Fire arm question

[arnisandyz]

my $0.02...

For a home defense handgun:

-A medium-frame Double-action .357 magnum revolver (Ruger GP-100 or the Taurus or S&W equivalents)

-or-

-Some type of Double-Action-Only semi-automatic pistol like the Glocks, Springfield XD, S&W Military & Police, etc. (I carry a glock 23 on duty and a glock 19 off duty and love both of them).

reasons? The manual of arms for either of these types of weapons is very easy to learn and retain. This is not necessarily the case with traditional double-action or single-action autos (with these you have to deal with different trigger-pulls, safety/de-cock levers, etc.)

Good advice. I'm heasitant to jump on the "revolver for a newbie" bandwagon. That would be like suggesting every new driver should buy an auto-transmission car because its easier. For the majority it may be true, but some people would be missing out on what a manual transmission can give them. I've shot many and owned a few revolvers and never really got into them...I just prefer semiautos. Try both and see what works for you.But really...in the end it doesn't matter what you start with, the bug will bite soon enough!

 

[jks9199]

Hi Terry,

I would go and get some education on handguns first. Start by taking the Texas concealed handgun class. This class doesn't go into much depth, but can educate you on the laws and you do have to fire 50 qualification rounds under supervision. There are places that offer continuing and advanced classes as well.

The .357 is a sweet round, but if you miss the target (which is commonly the case during self-defense), that bullet will go through walls(sheetrock), possibly through your house wall and go truckin' down the street. This is not a problem if you aren't worried about someone else getting hit by the projectile in another room or outside, such as a family member.

I recommend a pistol-grip 12ga pump shotgun with a #6 or #8 shot. You point in the general direction and fire. The shot size of the pellets are so small that if any pellets penetrate sheetrock (unless a close, perpenticular shot is done) they will not go very far. Also, the pistol grip setup will not cause the jarring recoil of a shoulder-supported shotgun. This pistol grip shotgun just rocks by your hip.

Also, shotguns are relatively inexpensive. You can get a reliable Mossberg or Remington for under $200. Keep this in mind when comparing to the $600+ price tag on many good handguns. If you actually have to use your handgun, the police will take it away from you and it takes something short of "an act of God" to get it back.


R. McLain

I want to second the idea of getting some education first. You may find that, after getting some education in them, you don't want a gun. It may not serve your real goal of keeping your family safe, when the same money spent on improving locks and other physical security measures would yield a much greater result.

Let me give one example. As I recall your posts, you've got kids. For effective home defense, you almost have to violate one of the fundamental rules of home safety, namely, keeping the gun locked up & unloaded unless it's in use. There are ways to secure it... but you can assume that kids will find it and get into it. Now, I'm not saying that you can't have a gun in a house with kids... Just that it's something to be aware of.

Beyond that -- shotguns have the advantages of simplicity, cost-effectiveness... And that wonderfully intimidating sound of racking a shell. Revolvers are simple, dependable, generally less expensive than most semi-auto pistols, and they have less to go wrong. Semi-autos have more bullets -- but are more complex, too.