Guns!

[eightywon]

I know asking what gun is best is like asking what pipe is best, but here it goes anyways lol. Looking to buy a .40 cal soon. What should I look for, maybe more importantly what should I stay away from? Open to 9mm or other suggestions. Range/home defense.

 

[eightywon]

Btw I have very little experience. My father was an enthusiast but when I was very young an incident occurred which resulted in the government confiscating my inheritance. I plan on going to the range and learning about/renting a few models.

 

[drwatson]

S&W 40 cal. Can't say enuff about them. However for home defense cannot beat a side by side stagecoach gun, or a taurus judge takes 45 or 410.

 

[drwatson]

Btw I have very little experience

Stay away from Glock then. Alot swear by them, and they are nice but no hammer and strange safty.

 

[instymp]

Love my Glock 23. Guns are like pipes, addicting.

 

[eightywon]

Also, because of the new CA laws that go into effect Jan 1 (which I am not too familiar with) I'm looking for an automatic. Possibly an AR-15 while I can just because. Revolvers/shotguns we can talk about next year. My security supervisor at work is the one who suggest I buy now.

 

[texmexpipe]

S&W M&P model .40 very reasonable price and a great shooter. Great if you want to eventually carry and great for learning how to shoot. Not too much gun but not so short of a barrel that you have a learning curve to shoot it.

 

[lawmax3]

Love my Sig 226 and my Glock 35

 

[warren]

I'm partial to .45 cal because of the proven "stopping" power. My pistols of choice are H&K, double action only (no safety lever).

 

[wyfbane]

Honestly, what is your price range? if you are looking for awesome, get a kimber .45
If you are on a budget, SW or Ruger .40 is good.
You need to go to a gun store and just HOLD them. One of the guns on the wall will call to you, just like a good pipe will.

 

[eightywon]

I spent a few minutes in a shop. I like the weight of the S&W's I was holding. I liked the grip on the 9mm. I have smaller hands. Is this typical if the 2 calibers? Looking to spend ~$600.

 

[cobguy]

I'm a revolver guy and love my old Taurus .38 special. (model 85 I believe)
No slide to jam, no misfires to clear ... just point and shoot - right through your pocket if need be.
If your talking home defense primarily, I will say Mossberg 500 12 gauge any day of the week.
A shotgun will have the most coverage with the least room-to-room penetration.
When it's all said and done ... pics please!

 

[woodsroad]

Worry less about caliber hype and more about your ability to place shots. In other words, buy the gun that fits you, that you are comfortable with, then practice, practice, practice.
I concur on the shotgun. Get an inexpensive pump with the shortest barrel that you can legally own. Fill it with 7 1/2 and again, practice, practice, practice. That's the fun part!

 

[warren]

Itchy trigger finger! Double post! Mea culpa!

 

[warren]

For home defense any belly gun should be fine. Most such confrontations are at extremely close range. Penetration and backstop should be considerations unless you live in the country and neighbors are a couple of acres away. The big, heavy, lead or hollow point .45 slug is a good choice in an urban environment.
The best home protection, in my opinion, unless you are going to practice, practice, practice is a 16 or 20 gauge shotgun.
Also, you will never know until you have to shoot a person, whether or not you can in fact do so. If you are pretty well convinced you can do so a gun is not a bad idea. If you have doubts I would suggest non-lethal alternatives. I investigated more than a couple of cases where the home owner was disarmed and shot with their own weapon. Arming yourself is a decision not to be lightly taken.
One more caveat: On the range, shoot what you will be carrying off the range. Do not do as some of my officers did. They would shoot for doughnuts in the range every morning at the end of shift. Some of them had dialed their weapons for "range ammo." Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! I wouldn't want one of them trying a head shot on a guy holding me as a shield!

 

[wyfbane]

I agree with shotguns, but he is trying to beat the Jan deadline for some form of CA regulation on automatic pistols.
They make SW reg and compact 9mm and .40 I am pretty sure. You should have no problem getting one in your price range. Spend time with all 4 variants and then buy up as much ammo as you can.
Then, practice practice practice!

 

[Perique]

A topic at least as complicated as pipes, and with even more opinions.
Your choice of platform and caliber should be informed by your requirements.
IMHO, .40 S&W has always been a solution in search of a problem. That said, Miss Perique swears by her Glock 22c. At least prior to our boating accident, it was her firearm of choice. My view is that if one can shoot a full-sized frame accurately above 9mm, than .45 ACP is the way to go. But you'll get all kinds of caliber opinions. The bottom line is to choose a caliber you're comfortable with and master the platform you choose such that it becomes second nature. Shot placement and confidence will ultimately serve you better than ballistic performance. Otherwise, everyone would be carrying pistols chambered in the various .50 caliber options.
As for the shotgun suggestions, it's an inapt comparison. Two different tools for two different situations. You can't carry a shotgun on your belt or in your glove box. Nor would you bring a pistol to defend a home invasion when a shot gun was near. As with any toolbox, you stock the tools you are likely to need and choose the right one for the task at hand. Don't fall for an "all-in-one" tool - there's no such thing, any more than you could expect your screwdriver to do the job of your wrench.

 

[condorlover1]

Get yourself a Walker Colt - the magnum of yesteryear but pretty good stopping power and the delay between loading and firing will guarantee you never make a rash decision in anger!

 

[derfatdutchman]

I have been looking at both the S&W M&P Shield and Ruger LCP in 9mm. I have big hands so I'm leaning towards the S&W as is slightly wider then the Ruger.

 

[zekest]

This is an open-ended question, and so far you have received a lot of personal opinions, some based on misinformation.
The questions only you can answer are:
What is the intended purpose of the pistol (you can't purchase an "automatic" they are illegal for personal use). Is it a "range toy" Most of mine are, and the majority of handguns sold are used as "range toys", I compete in several "multi-gun action sports". Is it for home protection. Do you plan to conceal carry. You must know the intended purpose of the tool before you even know what to look at, otherwise you will waste your money on something recommended by someone's personal opinion, not fact.
Best of luck looking for what you want, like, and can afford. It is no easy task, and should not be taken lightly.
Forget, for the time being, about caliber. Foolish talk of "stopping power" and "over penetration" is gun store talk based on personal opinions, not facts.
Most important is that it fits *your* hand and you can reach the controls. This is for safety, and safety is still number one.