Handguns for Home Protection

I'm thinking of getting one for home protection. I'd like one that I could use as well as my wife. I didn't grow up around guns and have never owned one. I've been hesitant because of our kids and such.

However, I feel that in today's crazy times I better get one and learn how to use it. A house 5 doors down from us had a peeping tom the other night. The person was looking through windows, trying to get into the garage, and ringing the doorbell at 1 am. They caught him on security camera. All that being said to mention I think now is the time to get some protection and not be a sitting duck if someone breaks in.

What do you recommend as a first timer handgun? I absolutely have no clue.

Thanks in advance!

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Comments

Stubble

Is there a range near you that rents firearms for use at the range? That way you both can get a feel for it. There is not a "one size fits all". The only recommendation that I usually give is get the largest caliber you/she is comfortable and capable with.

johnnyB

Get a shotgun to start,great home defender imo.
But if you're stuck on a hand gun I would look into a revolver. Simple to use and clean.

90+_Irishman

The biggest thing is to find something that fits your hand and you are comfortable with, there is no place or room to be afraid of your gun. Respect is a different story but don't be afraid of it that leads to danger. If you are looking purely for home defense and reliability I might suggest a Glock .40 or .45 caliber. Glocks are indestructible and reliable as they come and the larger caliber has better stopping power and less likely to penetrate walls like a 9mm and go into the yard, or neighbors house etc.

Just my two cents but that's what I would say. I have a Taurus .45 Millennium that I absolutely love and serves me faithfully with a laser sight and custom holster.

Brett

LiquidChaos66

My first handgun was a Smith & Wesson .38 Special Body Guard Snub Nose. Great little gun and easy to use. The trigger pull is a bit stiff but the Body Guard was a great piece. I felt it was fairly easy to handle, it had the laser site on it and it was hammerless. the grips on it were small and comfortable for both my wife and I. She is a pianist and I am a fat man. LOL All pros in my book. It really isn't much of one to take out shooting though. It made my hand sore. lol Honestly a great gun.

I currently own a Ruger LCP 380 Custom. GREAT GUN!!!!! super comfortable, smooth trigger pull and a decent little gun. I have yet to fire it but it is nice and compact. Comfortable in my hands and the wifes hands. Simple to handle and simple to understand.

I would recommend either one.

avengethis

Either a shotgun or you need to go shoot and hold a handgun to find what's comfortable in your hand. If it's not comfortable and fun to shoot you won't be interested in learning how to shoot properly.

Some guidelines would be to look for something with night sights, probably a 9mm as that is a very easy to shoot round, cheap to practice with. I have a safe next to my bed with 2 - 9mm and a .380.

My favorites that I like are my Sig Sauer p320, Springfield Xd or Xd, Smith & Wesson M&P or Glock 41

Jay6

I would definitely say go with a 9mm, as it provides the best combination of effectiveness and ease of shooting. Especially with new ammo technology, the performance of the 9mm performs right with the .40 and .45 on all FBI tests. For personal protection rounds I would recommend the Speer Gold Dot or Federal Hydrashock.

Now talking about what gun to get, that is a tougher answer as everyone is different. Keep in mind that the smaller (and lighter) the gun the more recoil you will feel. If you are looking for something just for in the home, I would say choose the largest gun that feels comfortable to hold as it will be softer shooting. If you are also looking to potentially carry it concealed, you will need to find a happy medium between size and ease of concealment. My rule of thumb there is get the largest handgun you can conceal and carry comfortably.

Now I will give you my recommendation on a gun, but I want to preface this with the fact that I am a Glock fan. For something small and easy to conceal, the new Glock 43 is an excellent choice. If size is not a problem (for a house gun) I would recommend the Glock 19 or Glock 17. Two of the most reliable self defense weapons made IMHO.

Good luck and congrats on the decision to become an active participant in your self protection. I am more than happy to answer any other questions you may have.

Dark_Roast

I am anti gun. Yes I know I will receive a lot of crap on this post. But what the ****. I have always tried to live in a somewhat safe surrounding and my two Golden Retrievers will bark like maniacs if anything comes within 100 feet of my current house perimeter. Whatever upsets them which is usually the pain in the ass fox or deer is not worth pulling out a gun and "Offing." I am not a Suburb only living person. I used to live in Washington DC, albeit a relatively safe neighborhood but never felt it necessary to arm myself. I have walked thru some of the most ungodly DC streets and came out unscathed. There was a time an unsavory individual walked up to me in a seriously bad neighborhood and said "What the **** you doing in this neighborhood?" I was in a bad part of DC visiting a coworker. And I said "I was hanging with "TC" and he said "OK" and I walked to my car and went home. Sometimes it is not what you know but who. I have always tried to respect all individuals that enter my path, whether it be opening doors for women or the aged or politely slightly lowering my head in a mutual respective non communicative hello to a by passer. Now I know there are many stories where a firearm helped save an individuals life, but I bet there are just as many stories where a firearm has taken away an innocent life. Take for instance the father shooting at a gun range and the spent shell bounced off a wall and landed in his shirt collar. He instinctively reaches back with gun in hand and tried to retrieve the shell. While doing so he accidentally fires his pistol right into his son who was standing behind him. His son died. The remorse of a lifetime will not bring back his beautiful son. Go ahead beat up on me. I can take it. I am just so tired of so many lives being innocently erased from their family tree and from this Earth it makes me cry.

Dark Roast

Usaf06

^^^ better to have it and not need it than need and not have it ^^^

Jay6

Hey, I for one respect your opinion even though it greatly differs from mine. I also respect your decision not to own a firearm.I would even enjoy discussing the issue as I find healthy debate to be important in life.

That being said, I hope you would still offer the same courtesy and respect someone else's constitutionally protected right to own a firearm.

0patience

As was said, if there is a good range near you, I would suggest spending some time there, trying different guns they have. Find one that is comfortable for you and more importantly, one that you can shoot accurately.

BEFORE you buy any gun, know what you can shoot.
Buying a big ass pistol, because it looks cool won't be worth a damn if you can hit anything with it.

I grew up with revolvers, so that is my preference.
The kick is different between revolvers and slide action pistols, so be aware of that.

And go to the range fairly often. Use it at the range. The more you use it, the more familiar you will be with it, because in the time of need, you don't want to be fumbling with it, trying to make it work. And KNOW WHERE THE SAFTEY IS.

As for being anti-gun.
There is not wanting to have a gun, which I don't consider anti-gun and not wanting anyone to have a gun. That is anti-gun.
There is nothing wrong with not wanting to have a gun.

Stubble

@jay6; Have you received the newsletter yet? PM me your address, I'll get the latest edition to you.

Rolanddeschain

A shotgun for home defense IMO is your best option to start with. Get a handgun and practice, practice, practice but I'd never be without my 12ga at home.

MikeTodd

As a shooter (I have taken several classes and shot a lot), I would find a local range, take the NRA Pistol 1 course and shoot as many handguns as you can. I am also a glock fan. The Glock 19 is a great home defense gun and what I use/train with. I own many pistols from .22-.45acp and the G19 is my go to.

MikeTodd

But in the end, just buying a gun is only the first step. Takena class, train with a purpose (other than just putting rounds in a dirt hill) and have the mindset that you will do whatever it takes to defend you and yours. Mindset is 80% of self defense. If you can find a local place that gives force on force training, take that as well.
AND LEARN YOUR LOCAL LAWS IN REGARDS TO CASTLE DOCTRINE AND DUTY TO RETREAT/NO DUTY TO RETREAT!
I would rather be judged by 12 than carried by 6.

Amos_Umwhat

Morgan, when I married my wife she'd never shot a gun. Got a "Lady" Rossi .38, 5 shot revolver. Big enough to do the job, small enough to handle. I don't encourage her to use it, though, as I finally realized that her pulling out a gun will only give an attacker a gun.

Me? I'm a different story.

Congratulations, @Dark_Roast on your extreme good luck. Once you've spent a little time curled up in a ball on the ground while 6 guys kick you until their feet get tired, just because of the color of your skin and the neighborhood you're in, you might change your opinion.

But, of course, anti-gun legislation works wonders, I guess. That's why there have been NO gun murders in Chicago in the last 10 years, right?

Well, except for >3,700 people who were shot.

silvermouse

more power to y'all. I personally would be a bad choice, don't have the heart to kill anyone so would likely be disarmed and shot.

Albinfk

My wife owns a retail store in the country that sells gardening and pet supplies as well as a small ice cream stand. Her store was robbed by a guy needing drug money . He was caught because of DNA evidence. She has since taken shooting lessons, has a permit and just bought a Heckler and Koch JP9 pistol recommended by her instructor. She at least has a chance now in this messed up world. I do respect others stand on guns but this was our decision granted us by the Constitution .

peter4jc

Some of you know of the home-invasion event I went through in Nov. '10... at the time I had no handguns, and am glad, as that's one of the things the 3 perps were wanting to steal. It took about a year to sort through whether or not I wanted to arm myself, and one of the considerations was what Edward @silvermouse alluded to; could I actually shoot to kill? (maim someone and you'll have a lawsuit; don't stop the threat and you're open to them killing you; kill them and live with that the reast of your life).

So I ended up buying a Kimber 1911, thinking the .45ACP is great round, and the alloy frame would be lighter than steel, and the bobbed grip wouldn't print so it'd make both a good carry and home defense handgun (it has night sights and laser grips. But then I was advised that I might want something with more capacity; 8 rounds against multiple attackers, and adrenaline-induced inaccuracy, might not cut it unless a person's highly trained and can reload quickly. So I ended up buying a 9mm 15+1 Walther.

Of course, just like cigars, it didn't stop there... we always 'need' more, don't we? I have a few more that are hidden around the house, so they're available should the need arise. The advantage is that there are no children in my home or grandkids visiting, which is a huge consideration.

avengethis

Agreed Peter. My guns are all locked up in safes and then my non self defense handguns also have locks on them as well as all long guns. My kids know not to mess with them but are also being taught how to properly handle safely.

MorganGeo

I appreciate all the comments and suggestions guys. Gives me some things to think about.

Hrycaj

I also never grew up with Guns but entered a career involving them so to share a bit of my experience-

1. Regardless of gun, Get some education. In Colorado, at least, there are no permitting requirements to possess a gun in your house or car since it's an extension of your home. Still there are so many more things to gun ownership/ personal protection use than people usually know about or research. Some of what Peter talked about is what I mean - that your pull of the trigger will be scrutinized by yourself, police, prosecutors, civil lawyers etc. A GOOD concealed carry class will address many of those things.

2. Research and explore a variety of calibers, manufacturers, and systems (double action only, double single, hammer less or hammered revolver, etc). There are a lot of differences, pros and cons, and reasons to personally prefer one or the other. Don't be scared to change if you're not happy after an actual purchase.

3. Practice/ visualize- having the gun does no good if you can't stay calm enough to use it well

Bigshizza

Dark_Roast said:

I am anti gun. Yes I know I will receive a lot of crap on this post. But what the ****. I have always tried to live in a somewhat safe surrounding and my two Golden Retrievers will bark like maniacs if anything comes within 100 feet of my current house perimeter. Whatever upsets them which is usually the pain in the ass fox or deer is not worth pulling out a gun and "Offing." I am not a Suburb only living person. I used to live in Washington DC, albeit a relatively safe neighborhood but never felt it necessary to arm myself. I have walked thru some of the most ungodly DC streets and came out unscathed. There was a time an unsavory individual walked up to me in a seriously bad neighborhood and said "What the **** you doing in this neighborhood?" I was in a bad part of DC visiting a coworker. And I said "I was hanging with "TC" and he said "OK" and I walked to my car and went home. Sometimes it is not what you know but who. I have always tried to respect all individuals that enter my path, whether it be opening doors for women or the aged or politely slightly lowering my head in a mutual respective non communicative hello to a by passer. Now I know there are many stories where a firearm helped save an individuals life, but I bet there are just as many stories where a firearm has taken away an innocent life. Take for instance the father shooting at a gun range and the spent shell bounced off a wall and landed in his shirt collar. He instinctively reaches back with gun in hand and tried to retrieve the shell. While doing so he accidentally fires his pistol right into his son who was standing behind him. His son died. The remorse of a lifetime will not bring back his beautiful son. Go ahead beat up on me. I can take it. I am just so tired of so many lives being innocently erased from their family tree and from this Earth it makes me cry.

Dark Roast

I guess I have a death wish but I've had guns pulled on me twice and didn't move (shoplifting). I continued to yell at them--didn't care. Thieves were stealing from my bonus.. How I felt. I'm with Dark Roast.. My wife a gun is scarier than any bad guy!

dirtdude

I have guns and believe they should be available if a guy feels he needs them. Do I use them for home defense, no they are locked in a safe. Live in a relatively safe area, biggest threat is my son and his druggie friends, do I want to kill them, well I guess not. When I lived on the edge of the desert in a 5th wheel there was somebody trying to get in the trailer at 2am, with the 357 cocked and loaded I swung the door open and was 1/16th of an inch away from blowing the neighbor lady's face off. She had come over to feed the cat while we were gone, trouble is we weren't gone, she was heavily medicated by her doc so not always rational. A good reason to lose your face? Made me do some thinking about the things that would cause me to use a gun on a fellow human.

CharlieHeis

Usaf06 said:

^^^ better to have it and not need it than need and not have it ^^^

Yep. I have a gun that I bought for home defense. Not sure if I could shoot someone, but if the shizz hits the fan then I guess the guy at the other end of the gun and I will find out together.

matkn293

Pistols are like cigars in that they are subjective. Definitely try some out before you buy. It costs a pretty penny to buy one and if you don't like it you are most likely stuck. I have a Ruger LC9. It is locked in a safe in the closet. Not the easiest to get to but with a 6 year old, that's the way it goes. I also have a dog that will scare anyone away with his bark (luckily, because he will just sniff you a$$ most likely). I have other lolong guns that are hidden in the house that are for hunting.

Bat-masterson

Home protection other then 160lb mastiffs. 2 short barrel shotguns hidden, couple handguns. Really a lot more but til i get the new massive safe i ordered 10 weeks ago they will be hidden since the safe i have now is full. Its a nice problem to have.

Jay6

I have that same problem Bat, every time I go to the range its like Sophie's Choice

MikeTodd

Bat-masterson said:

Home protection other then 160lb mastiffs. 2 short barrel shotguns hidden, couple handguns. Really a lot more but til i get the new massive safe i ordered 10 weeks ago they will be hidden since the safe i have now is full. Its a nice problem to have.

Which platform did you use for your SBS? Did you form 1 it or buy it from a manufacturer on a form 4? I have been looking into doing one since they are now legal in Indiana.

Bat-masterson

http://www.serbu.com/super-shorty-aow-shotgun-12-gauge.html

Bat-masterson

Was at the sheriffs today getting 6 fingerprint cards done, so i can turn in 3 more form 1's to build 3 more lowers i have into SBR's. Nice the sheriff does not charge for finger printing.