if you want one.
I love it.

I also have a LCP for pocket carry and a LC9 for a 9mm ccw gun.

[ileus]

22. I was looking at the FNX40

I was wanting a 40 for my next pistol (I already have 9's a 45 and 380 for SD) so the 40 was going to be my next pistol. I really liked the feel and quality of the FN really nice pistol. I loved all the options it gives you...

I've since decided I want a 4" 357 because I don't have any large caliber revolvers.

[badtoworse]

24. I have a Browning Hi-Power in 9 mm with rubberized grip

I have small hands and it fits like a glove. I like it a lot

[eqfan592]

33. I don't know why but I've never liked the look of the hi-power...

...but they are VERY solid firearms. I would have no qualms of relying on one if I had to.

[palmtree guy]

26. i like

the springfield xdm, has adjustable backstraps to fit hand size better and always goes bang!!!

[oneshooter]

31. Like has been said above,

Find a range, indoor or outdoor, that has a decent selection of rental weapons. ASK QUESTIONS!! Check the fit of them in your hand, it should be as a extension of your hand. If it feels a little off, you can make changes later. Then go get some training in safe handling, loading , and unloading of the weapon. Then rent it, and if passable, have a knowledgeable person assist/watch you load, fire, and safe the weapon.
Shoot at least a box of ammo that day. Repeat until you find one that fits you best. Then buy one.

Oneshooter
Armed and Livin in Texas

[safeinOhio]

34. I don't carry very often, when I do

it's most likely my Seecamp 32 cal. Very easy to conceal and prints like a wallet. I can take it with me when I jog or bike without all the weight and bulk. Trust me, it'll more than do the job. I'm not a fan of large calibers. Go to www.seecamp.com.

Home, I have an antique Rem 1100 20gauge I keep in my locked safe room.

The number one thing about home protection is to stop an intruder before they enter the home. Please google "cheap home security". Very cheap solutions to keep 90% of the crooks away from your house. Also, making it hard to kick in a door, motion lights and cheap alarms give you time to react.
Fake security alarm stickers, 3 inch screws in door hinges and strikers, stops on double hung windows, motion lights on all sides of the home.

[eqfan592]

35. SafeinOhio, wasn't it you that posted that great website...

...for inexpensive security measures before? I used to have it saved on my computer but after my hard drive experienced a head crash I lost it. I just did the google search you suggested but haven't found it yet. Do you still have that link?

[safeinOhio]

36. Here is one of many

http://www.cheaphomesecurity.net/


Lots of sites with cheap deals. I like my spyphone that calls me, when away, so I can call the sheriff dept if a break in occurs when I'm away. lots of cheap cameras. I want them caught and put off the streets.

For the price of a couple of boxes of bullets you can secure your home.

The last thing I ever want to do is shoot another human being. Lawyers, blood and psychological problems with killing another human being.

Even Lowe's and Home depot have some of the stuff you'll need.

[Bonhomme Richard]

38. LOL, when I carry (rarely) it's a Browning FN 1900. An antique .32

which they stopped making around 1914. John Brownings first semi auto. It was used as an officers/police weapon in Europe and it still works like a champ. Easy to conceal too.

[Euromutt]

39. As others have said, the best way is to try out some rentals

That said, there are models you may want to look at first.

The Glock 19 is just about the most common recommendation for a first-time handgun owner looking for a semi-auto, and with the new 4th Generation models with the interchangeable backstraps, grip size might not form quite as much of an impediment as it used to. I don't much care for Glocks myself, but they do work very well for a large number of people.

The Springfield Armory XD series is good alternative to the Glock; in many ways, the Croatian designers managed to keep the Glock's most popular features while improving on the less-liked ones. The XD(M) with 3.8" barrel looks like a very viable general purpose handgun.

If you're looking for something slightly less pricey, CZ's offerings are worth looking at, particularly the variations on the basic CZ75 design. The CZ75's nice in that it's a SA/DA design, as opposed to a DA/SA; you can carry it in Condition 1, "cocked and locked," like a 1911, but unlike the 1911, it has a DA mode which allows you to fire from an uncocked state.

If you don't have a problem with DA/SA designs, check out the Stoeger Cougar. It's originally a Beretta design, made for plainclothes cops et al. for whom the 92-series was a bit too bulky, but Beretta discontinued manufacture, shipped the entire assembly line to a subsidiary in Istanbul, Turkey, where it's made far more cheaply. I owned one of the earlier ones, and I still kind of regret trading it in (even though I love the CZ85 I traded it in for), because it was a lovely gun to shoot and completely reliable. It's a bit unusual in that it has a rotary locking system; the manufacturer's claim that it improves accuracy is horseshit, in my opinion, but it does seem to absorb a certain amount of recoil.

[eqfan592]

41. I totally forgot to mention the CZ's

Very good and solid firearms.

[Angry Dragon]

40. I would like to thank everyone for their answers

Have a nice day

[krispos42]

42. Springfield Armory XD-M or something from Kahr Arms

The springfield has really good ergonomics and high capacity magazines, plus revolver-like simplicity. the kahr is similar except with single stack magazines.

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

43. I've heard good things...

...about .

[RagAss]

46. Ruger LCR .38 with Hogue grips