OK I need some help

[Jimmy Biggs]

I not a gun guy........ but now is the time for me to look into a decent gun...... I have access to the range (1 mile from my house) what should I buy ??? This is for protection only not sport..... however I will practice alot with it being the range is close

[O.C White]

Jimmy,

one of my golden rules is never show up to a gunfight with a calibre that doesn't start with .4, as in .40, .45 etc.

If you think a 40 or 45 is to much probably one of the better out of the box guns you can buy is a 92F Beretta. They shoot pretty good out of the box, easy to disassemble, easy to clean, and are pretty reliable. Just make sure you carry it with hollow points though in 147 grain.

380 is a nice weapon also, but you have to wrry a little bit about stopping power. Shot placement is critical with a .380.

You can also get 40 and 45's in compact so they are easier to conceal and have that hard hitting power you will need in an intense situation.

So there you have it .380, 9mm, 40, and 45 are the calibre's where I wiould start looking.

[Monty Mikho]

If this is for home protection.. I recommend a 12 gauge shotgun..

[Maliboost]

Ditto what Monty said. However, if you want a handgun, then listen to Carl. Bigger IS better. Go shoot Monty's Kimber & you will LOVE it. Ive made that company a LOT of money in the 7 years Ive owned that handgun. ;)


Bob

[O.C White]

If this is for home protection.. I recommend a 12 gauge shotgun..


Nothing beats a hand-held howitzer in a home defense gun. But unless you plan on wearing a trench coat all the time, they are a little hard to take out in public. :-D

[Greg2]

Jimmy, I guess I'm somewhat similar to you. I don't shoot a great deal, but I like to go to the range periodically to practice. I have 2 Smith & Wessons- a .357 revolver, and a 9mm semi-auto. I like the revolver because it is very straightforward, simple, accurate, and dead nuts reliable. It will probably never jam, and it will fire any ammo, even cheap reloaded garbage. However, it kicks a lot more than my 9mm. In home defense, I would be worried about the high velocity of a .357 round going through a wall and hitting an unintended target.

My 9mm is pretty reliable, accurate enough for not being a high priced custom pistol, and doesn't kick much. The rounds are unlikely to pierce walls and hit bystanders, however, they don't have the stopping power of a .45. Of course, there is no real substitute for accuracy.

All that said, I'm still looking for a new .45. I had a S&W 4516 at one point (.45 semi-auto), but being all stainless, I found it too heavy for my taste.

Everyone has their favorites, but as a guy who is not a "hardcore" shooter, let me lend this piece of advice: don't get caught up in brand names, model numbers or bragging rights. A friend of mine bought a Beretta 92 like Carl mentioned and loved it. I tried it at the range, and being as my hands are somewhat small, I found the reach to the trigger too long for my hand. Go to a range or gun store, and ask a lot of questions. If the staff won't be bothered with spending plenty of time with you, then leave and fine another place. Find a store and an employee who are willing to answer about 100 questions, spend a lot of time with you, and let you try several guns on the range. Just like golf clubs, clothes, or helmets, you have to find something that FITS YOU.

[Donut]

I love my Glock, but it's a "love it or hate it" brand. I'm confident enough in my shot placement to trust a 9mm, but there's no denying the .45 ACP round. Plus I'm starting to get an itch for a 1911... but it's gotta wait because there's a Browning Buckmark Camper and Winchester 1300 ahead of it in line.

[Monty Mikho]

Jimmy, go to the local gun store and rent some of their guns. Unless you fire it.. You will never know if that gun is for you.. Start with the 45's... :p

[Jimmy Biggs]

Thanks..... can I rent without a license??

[MrMike990]

Jimmy, I guess I'm somewhat similar to you. I don't shoot a great deal, but I like to go to the range periodically to practice. I have 2 Smith & Wessons- a .357 revolver, and a 9mm semi-auto. I like the revolver because it is very straightforward, simple, accurate, and dead nuts reliable. It will probably never jam, and it will fire any ammo, even cheap reloaded garbage. However, it kicks a lot more than my 9mm. In home defense, I would be worried about the high velocity of a .357 round going through a wall and hitting an unintended target.

My 9mm is pretty reliable, accurate enough for not being a high priced custom pistol, and doesn't kick much. The rounds are unlikely to pierce walls and hit bystanders, however, they don't have the stopping power of a .45. Of course, there is no real substitute for accuracy.

All that said, I'm still looking for a new .45. I had a S&W 4516 at one point (.45 semi-auto), but being all stainless, I found it too heavy for my taste.

Everyone has their favorites, but as a guy who is not a "hardcore" shooter, let me lend this piece of advice: don't get caught up in brand names, model numbers or bragging rights. A friend of mine bought a Beretta 92 like Carl mentioned and loved it. I tried it at the range, and being as my hands are somewhat small, I found the reach to the trigger too long for my hand. Go to a range or gun store, and ask a lot of questions. If the staff won't be bothered with spending plenty of time with you, then leave and fine another place. Find a store and an employee who are willing to answer about 100 questions, spend a lot of time with you, and let you try several guns on the range. Just like golf clubs, clothes, or helmets, you have to find something that FITS YOU.


Well said..........find something that you are comfortable with.

When I was teaching concealed carry classes I generally suggested revolvers first, gravitating towards autoloaders.

I would recommend a revolver like a 357 Mag, shooting 38 Spec practice ammo and for home defense load it with .38 +P ammo.

[sigman]

All the caliber Hoo-Ha aside....get the highest quality firearm you can afford, that you are comforatble with. Rent or go with guys who have an assortment...then make up your mind. A shotgun is very effective, but can be very unwieldly in a home. They don't conceal well either, if your decide to get a concealed carry license.

[O.C White]

Jimmy,

a drivers license will usually suffice for going to the range to shoot.

[George Klass]

I too like the 12-gauge double brl. as a home defense weapen. Shorten it up if you want, 18 1/4" barrel length, 26 1/4" overall and you should be good to go. Also, make sure that the hammers make a very loud "click" when you cock them. If you use a pump shotgun, make sure that you keep the chamber open. Nothing makes an intruder think twice better than the sound a shotgun makes when you rack in a round.

Make sure that if you do have to use it as a home defense weapen that you (A) kill the intruder and (B) he is inside your home doing something threatening. A civil or criminal trial can last for months, but a coronor's inquest takes only about 10 minutes.

[kdesigns]

Jimmy,
You were talkin' to "the man" last Sunday, should've ask him the questions.

Go pick one out for yourself - http://www.lesbaer.com/

[RRRAAAYYY2]

Nothing beats a hand-held howitzer in a home defense gun. But unless you plan on wearing a trench coat all the time, they are a little hard to take out in public. :-D
12ga is for women, 10ga. Is the way to go. Now since he is talking about protection, carrying a 10ga is the ultimate in protection. Sure you cant hide it in your coat, but this is protection right. If any criminals see you are already locked and loaded, they aint even gonna think about messing with you.

Snub nose .38's seem really lame. But in close quarters combat they are extremely effective. They dont penetrate like a 9mm, but they have tons of punch. So though they dont go through your attacker, they move them back 3 or 4 feet so you hve more room to take a better shot. They were standard issue for police for a long time for a reason.

[Jimmy Biggs]

I would prefer one with a red dot so the bastard knows he's done before I fire

[Shelton_Barrs]

My 2 cents...around the house one of the "Home Defender" style shotguns in 12 ga or 10 ga. Mossberg and Remington (among others I think) sell these. They already have the shortened barrel, and you can get them with the pistol grip (I don't recommend it) if you desire. You can even get one with an extended magazine to hold additional shells. And like George said, the sound of a pump getting racked in the middle of the night is something nobody doing wrong wants to hear. The nice thing is they are cheaper than the standard "Hunting" shotguns.
If you want something to carry then do like the other guys are saying and rent/borrow different style and calibers. Revolvers seem to me to be easier to learn with as they tend to have better "instinctive" alingment, like pointing your finger. But I would stress getting the pistol you are most accurate with over a particulat caliber. A .380 just above the bridge of nose will do more to stop a threat than a .45 to the shoulder or missed shot all together.

[Donut]

My only qualm with a shotgun for home defense is that in a tight floorplan, it might be a bit unwieldy. I think that every manufacturer makes one 18-inch barrel model. IIRC the Win 1300 Defender I was looking at was only $319. So really, you could get both a shotgun and a handgun and have options. :)

[confused]

if my life was on the line it would be a sig or a glock. if your looking for something to put in your front pocket then a hammerless 357 works great.

[George Klass]

So, here's a question for everyone. Would you still carry even if you did not have a permit to carry a conceiled weapon?

[O.C White]

So, here's a question for everyone. Would you still carry even if you did not have a permit to carry a conceiled weapon?

No, that's why I don't carry in California. It's against California law.

[Donut]

So, here's a question for everyone. Would you still carry even if you did not have a permit to carry a conceiled weapon?

Nope. Since Sheriff Doyle has decided to tie the hands of most of the county's population, I carry alternate forms of protection. Not as effective, but better than nothing.

[Maliboost]

So, here's a question for everyone. Would you still carry even if you did not have a permit to carry a conceiled weapon?

that seems to me like it would be a pretty dumb thing to do. Im sure that there are lots of folks that do it in all states, but still seems pretty stupid. all that needs to happen is that you get pulled over for a simple traffic violation & your in BIG trouble.

Bob