Buying 3 firearms - tell me where I'm wrong

[BlackHills]

I think pistols make less of a mess when practicing at the range.

Huh? Can you explain that one to me?

 

[Jedi_Knife]

Jedi_Knife, did you bother to read Keith's first post?

He said he was going to replace some guns he sold years ago.


Also, you should learn the proper meaning for the word "pistol":



Meh is right...

I knew I was going to offend some revolver aficionados out there!
It looks to me that Keith's post indicated he was going to buy the revolver.
Although often the terms "pistol" and "handgun" and used interchangeably, here in America some firearm enthusiasts (myself included) use the term "pistol" to differentiate the magazine fed type of handgun from the revolvers.
Nomenclature aside, I still uphold that a good pistol (i.e. mag fed, slide-operated handgun with integral chamber/barrel) with good ammunition would be better for defense purposes, including carry situations. It is only an opinion. I've never had to draw a firearm for self defense and hope I never have to.

Edit: There are some great deals on revolvers out there, such as used police service revolvers, and other used ones. If the topic creator has a certain amount of money with which to buy the aforementioned firearms and this is a significant factor, then by all means go with the Smith and Wesson. The model 65 I shot had a really nice double action but I really don't know about accuracy because I wasn't at a range.

 

[InfidelShootist]

Huh? Can you explain that one to me?

Revolvers don't eject brass and if you reload you don't need to chase your brass down.

Revolvers also have the benefit of not leaving brass behind somewhere where you don't want to leave it.
I'm not endorsing any criminal behavior but if self defense and firearms are ever banned by the communists in our government,"Neocoms" it's better to not leave behind evidence that could be traced back to you including finger-prints and identifying marks left by your chamber which could/will be left on the brass.

The choice of death by criminal or jail for defending myself or my family is one I'd rather avoid.

 

[Jedi_Knife]

Huh? Can you explain that one to me?

I'll try. I'm not sure of the terminology, but there is a small gap between cylinder and barrel and the blast (powder, other stuff?) gets out through there.
I just don't like the stuff coming out of the sides like that. Maybe it's just a personal preference. Sorry, didn't mean to upset another revolver aficionado!

Another edit: A lot of the (indoor) ranges prohibit brass collecting in my experience, and if you ever have to use any firearm in a self-defense situation, I wouldn't recommend doing anything to alter the scene of the incident, such as moving the casings, whether they be on the ground or in a cylinder.

 

[SPXTrader]

I think you're talking about blow back. The same thing happens with a semi-auto. The bullet is not out of the barrel before the action starts being chambered for another round. The millisecond the breech opens, "stuff" comes out. Blow back happens with semi-autos, too.

And since I'm here in America too, the term I've most often heard for 40+ years is sidearm.

 

[gadgetgeek]

1. Maybe the browning buckmark pistol plus longer barrel and stock? I have no idea if it would be cheaper than two guns, and how reliable they are.
3. +1 on the 870. I was told once that the 870s were pretty much all the same except the wingmaster had the best quality control, the express was allowed a few cosmetic flaws, and so on. lots of options, including a rifled slug barrel, so if you started hunting that would do most north american game out to 200m or so

another option for later for a rifle could be the Thompson/ center encore with a collection of barrels. nice and light and very accurate I'm told. many many options on that

 

[BlackHills]

Revolvers don't eject brass and if you reload you don't need to chase your brass down.

Revolvers also have the benefit of not leaving brass behind somewhere where you don't want to leave it.

Right, but he was saying a semi-auto made less of a mess...that's what confused me.

I'll try. I'm not sure of the terminology, but there is a small gap between cylinder and barrel and the blast (powder, other stuff?) gets out through there.
I just don't like the stuff coming out of the sides like that. Maybe it's just a personal preference. Sorry, didn't mean to upset another revolver aficionado!

Another edit: A lot of the (indoor) ranges prohibit brass collecting in my experience, and if you ever have to use any firearm in a self-defense situation, I wouldn't recommend doing anything to alter the scene of the incident, such as moving the casings, whether they be on the ground or in a cylinder.

OK, I get where you're coming from, but as SPX said it happens in both. I think a revolver is "less messy" on the range for exactly the reasons InfidelShootist listed, it's a lot easier to deal with the brass....and every outdoor range I've been to required you to pick up your brass. I've never used an indoor range so I have no experience in that area. No apology needed as you didn't upset me, I own far more semi-autos than I do revolvers.

 

[Absintheur]

The term pistol is the accepted nomenclature in the US, as well as in many other countries, for a semi-automatic handgun, a single shot handgun, or any other type that does not employ a cylinder. The term revolver means just that, a handgun having a revolving cylinder. The term handgun covers all of them.

As far as gas escaping the cylinder gap, on a well made revolver you are talking about a typical gap of .003-.006. Unless you are shooting Bulleyes powder with Alox lubed lead bullets you really won't notice side discharge. Of course you shot that combo in a simi-auto you get quite a cloud as well...lol. And an N Frame airweight carries just as easy as any hi-cap semi-auto...I carry one daily along with a D frame Colt and a K frame airweight...I have no problem hiding all three even in summer.

 

[Masteroffajitas]

Save and buy a Five-seveN.

 

[David E]

Save and buy a Five-seveN.

Save $1000 to buy a gun that Mattel could've done better, that shoots a hard to find, expensive niche round?

I'll spend my $1000 on something more versatile and more common, myself.

.

 

[Masteroffajitas]

Goes through body armour though, what it your robber catches your .45? Plus mag holds 20!! Dream gun.

 

[Guyon]

This thread got derailed pretty fast.

Keith, I like your choices. If perimeter protection is an issue, I'm with the folks who said you might also want a long gun. Nothing wrong with a Remington/Savage/Winchester/etc. bolt-action in a common caliber like .270/.308/.30-06 with good glass on top. If you ever had to hunt, you'd be set.

Edited to add:

The 870 HD comes with a mag extension. Only think I'm not entirely crazy about is the placement of the extension clamp and sling stud, which is directly in front of where you'd normally mount a light on the mag extension. If you do use a sling, it falls right in front of your light.

It's in the same place on even the more expensive Marine Magnum:

My solution was to mount a tac light to the side of the mag extension using a bracket similar to the one shown in the upper left of this pic. Of course, there are other options, including replacing the forend.

 

[DavidZ]

Keith - Those are all fine choices. Don't forget lots of ammo though. In my way of thinking, you always have to spend more on ammo than the gun.

 

[tirod3]

Pistol or revolver is actually a hard choice when choosing a CCW. The best pistols share the same features: no safety, DAO, and less than 7 rounds. A Kahr PM9 could do as well - but probably cost a lot more - and be more concealable. If you don't pocket carry in jeans, it's almost a toss up.

Tactical shotgun accessories have been around since Choate Machine and Tool offered them in the '70's, IIRC (time does go by.) I would think twice about loading up any gun with a lot of gizmos. Each requires practice and training to get used to, and most won't do it. With the plug out of the tube, shotguns can hold more rounds than pistols, and even when using #4 to prevent penetrating two layers of sheetrock, you get a lot of pellets flying around. The lack of accessories also makes it a lot more manueverable thru doorways and around furniture, plus there's less to take off if you use it hunting. Plugging the tube, dropping the light/laser, etc., is required in many states before you walk out the door.

I bought the 870 - maybe this year I can go turkey hunting . . .

 

[SIFU1A]

Save and buy a Five-seveN.

i can think of a lotta other things i would rahter have for $1K than a 5-7, imho a 5-7 is only useful if ya need a pistol to defeat soft body armor and will only do that with the armor piercing rounds which IIRC they only sell to the military and LEO's, with std ammo its little more than a .22 magnum that shoots very high priced difficult to find ammo,

 

[David E]

i can think of a lotta other things i would rahter have for $1K than a 5-7, imho a 5-7 is only useful if ya need a pistol to defeat soft body armor and will only do that with the armor piercing rounds which IIRC they only sell to the military and LEO's, with std ammo its little more than a .22 magnum that shoots very high priced difficult to find ammo,

I hear ya...........but what are the down sides ?

 

[MVF]

Just a +1 on the 642. Get the one with the CT laser grips on it. Its a more comfortable grip and the laser adds a whole new dimension to defensive handgun.

Only other other thing is that I would have to be in awful deep doo-doo before I would think about firing my shotgun indoors- not that it's not ready if I need it- but I sure do like my hearing!

 

[zenheretic]

Shotgun: The 870 is a classic. Mossberg seems to have more toys for theirs, and are less expensive to modify.

I've never owned a Remington but have had a few Mossbergs. IMO there are far more options for the Remington. For one thing, mag extensions are easier in a Remington. But it don't matter, too many toys on a shotgun is silly.