handguns for self defense

[Runs With Fire]

My wife will be twenty-one this month. Bought her a pistol and going to go through a cpl course as a birthday present. I got her a gen 2 Remington R51. For myself, I have a n old Glock 20 with night sights. Now, the discussion of ccw weapons came up at a conference immediately following a carjacking with firearms segment. The man who taught the class often is a fairly high profile lawyer and works with some high profile clients. He sometimes carrys three pistols. A kimber .380 on his ankle, a 1911 on his side iwb, and a custom short barreled rifle 5.56 in his briefcase.
A friend of mine carrys a glock 17 and a sometimes (I forgot which one)a mini draco or zastava ( ak pistol).
I've been ridiculed for concealed carrying a full size pistol and for carrying a 10mm. But it conceals well. I also open carry when it won't cause a fuss. I have big hands and I shoot alot so the larger frame of my glock doesn't seem like overkill. My position has been to carry the most firepower you can fully utalize. Let' trade opinions.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

When I carried (no longer practical to do so), my approach was to carry what was most "natural" for me to shoot. I tried a 1911 officer's model .45, but the gun and the round didn't seem to work as well for me - the one wasn't as natural an aim for me as the Glock 17 I'd had for years, and the other produced a different kind of force than I was used to (more of a "shove"). So, I went back to a Glock, and went for the .40. Less easily concealed, not nearly as pretty, but it was as easy for me as the G17, and aiming is as natural as pointing.

 

[CB Jones]

I like the Glock 43. Very comfortable IWB. I carry it all day.

Also carry a Glock 17 and a S&W Bodyguard in my backpack.

 

[Buka]

God, I so hate guns. Even having worked with them my whole career, I fricken' hate them.

But I like to carry a Raven 25. Why? Because it's the only gun I've never seen jam in nearly forty years, and I don't miss with it. If I have to use it in civilian life, I don't care about knock down power, I just want to get their attention.

 

[drop bear]

God, I so hate guns. Even having worked with them my whole career, I fricken' hate them.

But I like to carry a Raven 25. Why? Because it's the only gun I've never seen jam in nearly forty years, and I don't miss with it. If I have to use it in civilian life, I don't care about knock down power, I just want to get their attention.

More like a fire extinguisher than the fire brigade?

The brigade fights fires. The extinguisher gets you to the exit.

 

[Runs With Fire]

God, I so hate guns. Even having worked with them my whole career, I fricken' hate them.

But I like to carry a Raven 25. Why? Because it's the only gun I've never seen jam in nearly forty years, and I don't miss with it. If I have to use it in civilian life, I don't care about knock down power, I just want to get their attention.

Interesting, don't know many guys who own a 25.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

God, I so hate guns.

I hate when my opponent has gun and I don't.

Please ...

I would love to have one of these. This gun is not popular in US. It was very popular in my father's time back in China. You can switch between automatic and semi-automatic. When you switch to automatic, you can pull trigger just once and all 20 bullets will shot out.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

Model 10 S&W 38 Special, 4 inch barrel, fixed sights, Pachmyr grip.

Sometimes a Derringer in 32ACP.

Never both at the same time. I don't have to compensate for anything.


I've heard all the arguments against a 32, against a 38, against wheelguns, against derringers. Yawn. I know what I need and I know how to use it. Most opinions come from people who've never shot at anyone or been shot at.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

I hate when my opponent has gun and I don't.

Please ...

I would love to have one of these. This gun is not popular in US. It was very popular in my father's time back in China. You can switch between automatic and semi-automatic. When you switch to automatic, you can pull trigger just once and all 20 bullets will shot out.

Glock 18 will do that, too. I'd love one of those.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Model 10 S&W 38 Special, 4 inch barrel, fixed sights, Pachmyr grip.

Sometimes a Derringer in 32ACP.

Never both at the same time. I don't have to compensate for anything.


I've heard all the arguments against a 32, against a 38, against wheelguns, against derringers. Yawn. I know what I need and I know how to use it. Most opinions come from people who've never shot at anyone or been shot at.

I very much like a .380 as an easy carry gun. Not a lot of technical stopping power, but dead easy to shoot.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

Glock 18 will do that, too. I'd love one of those.

That's what I'll call "hand gun".

 

[Bill Mattocks]

I very much like a .380 as an easy carry gun. Not a lot of technical stopping power, but dead easy to shoot.

380 is fine. Never much liked the 9mm para. Do like 7.65x25 tok and 9x18.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

I very much like a .380 as an easy carry gun. Not a lot of technical stopping power, but dead easy to shoot.

Also some inexpensive but we'll made 380s out there now. Impressive.

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

As a firearms instructor the best gun you can have is one that you are effective with and that you carry with you all the time!

Arguments about this or that caliber or size are all irrelevant.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

380 is fine. Never much liked the 9mm para. Do like 7.65x25 tok and 9x18.

I love shooting 9mm para. For some reason, I shoot that round better than anything else except .22.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Also some inexpensive but we'll made 380s out there now. Impressive.

I have an old Ortgies I really like. Not the most dependable gun, but if I could find one just like it that was dependable...

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

As a firearms instructor the best gun you can have is one that you are effective with and that you carry with you all the time!

This is why Walther PPK is my favor. When I put it in my pocket, sometime I don't even notice it's there.

I also like Colt 45 (gold). It makes me feel like a gang leader.

 

[Runs With Fire]

As a firearms instructor the best gun you can have is one that you are effective with and that you carry with you all the time!

Arguments about this or that caliber or size are all irrelevant.

I partly disagree. A friend of mine runs a gun store and and teaches Michigan CPL. His course reqires full magazine or wheel fired from every caliber he stocks under .41 magnum. Very often, he'll have women bring their own .22lr semi auto because anything else seemed big and somebody said it would hurt them. after firing several larger frame handguns, opinions usually change. Same thing with my wife. We to the fancy pants range and tried ten common pistols of varying size/ caliber. At first she was scared of " the big ones" but she couldn't wield/ didn't approve of snubs, sub compact, or the smaller compacts; especially the little. 380 and 9mm. Her favorite was my Glock 20 (10mm) so- called magnum. Just because she could control it better. Then, there's an acquaintance of mine from Texas who, while checking out from an executive protection gig, confronted a 6.5 credemore in a large open hall with a 32 keltec. Luckily another officer was well armed and two hours late in going home. Everyone in his company now carries full frame. 45's mandatory.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

This is why Walther PPK is my favor. When I put it in my pocket, sometime I don't even notice it's there.

I also like Colt 45 (gold). It makes me feel like a gang leader.

I've been looking at PPK's for a long time. Their size is similar to the Ortgies I like so much, just not as smoothly rounded - some of which is actually a good thing (the Ortgies will bite if you grip too high - no beavertail to protect the hand).

 

[Gerry Seymour]

I partly disagree. A friend of mine runs a gun store and and teaches Michigan CPL. His course reqires full magazine or wheel fired from every caliber he stocks under .41 magnum. Very often, he'll have women bring their own .22lr semi auto because anything else seemed big and somebody said it would hurt them. after firing several larger frame handguns, opinions usually change. Same thing with my wife. We to the fancy pants range and tried ten common pistols of varying size/ caliber. At first she was scared of " the big ones" but she couldn't wield/ didn't approve of snubs, sub compact, or the smaller compacts; especially the little. 380 and 9mm. Her favorite was my Glock 20 (10mm) so- called magnum. Just because she could control it better. Then, there's an acquaintance of mine from Texas who, while checking out from an executive protection gig, confronted a 6.5 credemore in a large open hall with a 32 keltec. Luckily another officer was well armed and two hours late in going home. Everyone in his company now carries full frame. 45's mandatory.

There are exceptions where one caliber is better than another (more rounds in the average 9mm, more penetration in .357, etc.). In most use-of-force circumstances, being competent and comfortable with the gun is more influential than the caliber until you get to extreme comparisons (.22LR vs. .45ACP, for instance). Caliber does matter, so please don't hear me saying it doesn't. I'm not sure any handgun is a good option against a 6.5 Creedmoor (handgun vs. rifle is usually a bad idea for one or the other, depending upon context). And the difference in caliber doesn't really seem relevant to that situation, unless the guy holding the rifle is hard to bring down. Being able to shoot accurately from a distance and behind cover seems more relevant. For me, in that situation, I'd rather have my old Glock 17.