Gun question

[jamesbond007]

Originally posted by: OogyWaWa
there are tons of good 9mms, so do your research. i think 9mm is great for hobbying, but i dunno how much i would trust it for home defense. a .45 or shotgun would be better...

I think a shotgun would be a bit cumbersome for a 105lb woman to handle through hallways or to lug around if she ever had to run or move quickly. The limited number of shells/shots could be devastating as well. Let's face it - not everyone is going to shoot tacks at an assailant in a mode of panic. Granted, at least the shotgun would have a wider range (spread) but the collateral damage could also increase, too.

That said, I think 9mm with ballistics should suffice.

 

[imported_Champ]

Originally posted by: jamesbond007
I bought a FNP-45 (.45 ACP) a couple months ago and absolutely love it! Thus, I must make a plug and suggest the FNP-9. Night sights are available, too. The thing that I enjoyed the most about the FN series is that it fit my hands the best and, for me, had the best ergonomics among the other .45 ACP pistols I tried. This is essential to finding a suitable gun for you and your girlfriend. Just because one person likes a Glock doesn't mean it will fit right in your hands!

As suggested previously, go to a few gun stores, feel the guns and bring them up to a point aiming and see how it feels. I agree - the 9mm is an excellent caliber for low recoil and should easily hold enough rounds to take down several people or at least scare the living shit out of them and make them leave.

Before I forget, the Sig P226 (9mm) has the absolute best ergonomics and feel that I've experienced from a 9mm handgun. The bad part is that they will run you around $800+ for a new piece. My FNP-45 (with shooter's pack) was $630 and came with (3) 14 round magazines! I bought it on the spot.

hmmm...I'd assume you would be a fan of the walther PPK

 

[CallMeJoe]

Originally posted by: rgwalt
...For pure home defense, I would recommend a revolver in .38 special (which should also take .357 magnum rounds)...

A .357 magnum will chamber .38 special rounds, but a .38 special will not chamber a .357.

Consider a 20 gauge shotgun in an 18" or 20" barrel for your GF. She won't get recoil shy (as she might with a 12 gauge), and the shorter barrel will be reasonably easy to handle indoors. Even a 20 gauge shotgun firing heavy birdshot is easily more effective than any pistol round - at least any pistol round your GF would be willing to fire a second time. Do Not listen to anyone who says you don't need to aim a shotgun. Even fired from the shortest legal barrel, shot doesn't spread that much at the ranges you would encounter in indoor self defense. Practice is required.

 

[rgwalt]

Originally posted by: CallMeJoe

Originally posted by: rgwalt
...For pure home defense, I would recommend a revolver in .38 special (which should also take .357 magnum rounds)...

A .357 magnum will chamber .38 special rounds, but a .38 special will not chamber a .357.

Consider a 20 gauge shotgun in an 18" or 20" barrel for your GF. She won't get recoil shy (as she might with a 12 gauge), and the shorter barrel will be reasonably easy to handle indoors. Even a 20 gauge shotgun firing heavy birdshot is easily more effective than any pistol round - at least any pistol round your GF would be willing to fire a second time. Do Not listen to anyone who says you don't need to aim a shotgun. Even fired from the shortest legal barrel, shot doesn't spread that much at the ranges you would encounter in indoor self defense. Practice is required.

Sorry, that is what I meant. Thanks for the correction.

Agreed on the necessity to aim the shotgun. However, I do not agree on the effectiveness of birdshot against an invader. Unless you are in very close quarters (under 5 yards) bird shot is going to spread and begin to lose penetrating power. Why go with bird shot when you can get 00 buckshot loads? (for the OP, pronounced "double ought").

 

[Gooberlx2]

My Sig P228 (bought used) shoots and feels awesome. A P229 should be pretty much equal. I've also heard good things about the FNP9 mentioned above.

 

[AstroManLuca]

Originally posted by: rgwalt

Originally posted by: CallMeJoe

Originally posted by: rgwalt
...For pure home defense, I would recommend a revolver in .38 special (which should also take .357 magnum rounds)...

A .357 magnum will chamber .38 special rounds, but a .38 special will not chamber a .357.

Consider a 20 gauge shotgun in an 18" or 20" barrel for your GF. She won't get recoil shy (as she might with a 12 gauge), and the shorter barrel will be reasonably easy to handle indoors. Even a 20 gauge shotgun firing heavy birdshot is easily more effective than any pistol round - at least any pistol round your GF would be willing to fire a second time. Do Not listen to anyone who says you don't need to aim a shotgun. Even fired from the shortest legal barrel, shot doesn't spread that much at the ranges you would encounter in indoor self defense. Practice is required.

Sorry, that is what I meant. Thanks for the correction.

Agreed on the necessity to aim the shotgun. However, I do not agree on the effectiveness of birdshot against an invader. Unless you are in very close quarters (under 5 yards) bird shot is going to spread and begin to lose penetrating power. Why go with bird shot when you can get 00 buckshot loads? (for the OP, pronounced "double ought").

Exactly. Remember the news reports of the woman who got the face transplant earlier this year? She was shot in the face at close range with birdshot. If that had been buckshot, she wouldn't have a head to put a face transplant onto. Birdshot gets less and less powerful with range and I wouldn't trust it for home defense any more than I'd trust a .22 pistol.

I also saw it mentioned somewhere that buckshot generally has a spread of about 1" per yard. So even at ten yards, which is probably the farthest you'd shoot someone in a defense situation (any farther and it's unlikely that you'd be in danger), each of the pellets would be contained within about a 10" wide area. It's nothing like in video games where shotguns are lethal at ten feet or less but not even slightly dangerous beyond that.

 

[Auryg]

I've heard sigs are pretty much the best, but you'd have to buy used. I've shot a friend's 1911, and I thought it was decent. I was not a fan of my friend's glock - we all shot the 1911 a few days before and were pretty good our first time, but the glock? We couldn't hit the target we were aiming at for the life of us. It was truly bewildering, and it's not something I'd want to happen if I needed to aim at a person. I've heard that with a lot of people they don't aim naturally where you'd think..or something like that.

 

[Fern]

Why buy before trying them (guns) out?

Contact your local range, most will let you try guns (may have to rent) particularly if they are attached to a gun shop.

I also prefer wheel guns (revolvers) over semi-autos for home defense (even though I have a semi-auto).

20 gauge shotgun is a good choice too (short barrel)

Fern

 

[BabaBooey]

My glock 17 has not malfunctioned once in the 3000 rds I have put down range and has 17rd mags and if you are a bit twisted like me they also have 33rd mags from the full auto glock 18 that work in the 17 ...

Also a good tactical light is a very handy tool,a blinded perp is a good perp,I picked up a nice fenix TA30 and it would also double as a fine hand to hand weapon,it has almost blade like fins on front and rear that will hurt when slammed into ones head / groin.

 

[BrunoPuntzJones]

2nd gen Glock 19. Under $400 if you can find a police trade in.

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: rgwalt


Sorry, that is what I meant. Thanks for the correction.

Agreed on the necessity to aim the shotgun. However, I do not agree on the effectiveness of birdshot against an invader. Unless you are in very close quarters (under 5 yards) bird shot is going to spread and begin to lose penetrating power. Why go with bird shot when you can get 00 buckshot loads? (for the OP, pronounced "double ought").

I love shooting with the reduced recoil 00 buck. It's like you're spraying them with 8 9mm bullets. If the police use it, it's good enough for me but DANG it is expensive. Seems most good self defense rounds are.

I've asked where should you aim with these loads - the answer is it doesn't matter too much. Hit a shoulder and you just blew their arm off. Center mass and they're done. The spread isn't as big as you would think either.

google says...
"Precise ratings of Buckshot loads against pistol loads are not possible, but rough approximations are. A 12 gauge #1 or #0 Buckshot load at close range is roughly similar to 12 ?15 simultaneous hits from a .32 ACP to .380 ACP round, and that makes for impressive one-shot stoppage.

A good patterning #1 or #0 Buckshot load from a 12 gauge pump shotgun that you are well-trained and totally competent with is hard to beat. No one wants to be forced to use a weapon in self-defense, but if you are forced to it might as well be something that quickly eliminates the situation."

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: nick1985

Originally posted by: MotF Bane
Well, for Second Amendment haters, wouldn't it be...
<-----------P&N?

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V


I think its that way actually :laugh:

They went that-a-way
<--------------------------
-------------------------->

 

[edro]

You really can't go wrong with Glock and Smith for that price range.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
I'm a fan of the Smith & Wesson M&P line of handguns. I have an M&P in .40 calibre and the 9mm variants are quite nice as well. I have well over 2,000 rounds through my M&P .40 without any failures so far.

I'm also a fan of a .357 Magnum revolver as a home defense handgun. You can fire .38 special out of it for lower recoil, but you have the option of full-bore .357 Magnum through it if you ever want that option. With a 6" barrel the recoil is calmed a lot and the sights are usually quite good.

ZV

This...x2

Nothing is more reliable than a revolver. It is an excellent choice for new shooters for plinking at the range and home defense. Get a medium frame S&W in .357 Magnum and shoot .38 Special rounds through it for practice. .38 Special is cheaper and you will feel much less recoil. You can move up to the much hotter .357 Magnum loads or shoot +P .38 Special rounds through it.

 

[JulesMaximus]

I don't recommend shotguns for gun n00bs. They are unwieldy at best and the recoil is shocking...especially for women.

 

[MovingTarget]

Originally posted by: AstroManLuca

Originally posted by: MovingTarget
I'd go for a .22 revolver. Sure, it isn't all that powerful but it will get the job done. Revolvers are much more reliable than regular pistols and a smaller caliber would kick less (and thus be more tolerable to use/practice with). Also, have you noted the cost of bullets lately? Go for something that is cheap to buy in bulk.

.22s might be nice, but only for practice. They're not really practical for defense, especially a revolver since most .22 revolvers are single-action and require you to cock the hammer for every shot.

Even a 10-shot semiautomatic .22 pistol is almost useless for home defense... sure, some people might go down, but enough won't that it's not worth the risk. You can go for a .22 for plinking or whatever, but you should get at least a 9mm for self defense (.38 special for a revolver).

Yeah, it does lack that stopping power that certainly helps when defending yourself. A .38 special is a good idea, but if you intend to do a lot of practicing (say, at the range) then that can get a bit expensive...

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
I don't recommend shotguns for gun n00bs. They are unwieldy at best and the recoil is shocking...especially for women.

Reduced recoil loads and practice?

 

[rgwalt]

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
I don't recommend shotguns for gun n00bs. They are unwieldy at best and the recoil is shocking...especially for women.

Reduced recoil loads and practice?

You can do dry fire and manuveuring drills with snap caps in the gun. Look for a Remington 870 w/ 18" barrel and the 8 round magazine. She will need to practice cycling rounds through the weapon, aiming, firing, and then cycling another round. I would recommend equiping it with a flashlight so you can see where you are shooting.

Lots of options out there, but to satisfy the OP's desire of something for home defense AND something to take to the range and shoot, I think a revolver would be the best of both worlds.

 

[CallMeJoe]

Originally posted by: rgwalt

Originally posted by: CallMeJoe

Originally posted by: rgwalt
...For pure home defense, I would recommend a revolver in .38 special (which should also take .357 magnum rounds)...

A .357 magnum will chamber .38 special rounds, but a .38 special will not chamber a .357.

Consider a 20 gauge shotgun in an 18" or 20" barrel for your GF. She won't get recoil shy (as she might with a 12 gauge), and the shorter barrel will be reasonably easy to handle indoors. Even a 20 gauge shotgun firing heavy birdshot is easily more effective than any pistol round - at least any pistol round your GF would be willing to fire a second time. Do Not listen to anyone who says you don't need to aim a shotgun. Even fired from the shortest legal barrel, shot doesn't spread that much at the ranges you would encounter in indoor self defense. Practice is required.

Sorry, that is what I meant. Thanks for the correction.

Agreed on the necessity to aim the shotgun. However, I do not agree on the effectiveness of birdshot against an invader. Unless you are in very close quarters (under 5 yards) bird shot is going to spread and begin to lose penetrating power. Why go with bird shot when you can get 00 buckshot loads? (for the OP, pronounced "double ought").

I should have stated that better; I was not recommending birdshot as an ultimate self defense round. I just said that heavy birdshot (BBB and larger) would be more effective than most "comfortable" handgun rounds at typical indoor self defense ranges, which are 5 yards or less. Buckshot obviously would be even more effective.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
I don't recommend shotguns for gun n00bs. They are unwieldy at best and the recoil is shocking...especially for women.

Reduced recoil loads and practice?

Handguns are still superior. A good revolver can be kept loaded, they have internal safeties to prevent accidental discharge if dropped, no external safeties to fumble with, they are easy to load, they are concealable and easy to bring to arms, and they have a long heavy trigger pull to discharge the weapon to prevent accidental discharge. A shotgun is none of those things.

Yeah, a shotgun is a great weapon if you're clearing a house in counterstrike but if you are asleep in your bed and someone kicks in your bedroom door it is pretty much useless.

I could never get my wife to fire a shotgun...not more than once anyway.

 

[LTC8K6]

and at close range, you don't even have to be a good shot.

No. The pattern is small at household ranges, so you must be proficient.

I recommend a 38 special revolver.

 

[LTC8K6]

Birdshot is not reliably effective at stopping people even at only 15 yards. If they have heavy clothes on it may not even bother a person.

 

[Mojoed]

Originally posted by: GagHalfrunt
For home defense a shotgun is #1 and a wheelgun is #2. Especially for inexperienced shooters a revolver is far more idiotproof than an automatic.

Best advice so far! :thumbsup:

This is what any gun shop owner will advise for a first-time gun buyer.

 

[Unheard]

You could always go with an H&K G3

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: Mojoed

Originally posted by: GagHalfrunt
For home defense a shotgun is #1 and a wheelgun is #2. Especially for inexperienced shooters a revolver is far more idiotproof than an automatic.

Best advice so far! :thumbsup:

This is what any gun shop owner will advise for a first-time gun buyer.

as long as you don't have to reload.