Guns for wife and I

[sloasdaylight]

break in my house, you get hit with the sawed-off
you never know what happened as your body parts fall off
you get hit in the leg, man,... you can't even crawl off!!!
cause it's me.... Fifty.

but seriously, you ever see the look on a perps face when he hears the sound of a shell being chambered in a shotty?!!! it's even funnier when my Rotts start growling.
Moral of the story is buy a Shotgun, no rounds, and a Rottweiler, no bull. that combo kept us safe for 5 LONG years in the worst neighborhood in Oakland, Ca.
(good-luck)

No, but I did see the look on some dirtbag's face when he looked up from trying to pick our back door lock and saw a big ole' .45 inch black hole staring at him.

Also I've read a lot of self defense books that say if you're going to keep a gun for home defense, it should be loaded and ready to go as soon as you disengage the safety. That's how all ours in our houses are anyways, except for the long guns, which are locked up in the safe.

 

[FL Knifemaker]

i gotta disagree .....with the proliferation of the home invasion these days i would rather have it and not need it than take my chances with intruders......locks,alarms,dogs and all that are good too,but....these days i think firearms and some home defense training are a necessary part of life....

I agree and I live in very peaceful community. I much prefer a hi capacity, semi automatic shotgun for home defense than a handgun. I hope to God I never have to use it as intended. But if I need it, it will be there. Like the thorn it stands to guard the rose but seeks no conflict

 

[billhilly66]

I keep a loaded revolver in the nightstand. Magazine spring tension is an issue with pistols that are kept loaded for extended periods. The revolver your grandpa put in the drawer back in 49 will still go bang. Not so much with the 1911.

States with concealed carry laws generally have lots of resorces for folks wanting to laern about handguns. Take a class and spend some time researching before you buy anything.

 

[pacojas]

I agree and I live in very peaceful community. I much prefer a hi capacity, semi automatic shotgun for home defense than a handgun. I hope to God I never have to use it as intended. But if I need it, it will be there. Like the thorn it stands to guard the rose but seeks no conflict

+1 and well put!!!

 

[Deluge Of Sound]

i gotta disagree .....with the proliferation of the home invasion these days i would rather have it and not need it than take my chances with intruders......locks,alarms,dogs and all that are good too,but....these days i think firearms and some home defense training are a necessary part of life....

it was not that long ago when citizens had to take care of their own security.....police could be summoned,but it took time.....these days the cops are more mobile,but so are the crooks.....no suburban bedroom community is out of reach,and the cops may be busy elsewhere when you need them....

 

[sloasdaylight]

I lulled.

 

[Jim Campbell]

i would expect that from certain quarters in toronto,but i would expect someone with "live free or die" on his tags to get where i'm coming from....no wait that's new hampshire

 

[Pilgrim]

Um, how about the question the OP asked?

I suggest he check shooting ranges first and see if there's an opportunity to try some different handguns before buying anything.

 

[CrashClint]

I keep a loaded revolver in the nightstand. Magazine spring tension is an issue with pistols that are kept loaded for extended periods. The revolver your grandpa put in the drawer back in 49 will still go bang. Not so much with the 1911.

The 1911 isn't for everyone and I don't recommend one for a beginner. It takes a lot of practice drawing one of these and releasing the safety. You have to have enough practice so releasing the safety becomes second nature and you don't need to think about the motion. I buy Wilson Combat Magazines and have never had a problem keeping them loaded for an extended amount of time, though I do rotate them regularly.

I suggest he check shooting ranges first and see if there's an opportunity to try some different handguns before buying anything.

As I stated in my original post.

The range here has about 15 different handguns and a couple fully autos you can rent as well.

 

[Deluge Of Sound]

i would expect that from certain quarters in toronto,but i would expect someone with "live free or die" on his tags to get where i'm coming from

That's New Hampshire. Vermont's famous for Phish, Ben & Jerrys, our ski resorts, Bernie Sanders, and Patrick Leahy.

Maine's famous for Steven King, our ski resorts, and our beer.

I'm much more worried about passing out drunk in a snowbank (or going all The Shining on my friends and family) than having some crazed hooligans rob my apartment. And I live in what can comfortably called low-income/high risk neighborhood, so you'd think I'd be more aware of the dangers.


And I am. And the odds that I'll get robbed/stabbed/shot at/accosted are very, very low. Its all you folks living in the gated communities that need to worry--the questionable elements on my block know I ain't got nuthin' worth nuthin', as they say.

Um, how about the question the OP asked?

I suggest he check shooting ranges first and see if there's an opportunity to try some different handguns before buying anything.

I already offered my opinion on the first page.

 

[FL Knifemaker]

+1 and well put!!!

Thanks!

I urge anyone to take some tactical shooting classes before they decide what type of firearm to use for home protection. Shoot some stages with a handgun, carbine and shotgun. To each his own but........Under stress, I'd MUCH prefer to engage mulitple, moving targets, in low light with a shotgun, hands down.

 

[sloasdaylight]

The 1911 isn't for everyone and I don't recommend one for a beginner. It takes a lot of practice drawing one of these and releasing the safety. You have to have enough practice so releasing the safety becomes second nature and you don't need to think about the motion. I buy Wilson Combat Magazines and have never had a problem keeping them loaded for an extended amount of time, though I do rotate them regularly.



As I stated in my original post.

The range here has about 15 different handguns and a couple fully autos you can rent as well.

Maybe I've been shooting 1911s for too long, but I've never found that it was too terribly difficult to draw the weapon and disengage the safety simultaneously.

 

[BassyBill]

The ultimate grammar nit-picking post follows:

The thread title should read "Guns for wife and me."

Sorry, but it's been driving me daft...

 

[lousybassplayer]

A little generic advice:

1. If you think you need to try out basses to find what fits you, imagine what you should do for something that you may literally have to trust your (and your wife's) life to,
2. Get your head right to own a handgun. If you carry it be ready to use it. If you use it, be ready to take someone's life, as a matter of fact, count on it, or your setting yourself up for failure.
3. Don't buy stopping power (to a point. .22 LR, .25, .32, .380 etc are tempting for women and newbies, and they are comfortable and fun to shoot) buy what you can comfortably handle and hit with. A smaller peice of lead that hits the target is vastly better than a huge flying pie plate that hits thin air. A 9mm steel framed auto chambered with +P+ defensive ammo will certainly get the job done. I am a .45 man myself, and its hard to argue, but for inexperienced shooters it can be a bit much. Follow up shot times suffer a bit and muzzle flip in lighter weapons (which are preferable for daily carry) can be quite obnoxious.
3. I do not recommend striker fired pistols, but thats just me. I like to see the hammer. There is nothing wrong with most of them, but it's something to consider.
4. Avoid 1911 SAs for beginners. The grip safety can be mishandled under stress, and carrying cocked and locked is intimidating for some people. Great guns, but they are an experienced shooter's weapon.
5. I recommend a small frame .357 revolver for the missus. She will be able to run easy recoiling and cheaper .38 specials on the range, and then load up the big stuff for defensive carry.
6.You need to shoot ALOT when you start out. Muscle memory is survival in a firefight. Manual of arms and good training is VASTLY more important than the weapon you choose (again, within common sense. Get a good, reliable piece, but don't get too hung up on it)

I didn't read about gunfighting in a magazine, I don't study ballistic charts all day to find the ultimate "stopping power" round. I'm not much into hypotheticals when it's time to start shooting. Trust me, a good gun store can help you out with selecting the right weapons for your needs, and they can usually get you in touch with a good training program. That's more important than winding up dead holding a pretty gun.

 

[burk48237]

Sorry, but this doesn't make any sense whatsoever, at any angle I look at it from. The more stopping power a cartridge has, the better it is for home defense. Period. You don't want a super fast round like a 9mm parabellum that's going to potentially blow through your attacker and harm someone behind him/her, even if you are using hollow point ammo. The muzzle velocity of a 9mm parabellum JHP round averages somewhere around 1100 fps, whereas the muzzle velocity for a .45 acp jhp is well under 1000 in most cases, and closer to 8-900 fps on average. A slower moving bullet, + more mass = more stopping power. The reason the .40S&W was developed was because the 9mm had a nasty habit of going through it's target. The same with the .45ACP back in the early 1900s, because the .38 special did the same (which is pretty much the 9mm just with more powder behind it).

The problem is you are dealing with antiquated Military and Police standards. With ball ammo there is no doubt the .45 is superior and I am well aware of the history. But the minimal stopping guns (.380 and above) are more then capable of stopping a perpetrator in the short range shooting situation of home defense. You have to remember that modern self defense rounds are a different animal then ball ammo. I carry a 1911 in a .45 because I'm comfortable with it and shoot it more accurately, but I sure as H**# wouldn't want to be hit by a wimpy 9 mm hollow point.

There are plenty of good self defense rounds available in 9 mm and .38 that I would be more then comfortable with as a defensive weapon. The situation most people are defending their house in is far different from a police officer entering a drug den or in a shootout with armed suspects. The ranges are closer and cover is not likely to be effective. Carrying is a different issue, and while I would feel safe with a .38, I feel safer with a .45.

The argument is not what is the best self defense round, but what will work, and the 9 mm or .38 will work fine and perhaps even finer if the shooter is more comfortable with them. As far as the "best" I agree with you, the .45 is without question. But .45's can be difficult to handle for new or female shooters (I would argue the .40 or .357 sig are worse for recoil) , and the double stack grips in .45 require substantially more hand size.

 

[sloasdaylight]

The problem is you are dealing with antiquated Military and Police standards. With ball ammo there is no doubt the .45 is superior and I am well aware of the history. But the minimal stopping guns (.380 and above) are more then capable of stopping a perpetrator in the short range shooting situation of home defense. You have to remember that modern self defense rounds are a different animal then ball ammo. I carry a 1911 in a .45 because I'm comfortable with it and shoot it more accurately, but I sure as H**# wouldn't want to be hit by a wimpy 9 mm hollow point.

There are plenty of good self defense rounds available in 9 mm and .38 that I would be more then comfortable with as a defensive weapon. The situation most people are defending their house in is far different from a police officer entering a drug den or in a shootout with armed suspects. The ranges are closer and cover is not likely to be effective. Carrying is a different issue, and while I would feel safe with a .38, I feel safer with a .45.

The argument is not what is the best self defense round, but what will work, and the 9 mm or .38 will work fine and perhaps even finer if the shooter is more comfortable with them. As far as the "best" I agree with you, the .45 is without question. But .45's can be difficult to handle for new or female shooters (I would argue the .40 or .357 sig are worse for recoil) , and the double stack grips in .45 require substantially more hand size.

The main thing I took issue with is where you said that you want a defensive vs and offensive round, as if there was much difference other than ammunition that was designed to be armor piercing, which police don't use either. Or at least carry in their side arms.

 

[lousybassplayer]

Let's do an A/B test with .45 (your choice of bullet) and 9mm. Any volunteers to tell us which hurts more? I stand on a little bit of experience when I say 5.56, and 9mm will very reliably kill a man when put where they need to go. 5.56 in particular makes some really nasty wounds. Do I prefer .308 and .45? Sure. But I have put my life behind the other two, and would do so again. As far as any kind of defense goes, a pistol is the weapon you use while you go get your long gun. Despite being an expert pistol shot, I have never had any luck hitting a target in a live fire situation with a pistol, and not for lack of trying.

 

[Jim Campbell]

That's New Hampshire. Vermont's famous for Phish, Ben & Jerrys, our ski resorts, Bernie Sanders, and Patrick Leahy.

Maine's famous for Steven King, our ski resorts, and our beer.

I'm much more worried about passing out drunk in a snowbank (or going all The Shining on my friends and family) than having some crazed hooligans rob my apartment. And I live in what can comfortably called low-income/high risk neighborhood, so you'd think I'd be more aware of the dangers.


And I am. And the odds that I'll get robbed/stabbed/shot at/accosted are very, very low. Its all you folks living in the gated communities that need to worry--the questionable elements on my block know I ain't got nuthin' worth nuthin', as they say.

well i live very close to downtown,and the local punks will break in on spec,and cars are broken into all the time for the change in your cup holder..... some of us do have things we value in the house and get a tad upset when someone kicks the door in to steal ...

 

[warwick.hoy]

Like playing bass, or watching a nice TV? No thank you

Not sure I follow your analogy but,...okay

- and keeping a firearm for home defense is completely different from deterring burglary.

I agree but what I'm trying to point out is that responsible gun ownership means not only keeping the gun out of kids and novices hands, but also out of the hands of criminals.

 

[fredguy]

Three general tips:

Find out what ammunition your local law enforcement uses and use that in any gun that might be used in self defence.

Don't modify in any way a gun that might be used in self defence.

See if there's an IPSC club in your area and give that a try.

dave