[quote]BlakeAJackson wrote:
I recently bought my first gun it was a Taurus .357 magnum revolver. It was cheap and I thought that it would be a good choice for my first gun, as I wanted it for home defense. It is very simple to handle a revolver as it is loaded or not. That is why I bought a revolver first. It will also fire .38 specials so it has a pretty reasonable cost to fire at the range. That being said, the .357 is an awesome round, but IMOP since I also wanted this weapon for home defense, I think that I made a mistake. First off the rounds are very loud. The indoor ranges will not allow .357 magnums to be fired because it will often shatter the lights. So, I was thinking about how I would be using this in my house in a self-defense scenario and decided it was probable a bad choice for the safety of my own hearing as I will very likely not be wearing ear protection in such a scenario. So, I went and got a bersa .380-thunder CC. I have only had the chance to put a couple hundred rounds through it, but so far I am very happy with it. I had it recommended by several people and after reading the reviews on it, it almost seems like a no-brain-er. You can get a regular .380 thunder for about $270.00. I have been trying to find the 9mm version but no one in the area can keep it in stock. As far as price and quality go I think that most people would agree or find that Bersa is really hard to beat. If anyone has a different view on their weapons I would be interested to hear it.[/quote]
My first gun was a gift from my Grandfather, a snubnosed .357 S&W. It had an incredibly smooth trigger action. For range work I shot .38 +p rounds then for carry I used .357 magnums. I will say .357 is a fun round to shoot in the dark, especially with only a 2" barrel. Then the old man wanted his gun back, so I traded ot for two Colt .45s.
About a year ago I competed in a SASS Cowboy Action Shooting compitition and the Old Man gave me a match set of Ruger Vaquero .357s. He has a match set of Ruger Vaquero .45s that he uses. But if you want to have a good time LARPing, then dressing up as a cowboy and shooting a few targets ain’t a bad way to spend a weekend.
[quote]Mister T. wrote:
HoratioSandoval wrote:
Mister T. wrote:
If it’s a home defense weapon, don’t get a handgun at all. Get a shotgun.
Why do you recommend a shotgun? Intimidation or lack of aiming ability in a adrenaline-filled situation? What about reloading when you’ve got the shakes? Seems like an automatic shotgun would be spendy.
/Ex-Infantry, but never felt the need to carry up here.
For home defense, I don’t recommend a handgun because, compared to other guns, they’re underpowered and inaccurate. Handguns, IMO, are suitable for carry purposes only, because having a Glock on your hip when you’re being robbed at a gas station beats the hell out of having a shotgun in your dresser at home.
I do recommend a shotgun for home defense for a number of reasons:
-Intimidation factor - I think most crooks would shit themselves when they hear a round being chambered.
-Large blast radius - You don’t have to be extremely accurate, but you can still do loads of damage.
-Relatively short range of effectiveness. Most HD situations are going to be close range, so you don’t really need an AR-15 that is accurate at 100 yards. Moreover, you don’t really want your shot to pass through five walls in your house and hit the neighbor’s dog.
-Cheapness. A Remington 870 or Mossberg 500 can be had for under $300. They’ll hold anywhere from 3 to 8 rounds, depending on how you have the gun configured.
Yeah, a semi-auto shotgun will be spendy, but you don’t need one. A pump shotgun with a 3 to 8 round capacity will work just fine. If you need more than 8 SHOTGUN rounds in a HD situation, I don’t think it would make a difference whether you had a semi-auto or pump action shotgun.[/quote]
I second that. Unless you regularly practice with your pistol then you’re in trouble. They are hard to shoot! Your abilities are going to go down badly in a combat scenario. You have to aim a shotgun much more than people think, but with an 18" barrel it will be much easier to hit merely by looking over the sights with much less practice. I would also avoid a semi-auto shotty. My friend owns one and I’ve seen it jam MANY times. A good pump-action Remington 870 is one of the most reliable weapons out there. I have the 870 Express loaded up with Federal triple-ought buck. Damn fine weapon.
Springfield Armory 1911-A1 “loaded” edition. for the price you wont find a 1911 better equipped or more functional. i have one, and i wouldnt go any other direction.
If you want a gun for home defense, get a pump shotgun. The sound of the action racking is one of the most feared noises on earth.
If you insist on a pistol, get a revolver. A used smith and wesson .357 or a ruger gp-100. Easy to use, easy to clean. I use a gp-100 at work, dependent on what post I am working.
If you get an auto, get a glock. They are not beautiful, and not wildly ergornomic, but if you don’t know how to take excellent care of a pistol, they are very forgiving.
[quote]Mikeyali wrote:
I have both a Beretta 96 and XD40. I would recommend either of them handily. I would also suggest to avoid 9mm and glocks. What is your pistol for? Do you want to concealed carry, target shooting, or home defense?
I also want to know why he should avoid ALL 9mm and ALL Glocks.
It’s just a personal preference. I wouldn’t suggest 9mm unless you’re a girl and you can’t handle recoil. It’s a weak round. In theory a flak jacket (not a bulletproof vest) should be able to stop a 9mm round, least that is what the tag says on the Interceptor vests. It’s what they have us shoot in the Corps and I wouldn’t rely on its knockdown power. That said, I do own a Kel-tec in .380 so there is something lamer than 9mm, but that pistol is the size of my wallet.
As for Glocks, the wife has seen many a Glock KB on arfcom. I really really hate the sights and it feels crappy in my hand. I thought it was because I disliked synthetics, but I LOVE the XD40, so I don’t know what to say.
But pistols are really personal. I wouldn’t buy a pistol until I have shot it. It just has to feel right to you as a person. I mean, when I was buying my first pistol I wanted a 1911. Once I held one though I decided it wasn’t for me. I had to cant my wrist to hit the slide release. All preference though.
mike[/quote]
Ive shot through soaking wet 6 inch thick phone books with my 9 at 15 feet.Think of what it would do to someones stomach.Its enough for me,my nine will kill someone as good as your 40
I’ll take a .45ACP hollow point round that generates hundreds of pounds per square inch of force on contact, but only penetrates 5 inches into the attacker over a 9mm hollow point that generates less force on contact and is so fast that it passes through the attacker.
…custom Kimber 1911 which is smooth as silk, but it cost me a fair bit.
That gun gets me halfway :P. Seriously though, I got to check that gun out at the same time I saw the Taurus for the first time–everything and then some is my conclusion. But that pricetag…gold and everything.[/quote]
This is the model I bought, but mine has the stainless frame with polished blue slide.
And what do you know? They are just the right size to fill out a stocking. Hopefully I made it onto Santa’s good boy list this year.[/quote]
thats how i got mine. actually thats how i’ve gotten ALL my guns(.308, 1911,12g, .380,.40(re-gifted to my little bro)),as gifts. my girl pwns all your bitches.
[quote]taylorsj wrote:
I’ll take a .45ACP hollow point round that generates hundreds of pounds per square inch of force on contact, but only penetrates 5 inches into the attacker over a 9mm hollow point that generates less force on contact and is so fast that it passes through the attacker.[/quote]
Thus bringing most of its energy and damage potential with it.
There is no doubt a 45 is far better than a 9 if you really have to shoot someone.
[quote]Zap Branigan wrote:
taylorsj wrote:
I’ll take a .45ACP hollow point round that generates hundreds of pounds per square inch of force on contact, but only penetrates 5 inches into the attacker over a 9mm hollow point that generates less force on contact and is so fast that it passes through the attacker.
Thus bringing most of its energy and damage potential with it.
There is no doubt a 45 is far better than a 9 if you really have to shoot someone.
[/quote]
Agreed. But, the OP still needs to assess the suitability of .45 in the context of his own need, abilities and lifestyle. Carrying a .45 isn’t going to be very useful if he can’t shoot it for shit. Also, concealability matters. I own and sometimes carry a full size H&K USP in .45. In a suit, that works fine. The jacket covers the weapon. In a t-shirt and jeans, it’s hard as hell to conceal the USP, so I carry a Glock 32, in 357 Sig – a compact gun with a round that was designed to duplicate the performance of a 357 magnum. Not a bad tradeoff. The 12 round capacity is nice too.
[quote]Loose Tool wrote:
Zap Branigan wrote:
taylorsj wrote:
I’ll take a .45ACP hollow point round that generates hundreds of pounds per square inch of force on contact, but only penetrates 5 inches into the attacker over a 9mm hollow point that generates less force on contact and is so fast that it passes through the attacker.
Thus bringing most of its energy and damage potential with it.
There is no doubt a 45 is far better than a 9 if you really have to shoot someone.
Agreed. But, the OP still needs to assess the suitability of .45 in the context of his own need, abilities and lifestyle. Carrying a .45 isn’t going to be very useful if he can’t shoot it for shit. Also, concealability matters. I own and sometimes carry a full size H&K USP in .45. In a suit, that works fine. The jacket covers the weapon. In a t-shirt and jeans, it’s hard as hell to conceal the USP, so I carry a Glock 32, in 357 Sig – a compact gun with a round that was designed to duplicate the performance of a 357 magnum. Not a bad tradeoff. The 12 round capacity is nice too.
[/quote]
I agree. Shoot what you enjoy but if you really think you are going to have to shoot someone grab the biggest gun you have.
Agreed. But, the OP still needs to assess the suitability of .45 in the context of his own need, abilities and lifestyle. Carrying a .45 isn’t going to be very useful if he can’t shoot it for shit. Also, concealability matters. I own and sometimes carry a full size H&K USP in .45. In a suit, that works fine. The jacket covers the weapon. In a t-shirt and jeans, it’s hard as hell to conceal the USP, so I carry a Glock 32, in 357 Sig – a compact gun with a round that was designed to duplicate the performance of a 357 magnum. Not a bad tradeoff. The 12 round capacity is nice too.
[/quote]
I agree with this as well. My brother shoots, almost exclusively, 9mm while I shoot, almost exclusively, .45ACP. To each their own. I personally don’t like most 9mm due to the fact that I have short, fat fingers that make any 9mm with an alternating stack clumbsy to shoot one handed. Where as 1911s have always been easy for me to grip in any fashion. With that said I do like Kahr’s line of single stack 9mm such as the P9. They be friendly to my grip, and are very easy to conceal.
[quote]Loose Tool wrote:
Zap Branigan wrote:
taylorsj wrote:
I’ll take a .45ACP hollow point round that generates hundreds of pounds per square inch of force on contact, but only penetrates 5 inches into the attacker over a 9mm hollow point that generates less force on contact and is so fast that it passes through the attacker.
Thus bringing most of its energy and damage potential with it.
There is no doubt a 45 is far better than a 9 if you really have to shoot someone.
Agreed. But, the OP still needs to assess the suitability of .45 in the context of his own need, abilities and lifestyle. Carrying a .45 isn’t going to be very useful if he can’t shoot it for shit. Also, concealability matters. I own and sometimes carry a full size H&K USP in .45. In a suit, that works fine. The jacket covers the weapon. In a t-shirt and jeans, it’s hard as hell to conceal the USP, so I carry a Glock 32, in 357 Sig – a compact gun with a round that was designed to duplicate the performance of a 357 magnum. Not a bad tradeoff. The 12 round capacity is nice too.
[/quote]
Well said. People sometimes ask me why I have so many guns. I don’t think they realize that they are different tools for different uses. I’ve got the Beretta 96 for open carry, the XD40 subcombact for concealed carry and the kel-tec .380 for serious concealed carry. I mean, technically it is possible to hammer a nail with a big crescent wrench, but I’d rather use a hammer to get the job done.
I carry a .40 so I have a good balance between control for follow-on shots and power when I hit, as well as having a decent capacity to my pistol. If a person has to go 9mm to hit I understand, but I just hate when people make the argument that they prefer 9mm because it’s all about shot placement. A person’s marksmanship in a life or death situation is going to be much worse than when at the range. I don’t care how good you are with your 9mm. You aren’t going to be popping moving targets between the eyes with it. They are going to put that front sight center mass in the chest and squeeze until the mag is empty or the guy is on the ground. That’s the big reason I’m anti-9mm. I would rather shoot a guy in the chest with a big round than a small one.
I repeat the glock complaint though. I thought I’d give the glock a chance again since my friend had one out at the range this weekend. I was shooting twice as good with the 3" XD40 than with the full size glock. Awful pistols.
