Best handgun for home defense?

In My Humble Opinion
121

Yeah, you can do all that, what you say is pretty much true, spend LOTS of time at the range, try out several different types of ammo, buying at least 10 boxes of ammo that you will never need again of each type of bullet from each different manufacturer if just “one” of them fails to feed or eject properly(then thowing out all of the rest of the unshot bullets), shoot thousands and thousands of rounds trying to find exactly which particular bullet your automatic wont jam on(either for you or your wife), go to the skilled gunsmith and have him tune it up, again both to your wrist and to your wifes limp wrist, hope that the particular brand of ammo that your automatic dosnt jam much with never changes by the manufacturer, etc, etc. etc,
…or you could just get a revolver.

122

Or I could go through life without a negative attitude.

Revolver or semi-auto, it’s real personal choice. I practice just as hard with my wheelguns as I do with my semi-auto(s). Revolvers are no excuse from range time. Anyone who uses that as an excuse, or stints on range time for any other reason is a danger to every person around them.

Oh, and my wrist is damn-near a rock. My wife’s is even harder. After all, she was the one selected to guard nuclear weapons. All I was, was the counter-sniper. You might want to ask these things before spouting-off.

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      • As I’ve seen it 22LR’s tend to jam more than centerfire pistols, but all semiautos jam, and most of them rarely give you any warning.
  • SKS’s are good guns, for the prices they sell for they are great guns. I don’t got one because I have no place to really shoot it, but would if I did. Colts and AK’s are sold for what they know people will pay; SKS’s are sold for what it costs to make them. They used to have AK magazine-well kits (to allow using AK mags), I dunno if those are still legal or whut…??? The fixed mag is the only downside to an SKS–some people even sell new ones now with synthetic stocks intead of the crappy Chinese wood.
  • Or maybe an overly optimistic attitude. Revolvers are better for people who won’t practice much, because revolvers have fewer controls and operating requirements than semiautos do.
    …Yea I know, people should practice, but then everybody who drives a car could probably benefit from an Indy race car school class, but that ain’t gonna happen. Me thinks you might be confusing a “negative attitude” with “realistic expectations”. If someone only wants a gun for the moments they get invaded and has no interest in it the rest of the time, then they should really have the simplest gun to operate, and revolvers win.
    ~
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It looks like this thread has just about gone to hell. So, before it gets a lock I’d like to add something regarding sawed-off shotguns. They are additions to Federal gun regs apparently added with the numerous laws and regulations pertaining to assault type weapons.

:quote: from this site
http://www.nraila.org/FederalFirearms.asp

Sec. 5845. Definitions

(i) Make.:The term “make”, and the various derivatives of such word, shall include manufacturing (other than by one qualified to engage in such business under this chapter), putting together, altering, any combination of these, or otherwise producing a firearm.

Sec. 5822. Making

No person shall make a firearm unless he has (a) filed with the Secretary a written application, in duplicate, to make and register the firearm on the form prescribed by the Secretary;(b) paid any tax payable on the making and such payment is evidenced by the proper stamp affixed to the original application form;© identified the firearm to be made in the application form in such manner as the Secretary may by regulations prescribe;(d) identified himself in the application form in such manner as the Secretary may by regulations prescribe, except that, if such person is an individual, the identification must include his fingerprints and his photograph;and (e) obtained the approval of the Secretary to make and register the firearm and the application form shows such approval.Applications shall be denied if the making or possession of the firearm would place the person making the firearm in violation of law.

Sec. 5861. Prohibited acts

It shall be unlawful for any person:

(f) to make a firearm in violation of the provisions of this chapter

Sec. 5871. Penalties

Any person who violates or fails to comply with any provision of this chapter shall, upon conviction, be fined not more than $10,000, or be imprisoned not more than ten years, or both.

Sec. 5872. Forfeitures

(a) Laws applicable.:Any firearm involved in any violation of the provisions of this chapter shall be subject to seizure and forfeiture

:end quote:

So, apparently there are “penalties” for do it yourself gunsmiths

thanks

125

Be the bigger man… get a stun gun… don’t kill then… teach them.

126

My first post here, but luckily it’s a subject I’m reasonably knowledgeable about.

  1. Some debate over shotgun versus handgun for self defense. True, shotguns have more stopping or killing power and are more intimidating. However, any handgun of any caliber is far more intimidating than no firearm at all. It’s harder to disarm a handgun wielder than a shotgun or rifle wielder. Long arms can be clumsy in confined spaces, and the blast of a shotgun (especially a 12 gauge) can disorient the inexperienced shooter. A double barrel shotgun has the advantage of relative simplicity and the big disadvantage of only 2 shots before being empty. Anyone who tells you that’s all you will ever need is ignorant (see The Prince of Tides for a vivid example of why two shots may not be enough). Even pump or semi-auto shotguns have less ammo capacity than revolvers, far less than semi-auto handguns, Light sheet rock can be penetrated by birdshot (typically recommended shotgun load for home defense) so be aware of your target and what’s behind it. However, it may be far easier to legally get and keep a shotgun in particular jurisdictions so circumstances may dictate.
  2. If you are not really into guns, the revolver is the way to go. High quality used revolvers are very inexpensive and readily available, especially through private sale. You can keep one in your drawer for years, fully loaded, and it will almost certainly work. Reliability is important, keep that in mind. However, revolvers do have limited ammo capacity compared to modern semi-auto pistols and are slower to reload. They also, because of their roundish grips, are more difficult to aim strait than a flat framed semi-auto. Note, revolvers do and can “jam” and when they do so it’s harder to get them back into action than a semi auto (the “slap, tap, rack, and bang drill works 95%+ of the time with a semi auto). “Jammed” with a bit of casing or such, a revolver usually requires the services of a gunsmith to be functional again
  3. If you decide on a semi-auto pistol there is one first choice, Glock. Glock’s are at least as reliable as revolvers if not more so, and that’s right out of the box. The caliber, ammo capacity, and size choices are considerable. There’s no external safety to hang you up during hectic times yet they are extremely safe guns. Really, the only way to fire one is to pull back on the trigger which you should only do if you want to shoot. Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on the target. Glocks have been repeatedly airdropped onto hard surfaces without setting off a round, yet still remain functional.
  4. Get as much gun as you can handle accurately. With a solid two-handed grip most people can control a .38 or 9 mm, and the .40 is still better. .45 acp gives you bit more stopping power for a few less rounds. .357 for revolvers and 10 mm for semi-autos is the maximum you should look for in a defense handgun. Still, all things considered, “a hit with a .22 is better than a miss from a .44 magnum.”

Essential Reading:
Ayoob, Massad
In the Gravest Extreme
The Truth About Self protection
Stressfire: Volume I
Quigley, Paxton
Armed and Female

Now, firearms do not take the place of good locks, secure windows, alarms, or dogs. But there is nothing else that will do the job as well when those other things fail. Ignore the myths of “Home invaders taking your gun from you and using it on you.” It just doesn’t happen if you are aware and get to your piece. There are also gobs of incidents out there that show the defensive use of firearms is the greatest deterrent to the continuing of criminal assault. For every 14 incidents, better than 12- to 13 of the home invaders flee without a shot being fired.

127

http://www.smith-wesson.com/Products/Firearms/m500.htm
That’s a spicey meatball.

128

Just to comment on the SKS…I’ve had both the SKS and an MAK-90 (basically a semi-auto AK-47 with a few changes) and those rifles would wear me out before I could wear them out. And I shot nothing but El Cheapo Chinese Military Surplus kinda ammo through em. You know, the $30 for 3000 rounds cheap ammo. And they’d just go and go and go all day.

I wouldn’t use either in a competition shootoff (or for home defense), but I was very impressed with both of em, both for their reliability and the hitting power of the 7.62x39 FMJ.

129

I agree with you that people should practice, but the fact is , that most gun owners, 100 million of them, dont go to the range each week. They should, but they dont.

My comment on the weak wrist, is that many females do not have a wrist as hard as a rock. There is a thing called, “weak wrist”, which causes semi automatics to not funcion properly if they are not held tightly enough. Thus, a semi automatic may function just fine with the husband who is holding it very tightly, but when his 100 pound wife with small wrists holds it, it jams. It is a very common phenomena, and anyone who has worked with lots of women on the range, is familiar with this.

You might want to check around with handgun instructors who teach lots of women to find out about “weak wrist”, before spouting off.

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      • News flash, scooter: stun-guns and pepper spray don’t work. If they did, the military and police wouldn’t bother with guns anymore.
        ~
131

I’m with the stun gun/taser crowd, and don’t really expect to use it.
BUT I need some info as to WHY they won’t work. It does give that small measure of self assurance - at least I have something.

doesn’t work? How? Fails to fire reliably, Can’t stop an angel dust freak? What? I sure don’t want to be hit with one, and the cops DO use them, when they don’t want to kill somebody, eg. the drunk in the wrong house, kids, moment of suicidal stupidity, etc.

132

Owning a firearm and not practicing with it regularly is like owning a large and powerful dog, and not teaching it obedience, only much worse.

In my experience, people who do not practice with their firearm of choice should generally not keep one.

IRT to simplicity, before one makes blanket statements to the simplicity of operation of one type or another, one should investigate the firearms themeslves. There are quite a few double-action semiautos that are every bit as simple to operate as a revolver. Glock comes to mind immediately, for instance.

IRT semiauto handguns jamming without warning, this is by and large a myth. If you should be so unlucky as to purchase one that does jam, range time will show this, before the owner finds themselves in trouble. Failure to practice & familiarize is irresponsible, and owning a revolver won’t make the lack of practice any more acceptable.

Mind you, I’m not a semi-auto chauvinist. I own more wheelguns than semi-autos, and the first time I qualified Expert, I was shooting a Ruger Security Six straight out of the armory. I’m just trying to shed a little clarity on the situation.

Susanann, I’ve taught small arms. ‘Weak’ wrists are actually pretty damn rare in my experience. Mind you, I was dealing with a military crowd, so that may not be indicative of the populace as a whole, but the women I’ve taught run the range from five-foot-nothin’ to topping over six feet. In the whole fifteen years I spent in the military, I found one instance where the shooter couldn’t retain proper control of their weapon, and that was a big, strapping guy.

133

DougC-
Why do you say that pepper spray doesn’t work. It might not work all the time, but what studies show that it doesn’t work at all? Or never? I honestly want to know. I have been looking into getting a weapon for home defense, but frankly am terrified of putting a lethal weapon in the hands of my wife without some seriouse range time. And while I’d love to say that we’d go every week, it’s more likely that we’d go for a while, then taper off…nowhere near enough to make her comfortable with it. So I’ve been considering one of these for the house. But if you say pepper spray doesn’t work, then I’ll have to re-think it. I’d like to read the cites you have for that…is there like a percentage that it doesn’t work against?

134

Pepper spray, tasers and stun guns most certainly do work, but they have limitations. Depending on the spray you get, you have to be fairly close to your target in order for it to be effective. And even then they can fight through it and get you if they really want to. I don’t know much about tasers, but I think that a problem with them is reload. If you miss, you’re screwed.

A gun works from distances and close in, has stopping power and you get another shot fairly quickly if you miss.

135

As for this whole discussion not about gun calibers and stuff, I recommend: 1) Monitored alarms. After about two months, “accidentally” open your back porch door at about 5 AM and see how long the call back takes. If it’s more than one minute, get a new alarm company. If it’s more than 30 seconds, mention it to them.
2) Barking dog. Not a crazy unsocialized dog, just one that barks a lot.
3) Upgrade the physical security of your home: doors, windows, fences, locks, outdoor lights, etc…
4) Firearm.

I don’t recommend firearms for everyone. If someone drinks a lot, plays with the guns as toys, has serious anger problems, feels “power,” with a gun in their hand,* is suicidally depressed, etc… Etc…

Guns are a HUGE responsibility. We don’t have any children. Dogs can’t get their little paw pads inside the trigger guards. Believe me, it’s a waste of time trying to teach them to shoot.

:wink:
*Some people disagree, but I think you should always feel a little edgy. It’s the edge that keeps from doing something carelessly.

136

Pepper Spray…against an intruder…indoors…indoors…indoors…Doesn’t anyone else have a problem with this? I sprayed Mace on the side of my house when I was a kid and about 5 seconds later I started to cry and burn, etc. That was outside. If you use pepper spray inside your own house, you are gonna be the 2nd person to end up on the floor crying and clawing your eyes out. I can easilly see a situation where you encounter the burglar, point the spray at them, they turn to run, you press the button, and then CHASE them to make sure they leave your house…all while running right through the cloud you have just created. Pepper spray seems to be the worst thing to use.

-Tcat

137

I don’t know if you looked at the link Tomcat, but what I’m considering is something like a paintball gun, except that instead of being filled with paint, the ball is filled with pepper powder. So you have a bit of stand off range. That’s why i like it…more distance between the bad guy, and me. Granted, I don’t know how long it would take to prime the gun before shooting, so that may be a problem, still I prefer a non-lethal alternative if I can find it.

138

May as well slap them in the face and call them a pussy.

I’m not much bothered by a stun-gun, many people aren’t. It would slow me down for about 2 seconds, then I’d tear the user a new asshole.

Same with pepper gas. It may blind me and hurt like hell, but in a fight for my life, you lose.

Facing a home intruder, possibly on drugs, possibly armed, with nothing but a stun-gun or pepper spray is nothing but suicide.

139

I would not even bother with stun guns and tasers, and none of the police in my area bother with them either waste of money and probably wont help in your self defense, it would just make them mad and more prone to hurt you.

On the other hand, pepper spray should be carried by everyone, in not all cases do you want/need to actually kill an an attacker. Pepper spray is carried by all police in my area, because it is so effective.

Pepper spray does work great, and in every case where I have personally seen it used, it worked perfectly. In the last year I have seen 3 big men, each over 6 feet tall and all very burly and muscular, instantly drop to the ground and cry like babies for at least a half an hour after just one single shot of spray . Get one that has lots of SKU heat units, get a big can, and dont worry about the %. I have heard of cases where pepper spray did not stop someone, maybe someone that was high on drugs(?), but I never saw such a case in person.

I would not use pepper spray indoors though, although there are special types of pepper spray specifically designed for indoor use, probably the jell type(?), but I dont use/carry indoor spray so Im not sure about indoor spray.

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      • Repeat it over and over until the obviousness of it dawns upon you: stun-guns and pepper spray don’t work. If they did, the military and police wouldn’t bother with guns anymore. It is a matter of simple observation and common sense, no statistical evidence is needed. -Or at least I don’t have any, but I promise to collect it just as soon as some country starts up the first military armed with only pepper spray and stun-guns (-this would be kind of like the Far Side cartoon about the vikings armed with pillows).
  • So does that mean they don’t carry guns at all anymore? -Or do they still carry guns? And if so, why do you think that is?
    ~