I have a pre-ban, stainless, factory folding stainless stock, ranch rifle. Best Mini there is! 
The folding stock makes it much easier to move about a house with, as opposed to the AR15 too.
Yes, I agree with you. Personally, I’m not really bothered overly much about killing someone who invades my house, or attacks me on the street. Being raped does that to you I guess. But I can’t say that is a good thing, or something anyone else should believe in. YMMV.
How rare is this: I disagree with Anthracite! I’ve shot a number of .380 and .25 handguns. Probably at least a couple thousand rounds, and I have never been happy with either of them. They hit hard enough to hurt, enough to kill if you make a really well-placed shot. But they don’t pack enough of a punch to stop a determined attacker. And it does you no good for him to die of blood loss or infection 6 or 8 hours later. He needs to be stopped from what he’s doing NOW, you know?
Here, we agree again to a point. .357 and .44mag each have enough power to drop 3 people with one shot (if they’re standing in a row :)), but they aren’t all that great for home defense because they produce really high penetration.
Exception: Ruger makes (used to make?) a really nice .22 automatic. My mom has had the same one since she married my dad 31 years ago and she loves it. Almost never jams, and shoots straight. Revolvers are, as always, pretty reliable and there are several types.
TechChick:
Overall, I agree about 95% with everything Anthracite said. Ranking by importance, here’s my list of features you should consider:
[list=1][li]Reliability. It doesn’t matter how well you shoot or how big your bullet is if it doesn’t discharge every time you pull the trigger. Don’t buy a cheapie.[/li][li]Comfort. Make sure you choose a weapon that you will be comfortable shooting. If it sprains your wrist or bruises you every time you shoot it, you shouldn’t rely on it. And make sure it fits comfortably in your hand.[/li][li]Fun. 99.999whatever% of the time, you won’t be killing anybody with it. So make sure it’s one you enjoy shooting so you’ll be more likely to go to the range on the weekend and pop off a few hundred rounds, to practice. It’s better to hit your attacker once with a .22 than to miss him 13 times with a .45.[/li][li]Caliber. You need a round powerful enough to drop an attacker, whether it be a dog or a prison escapee, but one that won’t penetrate so far as to punch a hole and keep going on the other side, endangering your neighbors, children, whatever.[/list=1][/li]
That said, I am the poster child for the .45. 10mm is pretty much equivalent, but .45 ammo is much more abundant. Abundant means CHEAP. A .45 will knock down a grown man even if it’s only a shoulder hit. That’s the advantage to large bullets: you don’t need to make a fatal shot or hit an organ to stop the attack. And it’s a big slow bullet that doesn’t recoil much. Especially if your gun has a heavy slide.
Also, Allow me to throw my hat in with the 12-ga. shotgun for home defense. But you may want to load it with birdshot instead of buckshot. With 00 Buckshot, you basically have a whole mess of .38 caliber bullets flying through the air. At the distances you’ll encounter in your home, Birdshot will be more than powerful enough to stop a large man, but will NOT still be deadly after going through two layers of drywall.
What no one’s mentioned yet: go to gun shows and gun shops and feel lots of guns. Pick 'em up, point 'em, see how they feel, and don’t be shy. It’s okay to go in with some preferences and prejudices in mind, but you need first-hand knowledge of what the guns feel like so that you can decide what model is best for you. On the basis of “feel”, I’m yearning for a Walther P99 (on which, incidentally, you can change the back plate of the grip to accommodate different hand sizes. More and more guns are incorporating such features these days, it seems…)
Even better than gun shows, get friends to take you to a range and fire their guns; you might find something you like. You try to hook up with the Second Amendment Sisters, a women’s group dedicated to gun ownership and self defense; I understand they have a pretty large following in Colorado.
Revolvers will give you more kick than semi-autos, so (at first, at least) they’re just a bit slower to re-center on your target. On the other hand, semi-autos may jam, while revolvers are very smooth operators (albeit with generally lower capacities). Consider carefully the kind of shooting you want to do or anticipate doing and purchase accordingly.
When you have a gun, go to the range and practice (and I cannot stress this enough) with the same ammunition you plan to use in home defense. The last thing you need in a stressful situation is to be surprised by the kick of a 180 grain bullet rather than the 155 grain jobs you’ve been practicing with.
Also, when you have a gun, learn everything you can about its operation. Break it down, learn its parts, and clean it before you even use it. The better you know the gun and its operation, the better you’ll respond in a clutch situation.
Shotguns are great for home defense, but only in some homes; if you have lots of narrow hallways that’ll make it difficult to maneuver with a long gun, you might wanna go with a pistol.
In closing, I love my Sig Pro, but it’s not for everyone. Find what’s right for you, and go with it.
Er, that should be “You could try to hook up with…”. Blast.
Techchick, I think you’d do well to go to a range that rents guns and try a few different ones out, preferably with an experienced shooter there. We can all tell you that gun XYZ is a guaranteed criminal killer but the right gun for you is one that you can use effectively and safely that has adequate power to do the job.
Arguments about stopping power aside the primary object in a defensive shooting is not to make the goblin die but to stop the threat NOW! A shot with a .22 magnum can easily be fatal but is not known as a fightstopper. Historically the top one-shot stopper has been the old reliable police .357 load with a 125 grain jacketed hollowpoint. Good loads in .40 caliber are the heir apparent to the .357. I’m partial to .45 ACP
Based on my experience I’d say those steering you toward the compact Glocks are giving good advice. I like big fat bullets so I’d look at the single stack model .36 in .45 ACP as it’s very slim and compact. Something else to consider is the S&W 640. It’s a compact five shot .357 with an internal hammer design. It’s double action only and has no external hammer to get snagged on clothing etc. Glock isn’t my cup of tea so I carry a Sig P245 with Cor-Bon or Federal Hydra Shock hollowpoints.
The small .380s like the Walther PPK and Sig P230/232 feel terrific when you handle them in the store but the recoil is actually quite severe because of the small size.
We have 2 firearms loaded for self-defense in our house.
A 12 gauge pump and a .357 revolver. If you are going to defend yourself, my opinon is to skip anything less than a .38.
I personally prefer the shotgun, my SO favors the .357. When we go to the range, she practices with .38s to learn accuracy, and then finishes up with a bunch of .357 so she gets comfortable with recoil.
From everything I’ve heard, a 20 gauge is perfectly acceptable if you have a small frame. The 12 ga. can really beat the hell out of you on a light self-defense shotgun. If you have shot trap or skeet, these shotguns kick MUCH more. One of the reasons I like the shotgun is the nice loud sound it makes when you rack the slide. If you get lucky, that’s all you need.
Let me disagree with one other thing up above. I make no allowances for mercy when I pick my rounds. I plan for the biggest baddest MF possible to come through the door. If I’m not there, it could be my fiance all by herself facing some lunatic.
I want to stack the odds in our favor as much as possible. There could be multiple attackers (your Texas 7) or maybe you will only get one shot. With 00 buckshot or .357 (.45 is nice too), one shot will most likely take down and disable anyone you may have to shoot.
I’d rather take my chances being the only one left around to explain what happened rather than having my fiance getting hurt by an injured attacker.
While choice of a gun is important re the messages posted I have this short story to relate. Over 40 years ago my father owned several guns (shotguns and pistols) and before he had kids and while he was posted overseas he and my mother entertained a family with a curious 14 year old. The 14 year old crept into my parent’s bedroom while they were playing bridge downstairs and in horsing around with my father’s shotgun managed to load it and proceeded to blow off a small section of his foot.
Curious and nosy kids get into lots of places adults might never imagine (think about your childhood) and being in a strange house is just a great excuse to explore if you can get away with it.
Just as a heads up a curious and determined adolescent might defeat a trigger lock. I would strongly suggest a sturdy gun cabinet if you get a shotgun. I will probably cost as much or more than the gun itslef but will pay for itself in peace of mind if you are entertaining or otherwise have guests in your home.
Well, if I had to pick just one favorite handgun, I’d have to pick two. The Smith & Wesson 686-5 is a nice .357 with a seven-shot capacity. It’s easy to shoot, ammo isn’t too expensive (though I usually load my own) and it’s powerful enough to stop just about anything. On the other hand, my first semi-auto was a Browning Buck Mark, .22, even easier to shoot, dirt cheap ammo, and I’ve never had any sort of problem with it. I got it mostly for shooting grouse and other small game. The whole idea was that to get good enough to consistently hit a target that small, you really do need to spend serious time shooting, and that means buying a lot of ammo. You can spend an entire afternoon shooting a .22 for ten bucks or less, and your hands don’t hurt afterward.
The Browning Hi-Power also rates right up there on my list, but I don’t own one yet.
However, if it’s home-defense you’re looking for, I’d have to vote, as several others have, for a shotgun. I’ve got a nice little H & R Topper (12 ga.)with a single barrel that’s just long enough to be legal, and one of those elastic shell-holder thingies on the stock. (Do those gizmos have a name??) In that, I keep two shells with #6 shot for birds, two with #4 for bigger/more distant birds, and two with buckshot for bulletproof birds, bad guys, and bears. I can choose the appropriate shell, load it, and fire it in about two seconds. No other weapon I own offers that sort of instant adaptability. With a shotgun, you really point rather than aim, and with a little practice it becomes second nature. Overall, it’s light, handy, simple, quick, versatile, and not bad at all in the recoil department. Plus, there are few things as intimidating as looking down the business end of a barrel that big.
Addendum to the above:
If you’re buying a gun specifially for home defense, as you appear to be, keeping it constantly in a gun safe or in a trigger lock can defeat the purpose of owning the gun. Mossberg (and possibly others) make safes that unlock by means of an electronic keypad, which, IMHO, is better than searching for a key in the dark. Expensive, but maybe worth considering.
WOW, all the replies here!!! I dig it. This may be one of those threads I have to run to the client’s office and print off (no printer at home.)
Okay a few things:
I first plan on purchasing a handgun. Someone mentioned the Browning Hi-Power 9mm and a small woman. I was looking at that and if I am correct, that’s 34 oz unloaded. That seems pretty heavy for a smaller women. I’m not as strong as I used to be. But I wont not get it if it feels right.
I definately am looking at a local place called “Dragon Arms” that not only sells firearms but also has a shooting range. Hopefully they will rent them at the range.
Oddly enough there is a gun and sportsman’s show this weekend. If there is time tomorrow, I might pop over and check it out and talk to some of the dealers. I wont buy one this weekend and I wont buy one until I have some basic safety and shooting instruction from my AirForce friend. He may not be a professional but he can at least offer me a few tips. Having a gun in your house without the most basic of training, IMO is pretty stupid.
As for a rifle, I will look into that later. My focus right now is a handgun that I can keep in my nightstand. I don’t have kids and never have people in my home so I am not concerned about keeping a gun in a lock box…which defeats the purpose of having a firearm for protection anyway. “Look mister rapist, can you hold on a sec while I unlock this little case. Um, no, it’s my perfume collection, I want to smell nice for you.” 
Gosh you all are great! Like I said I will have to print this off so I can go through it, point by point!
That shotgun fits oh so nice and comfortably under the bed:)
Ah, sorry TC- i really thought you were looking for a CARRY gun. And, in my mind, esp for women- nothing beat the Berreta, as you will CARYY it, insead of leaving it in your purse, or your car, or at home, etc.
But you want a “nitestand gun”. Way different set of specs. Here, i would go with the Charter Arms .44 Special (3" or 4" bbl, in stainless, if you can get it). I sold so many of these puppies that CA sent me one, free, engraved “King”- as in “King of the Charter Arms sales”. They are inexpensive- but not “cheap”. The hole LOOKs WAY bigger than the .38- so there is a “scare value”. The .44 has good “knock down” value- but poor “penetration”- which is good for a “home gun”. If you can get it- first round chambered should be the “birdshot load”, followed by Glasers or similar.
I do not recommend a semi-auto here. There is too great a chance you will point & pull- but forget to take off the safety.
And- you can use it as a “carry gun” should you decide to start doing so. It also makes an OK “camp gun”.
Note- a 9 shot dbl-action .22 revolver is also a choice.
Freedom & others have made good points about shotguns. But- they are not “nitestand guns”- and if that is what you want… (personally I would pick the Rossi Dbl-BBl hammered “coachgun”, but hey…)
Let’s not write off a whole subset of firearms here…my semi-auto Sig Pro, like every handgun Sig makes, has no switchable safety on it, although it is loaded with safety features. You could drop it directly on the hammer without an accidental discharge, but if you pull the trigger, it will fire as long as there’s a round chambered.
Count me in on the 45 ACP.
A Kimber Pro Carry, Ultra Carry, Ultra CDP, Compact Carry, or one of the full size Custom Classics would be a good choice. The first 4 have shorter barrels, 2 have fullsize grips(good for me, bad for you) the other 2 have short grips, they are rather expensive, the Ultra CDP runs about 999 here in California. The 45 will stop most anything, man or beast, low felt recoil.
The only drawback I can see is that it is single action only, which means that in a panic situation you would have to remember to pull the hammer back, and or pull the slide. The 1911 handguns can be left “Cocked and locked”
hammer back and safety on.
Just my 2c.
Oh and 1911 style pistols(Kimber, Colt, Springfield armory)
hardly ever jam, they are just made too well.
I also recommend a shotgun. In addition to all the other advantages listed above, the psychological effect of seeing the (relatively large) bore of a shotgun pointed in one’s direction tends to inspire thoughts of running away. Seriously, even a 20-guage barrel looks like a cavern when you’re peering down the business end.
Second to the Shotgun, I’d recommend a low-caliber rifle (someone mentioned a Ruger 10-22 – that’s a good choice). Even if your rifle shoots only pistol ammunition, it will still have more power (and intimidation effect) than a pistol due to the longer barrel.
If you must have a pistol, I would recommend a revolver chambered in a caliber you don’t mind shooting. Despite all the wonderful things they’re doing with automatics these days, a double-action revolver is easy to operate, generally safer to store when loaded, and has no magazine spring which can weaken if stored with a combat load in it. Another factor (someone’s probably already mentioned this) is that in the unlikely event of a misfire (bullet fails to fire) the only action required to attempt another shot is – pull the trigger again. An automatic requires a trained response to a jam (almost unheard of in a revolver) or a misfire.
You’ve gotten a lot of advice, most of it good. I hope you pick something that works well and appeals to you enough that you wind up going to the range and shooting it just for fun. A good gun isn’t just a weapon for defense, it can also be an instrunent of enjoyment. Just remember to wear appropriate eye and ear protection when firing it for recreational purposes.
Let us know what you finally decide on.
~~Baloo
I second what Baloo says about revolvers. My personal recommendation would probably be a modern 4" barrel 38 Special for in-home use, and a 2" barrel for concealed carry.
Don’t mess with any caliber smaller than about 38 or 9mm, and anything in the .357 magnum/.45ACP range is likely to be hard to deal with for a person of your stature.
A friend of mine’s wife carried one of the smaller Sig-Sauer 9mm automatics, and she’s about your size. She had to use that grip-strength putty to get her hands strong enough to overcome the double-action trigger pull.
At any rate, the most important thing you can do if you want to be confident in the use of the pistol is to take some shooting classes, and practice frequently. It doesn’t matter so much what you shoot someone with, as where you shoot them!
The Colt 1911 (and the 1911 by other companies that make it) is an excellent firearm. I have a box-stock Colt 1991-A1 (re-issue of the original 1911, with the straight spring housing) and it’s oh-so-cool.
But I wouldn’t recommend it as a home defense gun.
Automatics have to be cocked for the first shot in order to chamber a round. They also have safety selectors. So if you’re awakened out of a deep sleep, you have to remember to cock the pistol. Or you have to keep the gun with a round in the chamber and the safety on. Some safeties are better than others. For example, the Beretta 92 safety rotates the firing pin out-of-line with the round. There’s no way the pistol can be fired with the safety on. It also lowers the hammer (“de-cocks” it) and pulling the trigger will not move the hammer from its resting position. The safety on the 1911 can only be used when the hammer is cocked. This is called “cocked and locked”. So you have a round in the chamber and the hammer is cocked. What if you accidentally flip the safety off? True, the 1911 has a grip safety (you have to be holding the firearm as if to shoot it to depress the grip safety), but you’ve got a round in the chamber and the hammer is cocked. Good if you’re on a battlefield, not so good to have lying around the house. Even if you have a double-action (like the Beretta 92), you have to wake up assess the situation, and remember to turn off the safety.
That’s why I suggested a revolver in my first post. A double-action revolver can be carried safely with all of the chambers loaded, and there is no safety that you have to remember to work in a panic situation. Just point’n’shoot. The downside to revolvers is that they generally only have five or six shots, and the double-action trigger pull can be heavy (although you can cock it manually – i.e, use it single-action – to lighten the pull). The heavy trigger can be considered a safety device. You have to really want to pull the trigger.
As I expected, someone said my suggestion of a .22 was inadequate. It’s a difference of philosophy. I think you’re more likely to hit someone if you are using something that doesn’t kick and is relatively quiet. (n.b., they’re still plenty loud in a closed place!) I think that your intention should be to stop an assailant from what he’s doing; not kill him. (See my remark on the legality of shooting someone.) I think I would not like to be shot with a .22. People have been killed by them. IIRC, Mahatma Ghandi was killed with a .22 pistol.
Other people advise making the biggest hole possible. There are not many things that will knock a guy down like a .45 cal. 1911 pistol loaded with hollowpoints! But larger guns require more training because of the recoil and noise. And I still recommend a revolver because you can keep it loaded safely. You’re more likely to score a “kill shot” with a bigger round. A dead intruder isn’t going to sue you claiming that he was just confused and thought he was breaking into his own house, having lost his keys.
Someone said you should avoid “trick rounds” like Glaser ammunition. I did mention that they can shatter inside of a body which might cause more damage, but the real reason you want to consider Glasers is that they are designed to shatter when they hit walls. You don’t want your shots to go through walls.
Re: The .22 rifles, such as the Ruger 10-22. As I said, a .22 can be deadly. A rifle with an 18 or 20 inch barrel will be more powerful than a pistol firing the same round from a 4" barrel. IIRC, the 10-22 weighs about five pounds. It’s compact, so you can maneuver around the house with it. It’s cheap – under $200. You can pop in another 10-round magazine if you empty the first one. (That’s a lot of lead flying around in a couple of seconds!) You can find 30-round or even 50-round magazines for it. (Large capacity magazines have been banned, but you can get one legally that was manufactured before the ban.) If you’re out of ammo, you can even use it as a club. Being semi-automatic, you still have to remember to cock it and to turn the safety off.
There are some excellent .22 cal. revolvers out there. Ruger makes a double-action one. I’d like to find a Harrington & Richardson Model 999. This is a 9-shot (single-action, I think) .22 revolver that looks like a lot of fun.
I’m not trying to “sell” you on a .22. I’m just saying that a .22 has advantages that larger guns don’t. They also have the disadvantage of not being able to knock a guy off of his feet.
So what do I have for home defense? Do I keep one of my AR-15s loaded up next to my bed? My 9mm Beretta loaded up with hollowpoints? The 1911? None of the above. Even though I live in L.A., I don’t feel the need for a bed-side gun. If I were to keep a loaded gun nearby, I’d have my Smith & Wesson Model 10 subnosed .38 (not .357). If you want a handgun for home defense, I’d suggest one of the S&W models. If you get a .357 Magnum, you can load it with .38 Special rounds which are cheaper and less powerful (read: less recoil). If I had a shotgun, I’d keep that for home defense over the revolver. With a shotgun there is less chance that I’d actually have to use it because the mere sight of it, or the rack-rack when I chamber a round, might be enough to scare the guy off.
Choosing “the right” gun is a very personal choice. This is a tool that can save your life. It can also take your life or cause it to be taken if you don’t know how to use it. It’s all about what’s comfortable for you. Any gun will give you an advantage over someone who’s in your home (which you know every corner of, and he doesn’t). It might be a .22 revolver or a .50 Desert Eagle. It might be a .22 Ruger 10-22 rifle or a Winchester Defender 12-guage shotgun.
Don’t take anything we say on these boards as gospel. Every one of us has his or her own opinion about what’s the “right” gun for home defense. Every one of us is convinced s/he is right. But what it comes down to is what’s right for you. Go ahead and listen to our suggestions. Print out this thread and study it. Then go to the gun show, the shooting range and the gun store. Talk to those people. Pick up the guns. Feel them. Work their features. Shoot several types. If you have friends that shoot, ask them to take you. Sign up for a shooting class at the firing range. Get all of the information you can. Don’t listen to any one person. If you’re only going to buy one gun, make sure it’s the right one for you.
I can’t believe I didn’t drop this in here(or anybody else for that matter)
Whatever you buy, don’t buy a new S&W.
Buy used if you must, but just pass them by if you see a dusty old new one just sitting there in the case. They make great wheel guns, but there are plenty of other options out there.
Taurus and Ruger make real nice revolvers as well.
I hate to say all that, I really do. We saved up for .357 because we wanted a S&W. Now I’m embarrassed to take it to the range.
I’m with Max Torque on this one. Revolvers certainly have a lot of great features (reliability, for one), but so do automatics. It’s largely a matter of personal preference. I happen to prefer automatics. Here are a few others that have some excellent features:
No safety lever: Glock. But they’re very well-designed guns. They are simple and reliable. A Glock will discharge when you pull the trigger. It will NOT discharge if you do not pull the trigger. Period. I carry mine full loaded and have even test-dropped it (unloaded, of course) several times trying to force an accidental discharge. And it has never happened. Ditto Smith & Wesson’s Glock copy (Sigma, I think). There are others, I’m sure, but I’m not familiar with them.
Double action: My brother has a Smith & Wesson Model 59 (9mm, which may be an excellent caliber for you. Good knockdown power, especially with hollowpoints [I prefer black talons, if you can find them], and low recoil). It has an external safety, external hammer, decock lever, 17 round magazine, and double action. It’s like having a magazine-fed revolver. If you get one, be sure it has the modified extractor pin (there’s a dot struck in the side of the weapon indicating the modification), because the old ones had jamming problems.
On the other hand, you may prefer the revolver. Experiment. I’ve seen your picture, just go down to the shooting range, bat your eyes a few times, and ask the guys if you can try out their guns. 
I can’t speak for Freedom2, but I’ll take a stab at why he says this. I don’t remember exactly what the deal was, but S&W agreed to do something the anti-gun lobby wanted. (Was it trigger lovks with every firearm? I don’t remember.) This was seen by many as “caving in” to the anti-gun people. To send a message to S&W, many people advocate boycotting their firearms.
This is not a reflection of their product, which is of the highest quality and reliability. Not buying S&W is a political statement.
I’m sure if I’ve gotten it wrong, someone will be in to correct me in a moment.