If for home protection I don’t see how anyone could argue against a revolver. Although I don’t have one right now but a .380 there is always the possibility of jamming and you have to be sure to chamber it, take the safety off and get the first shot off which in a life or death situation may be fatal. For accuracy, I don’t think you can beat a .22. I could drill a target with my Ruger bull barrel .22 auto but it would occasionally jam. With the larger calibers there is the kickback and frankly I can’t hit the side of a barn with one. I vote for the revolver even if it is “old fashioned.” For target practice, a .22 rifle with a scope is great fun and CHEAP. I love my .22 Marlin bolt action single shot. I also have a semi auto .22 Marlin but you can chew through the ammo very quickly and you still have to load to refill. You can get off a surprising amount of shots even with a single shot.
Thanks. I think that's what I'll do - there are a couple of ranges around here that rent guns.
Beginners should start with NRA Certified trainingI would recommend training
from an NRA Certified Instructor inRefuse to be a victim
Basic pistol
Personal protection in the home
and the newly released
Personal protection outside the home
NRA Gun Safety Rules
Always keep the gun pointed in a safe direction
Always keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot
Always keep the gun unloaded until ready to use
Versatility in the ammo is amazing. The best weapon for deterring carjackings.
Yes - get the biggest damn thing with which you can reliably point, shoot and hit your target. Any caliber that begins with a ‘4’ is a good place to start. Then figure out how to carriy it discreetly.
Can't miss and will make a mess no mater where it is pointed.
They make no-hammer versions of these revolvers.
I like shooting semi-autos.....yet I like to shoot the .357. It has a much longer range than a 9mm or a .40 S&W or a .45 auto. Plus, a .357 with a longish barrel (4 inch or longer) is a good deer pistol if you use soft points.....which I always have in my .357
Plus, again, I like to load my own .357 with my handy-dandy Hand Lee Loader for .357
It sounds like you don’t want a battle field gun, you want a light, small, easy to carry pistol for self defense, try this one.
Try the Diamondback DB9, A 9mm pistol that only weighs 11 ounces.
•Capacity: 6+1 Rounds
•Weight: 11 Ounces
•Length: 5.60”
•Height: 4.00” with mag
•Width: 0.80”
•Barrel Length: 3.00”
•Firing Mechanism: Striker Fire
•Trigger Pull: DAO 5 lbs
Buy the biggest baddest fire breathing dragon that you can, that also happens to be comfortable to carry all day, and that you can use effectively when and if you need it. Consider how and when you will carry it, what you will generally be wearing to conceal it, and scenarios you will use it.
I use a Kahr CW 9mm that is easy to conceal and has a magazine with 7 (plus one), but it could as easily have been a compact .45 or any one of a number of other very fine varieties. I am a short person and cannot conceal anything larger. Get to the range and try out several.
Comfort in carrying, and ease of use when it is needed are the two starting points.
Take a friend that can ID a straight bore and undamaged piece and find a .38 Taurus at a pawn shop/gun show/gun store. Cheap, 6 shots, controllable, and deadly with hollow points.
If it feels good in your hand, it is.
Get something you will shoot a lot. Magnums may be cool, but if you do not shoot it on a regular basis, you won't be any good with it. Smaller firearms can deliver recoil like a magnum and this will reduce your desire to shoot them.
Everyone will recommend what they carry. Glock’s, 1911’s, H&K's, S&W's, SIG, and etc. Automatics or wheel guns. What works for you is the best.
Since you are looking for a car gun, get something that the caliber starts in “4” or bigger than 10mm. Experience shows that this works best at threat reduction.
In the end, you will own more than one. Unlike a wife or girlfriend, guns do not care if you have more than one of them.
Until you have put at least 500 malfunction free rounds through a pistol, do not bet your life on it's reliability.
And finally. Remember that with advice, you get what you pay for it.
Take handgun safety training at your local area gun shop or specialty store. It will also teach you about the variety of handgun make and styles and help you make the best purchase.
This will be the first time I’ve given any advice on one of these great threads...FWIW.
J frame S&W Airweight. 38 spl+P. Speer GDHP ammo.
CT grip.
Crossbreed Supertuck or Kramer pocket holster. Pretty comfortable.
Practiced a lot.
There is one other gun that I shoot better than the Glock, and that is the CZ-75BD in 9mm. It's larger, heavier (all steel), but the trigger is like butter and it is just easier to hit with fast. The "D" Model has a decocker, so I consider it superior to the regular CZ-75.
For later read...:)
1911. Ideal starter gun and you never need anything else.
Ruger, Taurus and S&W are all excellent. I've got a Ruger Security Six, a S&W 686 and a Colt Trooper. None of them has ever failed to function with any load.
If you are choosing a firearm for the car only, check out the Taurus Judge. It shoots 410 shot shells or 45 long colt. It is a bit large to carry, however.
pick up as many guns as you can, both autos and wheel guns start with the one that feels right in your hand
don't worry about the caliber of the gun you pick up as most frames come in more than one caliber and you are looking for the feel first then the bore size later
my 2¢
Kimbe Tac II .45.
A cop talked me into to spending my loot on it and I love it sooooohhhhhh Much!
He had decided to do something I thought sacriligeous.....He ran over 4,000 rounds through it before he cleaned it to test it for reliability.
Scared me to attempt that but I ran 3,000 rounds through mine and only jam. I had slapped the magazine too hard, one to many times and it bent the feed.
Still, tap, tap and chamber the round it kept going, though I did toss the magazine.
I hated cleaning my gun the first time and it took two days. What a mess.
I shot everything through it. Winchester, Hornady, surplus... no problemo.
Worth every penny of the $1,700 I spent and I am getting another later this year.
bttt