Handgun advice needed

[Killercanary]

I know there are a lot of gun enthusiast on here so I figured I would post is to get some of your feedback/opinions. I want to buy a pistol for home protection and for the range. I do not plan to carry it. My dad just picked up a S&W Sigma 9mm which is supposed to be a glock copy. At ~$300 it seemed like a good buy. I had read about the hefty trigger on it and that a lot of people disliked it because of that. I took it the range today and liked the Sigma overall until I shot my friends S&W M&P 9mm and my other buddy's Beretta storm 40cal, after that I knew it wasn't what I wanted. I loved both in the way they felt, their balance, etc but I liked the beretta a lot more after shooting it. I planned to get a 40cal over a 9mm anyway and I looked at both the S&W M&P 40 and the beretta storm 40 and they are close in price. They are both more than I wanted to spend on my first hand gun but after shooting all three today I am leaning towards the beretta. Does anyone have an opinion on either of these guns? Is there something else comparable that I should look at before buying? I am dead set on getting a 40 over a 9mm but other than that I am open to just about anything.

[phillysrt4]

Is there a set budget you want to stay in? I ask because you might want to consider getting two guns. One that is truly for home protection and one you can use as a "trainer" at the range. Perhaps something like a Ruger 22/45 which has a setup like a 1911 but shoots rimfire. That way you can practice your technique on something that costs $0.05 a round most of the time, then break out the 40 cal when you want some range time on that specific weapon.

[phillysrt4]

in addition to the great advice you'll get here, i've become a fan of "nutnfancy" on youtube. he reviews a ton of rifles, pistols, and gear, usually pulling no punches.

[wickedsnake03]

I still say and will always say for home defense you want a shotgun. No worries about where the bullet is going after you shoot it in your home, heard to many horror stories of it. plus in the heat of the moment frsh out of bed with someone in your house even the best trained marksman can miss his target. You can get a nice 12 or 20 gauge pump cheap, espically right now with them on sell. Cut the barrel or buy a short barrel version for easy mobility in the house.

God forbid your wife ever be home alone and need to use it, but a shotgun is soething she can learn to shot as well, and will probally be easier for her to use if the time ever came.

Then I would buy yourself a nice range gun paul, And with the cost of ammo the way it is, maybe pick up a 40 that can also swap barrels and now you also hae a 22. Whats really nice about that is you still get the same feel from the gun, and how it likes to aim and shot but at a lower cost. I know you can do them with glocks and a few others. I know you said you want a 40. but if you want to shot my gock 9mm just to feel if you likee a glock paul let me know. its nice to shot and deadly accurate with the crimson trace laser

[mr4teth]

I still say and will always say for home defense you want a shotgun. No worries about where the bullet is going after you shoot it in your home, heard to many horror stories of it. plus in the heat of the moment frsh out of bed with someone in your house even the best trained marksman can miss his target. You can get a nice 12 or 20 gauge pump cheap, espically right now with them on sell. Cut the barrel or buy a short barrel version for easy mobility in the house.

Exactly what I was thinking! :goodidea:

[gmkillr]

Best home defense=Sawed off shotgun............:goodidea:

[map351]

The Judge Taurus Handgun .45 & 410 - YouTube

[SAC81]

I still say and will always say for home defense you want a shotgun. No worries about where the bullet is going after you shoot it in your home, heard to many horror stories of it. plus in the heat of the moment frsh out of bed with someone in your house even the best trained marksman can miss his target. You can get a nice 12 or 20 gauge pump cheap, espically right now with them on sell. Cut the barrel or buy a short barrel version for easy mobility in the house.

God forbid your wife ever be home alone and need to use it, but a shotgun is soething she can learn to shot as well, and will probally be easier for her to use if the time ever came.

Then I would buy yourself a nice range gun paul, And with the cost of ammo the way it is, maybe pick up a 40 that can also swap barrels and now you also hae a 22. Whats really nice about that is you still get the same feel from the gun, and how it likes to aim and shot but at a lower cost. I know you can do them with glocks and a few others. I know you said you want a 40. but if you want to shot my gock 9mm just to feel if you likee a glock paul let me know. its nice to shot and deadly accurate with the crimson trace laser

Great advice.

And I'd rather have a 9mm and be able to practice with it a ton due to the cheapest cost of ammo then have a .40 and never shoot it. 9mm with the right round is a great self defense round. Shot placement is more import then the minor differences in ballistics between most handgun rounds.

For semi-automatic handguns, if we're talking self defense, counting my life on it's performance, I'm going with either a Glock or a Sig Sauer all day, every day. (Or a revolver, but no one wants those because they don't look cool)

[Rio94gt]

Paul I have probably fired every handgun on the market. I stopped counting at 2,000 firearms and over 100 different manufactures.

If you want something "strictly" for home defense I vote for a high capactiy 12 gauge with a pistol grip. Mossberg or Remington would be good choices there. There is nothing more intimidating than hearing the click clack of a pump 12 gauge pointed at you.

If you want something for home defense and range use then I would vote for the S&W M&P 40 cal full size. That is one of my favorite semi-autos. You can get it with the optional thumb safety which the Sigma or Glock pistols do not have. Very accurate and hold 13 or so rounds if I remember corectly. It would also make a very nice range pistol. Also it has an accessory rail to mount a flashlight. Why? Because most break ins occur at night and it would be nice to be able to see what you may have to shoot at. I have never been a fan of Berettas but that may be just me.

If you dont want to spend quite as much you can always look at a Taurus PT140 PRO. A decent semi-auto for the price.

Its all in what "feels good" to you and what your comfortable with.

[phillysrt4]

That judge video was cool. I hadn't even considered that and 410 shotshells are cheap.

[cemnt guy]

i just found my christmas present to me, the judge:goodidea:

[map351]

I can't imagine getting hit with a 410 round at 25ft were talking a massive wound, i like the judge in tight quarters & you have a 45 round for the Coup de Grâce!

[Killercanary]

Thanks guys for the advice. I should have stated that the shotgun issue doesn't need addressed as I already planned for one. I was set on getting a Remington 870 tactical but for the cost and intended use a scratch and dent mossburg from Grice's or even a used Remington normal 870 will suffice. That way I can use it for clays, hunting, etc. My neighbor is a PA state trooper and he told me he just picked up a Pardner Pup home defense shotgun. He said it was cheap but he really liked it. I think they can be had for at or under $200.

I have looked into the judge an I think it is badass, but other than home defense I do not see much use for it. Considering that 99.9% of the guns life will be spent doing other things than home defense I want something that feels good, is accurate, reliable, and fun to take to the range.

I also do not feel comfortable with a trigger only safety. I have shot rifles since I was a kid and have come to rely on a safety switch. I felt very uncomfortable yesterday at the range with the sigma and others that only had a trigger safety. The beretta had a hammer and safety switch which gave me more piece of mind knowing that there was not going to be any sort of accidental discharge. This might sound weird and for those that are used to handguns with trigger only safety's may not understand my concern but this is something I will not compromise on. I do not fear that in the event of a home invasion that I would forget to turn the safety off as every gun I have shot since I was a kid was designed this way. I also liked the double/single action of the beretta so that if I chamber a round, remove the safety but forget to pull the hammer it will fire anyway. The hammer pull will be the only "new feature" I am not accustomed to.

I am not familiar with guns that are switchable from 40 cal to 22. That sounds like a fun option to look into further.


Billy, was there something specific about the berettas's that you didn't like? I spent the better part of 3hrs last night reading review after review on the M&P and the Storm and really didn't find faults with either. I was more against the M&P because I hadn't come across any information last night that showed a safety switch equipped model. I will definitely look into that as that could help sway my decision. I shot an M&P 9mm and a Storm 40cal yesterday virtually back to back. I didn't dislike anything about the M&P but nothing jumped out to me that I loved either. It felt good, but the trigger pull was just OK. I didn't love it, I didn't hate it. Now the Storm felt great, and I loved the trigger pull. I was also the most accurate with that gun as well. Why, I don't know. I do not enough experience shooting pistols to make any conclusion as to why I was more accurate with it, but my grouping was noticeably better.


As for 40 versus 9mm ammo, I am only seeing like a $2-4 difference in a box of 50. I am ok with that.

[phillysrt4]

'nuff said...

[wickedsnake03]

Hey paul you might also want to check out the springfield xd 40. I know alot of officers are carrying them now days. They have the safe action trigger but also a grip safety. I shot a few of them and there a nice gun.

[travj31]

i may be in the minority especially on this board but a .357 S&W revolver gets my vote... great stopping power, easy to work/handle, fairly accurate, can also use the cheaper 38 special rounds, and you don't typically get jams like you would with a semi-auto.

i also like the ruger lcp .380. very easy to handle and shoot and is really compact if you ever wanted to carry it. can keep it next to the bed or in your front pocket and noone would ever know. more of a "gut shooter" but i have no intentions of picking anyone off from a distance.

but i have to agree with most that for self-protection purposes only... a shot gun is where its at.

[Dan B.]

i may be in the minority especially on this board but a .357 S&W revolver gets my vote... great stopping power, easy to work/handle, fairly accurate, can also use the cheaper 38 special rounds, and you don't typically get jams like you would with a semi-auto.

I carry a Taurus Ultralite .38 Special w/ +P's for all the reasons you mentioned above! My ammo cabinet has hundred of light .38 cast bullet loads for plinking at home and draw practice. Think I paid $300 for it NIB. Many, many officers have told me that if you ever have to use it, you may stand a dang good chance of never seeing it again. And if you do, it will have been through many evidence lockers and may not be as pretty as when it was taken from you.

After hearing that I ditched my Kimber and bought the Taurus. It's always w/in reach at night (my AR is two steps away!!) and on my side in the daylight, other than when in the company issued car from 0730-1530 (no firearms permitted.....major bummer).

[speedracer]

My Glock 33 or S&W bodyguard .380 are never more than arms reach away... Even in my company vehicle. Dan's company must suck lol.

[mr4teth]

i may be in the minority especially on this board but a .357 S&W revolver gets my vote... great stopping power, easy to work/handle, fairly accurate, can also use the cheaper 38 special rounds, and you don't typically get jams like you would with a semi-auto.

Agree 100% and what is in my night stand!


Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk

[phillysrt4]

I am not familiar with guns that are switchable from 40 cal to 22. That sounds like a fun option to look into further.


You might find this interesting. Its a conversion made by Kimber that goes on a 1911 pistol. In his review he has it on a Taurus

"Little Holes, Big Fun:" Kimber .22 1911 Slide Conversion - YouTube

[badf250]

Currently have a Taurus ultralight snub nose.38 as my carry gun and go to defense gun. I run regular .38 hollow points in it. Also have a sigma .380 carry gun, but its picky on ammo. AT home i have the S&W .44 mag sitting next to the .38 so if I need more power, she does the job.
As to the tactical shotgun thing, I shot my buddys Mossberg with the pistol grip and recoil is hard enough that I really wouldnt want to shoot it very much at all.

[mr4teth]

I love Kimbers and own one but for the cost of this conversion kit why not buy a nice 22 pistol like a Walther P22 or Ruger 22/45 or Mark III?

[coolmac]

I'm with others that feel shot placement is most important.
I practice a double tap from the holster mostly, both for speed and
accuracy.

.380/38 - not the stopping power I need.
9mm - good stopping power and shot placement.
40 - great stopping power, but snappy gun, bad shot placement.
45 - great stopping power, but bad follow up placement.

I like the Glock 19 or 26 and Walther PPS
Ruger's "LC9" has a small 9mm, very long (dao) trigger pull.
LC9 under $300.
I don't carry a round in the camber, unless it has a safety.

Good defensive ammo will give you 90% one shot stopping power
with 9mm.

Why I carry a gun . . . because I can't carry a Cop.

The fastest reload is your backup gun.

Food for thought . . .

[mr4teth]

Anyone looking for a cheap 1911 22 ....

https://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=59751

or

http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=13153

[40thGT]

My first handgun was the Smith & Wesson Sigma 9mm. I thought it was very cheap quality and not very accurate so I got rid of it and bought a Glock 27 .40 cal for both carry and home defense. I loved everything about it except for the weight when carrying it. I sold the Glock and bought a Smith & Wesson Bodyguard 380 for carry and a Bushmaster Ar-15 carbon for home defense. I am very happy with both.

[Killercanary]

I ordered a Beretta Px4 storm 40cal and got my concealed carry permit today. Any suggestions on grain weight of ammo? I plan to try various types but everyone is suggesting Speer gold dot for self defense, I just don't know what grain to buy and what grain of FMJ to use for the range. Any suggestions for 40cal?

[phillysrt4]

I love Kimbers and own one but for the cost of this conversion kit why not buy a nice 22 pistol like a Walther P22 or Ruger 22/45 or Mark III?

I lean that way too. The main advantage to the conversion kit is the feel of your primary stays mostly intact. However, with many of the 22/45 versions you can get different grips and other custom options to make it a nice plinker.



.380/38 - not the stopping power I need.


To paraphrase a line I heard in a youtube video, I've never met someone who can take a 380 to the face and walk it off.

[phillysrt4]

Not necessarily on topic, but I just got this info in the email from ruger about their SP101 available in 357 mag:

http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?llr=as8kgedab&v=001TZa7AKGpnMH-DPQFOCYP991BPnKbJSmO1Rr4q9Q5NS6Oag2HF0G_bQ_I5o0SSX p4tXgKBTM4RLu5W2-7daHmbVTREpmb50r12nM8PyNcBOe8jGhzSVJ8Mx3LBXIeFZy1y Dh4Dd_jbBpMXUx1500p_hSzhrTKUvni1fmxe38iFmc%3D



Ruger is pleased to announce a new Ruger® SP101® five-shot revolver chambered in the venerable .357 Magnum cartridge and featuring a 4.2" barrel with improved sights.

The newest Ruger SP101 is constructed of weather-resistant stainless steel with a satin finish, and wears checkered and engraved walnut grip panels inset in the one-piece rubber grip. The 29.5-ounce double/single-action revolver features a fully adjustable square notch blade rear sight and green HiViz® front sight. The 4.2" barrel features a full shroud covering the ejector rod.

[wickedsnake03]

For protection ammo I always use federal hydro-shok, jacked hollow point. I think for you paul i would go federal hydro-shok. 180grain jacked hollow point. Reason I would personally choose that grain is for its stopping power. Has alot of energy yet isnt going to have that speed that allows the bullet to just keep traveling after it hits its target.

After impact it will despense most of its energy. PS this was told to me directly by federal when i sopke to them awhile ago. Im sure there are lots of awesome protection ammo out there as well, I have always used federal. My gun likes it, its accurate for me, and seems to have good stopping power when fired at targets.

[Rio94gt]

Paul the PX4 storn is a nice piece. Its the traditional Beretta model 92s im not a fan of. I like that the PX4 has a hammer so you have the capability of a true single action trigger pull and a double action trigger pull.

As far as ammo goes. I have SEEN with my own eyes what various types of ammo are capable of. I have also attended a wound ballistics workshop presented by ATK (the company that own Federal).

I currently have hydra-shoks in my Glock 10mm and S&W revolver but that will change soon. The hyrda-shok tends to break up on impact. The jacket is weakly bonded to the core. It has also been known to not be as effective on heavy clothing.

If you can order some you want the new Federal HST round in 180 grain. Its what the Pittsburgh Police use. Excellent expansion and excellent weight retention. Itll go through anything (excluding a ballistic vest).

If you cant find that my next choice would be the Winchester Ranger XST in 180 grain. Remember the Black talon? Well this is the exact same bullet but without the black coating.

Choice number 3 would be the Remington Golden Saber in 180 grain. Again great expansion and good weight retention.

Choice 4 would be Speer Gold-dot or Federal hydra-shok.

[Twin01cobra]

Well I'm a little late to the game, in my opinion the best option for home defense is an AR15. My go to home defense gun is a BCM M4 with a Daniel Defense rail, Tango down short vertical grip with a Surefire 6P with a 276 lumens LED upgrade. I have 30rnds of Hornady TAP loaded in the mag.

These guns are light, short, easy to manuver and control compared to a shotgun and will end the fight much faster than and handgun, plus a 30rnd option is hard to beat.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v441/arjohnson/106_11192-1.jpg