Handgun Recommendations

Mark J

Mark J

Joined
Mar 15, 2001
Messages
2,450
Ok, let me start this out by saying that I know squat about handguns. I've shot a few in the past years at a local range, but that's about it. What I want is something for home defense (i.e., when the **** hits the fan). I want something that is easily maintained, and has a lower probability of goof-ups by me. This has all been leading me toward a good quality revolver, maybe in the 357 range. I also know I need to start by taking a Introductory Handgun class at my local shop and/or through the NRA.

What other inportant things do I have to know about owning and using a handgun? Any advice is appreciate!

- Mark
 
RickR here.

First off, I'm only slightly ahead of you about knowing squat about handguns. Got my first one in February and my second one is on the way. My first one is a 22. Got that to learn how to shoot. My carry gun will be a .40. My original thinking was to use a handgun for home defense, too. In theory, probably the most incorrect choice there is. a bullet fired from a handgun can travel quite far. In the event, you had to fire your pistol in your house and you missed your target, that bullet would continue to travel possibly through the wall (definitely through a window) and end up hitting something outside. Something like, someone else, your neighbors house, your neighbor. A better choice would be a shotgun, loaded with birdshot.

Again, I'm sure there are people out there far more knowledgeable than me. Let's hear from you guys.

Rick
 
If you're looking for a .357 magnum revolver, you can't do much better than a 4" Ruger GP100. It is a comfortable- shooting and relatively easy-carrying revolver. And it is as durable as they come. Get the stainless, too. They are classics.

I don't necessarily recommend a shotgun loaded with birdshoot for self-defense, unless you plan on being invaded by Big Bird. And no one wants to shoot Big Bird.

You can certainly decrease over-penetration by using 38 special loads in the gun (again, .357 caliber). The 38 special is a much milder round.
 
I'd give a very hearty second to the suggestion of the Ruger GP-100. I have one in 4" with ajustable sights, it is one of the most accurate revolvers I own. It is also very, very tough.
With a 357, you have the versatility of shooting everything from very mild 38 spec target loads all the way up to very heavy 357 hunting loads. The GP will handle all of them with no problems.
If you need something more concealable I would suggest it's little brother, the SP-101. It's also very tough and decently accurate.
Either would take care of whatever needed taking of. They do at my house.
Bob
 
Mark J said:
I want something that is easily maintained, and has a lower probability of goof-ups by me.
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Based on that criteria, a Glock would be a good choice. Glocks are extremely easy to learn, accurate and reliable. A G17 will hold 17 rounds of 9mm ammo and has a lot less recoil than a .357.

What other inportant things do I have to know about owning and using a handgun? Any advice is appreciate!
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Learn gun safety. Owning a gun is a big commitment. If your lazy about safety and don't follow the rules, something bad will happen. Go to a local range and take some lessons and get familiar with different types of guns. Once you decide what to buy, learn how the gun works and how to care for it. Every gun is different, so take the time to get familiar with your particular gun. Go to the range as often as possible. If you can't hit what your aiming at, there's no point in owning a gun; you'd be better off with a pointy stick.
 
I would get a .45acp revolver like a Taurus Tracker or S&W 625 for a little extra. .45acp doesn't have the excess flash like a .357 magnum indoors and is a much better stopping round than .38 special.

If you're the outdoors type you can buy a box of .45Super and you can handle any critter that a 357 magnum will.

Finally if in the future if you want an autopistol there are many .45s to choose from. Its nice to have most your guns in one caliber.

.45acp revolvers require moonclips. They're cheap and very fast to use.

taurus12.gif
 
Unless you're willing to put in enough training time to learn to handle pistol malfunctions, I would not recommend a Glock or other auto. Stick with a revolver.
 
Moving to Gadgets & Gear.
 
The choice of a 4 inch revolver is a good choice. I would suggest Glaser safety slugs or Magsafe as ammunition within the house. These rounds are frangible and have good one-shot stopping capability without overpenetration fears within the house. It is always good to remember that practice is the key to any use of a firearm.

Revolvers can suffer malfunctions, but generally these are related to the ammunition, not the firearm and instead of tapping and racking to clear the malfunction, you just pull the trigger again.

The .357 revolver allows for use of mild .38 special wadcutters for practice. Generally these are relatively inexpensive, although still costly compared to 22's.

The choice of a .45 acp revolver is great if you are going to use a .45acp pistol as a carry weapon. Semi-auto pistols are much more reliable than in the past. The major stoppage problem, in my experience, is usually related to the magazine or the ammunition rather than the pistol. Making sure that your magazines are clean and the springs in good shape helps alleviate the problems. Train to clear stoppages. The 1911 variants are numerous with Kimber and Springfield being two of the leading manufacturers. Glock, SigSauer, H&K, Ruger, Taurus, S&W, along others make very good weapons in this caliber. There are kits available to change many of the 45's into 22 rimfires for practice purposes. These allow for low cost practice.

If you are serious about the use of firearms, and don't mind spending the money, training facilities such as Thunder Ranch, Gunsite, LFI, along with others provide multi-day training. It is costly, however.

Finally, if you enjoy shooting handguns, you may want to invest in a good reloader like the Dillon Square Deal B. This lowers the cost of shooting and is enjoyable to many people.
 
I say revolver too. I carried wheelguns on duty for many years, and never felt underarmed.

Use light-bullet high-velocity loads, and you should not have to worry about overpenetration in the typical house. The bullets will fragment fairly well on hard stuff.
Obtain, and learn to use a speedloader. The main problem with the revolver is limited ammo capacity and relatively slow reloading. Speedloaders work well; keep it with the weapon.
The .357 has an enviable service record as a stopper.
 
I generally recommend a Glock model 23 in .40 caliber, loaded with 155 grain Federal JHP.

The Ruger GP-100 (4 inch barrel with the full-length underlug) is also an excellent "home defense" gun...Load it with 125 grain Federal JHP, buy a speed-loader and you're good to go.
 
CherylR said:
RickR here.

A better choice would be a shotgun, loaded with birdshot.

Rick
Click to expand...

Is this statement based on any personal experience? I know this is a topic of very heated bar stool discussions but, it normally isn't backed up with any factual information.

Personally, I find birdshot to be a very poor choice in a home defense shotgun. If you are firing to defend a life from imminent mortality, you need a round that is capable and effective. That means something that will penetrate reliably to stop the aggressive action. When you get smaller then #4 Buck, the pellet are too small in diameter and lack the mass to penetrate reliably in a target more substantial then a bird. I have patterned my shotgun with all the major brands of shotgun shells in shot sized from Birdshot thru all the Buck sizes and slugs. I have also shot it against simulated targets to study penetration.

Over penetration is problem but, so is under penetration.
 
I also think the wheel gun solution is a good one, especially to get started. It's pretty much all been covered (good discussion).., and I do think getting some good instruction is the key.

Your confidence level, in the sad event that you have to defend your home (and life) with a firearm, will increase immeaurably with proper training, and also add a heightened sense of safety awareness. In my experience, those that get this training through a multi-day course, also tend to take better care of their weapons, practice more, and hence maintain a higher level of proficiency.
 
Ammunition qualities: 1. Inexpensive, 2. Universally available, 3. Reliable, 4. Get a cartridge made for many years so there is no chance it will be discontinued due to market forces. 5. You want an accurate round, pleasant to shoot, that does not dish out too much obnoxious recoil. 6. Most of all you want a FUN GUN.

Also: A good round is one useful for many puposes.

Your gun should have the same qualities.

I am an auto fan but that said I think beginners are best served by revolvers, and I still use a revolver too. With revolvers you have a better selection of ammo types in general.

In a handgun, such a jack of all trades, master of none is the .357 Magnum, versus, say, the .44 Magnum which is more a hunting round than anything else. The .357 will also shoot all .38 Specials, .38 Long or Short Colt rounds and some .357s will digest the .38 S & W which is most practical. The .357 at short range will also take deer but it is marginal for that purpose. The .357 is not the best target round, but for informal target shooting is fun and fine.

If you insist on a deer round in a handgun there are several that qualify but all of them dish out the recoil. The .357 top loads are not too obnoxious, and represent the most that the average Joe wants to put up with.

Stay away from the very rare or specialized rounds, they are less fun, cost more money and are harder to find. An example of these is the 10 mm Auto, which was touted as a defense round but kicks too much. This comment does not apply to the specialized self defense numbers but don't you want a "fun gun" too?

For economy the king of the hill is the .22 rimfire, but it is not a good defense pick. On the other hand, in the right gun as a small game and target number it is past master.

Great guns are made by S & W in revolvers, and Ruger or Springfield in autos.

Big kicking guns like the .44 Magnum are best for hunters. The .44 Magnum will digest the mild-mannered .44 Special. But the .357 is better because you can shoot MILD loads that STILL have a flat trajectory for fine work out past 50 yards. As an example of this, with my .45 Auto I once missed three shots on a cottontail at 100 yards, the bullets going OVER or UNDER this rabbit. The reason is the .45's slow velocity and curved trajectory. Had I used a .357 or even a .22 Long Rifle that bunny would have been cooked.

A good thing about the .357 or .44 Magnum is the availability of nice, light lever action RIFLES in these rounds. These will greatly extend the range and augment the stopping power of these rounds. If you dig the old cowboy concept of two guns needing only one round, to simplify supply, these rounds might be for you.

The .45 ACP is the best defense gun, but I can sometimes watch the bullets in flight, they are slow at about 450 to 600 m.p.h. or so. Do the math and you will know. 800 fps x 3600 (seconds in an hour) over 5280 = 545 mph. Of course, you never dare let yourself be hit by one.

A great round for the beginner if you can get a quality gun is the .22 Magnum. This rimfire round actually has a power level that is respectible and while marginal for defense would not be a bad choice for the beginner. As a game gun it is quite good on stuff smaller than deer.

If I had to do it all over again my choices would be, in this order.

1. The .357
2. The .22 Magnum convertible such as Ruger makes with an extra .22 Long Rifle cylinder.
3. A .44 Magnum
4. A .45 ACP
5. A .45 Long Colt (I have a soft spot for this famous but still popular old number).

Also, think on if you desire a single or double action revolver. The old cowboy guns are a reliable rugged design but the long fall of the hammer takes more practice on the target range.

Chris
 
A 4 inch .357 revolver would be your best bet.

Second choice should be a Glock.
 
Hi guys. I'm new in these forums and while I am not a gun expert, I have had some handgun experience most of my life. And, I may be the only lady here so I don't want ya'll to feel invaded. ;)

IMHO, and this is just for me, I have been very happy with my Taurus 38 special (snubby) revolver. I had messed around with automatics and just don't like dealing with the loading and occasional jams. (I have rheumatoid arthritis and my hands are seizing up). I have shot hundreds and hundreds of rounds at the range with this gun and have never had a misfire-as of yet. I keep hollow points in it loaded, but use regular ammo at the range. The taurus is in a good price range and has a better rep than it did several years ago. The model that I have also has the bobbed hammer which is a nice safety feature for a carry.

I prefer the steel as oposed to the titanium. It is somewhat heavier, but less kick. I have no problem carring it in my purse and I keep it in a "Uncle Mike's" lightweight soft holster. A friend of mine who does the "Conceal Carry" instructions locally has tried his best to get me to carry it in a body holster. At 100lbs soaking wet, that's a little hard to do!LOL

If you have any ladies that have conceal carries in their purses, remind them to clean them frequently, even if it's just unloading and wiping them down. Dust particles like to gather around the gun. Especially if they carry everything but the kitchen sink, like I do.

Right now, I'm in the process of getting the trigger lightened. My husband,(who is double my size and at least a foot taller, with the strength of a bull) doesn't mind telling his buddies that he feels safer with me than just about anybody he knows. :D

Ya'll have a great day and hope this helps.

Mommabird :p
 
I think a 357 or a 45 acp wheel gun would be a good choice for home defense. The 4 inch GP 100 is a good choice for a 357. I have one in stainless. I want a 4 inch 45 acp wheel gun but haven't gotten around to getting one yet. I think Taurus and S&W make them. I would give a very slight edge to a 357 on the basis that the 45 is an auto round and needs to be used with moon clips... so you must have preloaded clips to reload. Both guns use a wide range of ammunition which is readily available. While not as inexpensive as a 22 to learn shooting basics you can use low recoil 38 wadcutters or 45 semi wadcutters for training which are cheaper than jacketted rounds. I think the 110 (or is it the 125?) grain jacketted 357 has the best one stop shot percentage i.e. one hit stops whoever from doing whatever. The 45 is also respectable but stay away from 230 hardball. The operation is easier to learn and you know that when the cylinder is open there is no danger of a round in the chamber.

I would stay away from autos as a first gun unless you are willing to make an intensive effort to learn their use. You need to become very familiar with how to load,unload, and clear the action, particularly the chamber. You must also learn the controls - i.e. whether the gun is double action only, only on the first shot, has a grip safety or operates like the glock with a safe trigger, what safetys are on the gun, and how to clear jams particularly under stress.

I like 12 ga shotguns but the very size and appearance can make them intimidating to learn to use

they can be unwieldy in close confines

they are slow to reload

and their operation involves the same considerations like that of an auto pistol i.e. how to load, unload, clear the action and chamber, and deal with jams and other problems like short stroking a pump action in your haste to reload.

As for ammo I agree that #4 buck should be a minimum. The advantage of shotgun ammo is that each pellet individually lacks the power to go through a wall (compared to a 357 or 45) but at the distances involved for home defense the shot has not spread and remains pretty bunched. (So you still need to aim). I wouldn't recommend double o or slugs.

As for safety rules every gun is loaded even if you know its not until you have personally looked to see its empty
Never point a gun at anything you are not willing to destroy
And keep your finger off the trigger untill you are ready to shoot....
there are others
 
Let me heap one more vote on for a 4" stainless Ruger GP-100. While I've got plenty of other guns, and would probably grab the pre ban Glock 21 stuffed with 14 Federal Hydra Shoks if TSHTF, if I could only have a single hand gun, it would be my GP-100. Fed light weight .38 special wad cutters, it's almost as mild to shoot as a .22 like my Browning Buckmark. With fast hollow points, it's a better one shot stopper than any other handgun round, or loaded with heavy magnum loads it is capable of putting dinner on the table in a pistol hunting role. IMHO, no other gun offers such a broad range of capabilities. I didn't like the goofy factory grips and replaced them with a Hogue Mono-grip on mine. The GP-100 is affordable, built like a tank and capable of remarkable accuracy in a package that is small enough for concealed carry on the right person.

What more could you want?

John
 
My advice is to get a good quality .357 magnum revolver with a 4" barrel. Smith and Wesson, Colt, and Ruger all make excellent handguns in this category; go to a gun show or a good gun shop and see which model has the best "feel" to it.

One reason why this is a good general purpose gun is that you can shoot .38 special, .38 special +P, or .357 magnums in the same gun. For home defense purposes, you might want to look at a .38 special or 38 special +P in something like the Federal Hydra-Shock -- good stopping power without over-penetration.
 
Wow, thanks for all the replies, everyone! I've actually shot a GP-100, but with the 6 inch barrel. It was very easy and accurate for me, a beginner. What are the pros and cons of the longer barrel? (i.e., 4 inch versus 6 inch).

- Mark
 
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