Gun Appreciation and Advice Thread

[MichiGator2002]

This seemed topical, and figured go ahead and start it in Too Hot to save moving it here later

I am looking at purchasing my first gun. I would like something that is suitable for self-defense, but I am not sure what I should look at in terms of size or style because I have pretty big hands and I am skeptical of being comfortable holding a lot of the compact models. I don't have any definite preference between a revolver and a pistol, or in terms of caliber, just want something reliable and (relatively, since it is a gun after all) fairly beginner friendly.

I will admit up front part of me wants to get something that I know takes high capacity magazines (Glock 19 9mm is one I saw, for instance), but mostly for the passive aggressive delight of being able to tell people that it would annoy that I own one. Other than that minor factor, I would consider anything.

I read some review sites, i.e. the truth about guns, but the bottom line is, I don't know enough. And until I take some classes and maybe find a range that rents, I still won't know. But I also trust the experience of our gunowning community.

A couple things that caught my eye in research were the Walther P99, the Sig 226 or 229, the SW M&P among the pistols, and any number of S&W or Taurus revolvers (I think the Judge sounds/looks awesome, but doesn't seem to review well in what I have seen?).

Anyway, figured both for my own advice but also anybody else that wants any or for our gunowners to talk about what they have and like and why, here is a thread.

[wygator]

I'm not a fan of compacts because they are harder to shoot accurately. A mid-size (4 to 4.5" barrel) will help absorb recoil and fit better in your hand. As a man, carry .38 auto, 9mm, .40, .44 or .45.

Disadvantages of revolvers are only 6 shots and no true safety.

All the brands you mentioned are good...we own two of those. Also check out the Bersa "Thunder" series. Great balance and handling.

A few online shopping sites I found recently:

http://grabagun.com/

http://www.centerfireguns.com/

http://glockstore.glockstore.com/

[gator7_5]

Originally Posted by wygator

Disadvantages of revolvers are only 6 shots and no true safety.

Although you are technically correct about the revolver not having a "true safety" I Absolutely disagree about it being a less safe option. Especially for a novice. It would be extremely difficult to accidentally discharge my S&W .357 revolver. It's double action and its definitely no hair trigger..

That's not the case for my glock 27. Although it has a trigger safety, it's easy to disengage, and its got a single action hair trigger.

For home protection, especially for a first time gun owner, I'd highly recommend a revolver for safety, ease of use, and I believe accuracy. Anyone can fire it. I'd hate to see my panicked wife trying to chamber and fire my glock. I keep it chambered at the office, but wouldn't at the house probably.

Just my .02.

[wygator]

Originally Posted by gator7_5

Although you are technically correct about the revolver not having a "true safety" I Absolutely disagree about it being a less safe option. Especially for a novice. It would be extremely difficult to accidentally discharge my S&W .357 revolver. It's double action and its definitely no hair trigger..

That's not the case for my glock 27. Although it has a trigger safety, it's easy to disengage, and its got a single action hair trigger.

For home protection, especially for a first time gun owner, I'd highly recommend a revolver for safety, ease of use, and I believe accuracy. Anyone can fire it. I'd hate to see my panicked wife trying to chamber and fire my glock. I keep it chambered at the office, but wouldn't at the house probably.

Just my .02.

You make good points about the revolver...just my .02 as well. I commonly carry one.

As far as your wife is concerned, with some practice she should be fine with your Glock. Here in Wyoming, LOTS of ladies carry semi-automatics.

[wargunfan]

I own a Sig 229 .40 cal and keep it on the night table. It holds 12 rounds. A revolver would be a good option for a novice but every pistol requires regular practice. You should try out both types. Whichever you choose I would go no smaller than .357 magnum in a revolver and no less than 9 mm in a semiautomatic. Another good option for home defense is a shotgun. I keep a 12 gauge Beretta semiauto in the bedroom. Some folks prefer a pump shotgun for reliability. A shotgun is more likely to find its target in a dark room and a couple of rounds of 00 buckshot is devastating.

[PITBOSS]

do you have children at home - boys? If so, be careful. Lesser chance of needing the gun for home protection than there are for accidents, theft, etc.

if not - .38 revolver. 6 shots are plenty and no fussing around with clips/jamming when the crips kick in your door.

[wargunfan]

Originally Posted by PITBOSS

do you have young children at home - boys? If so, be careful. Lesser chance of needing the gun for home protection than there are for accidents, theft, etc.

if not - .38 revolver. 6 shots are plenty and no fussing around with clips/jamming when the crips kick in your door.

No kids in the house. Once again, one should practice regularly with any firearm on which you might stake your life. You must always guard against "limp wristing" a semiauto or a "stovepipe" round could result (a round which fails to properly eject). A revolver won't do that but I prefer not to try to reload a revolver in the dark. I'll stick with one 12 round magazine and my shotgun and pray it never happens.

[Lawdog88]

It does matter what type of self-defense you are anticipating, based on the threats to your home / family / property / person you perceive. Home invaders in the night bent on burglary might require one type of firearm defense in a suburban setting, where gang-type home invasion in an urban environment might suggest another.

If you carry a briefcase full of diamonds for a living, that might dictate what weapon you employ, but the concealed carry crowd could give you advice on that.

A weapon in a vehicle might be a different choice than the one you might employ at home, and in Florida, it must be securely encased to avoid being considered concealed.

And of course, doomsday preppers have a different view of self-defense than typical homeowners, and resultantly, their choice of weapon(s) vary significantly.

[MichiGator2002]

Honestly, I think I might buy a revolver for actual purpose and then buy an automatic with a 12+ round capacity magazine just to keep in a safe on general principle until such time as I want to master it. I wasn't kidding when I said I was at least partly motivated by the chance to offend someone ).

Revolver owners in particular, am I right that S&W, Ruger, Colt, these are the names in revolvers?

[brainstorm]

Originally Posted by MichiGator2002

Honestly, I think I might buy a revolver for actual purpose and then buy an automatic with a 12+ round capacity magazine just to keep in a safe on general principle until such time as I want to master it. I wasn't kidding when I said I was at least partly motivated by the chance to offend someone ).

Revolver owners in particular, am I right that S&W, Ruger, Colt, these are the names in revolvers?

Colt doesn't make revolvers anymore. Well, other than a few cowboy guns. The big three in my mind are S&W, Ruger and Taurus. All three are good. Smith is the priciest. Other names are Charter Arms and Rossi. Rossi used to be average quality. Charter seems to specialize in snub nose (small barrels) which don't shoot as accurately as longer barrels.

[The_Graygator]

Originally Posted by MichiGator2002

Honestly, I think I might buy a revolver for actual purpose and then buy an automatic with a 12+ round capacity magazine just to keep in a safe on general principle until such time as I want to master it. I wasn't kidding when I said I was at least partly motivated by the chance to offend someone ).

Revolver owners in particular, am I right that S&W, Ruger, Colt, these are the names in revolvers?

The one thing I suggest about owning a handgun is... take trainging courses using them. It's not about how many shots you have to fire, it's about how you handle the situation in the first place.

I would feel just as secure and safe with a 5 or 6 shot revolver (many today also go up to 8 rounds for bigger calibers too), because I know in an exchange, I will hit my target within 1 - 3 shots. Also, having a revolver speed loader available will help too.

As for my slide action LC-9, I always have a spare clip with it too.

[MichiGator2002]

Oh, I'm not purchasing anything until after I have done at the very least basic gun instruction, defensive training, etc -- every place seems to have their own curriculum they offer, obviously. In fact, if anyone knows a range with good instruction and ideally gun rental so I can try several options, in the Jacksonville area, I'd be all for it.

My position on the automatic is that I know I do want one, and therefore may buy one, but walk-before-we-run, and it would probably stay in its box, in a safe, until I've put several hundred rounds through it, as much as possible of which under instruction. I mean, the only point of this would be if myself and others would be safer for me having a gun, not in more danger.

As for a revolver, I have actually shot a .38 a few times before, but it's been years. That's the sort of thing I know I could refamiliarize myself with in fairly short order and rely on or even carry pretty quickly.

In a perfect world, I'd like to buy two guns, a revolver and an automatic, both suitable for personal/home defense and reasonably concealable for a big guy. The trick would be finding suitable quality and be out the door with both for $1000-$1200.

[The_Graygator]

Originally Posted by MichiGator2002

Oh, I'm not purchasing anything until after I have done at the very least basic gun instruction, defensive training, etc -- every place seems to have their own curriculum they offer, obviously. In fact, if anyone knows a range with good instruction and ideally gun rental so I can try several options, in the Jacksonville area, I'd be all for it.

My position on the automatic is that I know I do want one, and therefore may buy one, but walk-before-we-run, and it would probably stay in its box, in a safe, until I've put several hundred rounds through it, as much as possible of which under instruction. I mean, the only point of this would be if myself and others would be safer for me having a gun, not in more danger.

As for a revolver, I have actually shot a .38 a few times before, but it's been years. That's the sort of thing I know I could refamiliarize myself with in fairly short order and rely on or even carry pretty quickly.

In a perfect world, I'd like to buy two guns, a revolver and an automatic, both suitable for personal/home defense and reasonably concealable for a big guy. The trick would be finding suitable quality and be out the door with both for $1000-$1200.

Good plan, but also having a longer ranged weapon like a 12 ga shotgun or a rifle (various calibers), gives you options, depending on where you live. I think everyone should own a shotgun for sheer stopping power.

[brainstorm]

If you're only going to purchase one gun and have no plans to conceal carry then you'll want to stay with a larger handgun. They are easier to shoot.

Revolvers. They can be a good choice and you don't have to worry about jams. If the round doesn't fire then just pull the trigger again. I think a .357 is the best option since the .38 is pretty inept as a round. The Ruger GP100 and the Taurus 608 are good choices. The Smith and Wesson models are good as well but cost a good bit more.

To me, the big downside is the limitation in the number of rounds. Usually 6. While the experts will tell you that most gun fights in home defense situations are limited to a few shots that doesn't really make me feel comfortable.

Semi-automatics. There are numerous options. I like to start with the caliber first. I prefer the .45ACP for home defense situations. But, 9mm, .40S&W and .357SIG are good choices as well.


.45ACP

Many people say the 1911 is the best gun out there but they can be quite expensive. And they usually have 8 or less in a clip. Take a look at Dan Wesson, Remington, Colt, Kimber, Para Ordinance and Springfield.

For non-1911 .45 I prefer the Glock 21. Shoots great, handles recoil well and holds 13 in a clip. It is reasonably priced as well. Others to consider: Sig 220, FNP 45, Springfield XP.

9mm/.40S&W/.357SIG

The 9mm doesn't have the stopping power that other two have but is still a strong caliber. I prefer Glocks, like the 17 or 22. However, the Beretta ninety-two, CZ 75, SIG 229 and S&W M&P are good choices as well.

Ruger and Taurus are good names to remember. They make solid guns (semi-automatic and revolvers) at good prices.

I would recommend you go to a gun shop and hold some of the models to make sure they fit your hand properly.

[The_Graygator]

Originally Posted by brainstorm

If you're only going to purchase one gun and have no plans to conceal carry then you'll want to stay with a larger handgun. They are easier to shoot.

Revolvers. They can be a good choice and you don't have to worry about jams. If the round doesn't fire then just pull the trigger again. I think a .357 is the best option since the .38 is pretty inept as a round. The Ruger GP100 and the Taurus 608 are good choices. The Smith and Wesson models are good as well but cost a good bit more.

To me, the big downside is the limitation in the number of rounds. Usually 6. While the experts will tell you that most gun fights in home defense situations are limited to a few shots that doesn't really make me feel comfortable.

Semi-automatics. There are numerous options. I like to start with the caliber first. I prefer the .45ACP for home defense situations. But, 9mm, .40S&W and .357SIG are good choices as well.


.45ACP

Many people say the 1911 is the best gun out there but they can be quite expensive. And they usually have 8 or less in a clip. Take a look at Dan Wesson, Remington, Colt, Kimber, Para Ordinance and Springfield.

For non-1911 .45 I prefer the Glock 21. Shoots great, handles recoil well and holds 13 in a clip. It is reasonably priced as well. Others to consider: Sig 220, FNP 45, Springfield XP.

9mm/.40S&W/.357SIG

The 9mm doesn't have the stopping power that other two have but is still a strong caliber. I prefer Glocks, like the 17 or 22. However, the Beretta ninety-two, CZ 75, SIG 229 and S&W M&P are good choices as well.

Ruger and Taurus are good names to remember. They make solid guns (semi-automatic and revolvers) at good prices.

I would recommend you go to a gun shop and hold some of the models to make sure they fit your hand properly.

Totally disagree about .38 rounds.

I own a .357 magnum and fire a lot of .38 Special rounds through it (yes, 357's can fire .38 Special rounds), because they don't kick as much in shooting practice nor are they quaite as expensive.

Also, just a little advice on a round that doesn't fire. Once in a rare while, you'll get a bad round, but if you fire a round and you here a loud "pop!" from the gun but not the usually loud "bang!" discharge of the gun, DO NOT FIRE THE WEAPON AGAIN!

You most likely have a round stuck in the barrel, so keep the weapon pointed down range in front of you or at about 45 degrees down and wait for about 45 seconds to make sure the round is dead before inspecting the gun. You'dhave to take it to a gunsmith to let him clear the bad round becuse if you fired again, you could really have a result you wouldn't want.

[gator7_5]

Originally Posted by The_Graygator

Totally disagree about .38 rounds.

You'd be in the minority. Brain is absolutely correct. I plink with .38's. I wouldn't use them for home defense, and most knowledgable shooter wouldn't.

.357 all the way.

[The_Graygator]

Originally Posted by gator7_5

You'd be in the minority. Brain is absolutely correct. I plink with .38's. I wouldn't use them for home defense, and most knowledgable shooter wouldn't.

.357 all the way.

Who's minority? Your's? lol

And I didn't say I used .38 rounds for home defense. You just read that into my post. I use 357 JHP's for home defense.

Btw, you go tell the many (and I mean MANY) law enforcement and former military people I know who own 357's and use .38 special rounds on the gun range they're "not knowledgeable about shooting". You'd walk away feeling like a fool.

Btw, a .38 cal. isn't that far off from a 357 in stopping power, it just depends upon the type of ammunition you apply in each scenario to get the best results. Any knowledgeable shooter would know this.

[gator7_5]

Originally Posted by The_Graygator

Who's minority? Your's? lol

And I didn't say I used .38 rounds for home defense. You just read that into my post. I use 357 JHP's for home defense.

Btw, you go tell the many (and I mean MANY) law enforcement and former military people I know who own 357's and use .38 special rounds on the gun range they're "not knowledgeable about shooting". You'd walk away feeling like a fool.

Gray, re-read my post, and re-read Brain's as well. You're all over the place. You made a point to disagree with him, when he is absolutely correct. And I clearly made a point to say .38sp is what what I shoot through my .357 most often at the range.

Ad speaking relatively, the .38 is far off from a .357 as far as stopping power goes. You're friends with ALOT of officers, apparently. Do any of them carry .38's? Probably not. .40, 9mm, and .357 is the lilely answer.

That being said. Shot placement and practice counts more than any caliber.

[brainstorm]

The 12 GA shotgun is probably the best home defense weapon you can buy. If I had the $$$ I would buy the Benelli M4.

[MichiGator2002]

I am interested in concealed carry, it just isn't something I plan on doing immediately until my confidence was substantially higher. But I would want a gun suitable to it. The fee times I have held any pistol or revolver hand comfort has been... a concern. I just measured and my palm is about 4.5 inches wide, and most "concealed"/"carry"/"compact" labelled guns I see on the webs all seem to be about 5 inches tall give or take, so that makes me wonder if carry will even be plausible unless it is manageable to conceal a medium frame revolver or a full-size automatic.

I am single and have no kids, for whatever it is worth.