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okay, so i would like to purchase a nice handgun for the house for protection, especially when i am deployed. anyways, i know i want a large caliber, like a .45, for stopping power. what are good brands?
i really like my mom's 9mm Glock, but in the meantime, i want something that can be fired.......one shot, enemy down. i know a .45 should do it, so what is nice? i also don't want to drop a fortune.
jim
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Originally Posted by illjim69
Wonder if the Cowboys will be in the top 5 teams again this year?
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Originally Posted by PRuane
Easily top 5, fighting for the #1 spot will probably be more likely.
I take it the gun is for your wife then (since you mentioned while deployed)?
If so, take her to a gun shop and let her try a few out. Many women may have difficulty managing the slide assembly & weight of a large caliber handgun. It was for that reason, my wife carries a revolver.
BTW, as for stopping power, that has just as much to do with the type of ammo selected as the size. A 9mm easily has one shot stopping power. Shooter mod here is most important.
Your best bet is to go to a range and rent some guns to try out.
I shot a few when I was deciding, and came the conclusion I'm a SIG man.
My Pops has a Springfield Armory XD, and it's a really nice gun.
I just don't prefer the feel of it.
There's a ton of shooters on this forum, they should be able to offer you a variety of opinions.
+1 billion.
Lots of guns look cool and sound cool on paper, but you'll only really know if or when you "test drive" them (whether it's for you or your wife).
I like Sigs. My buddy's an HK man. Still another is a Glock guy.
If you want lightweight, small/compact .45s, Para Ordnance makes a whole line of them ( www.paraord.com ). But then again, so do a lot of other gun manufacturers. Para's advantage is in capacity for .45s: 14 in the mag, 1 in the chamber.
i don't know why people always assume that handguns are the best for home protection... in reality, they have many pitfalls as a home protection weapon...
1 - you have to aim them...hard to do in the dark of night with any type of accuracy unless you have tritium night sights and great skill... (please don't say "use a laser sight" as these are crap and only tend to give away your posistion...tactically, they = teh suck)
2 - even smaller calibre handguns have the ability to penetrate indoor walls... this is not good if you have children or loved ones sleeping in other rooms... missing the assailant and hitting your child lying in their crib FTL...
in all of my dealings with tactical weapons and indoor scenarios, i've come to one conclusion... by far, the best choice of weaponry is a legal length sawed-off shotgun (gauge unimportant) loaded with 2 3/4" (3" unnecessary) bird shot... at close range it has tremendous stopping power (much more so than any handgun) and at further ranges, it spreads out and becomes somewhat innocuous (lesser danger to the sleeping children)...
my suggestion is a Remington 870, cut, with Choate pistol grip stock (not plain pistol grip as this can do damage to the wrists of women and puny men) and lighted forearm... the flashlight in the forearm will give you the advantage of illuminating your surroundings and assailant while blinding him/her/it...
for the lazy people who don't want to "pump" their rounds into the would-be robber...go for the Remington 1100 or 11-87...
i don't know why people always assume that handguns are the best for home protection... in reality, they have many pitfalls as a home protection weapon...
1 - you have to aim them...hard to do in the dark of night with any type of accuracy unless you have tritium night sights and great skill... (please don't say "use a laser sight" as these are crap and only tend to give away your posistion...tactically, they = teh suck)
In a firefight, you wont be aiming any handgun at close range. It will be a point and shoot scenario if you plan on winning. Unless you are at range, you wouldn't want to waste time acquiring sight alignment.
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2 - even smaller calibre handguns have the ability to penetrate indoor walls... this is not good if you have children or loved ones sleeping in other rooms... missing the assailant and hitting your child lying in their crib FTL...
Buckshot penetrates drywall just as easily, birdshot less so but can still go thru. I do tend to favor a shotgun over a handgun for pure home defense though.
yeah, it can be full of sand, but it's accuracy SUCKS! and trust me, i have qualified Expert with everything in the Army's arsenal from the M9 (9mm), M16, M4........M2 (.50 cal machine gun) to the damn MK19 (auto grenade launcher). AK47, AK74.......they all are lame. they are GREAT guns for lazy people........in the meantime, i take care of my firearms........no issues.
thanks for the replies all. guess i gotta take the wife out to shoot soon......
jim
__________________
Quote:
Originally Posted by illjim69
Wonder if the Cowboys will be in the top 5 teams again this year?
Quote:
Originally Posted by PRuane
Easily top 5, fighting for the #1 spot will probably be more likely.
Another vote for a trip to the range that rents firearms. If it is for your wife while you're gone many will suggest a revolver for they are fairly idiot proof when under stress. I don't like revolvers though so I won't comment on them.
As for calibers and stopping power I'm not going to beat that dead horse. That being said I have handled and fired virtually any semi auto handgun out there in all calibers. The .45acp isn't "that" bad as far as recoil goes. In any gun I've fired the .45 in it always feels like it's a simple push straight back as far as recoil goes. A +p+ 9mm, .40S&W and .357Sig always seem to have more "snap" that drives the wrists in an upwards direction. Just what I've experienced so take it with a grain of salt.
A nice .45 does look good on the night stand though
my suggestion is a Remington 870, cut, with Choate pistol grip stock (not plain pistol grip as this can do damage to the wrists of women and puny men) and lighted forearm... the flashlight in the forearm will give you the advantage of illuminating your surroundings and assailant while blinding him/her/it...
That's good!
Well, if we're talking about wussy guys (or delicate women), they'd just poo-poo the shotgun from the get-go because they'd fear the recoil. Having fired them, I don't think they're that bad, but I can't account for the opinions of others.
yeah, it can be full of sand, but it's accuracy SUCKS! and trust me, i have qualified Expert with everything in the Army's arsenal from the M9 (9mm), M16, M4........M2 (.50 cal machine gun) to the damn MK19 (auto grenade launcher). AK47, AK74.......they all are lame. they are GREAT guns for lazy people........in the meantime, i take care of my firearms........no issues.
thanks for the replies all. guess i gotta take the wife out to shoot soon......
jim
1st thing that came to mind ...then i get a grenade launcher
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Originally Posted by DavesZ#3
Look at the bright side - she had a good poop - it's stretched and empty - PIITB.
Shotgun is definitely one of the best weapons you might want in a home defense situation like stormcrow is saying.
As others are saying don't give up on smaller caliber weapon.
There are a lot of things to think about besides just the weapon you will be using. I would strongly suggest you attend a self/home defense course with a professional in your area. Some will say handguns, some shotguns. Some say light on gun, others will say no. Some yes on laser sights, others no.
Just get knowledgeable about the situation first.
BTW the guns listed, Sig, Glock, H&K........all first class guns. You won't go wrong by choosing any of them as well as the Remington 700. Personally while I love the 45 ACP, the issue of volume of fire is also one that needs to be considered, and that usually means a higher capacity gun w/9 mm.
In a firefight, you wont be aiming any handgun at close range. It will be a point and shot scenario if you plan on winning.
Buckshot penetrates drywall just as easily, birdshot less so but can still go thru. I do tend to favor a shotgun over a handgun for pure home defense though.
incorrect, sir... pointing and shooting are what thugs and ill-trained people do... and they never hit anything but walls and innocent bystanders... true marksmen ALWAYS aim... but, their aim is pretty much inherent as they line up the sights by muscle memory and not thought process... that said, they're still utilizing their sights and aiming... i've done combat/tactical training and matches since i was a kid...and never once was i told to just "point and shoot"...even at close range... from 3 yards to 25 yards...the sights are all you ever focus on...the target is secondary...
and i didn't mention buckshot...anyone who'd consider buckshot for home defense doesn't know it's penetration power... better yet, why not just throw a slug into your argument?
incorrect, sir... pointing and shooting are what thugs and ill-trained people do... and they never hit anything but walls and innocent bystanders... true marksmen ALWAYS aim... but, their aim is pretty much inherent as they line up the sights by muscle memory and not thought process... that said, they're still utilizing their sights and aiming... i've done combat/tactical training and matches since i was a kid...and never once was i told to just "point and shoot"...even at close range... from 3 yards to 25 yards...the sights are all you ever focus on...the target is secondary...
and i didn't mention buckshot...anyone who'd consider buckshot for home defense doesn't know it's penetration power... better yet, why not just throw a slug into your argument?
FYI, HDPD350Z has indicated previously that he is law enforcement......
incorrect, sir... pointing and shooting are what thugs and ill-trained people do... and they never hit anything but walls and innocent bystanders... true marksmen ALWAYS aim... but, their aim is pretty much inherent as they line up the sights by muscle memory and not thought process... that said, they're still utilizing their sights and aiming... i've done combat/tactical training and matches since i was a kid...and never once was i told to just "point and shoot"...even at close range... from 3 yards to 25 yards...the sights are all you ever focus on...the target is secondary...
If we are going to mention pedigrees, then I'll mention mine. Combat military experience & 18 years law enforcement (currently on the react team for my department). Most small arms (pistols) firefights are within a range of seven feet. Old school was draw weapon, get nice sight alignment and fire. New training methods are get the gun out, point in direction of your target and shoot. A good sight alignment is not needed for distances within 15 feet and because of that reason, our department quit training that way. I shoot hundreds of rounds a month thru the weapons I'm assigned and feel I'm quite proficient in the operation of them and consistently score very high.
A person can accurately fire at close range without the need for a sight alignment/sight picture. As you even mentioned yourself, muscle memory is key here. Accurate fire can even be done from the hip at 7 feet & closer. If a homeowner was to get into a firefight defending his/her premises, how far apart from the suspect do you think they will be? You only need sight alignment at range.
GUNS!!!!!!!! what to pick?
...then i get a grenade launcher 
