Need handgun advice for home defense

[2stoves]

Along with all the good feedback you have gotten be sure you ask yourself and your wife the all important question concerning a gun. Are you willing to kill someone? Seems like a dumb question but many times I have asked someone why they are getting a gun and the answer always comes back the same. Why, for security of course. But, when it comes down to it, their purpose and hope is that the intruder will be scared off by the sight of a gun. I have actually been told "no, I won't shoot someone".

If you or your wife are not willing to shout, aim, fire without pause, then ........................just saying

[Rusty Eagle Scout]

For the two instances you mentioned, if it were me, I would get a 20ga Rem express with an 18 1/2" barrel, with a magazine full of #4 buckshot and a good ,small flashlight . I would not get close to the door but wait in the hall or far end of the room facing the door. After a 911 call and the bad guy(s) came in either door, I would give them the good news (after identifying that they were not a family member, neighbor, or cop). Handguns are fine but a shotgun is better for a home invasion, IMHO.
I mentioned a 20ga as it would be a better gun for a woman, usually , and at inside home range, will be just as effective as a 12ga with proper ammunition.

Train a bit with a shotgun at close range and you will be amazed.

Regards,

ezra

This is the straight truth. Period.

[Ewker]

Even the VP said "Biden on self-defense: ‘Get yourself a shotgun’

[santaman2000]

The 38 caliber has failed US soldiers several times history and each time was replaced by a 40 plus caliber. Only common sub 40 caliber I really trust is 357

sent from my dumb phone.

The only 38 caliber that ever "failed' the US military was the older 38s. The times they used the modern 38 Special they performed just fine.

[tim martin]

for myself i would go with the cz-82 9x18 cal. , 12 round clip. $269.00 . http://www.classicfirearms.com/hand-guns/cz-82-pistols

[bourbon&bisquits]

Shotgun

[Foilist]

for myself i would go with the cz-82 9x18 cal. , 12 round clip. $269.00 . http://www.classicfirearms.com/hand-guns/cz-82-pistols

And with a C&R license, which is cheap and easy to get, the brown truck will drop one off right on your doorstep! This will likely be my first C&R purchase in the near future.

[waterman308]

you need to decide exactly what you want a gun for. Sounds simple, I know. is it just, and only for protecting your home? Carry with you? sporting or multipurpose (that usually happens once you get a firearm and need to practice with it).

Assuming just purely for home defense - the simplest is the best. you will not be thinking as much as reacting. you will loose fine motor control, and will develop 'tunnel vision' (you won't notice much around you). All those things add up to: simple.

The suggestion of a 20 ga pump shotgun is excellent. you can get (in most places) and extended mag tube that will increase capacity from 5 to 8 or more shells. You can also get a light /laser (mostly the light; a shotgun takes care of precision aiming for you!) with a pressure activated switch - as soon as you grip the gun, the pressure pad turns the light on.. anyhow.

Downside to a shotgun is that it is unwieldy, very difficult to reload, or, difficult to load if you are starting from an empty gun (you may or may not want to have a fully loaded shotgun in the house), and it can overpenetrate (buckshot will do that, smaller bird or squirrel shot is better).

Another good choice is a revolver. a 357 can be loaded with either 357 or 38 sp. the 357 is not recommended due to tremendous noise, flash, and recoil, not to mention overpenetration. The 38 with a home defense round is easier to control, and more than powerful enough. A revolver can be loaded with a speed loader too, so you don't have to keep it loaded. And best of all, it is simple. just pull the trigger. No magazine, no slide to rack, no safety, no doo-dads to fiddle with.

And don't worry that it doesn't have as many rounds as a 9mm Glock. Even the police rarely 'empty' their magazine, let alone home owners. a few shots, almost always less than 6, is typically what happens, and more typically, just showing your are armed is enough.

Bottom line is no 'one gun' will do everything. some will do most everything, and you will have to decide what you really need it for. And what ever you get, practice practice practice. not necessarily for accuracy, but for learning how to operate the firearm under dim light and diminished physical and emotional capacity.

Be safe,

[VtBlackDog]

I'd say a small carry gun (that won't snag on clothing) that you keep on/near your person for answering the door in the middle of the night; backed up by a shotgun. S&W J-frame (hammerless) that you can slip into a pocket when you hear something, plus an 870?

I've done some competitive handgun shooting, and on the rare occasion when I think I hear "a bump in the night" the adreniline surge is overwhelming. I know I can out-shoot about 75% of people at the range with a pistol, but in real life those skills get shaken by "buck fever" pretty badly....hence the 870.

[woodsghost]

A revolver you can leave loaded for 20 years and never have a problem. Autos need to have the mags switched from time to time to keep the springs from going bad. My fist choice is a revolver, double action only. Fewer odds and ends to mess with, and you should train to shoot well in double action, as this will be your default in a bad situation. I used to say "revolver for reliability" but this is less true nowadays with modern handguns. However, if semi-autos get banned, revolvers will still be ok (I hope).

My suggestion is a Charter Arms Bulldog in .44 Special. Cheap, they have a model in double action only, and the .44 basically has the ballistics of the .45 ACP. For ammo, I would go with Buffalo Bore low flash ammo. .44 Special will be relatively cheap and available for the next few years because it is not a common caliber, and it is run in revolvers which are less likely to get banned. I would stay away from the .44 Magnum.

A flashlight is a must for target identification.

Learn to shoot one handed. I know most people recommend special stances and two handed grips. They are more accurate. But the stuff I have read says you will often need the other hand for other tasks, like the flashlight, light switches, the phone, maneuvering children or the spouse, handling a door, etc.

I think a shotgun is a great idea, but I worry that leaving them loaded for extended periods will harm the magazine spring. 20 ga is not a bad idea, though defensive ammo choices are limited. Shotguns are also very "ban" resistant, pump-actions more so than semis. Please realize you DO need to aim with a shotgun. It would be nice not to hit family members who might not be behind you, and at home defense ranges (5-25 ft), shot does not spread out much. Make sure you are not just pointing in the general direction, make sure you are going to hit the bad guy(s)!

Here are some links to the Buffalo Bore .44 Specials: https://www.buffalobore.com/index.ph...duct_list&c=17
https://www.buffalobore.com/index.ph...t_detail&p=282


And Charter Arms Website: http://www.charterfirearms.com/produ...s_products.asp

And a pic of the Bulldog I was talking about earlier.



For the record, I think you should go with Charter Arms because I have not seen anything bad about them, and I feel they have some of the best prices around and offer a model which I think fits your needs.

Good luck!