I like a 12 gauge pistol grip and with a light and birdshot so not to over penetrate the walls. plus just racking the shotgun would make any perp **** his pants!!! birdshot will still keep a tight pattern under 10ft which is usually as long as long as most hallways are in homes. rural areas would be great for semi-auto rifles and higher caliber pistols. I'm looking to buy a nice double barrel coach gun!!! goodtimes!!
What Handgun to Buy ? Deacon.........
- Thread starter Trudo1
- Start date
What kind of Garand are you shooting? I just ordered a CMP service grade HRA, and I am as giddy as a school girl waiting for it to show up on the doorstep.
If you want a baseball bat reliable weapon that's easy to field strip and maintain, the Beretta PX4 deserves serious consideration.
It's comes with adjustable grips so it'll feel great in your hand, available in 9mm, .40 and .45 and feeds any ammo you can think of for $550 NIB.
It's comes with adjustable grips so it'll feel great in your hand, available in 9mm, .40 and .45 and feeds any ammo you can think of for $550 NIB.
Find a local shooting range and see what they have for rentals. See what fits your hand best, and what you shoot best. Anything above 9mm will be fine with current bullet technology. FWIW, I carry a Glock 19 or a Kahr PM9, with a Kimber 1911 for my home defense gun. The Kimber will be leaving soon, because I want Les Baer or a Wilson. Good luck.
Just revisited this thread and had a laugh at this (and other similar) comments, no offense to anyone posting. Like Deacon said earlier on, this debate will go on for some time (truthfully probably only until the last cops/military to be issued revolvers pass on to that great firing range in the sky). Modern autos are great, and the great guns are every bit as reliable as a revolver. As a gunsmith of over 10 years I can tell you I've done as much repair work on some revolvers as I have some autos.
Like I said in my earlier response, the most important thing is to buy what works for you. I could tell you all day long that if I were your size the only gun I'd carry would be a 1911 (I'm too short to properly conceal one) or that if I had an open budget I'd buy an H&K auto because in my experience they just don't break or malfunction and as far as tactical Tupperware is concerned IMO they are tops! But, as everyone says here on the forum, YMMV and it MV a great deal.
I wouldn't take a Hi-Point if it was given to me for free; I'd never touch an Astra, Star or several other "low end" handguns either. However, I know people who own them, love them and have never had a problem with them. I could talk to you all day long about reliability (both from a "will it shoot when I need it" standpoint and general serviceability).
Bottom line, DON'T BUY A GUN YOU'VE NEVER FIRED and DON'T BUY A GUN UNTIL AFTER YOU'VE TRIED SEVERAL DIFFERENT TYPES, CALIBERS, etc.
Try shooting a Kimber .45. Large bore, but they put the weight toward the front of the gun, so you get alot less recoil. My dad has a Beretta .45, and we can barely get through 20 rounds before our wrists are sore. With the kimber, we can get off a few boxes before we are done. They are a joy to shoot.
Ahhh, the old reliabilty myths. Autos aren't what they used to be. If reliability was an issue most cops probably wouldn't carry them. Jams usually can be cleared very quickly, anyway. For simplicity, you can't beat a Glock, but u may not like the ergonomics. Kimbers are great, but a bit pricey.
A CMP service grade. The receiver is a Springfield dated Oct 1944.
DVD, you will love it. I have a Dec 43 SA from the CMP and it is a great shooter.
I would pass on a Glock. I've owned a 19 for years. Always goes 'bang', but they are subject to AD if not carried properly in a holster that covers the trigger. I also have smaller hands and double stack pistols don't fit me that well.
If I was to purchase a new pistol it would more than likely be a Dan Wesson Commander. High end parts, more reasonable price than the Ed Brown Executive Carry. Reliable, proven .45 APC. Easy to carry, but it takes some training and practice to shoot a 1911 clone under pressure.
But, if you are only going to shoot once or twice a year stick with a 2 1/2 to 4 inch .38 Special revolver or a Sig P 230/232 in .380 for an auto if you can handle a bit of recoil from the Sig design (actually, almost all .380 auto pistols are a bit snappy).
If I was to purchase a new pistol it would more than likely be a Dan Wesson Commander. High end parts, more reasonable price than the Ed Brown Executive Carry. Reliable, proven .45 APC. Easy to carry, but it takes some training and practice to shoot a 1911 clone under pressure.
But, if you are only going to shoot once or twice a year stick with a 2 1/2 to 4 inch .38 Special revolver or a Sig P 230/232 in .380 for an auto if you can handle a bit of recoil from the Sig design (actually, almost all .380 auto pistols are a bit snappy).
also Smith and Wesson MP series are sweet!!!. they have revolvers,semi-autos, and AR15 rifles. http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CustomContentDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10001&catalogId=10001&content=40302 been looking at the 40cal compact for my new off duty carry.
In addition to the pistol, I'd recommend at least this:
Other nice ones:
The writer is an expert in the subject and also teaches tactics and lethal force use (did 20 years ago, anyway) to police and citizens. Here's one place the books are available, Police Bookshelf.
- In the Gravest Extreme by Massad F. Ayoob <- answers the "when-you-can" questions.
Other nice ones:
- Stressfire by Massad F. Ayoob <- answers the "how-you-can" questions (tactics that work under stress).
- The Semiautomatic Pistol in Police Service and Self-Defense by Massad F. Ayoob <- answers some general questions and many tactical hints.
The writer is an expert in the subject and also teaches tactics and lethal force use (did 20 years ago, anyway) to police and citizens. Here's one place the books are available, Police Bookshelf.
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Mas Ayoob still teaches and is still one of the best around.
I personally purchased a Springfield 45 cal. XD With that said however I would of chose differently knowing what I know now. It is a great gun, don't get me wrong, I would have just gone with a revolver instead of an automatic. One of the reasons I have for this is that an auto when fired spews the spent cartridges all over the place leaving behind a nice forensics trail if you will. I'm not too concerned with the reliability factor of the XD because if you use the ammo designed for that gun or maybe the gun designed for a certain brand of ammo you should be fine. Reality is that an auto will jam or the chances of a jam are much greater than a revolver. I don't care how many times someone tells you different this is the case.
I would go with a 45 cal or 44 cal revolver. Try and get something so that if you wanted a rifle you could interchange the ammo as well. Go the revolver route. You want something that when that hammer is cocked or the trigger is pulled that gun is going to fire 99.99% of the time.
Also if you go on this site "Sportsmans guide" online, they seemed to have some really good prices on ammo. I know mine was half the price I paid for at the gun store.
Another thing is look for a good used gun. Just make sure it is clean. You will save yourself a few bucks which could be used for another gun, ammo or perhaps shaving products. My brother has several guns which he has never paid over 200.00 for. When I was at the gun store recently I was surprised to see two of his exact guns for sale. One 44 cal for around 800.00 he paid 150.00 for and one Sig 9mm for sale for around 700.00 he only paid 200.00 for. Look in your newspaper for someone selling their guns.
I would go with a 45 cal or 44 cal revolver. Try and get something so that if you wanted a rifle you could interchange the ammo as well. Go the revolver route. You want something that when that hammer is cocked or the trigger is pulled that gun is going to fire 99.99% of the time.
Also if you go on this site "Sportsmans guide" online, they seemed to have some really good prices on ammo. I know mine was half the price I paid for at the gun store.
Another thing is look for a good used gun. Just make sure it is clean. You will save yourself a few bucks which could be used for another gun, ammo or perhaps shaving products. My brother has several guns which he has never paid over 200.00 for. When I was at the gun store recently I was surprised to see two of his exact guns for sale. One 44 cal for around 800.00 he paid 150.00 for and one Sig 9mm for sale for around 700.00 he only paid 200.00 for. Look in your newspaper for someone selling their guns.
Forensics trail? What sort of uses do you have planned for your weapon? I will take the capacity of a good auto over a wheelgun. My Glock 21 has yet to jam. It's not hard to clear jams anyway. Revolvers are easier to use, though.
It's not the difficulty of clearing jams that is the problem, it's the situation you're in when you're doing it. Stress level goes way up when your gun jams and the bad guy is still coming at you.
As for my previous post concerning my Taurus 85 .38 snubbie, I've found out what the problem was. Seem it was a combination of the alloy the gun is made of and my shooting speed when I am practicing.
The gun being an ultralight is made of a titanium alloy making lighter than an all steel gun. When shooting at the range I've been practicing rapid fire and quick reloading using a couple of speed loaders. I can go through 100 rounds in about a half an hour. Not much if you're shooting a semi-auto. But that's a lot for a 5 round wheel gun.
The problem was/is that the gun being an alloy would heat up so much that the metal would expand out of specification or tolerance if you will. Thereby causing the cylinder to not index properly and the timing going out and not being able to shoot. Once it cooled down it was back in spec and would function properly. That never occurred to me.
Which tells me that when I sent it in to Taurus twice, all they did was probably inspect the gun to see if there was anything materially out of spec, test fire it a few times and send it back saying it was good to go. Had to go to a gunsmith to find that out.
That being the case, the gun is fine for defensive purposes. After all, how often will I have to shoot a hundred rounds through a five shot .38 snubbie in a defensive situation? If that were the case I'd be SOL
I bet Taurus figured no one would want to put more than 20-30 rounds through an ultralight revolver in one range session.
I suggest going to a nice indoor range, renting then shooting them all, then purchasing the one that feels best to you.
Now, I'm partial to the Glocks - they are rock-solid performers in my book. Reliable. Fits my hand well. Lightweight. Very supportable and customizable - lots of them out there.
You are buying something you may bet your life on, so get what YOU like and have confidence in.
Now, I'm partial to the Glocks - they are rock-solid performers in my book. Reliable. Fits my hand well. Lightweight. Very supportable and customizable - lots of them out there.
You are buying something you may bet your life on, so get what YOU like and have confidence in.
I am going to disagree with several folks here with recommending against a Glock for a starting shooter. First, if I have to grab any gun in an emergency the Glock is one of my top choices. I carry a 23 on duty every day and it has never jammed in several thousand rounds. They are butt-ugly, but they work. So why do I not like them for a beginner? The light trigger pull [5-5 1/2 pounds] with no extra safety. When you pull the trigger on a Glock, it will go off. That is their strength, brutal reliability. But a new shooter, in a stressful situation, can easily have a negligent discharge, shooting by accident. In the middle of the night, half asleep, this could be a recipe for tragedy.
+1 for that, Deacon. A New York spring, as mentioned before, could help there. I also agree on clearing jams being very stressful for the average, untrained person. Mine has yet to jam, however.
