Best self defense handgun

FN 5.7 w/ 20 round mag is what I want....for fun

220px-FN5701.jpg
 
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It all depends on how you are planning on using it.

Concealed Carry, Open Carry, Car Gun, Home Protection, or a combination?
 
Its all personal preference what feels good to you and what your intent is, to carry or just to keep it in your home so on so forth. My personal choice is the Smith and Wesson M&P, its light and easy to carry, shoots simpler to the glock but I like the feel of the M&P a little better, and for thouse leaning to shoot or if your nerves get to you in a situation where you need to defend your self the back of the grip is flared out so you dont get "glock Bite". I suggest going out to a rang and renting a few guns and see what feels good to you, but the M&P is worth checking out.
 
paulschoon said:
where you need to defend your self the back of the grip is flared out so you dont get "glock Bite"
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Just an FYI

Glock Gen 4s and 5s have a Grip Backstrap kit with inserts that allow you to get the grip feel you want. 2 of the inserts are beaver tailed to prevent "Glock Bite".

 
CB Jones said:
Just an FYI

Glock Gen 4s and 5s have a Grip Backstrap kit with inserts that allow you to get the grip feel you want. 2 of the inserts are beaver tailed to prevent "Glock Bite".

Click to expand...
What is "Glock bite"? I've fired many thousands of rounds through Glocks and never experienced it (though my Ortgies will nip from time to time). Maybe my hands are too small for the issue?
 
JR 137 said:
The one that you happen to be carrying when you actually need it.
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paulschoon said:
Its all personal preference what feels good to you and what your intent is, to carry or just to keep it in your home so on so forth. My personal choice is the Smith and Wesson M&P, its light and easy to carry, shoots simpler to the glock but I like the feel of the M&P a little better, and for thouse leaning to shoot or if your nerves get to you in a situation where you need to defend your self the back of the grip is flared out so you dont get "glock Bite". I suggest going out to a rang and renting a few guns and see what feels good to you, but the M&P is worth checking out.
Click to expand...

These posts really sum things up. There is no "best" self defense handgun, just like there's no "best" style for self defense. Before I address the gun itself, let me stress that the gun is merely a tool -- and it's a tool that comes with a high price tag attached. There is no substitute for getting proper training in both handling the gun, and in WHEN to use it. Lots of sources out there for it, but you need to get the right training before you even think about carrying a gun for self defense. (By the way, I'd say the same thing about less lethal options, like OC or the civilian models of the Taser.)

So, assuming you have a basic understanding of the self defense laws, and some basics on shooting... what do you want in a self defense gun? Let's assume carrying concealed... because open carry for self defense is highly problematic, unless you're a cop or uniformed security guard, or other similar situation. And if a place is bad enough for a civilian to need to open carry in self defense... Yeah, literally, don't go there!

Oh, and even though that training will cover it -- your purpose in carrying a gun for self defense isn't to save the day in an active shooter, or anything like that. It's to let you end a lethal threat to you or another person -- if you can do so in relative safety.

You want a gun that you're comfortable handling. You want a gun that's reliable. You probably want to go with at least .38, 9 mm, or .40; smaller calibers can be effective, but may well require better marksmanship than you're going to really be capable of under pressure. You want it to be small enough to carry concealed comfortably and accessibly, but still large enough for you to handle well. For a lot of people, a revolver, especially a hammerless design, may be an ideal choice. Not much to go wrong, they're available in a nice range of calibers and physical sizes, with plenty of holster options around. YES -- you NEED a holster! Even the so called pocket guns shouldn't be simply carried in a pocket; the holster both keeps the gun secure and set up for a draw and protects it from lint, crud, and whatever. Semi-autos can be more complicated, with various issues like misfeeds -- but you can (sometimes) carry more bullets. (If a revolver malfunctions, odds are that you ain't fixing it in the moment... it probably needs to go to an armorer.) You want a gun from a reputable manufacturer that you can trust will work when you need it. And you want it to be reasonably comfortable in your hand.

Personally, I like Glocks for cops and self defense. But that's because I know and use them, and I really trust them to work. I've seen about 2 gun-related malfunctions in Glocks out of several hundred guns, and several hundreds of thousands of rounds fired. They're tolerant of poor care, and I happen to shoot them well. But that's me... your mileage may vary!
 
gpseymour said:
What is "Glock bite"? I've fired many thousands of rounds through Glocks and never experienced it (though my Ortgies will nip from time to time). Maybe my hands are too small for the issue?
Click to expand...

Some people, with a high master grip on the gun, find that the slide on Glock will take a bite out of their thumb... Doesn't happen to everyone, and I've seen people who just plain can never learn to grip the gun in a way that doesn't do that.

Then there's the annoying scrape on the middle finger from the trigger guard. Never had a problem with that, until someone here at MT talked about it, and jinxed me. Now, if I'm planning on doing a lot of shooting, I proactively put a band aid on that part of my middle finger...
 
JR 137 said:
The one that you happen to be carrying when you actually need it.
Click to expand...
Pretty much. Any working gun is valid when the attacker doesn't have one. As long as it functional and you are willing to fire it.

Beyond that it just becomes a question of how much damage a person is willing to cause and the how accurately they are able to shoot it.
 
Cool! I do love Glocks, my airsoft Elite Force Glock is nice, I just wasn't sure how similar a real glock will feel, will it be bulkier? I do like the idea of the backstrap kit, I think I might go that direction.
 
The Elite Force Glock is actually licensed By Glock so in your hand it will feel about the same, the real Glock will be a bit heaver and the recoil kick will be harder witch would be a given but over all it will feel about the same
 
Oh! That sounds good? Where did you get your airsoft training glock? I went to the range and I really liked the feel of the Glock 19. I think I'll pick up the real steel Glock 19 at some point.
 
MaxtheNinja said:
Oh! That sounds good? Where did you get your airsoft training glock? I went to the range and I really liked the feel of the Glock 19. I think I'll pick up the real steel Glock 19 at some point.
Click to expand...

The 19 is a great gun. Easily concealable with adequate frepower
 
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Self introduction & several aspects of street fighting, and my opinion on MA in such scenarios.

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