Gun Enthusiasts: Please advise

[Hayes30]

I've decided to purchase a handgun for home defense reasons. It's possible it will be used for concealed carry in the future (but it wouldn't be often), but compactness is not a big priority, as long as its not huge.

In a CCW situation (or even home defense for that matter) it would most likely be for my other half, so a gun that fits her hand, and is comfortable to shoot (no crazy recoil) is really the primary criteria. Price range, as you will see by the chosen options below is $400 - $500, base (not necessarily including accessories). I think I am targeting the .380/ 9mm/ .40 caliber range.

I am already a gun owner (.270 hunting rifle), but don't however know that much about handguns. My frame of reference is about 30 trigger pulls on a Springfield XDM 40, which I really like, but I think that might be 1.) a little more power than she would be comfortable with, and 2.) a bit out of my price range. Also, I would like to note that she will be taking a class(es) about handgun care, use, safety. I might enroll myself as well - not sure yet.

So, with no further ado, these are some options. Anyone have any experience with these models or makers? Another model I should consider that meets my criteria?

Gander Mountain® > CZ-USA CZ P-07 Duty Handgun with Tactical Light - Firearms > Handguns > Semi-Auto Pistols :

Gander Mountain® > Ruger SR40c Handgun - Firearms > Handguns > Semi-Auto Pistols :

Gander Mountain® > Walther PK380 Handgun - Firearms > Handguns > Semi-Auto Pistols :

Gander Mountain® > Ruger SR40 Handgun - Firearms > Handguns > Semi-Auto Pistols :

Gander Mountain® > European American Armory Witness Handgun - Firearms > Handguns > Semi-Auto Pistols :

Gander Mountain® > Ruger SR9c Handgun - Firearms > Handguns > Semi-Auto Pistols :

Gander Mountain® > Taurus Model 92 Handgun - Firearms > Handguns > Semi-Auto Pistols :

Gander Mountain® > Smith Wesson SD40 Handgun - Firearms > Handguns > Semi-Auto Pistols :

Gander Mountain® > Taurus Model PT-100 Handgun. - Firearms > Handguns > Semi-Auto Pistols :

FYI- my mind is made up, so please don't lecture me about getting a dog (we have one) or anything else. Also, I don't intend this to be a gun rights/ political thread - so create a new one in the cave if you want to rail on some aspect of that. Thanks in advance.

When im selling guns at the store for guys that have the same question as you I point them the the Glock 19, Springfield XDM 3.8 in 9mm, anything in the 380 ACP area, or a 38 special snub nosed Smith and Wessons. I would not get a 40 S&W if your wife will be shooting it to much because the muzzle flip may be to much for her but in a self defense situation her adrenalin will be pumping so hard she will not even feel the gun going off so I guess that may not be as bad. You could also get a 357 Mag revolver because it is able to shoot the less hot 38 Special rounds for the range and you can still use the 357 Mag for protection. One other thing the term knock down power is myth and there IS NO KNOCK DOWN POWER. If a caliber had the power to knock a man off his feet it would also have the power to knock the shooter off their feet too it is science man.

 

[JBone84]

When im selling guns at the store for guys that have the same question as you I point them the the Glock 19, Springfield XDM 3.8 in 9mm, anything in the 380 ACP area, or a 38 special snub nosed Smith and Wessons. I would not get a 40 S&W if your wife will be shooting it to much because the muzzle flip may be to much for her but in a self defense situation her adrenalin will be pumping so hard she will not even feel the gun going off so I guess that may not be as bad. You could also get a 357 Mag revolver because it is able to shoot the less hot 38 Special rounds for the range and you can still use the 357 Mag for protection. One other thing the term knock down power is myth and there IS NO KNOCK DOWN POWER. If a caliber had the power to knock a man off his feet it would also have the power to knock the shooter off their feet too it is science man.

Welcome to the thread. Good information. I agree that "knock down power" is a myth. Shot placement is the answer - you've got to be either good or lucky and get penetration where you need it (TWSS?). I remember reading a statistic that the .22 has killed the most people of all handgun rounds.

 

[CtownCyclone]

Welcome to the thread. Good information. I agree that "knock down power" is a myth. Shot placement is the answer - you've got to be either good or lucky and get penetration where you need it (TWSS?). I remember reading a statistic that the .22 has killed the most people of all handgun rounds.

Reagan laughs at a mere .22 round!

 

[herbicide]

Welcome to the thread. Good information. I agree that "knock down power" is a myth. Shot placement is the answer - you've got to be either good or lucky and get penetration where you need it (TWSS?). I remember reading a statistic that the .22 has killed the most people of all handgun rounds.

There is all kinds of data out there from the FBI on this, the most "one shot stops" comes from .357mag, and I think .45ACP is a virtual tie.

"One stop shot" = the target ceases their attack after one shot (not one hit, but one shot) It does not necessarily equate to deaths.

Also, in regards to magazine springs, a few years back I shot a Luger pistol that had been loaded since the 1940's. Went bang every time. The risk with long term storage has more to do with foreign material (dirt, pocket lint) or if there is oil/grease that hardens gums up the works.

 

[JBone84]

Reagan laughs at a mere .22 round!

Some men are too awesome to succumb to a .22.

 

[Tailg8er]

Maybe this warrants a new thread, but where do you Des Moines guys go to shoot? Any nearby public ranges you'd recommend?

I just got my first handgun a few months ago & since then I've only been to the Olofson (sp) range, which iirc is in Polk City. It seemed like a decent place to pop off some rounds, but it'd be awesome if there was somewhere closer to home.

 

[ISUAgronomist]

Some men are too awesome to succumb to a .22.

My next purchase. "Cheap" fun. Happy 5th anniversary to me (from the wife).

 

[JBone84]

Reagan laughs at a mere .22 round!

Some men are too awesome to succumb to a .22.

My next purchase. "Cheap" fun. Happy 5th anniversary to me (from the wife).

I was trying to say that Reagan was invicible to a mere .22, but quoted, it kind of looks like I was saying .22 isn't manly. Actually, I think .22 is the best way to learn how to shoot well! Plus, as ISUAgronomist notes, "cheap" fun.

I can't wait until I can buy my oldest daughter her first .22. What are you guys thinking would be appropriate, age-wise? I am thinking 6. We may skip the air rifle stage.

 

[Cyclophile1]

I was trying to say that Reagan was invicible to a mere .22, but quoted, it kind of looks like I was saying .22 isn't manly. Actually, I think .22 is the best way to learn how to shoot well! Plus, as ISUAgronomist notes, "cheap" fun.

I can't wait until I can buy my oldest daughter her first .22. What are you guys thinking would be appropriate, age-wise? I am thinking 6. We may skip the air rifle stage.

Excalty. Every serious shooter has AT least one .22 rifle and handgun in his arsenal. To say it's unmanly is moronic - there isn't arguably a better choice for keeping your shooter's eye and touch current for a reasonable cost. I don't know any shooter that would argue against that except for, perhaps, a tiny proportion of shooters who are LE, military and professionals who do not have to resource their own ammunition.

I had my seven year old out plinking last weekend with the .22 rifle and she had a great time with me, the wifey and the boy. I start them on the rifle and them move them to handgun personally, but folks have different approaches on gun safety and kids and that's fine. You have to feel comfortable with your skills and your program as the instructor - trust your gut and err on the side of safe as opposed to risky.

Cheers

 

[Sparkplug]

How about this one -



I have been to Banner (just North of Indianola) and Polk City and I like Polk City the best.

 

[JBone84]

Excalty. Every serious shooter has AT least one .22 rifle and handgun in his arsenal. To say it's unmanly is moronic - there isn't arguably a better choice for keeping your shooter's eye and touch current for a reasonable cost. I don't know any shooter that would argue against that except for, perhaps, a tiny proportion of shooters who are LE, military and professionals who do not have to resource their own ammunition.

I had my seven year old out plinking last weekend with the .22 rifle and she had a great time with me, the wifey and the boy. I start them on the rifle and them move them to handgun personally, but folks have different approaches on gun safety and kids and that's fine. You have to feel comfortable with your skills and your program as the instructor - trust your gut and err on the side of safe as opposed to risky.

Cheers

Yep - I am thinking start with .22 rifle and then move to .22 handgun. No better way to teach safety than to start young, IMHO.

 

[JBone84]

How about this one -



I have been to Banner (just North of Indianola) and Polk City and I like Polk City the best.

Well, I like Sig, but that one may be a little too bedazzled for my taste. When I buy her her own gun, I will let her pick it out (within a few boundaries!).

 

[HititHard]

I am really glad you went to the range before making the purchase. That is the only way to decide.

Just a few thoughts on home defense. Most encounters are going to occur at very close range (less than 10 yards) so ballistics become a lot less important than reliability and comfort. I am personally a huge fan of the 2" barrel .38 loaded with Federal Personal Defense low recoil 110 gr JHP. I have a number of those stashed around the house so that I am never much more than arms length from one.

The second home defense weapon I really like is my Benelli M4. Since it is semi auto the recoil is much lower than the 870 and it has the ghost ring tritium sights which make target acquisition a breeze. I know it is a bit higher end weapon than has been discussed here but it is worth every penny. I just hope mine doesn't get sold for what I said I paid for it after I'm gone.

For concealed carry the best weapon is the one you have when you need it. So comfort and ease of carry is one of the the biggest concerns. For that reason the 2" 38 double action hammerless is a favorite of mine but I also have a North American 22 Magnum I carry in my pocket and no matter what I am wearing or where I am I can conceal it easily.

 

[BryceC]

Shotguns aren't terrible, but there is operator error (they can jam when under stress and the operator doesn't pull the pump all the way back) and your spread indoors isn't going to be much larger than a rifle. This isn't Call of Duty, the spreads are very small within 20 feet.

 

[Cyfan4good]

Here's a story for you about the best self defense caliber:

My personal favorite defense gun has always been a Beretta Jetfire in 22 short. I have carried it for many years including while hiking. I never leave without it in my pocket. Of course the first rule when hiking in the wilderness is to use the "Buddy System". This means you NEVER hike alone, you bring a friend, companion or even an in-law because if something happens there is someone to go get help.I remember one time while hiking with my brother-in-law in northern Alberta. Out of nowhere came this huge brown bear charging us and was she mad. We must have been near one of her cubs.Anyway, if I had not had my little Jetfire I would not be here today. Just one shot to my brother-in-law's knee cap and I was able to escape by just walking at a brisk pace.

 

[HititHard]

Shotguns aren't terrible, but there is operator error (they can jam when under stress and the operator doesn't pull the pump all the way back) and your spread indoors isn't going to be much larger than a rifle. This isn't Call of Duty, the spreads are very small within 20 feet.

I don't know what call of duty is but your point about operator error is another good reason to consider the M4 or something like it instead of a pump. Also your point about spread is true and target acquisition is important thus ghost ring sights. Your duck gun isn't what you want for personal defense.

If the SHTF and I had could only take one weapon it would be the shotgun.

 

[MnCYFAN]

I have a Springfield xd subcompact 40 and it is an awesome handgun with little recoil. My son shoots it and he weighs 88 lbs. Best pistol I have owned for conceal and carry and shooting. My buddy likes his Glock 27 but I prefer my gun better because it feels better in my hand for shooting. You can can get a great deal online at xdpistols.com without paying the sales tax. This is where I got mine.

 

[BoxsterCy]

First I am going to agree that number of cycles will effect the life of a spring.

There are a lot of opinions floating around on this subject. The two sources that I go by and trust are an army armorer and an individual who use to compete nationally. I hope you are going on something more then Hooke's law and an engineer's belief that theory trumps reality.

There are reasons why the army unloads and rotates ready mags every two weeks. Cleaning, inspection, changing load order of ammo, and spring wear (set) are the ones most often quoted.

Not all magazines are created equally. The quality and design of the magazine has a major impact on how susceptible it is to these types of failures.

Magazines will wear out and need to be replaced. If you are shooting/cleaning/inspecting a weapon regularly then you will know when it is getting close to that time.

Put it in a gun safe and ignore it for a couple years and it may not perform when needed.

So you are telling me the 85 year old Deutsche-Werke 7.65 I have in my dresser drawer, that I haven't shot in 15 years, might not just pop off for me if needed?

Good back story on the 7.65. My dad got it to pay off a poker game debt. It spent WWII in the pocket of my dad’s fatigue jacket and was at Normandy and the Battle of the Bulge. BTW, if you think that it’s old, it’s backup is a 1898 .38 Colt auto which was my great-grandfathers (like a 1911 .45 but it’s .38). It’s in awesome shape since it didn’t bounce around Europe during WWII. Might have to start a thread on “Post Pictures of Your Really Old, Favorite or Sentimental Firearmsâ€.

 

[BryceC]

I don't know what call of duty is but your point about operator error is another good reason to consider the M4 or something like it instead of a pump. Also your point about spread is true and target acquisition is important thus ghost ring sights. Your duck gun isn't what you want for personal defense.

If the SHTF and I had could only take one weapon it would be the shotgun.

Call of Duty is a video game where spreads are like 3 feet wide at 10 feet away. It's an exaggeration that is a gameplay device and it makes sense in scope of the game but isn't accurate in real life. But there is the perception that there will be big spreads with a shotgun. While there are spreads if you're shooting in your house that isn't going to come into play.

And I agree with you. I'd take a shotgun over anything and I'm more interested in buying long guns than pistols, although I do like shooting them a lot. I'd love a Benelli. My dad has one and it's a really fun gun. That said I know myself well enough to know I don't want a gun in the house for self defense, because I'd be freaking out and be liable to shoot somebody I don't mean to. I've got a long crowbar in my room and that will just about do it for me. Fully support anybody going the firearm method though.

 

[madcityCY]

So you are telling me the 85 year old Deutsche-Werke 7.65 I have in my dresser drawer, that I haven't shot in 15 years, might not just pop off for me if needed?

Good back story on the 7.65. My dad got it to pay off a poker game debt. It spent WWII in the pocket of my dad’s fatigue jacket and was at Normandy and the Battle of the Bulge. BTW, if you think that it’s old, it’s backup is a 1898 .38 Colt auto which was my great-grandfathers (like a 1911 .45 but it’s .38). It’s in awesome shape since it didn’t bounce around Europe during WWII. Might have to start a thread on “Post Pictures of Your Really Old, Favorite or Sentimental Firearmsâ€.

That could be a cool thread.