Handgun recommendation?

[pulsedrive]

Just in case someone hasn't said this already, for home protection, get a 12 gague pump action shot gun. Handguns are not for home protection. Unless you live at least 2 miles from the nearest house, you can very easily end up shooting a neighbor because the bullets don't stop when they hit your wall.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: pulsedrive
Just in case someone hasn't said this already, for home protection, get a 12 gague pump action shot gun. Handguns are not for home protection. Unless you live at least 2 miles from the nearest house, you can very easily end up shooting a neighbor because the bullets don't stop when they hit your wall.

:roll: 2 miles? Are you walls made out of paper? This isn't an ICBM launcher we're talking about...it's a handgun.

Edit-They make handgun rounds that won't even penetrate the fuselage of a pressurized airplane cabin. I'm sure you could find a suitable round for a handgun for home defense that wouldn't jeopardize your neighbors.

 

[Rumpltzer]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: pulsedrive
Just in case someone hasn't said this already, for home protection, get a 12 gague pump action shot gun. Handguns are not for home protection. Unless you live at least 2 miles from the nearest house, you can very easily end up shooting a neighbor because the bullets don't stop when they hit your wall.

:roll: 2 miles? Are you walls made out of paper? This isn't an ICBM launcher we're talking about...it's a handgun.

:roll: 2 miles? Are you ICBM launchers made in North Korea? 😀

Edit: My walls are made of two layers of sheetrock with 2x4 framing in between. Sheetrock is a gypsum core with paper on both sides. Does that count??

 

[PingSpike]

Does anyone have any experience with that hi-point carbine that was mentioned. I googled it out of curiousity, and it seems like a pretty interesting alternative. Keep in mind I know very little about guns, but have considered puchasing one for home defense for some time.

 

[fitzov]

I'd say a 357 revolver, since you can practice with the cheaper 38 rounds and a revolver is a simpler piece of equipment.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: Rumpltzer

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: pulsedrive
Just in case someone hasn't said this already, for home protection, get a 12 gague pump action shot gun. Handguns are not for home protection. Unless you live at least 2 miles from the nearest house, you can very easily end up shooting a neighbor because the bullets don't stop when they hit your wall.

:roll: 2 miles? Are you walls made out of paper? This isn't an ICBM launcher we're talking about...it's a handgun.

:roll: 2 miles? Are you ICBM launchers made in North Korea? 😀

Edit: My walls are made of two layers of sheetrock with 2x4 framing in between. Sheetrock is a gypsum core with paper on both sides. Does that count??

I'm guessing they probably have insulation in there as well? The exterior walls of your house are sheetrock too? Man, I hope it never rains where you live. :laugh:

 

[Specop 007]

Originally posted by: pulsedrive
Just in case someone hasn't said this already, for home protection, get a 12 gague pump action shot gun. Handguns are not for home protection. Unless you live at least 2 miles from the nearest house, you can very easily end up shooting a neighbor because the bullets don't stop when they hit your wall.

Amazingly enough, a shotgun shreds paper as well as a pistol.

 

[Rumpltzer]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: Rumpltzer

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: pulsedrive
Just in case someone hasn't said this already, for home protection, get a 12 gague pump action shot gun. Handguns are not for home protection. Unless you live at least 2 miles from the nearest house, you can very easily end up shooting a neighbor because the bullets don't stop when they hit your wall.

:roll: 2 miles? Are you walls made out of paper? This isn't an ICBM launcher we're talking about...it's a handgun.

:roll: 2 miles? Are you ICBM launchers made in North Korea? 😀

Edit: My walls are made of two layers of sheetrock with 2x4 framing in between. Sheetrock is a gypsum core with paper on both sides. Does that count??

I'm guessing they probably have insulation in there as well? The exterior walls of your house are sheetrock too? Man, I hope it never rains where you live. :laugh:

No, there's no insulation in there at all! You can ask my neighbor as she's pounding on the wall in the middle of the night. I mean, I can hear her conversations when she's talking on the phone, so she can certainly hear it when... well, whatever.

My external walls are made of sheetrock on 2x4 frame with plywood, maybe a moisture barrier, and vinyl siding. There's no insulation in that either... and I don't remember the last time it rained here... this is Southern California.


Not that I care much about shooting my neighbors. I mean, I don't expect I'll ever be shooting the gun in/from my house, so I've not really considered it at all. I have a Ruger Mark II, and I've been looking into a Glock 17 for a couple of weeks now. Because of this thread I'll also look into the Springfield XD-9.

 

[Kilgor]

I'd go with a Ruger GP100 or a Used Security Six in .357mag. They are simple, tough and pack enough punch to put someone down quick. Granted they aren't as elegant as some other brands, but they are priced right and reliable. 🙂 Go for an auto after you get some shots down range. I might be old fashioned but I think a revolver is a better choice for first time gun owners than an auto.

 

[Specop 007]

Originally posted by: Kilgor
I'd go with a Ruger GP100 or a Used Security Six in .357mag. They are simple, tough and pack enough punch to put someone down quick. Granted they aren't as elegant as some other brands, but they are priced right and reliable. 🙂 Go for an auto after you get some shots down range. I might be old fashioned but I think a revolver is a better choice for first time gun owners than an auto.

Security Six, Lower left

Nice pistols.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: Rumpltzer

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: Rumpltzer

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: pulsedrive
Just in case someone hasn't said this already, for home protection, get a 12 gague pump action shot gun. Handguns are not for home protection. Unless you live at least 2 miles from the nearest house, you can very easily end up shooting a neighbor because the bullets don't stop when they hit your wall.

:roll: 2 miles? Are you walls made out of paper? This isn't an ICBM launcher we're talking about...it's a handgun.

:roll: 2 miles? Are you ICBM launchers made in North Korea? 😀

Edit: My walls are made of two layers of sheetrock with 2x4 framing in between. Sheetrock is a gypsum core with paper on both sides. Does that count??

I'm guessing they probably have insulation in there as well? The exterior walls of your house are sheetrock too? Man, I hope it never rains where you live. :laugh:

No, there's no insulation in there at all! You can ask my neighbor as she's pounding on the wall in the middle of the night. I mean, I can hear her conversations when she's talking on the phone, so she can certainly hear it when... well, whatever.

My external walls are made of sheetrock on 2x4 frame with plywood, maybe a moisture barrier, and vinyl siding. There's no insulation in that either... and I don't remember the last time it rained here... this is Southern California.


Not that I care much about shooting my neighbors. I mean, I don't expect I'll ever be shooting the gun in/from my house, so I've not really considered it at all. I have a Ruger Mark II, and I've been looking into a Glock 17 for a couple of weeks now. Because of this thread I'll also look into the Springfield XD-9.

I'm in SoCal too. My house is stucco exterior with the usual sheetrock interior walls but we do have insulation in the exterior walls.

Again, you can buy frangible bullets that will not penetrate walls for apartment use. Get some of those Glaser safety slugs if you're concerned.

 

[49erinnc]

Thanks for all the great info.

Don't feel like quoting all the questions so I'll just try to hit on some I remember.

*Already own a nice shotgun that I keep in the bedroom closet. Doesn't really suit my needs. The primary reason I want a handgun is that I want to enjoy the sport of firing at a range when I have some free time. Can't really do that with a shotgun and I've long outgrown my bird and small animal hunting days. And in the rare event of someone breaking into my home, I just feel my shotgun is too cumbersome. Not to mention, I don't want it resting against my bed so I keep it in the closet, making it a little inconvenient if I need it in a hurry.

*Already own two dogs who would alert me of an intruder and likely scare one off. However, see comments above about target range. The home protection is just a secondary reason for getting a hand gun but yes, I do want the added security and convenience of knowing a handgun is near me in the case of a break-in.

*I live alone with my two dogs, have no children and no young family members sleep over so this isn't a concern for me with owning a gun. And I live in a home with a decent buffer between houses. Though, I think it's a bit absurd to suggest a bullet is gonna travel through multiple layers of sheetrock and other structures of a neighboring home. Not saying it's impossible but I'm not gonna avoid a handgun over the remote possibility of injuring a neighbor. Though, I appreciate the concern and help. Safety is key when dealing with any guns.

*By stating "compact" I just meant that I don't want a very bulky, heavy gun with a long barrell. My buddy has a revolver and that thing is flat out gawdy. I think it's a 357 (or bigger) but has a really long barrel. Just not my thing but he loves it. I'm not looking to get a concealed permit but I would like to have something that's not so large.

*In terms of price, I guess I'm hoping to spend around $300, give or take $50. I haven't really looked around a lot so I'm not sure what type of gun I can get in that range that has some brand-credibility. I'd possibly spend a little more if I felt it was justified but ideally, I'd like to stay in that range.

*I asked on here, as opposed to a gun shop, because I know there are a lot of people on here who know a lot about guns. I wanted to get some info first before I went into a store so I'd at least have a little more knowledge when it came to seeing the guns in person. I definitely want to go see a retailer but I was hoping to get some first-hand experience first from people with no motives to sell me a particular gun.

I think that pretty much covers most of the questions or ambiguity from other posters. Thanks again for the help. I'm starting to think I may be better suited for a revolver even though it wasn't my first choice. I'm still pretty young (in my 30's) and I think I kind of fell for appearance over function/purpose when it came to the 9mm's (particulary the glocks). I guess I need to do some more homework, visit some stores and test some out at a range to see what feels right to me.

 

[Specop 007]

You'll be hard pressed to find a good auto on $300. For that price, better go revolver.

That said, auto > revovler any day of the week and twice on Wednesday.

 

[PrinceofWands]

Originally posted by: Meuge

Originally posted by: Lazy8s

Originally posted by: shortylickens

Originally posted by: pontifex

Originally posted by: Lazy8s
Have you considered a large dog for home protection? Less likely kids will shoot themselves.


BTW I'm not an anti-gun nut as you can see from my previous post, it's just that the bark of a dog is a large deterrent for home break-ins. The gun can give you self defense but doesn't prevent anything.

i'm not bashing you or anything but why do people come into threads like this and ask why doesn't the op get something totally unrelated to the topic?

its like me coming into a discussion about which car to buy and telling them to buy a bike instead because it will save on gas money and give them exercise...when they obviously want a car.

He was just trying to be helpful.

BUT, I will say that the only kind of dog I'd want for serious home protection is the kind thats way too dangerous for kids.
Hell, a 12 gauge being pumped is just as good as a bark. As for the kids I'd have to say that NO loaded gun should be kept laying around the house, kids or not.
Get one of those little safes with the glow in the dark or textured buttons. You can have that gun out in a couple seconds if you just practice a little.
And practice is probably the most important issue in gun ownership.

Also, just like with fire or sex (two other things that are dangerous if not respected) kids should be made aware of gun safety before you even bring one into the house. And I dont mean telling them to never touch it and hiding it in your bedroom. I mean actually talk to the kids and let them handle it.
EDIT: Alchohol too.

I just posted that because I already posted my gun recommendations then I realized that he might not have considered a dog and I thought it would be helpful. It's true that big dogs are not safe around kids though and I had not really thought about small children.

Also the op was

Hoping to purchase my first hand gun in the near future for practice range/home protection but unsure what to get. Looking for something inexpensive, relatively compact but adequate fire power.

The best home protection would be a Brinks or ADT or whatever security system. Sure you can shoot the robber but without a security system or dog will you know he's in the house before he shoots you in your sleep? I only say this because my good friend's grandparents were lit on fire and killed while they were sleeping and they had no idea the man was in their house.

Prevention is better than protection. Sure you can carry mase to prevent you from getting raped at night, then again you could go to Walmart during the day and not have to worry about nearly as much, right?

Anyways, see the first page for my suggestions. Sorry for trying to be helpful.

Or you could do all of the above.

/shrug

I hate anti-gun people. They're idealists, with no sense of the real world.

I like Heinlein's quote: "An armed society is a polite society; you never know when you'll have to back up your words with your life."

😎 I think it's funny you said that, because personality-wise I'm an extreme idealist (meyers/briggs sorter), and I carry.

 

[PrinceofWands]

Originally posted by: 49erinnc
Thanks for all the great info.

Don't feel like quoting all the questions so I'll just try to hit on some I remember.

*Already own a nice shotgun that I keep in the bedroom closet. Doesn't really suit my needs. The primary reason I want a handgun is that I want to enjoy the sport of firing at a range when I have some free time. Can't really do that with a shotgun and I've long outgrown my bird and small animal hunting days. And in the rare event of someone breaking into my home, I just feel my shotgun is too cumbersome. Not to mention, I don't want it resting against my bed so I keep it in the closet, making it a little inconvenient if I need it in a hurry.

*Already own two dogs who would alert me of an intruder and likely scare one off. However, see comments above about target range. The home protection is just a secondary reason for getting a hand gun but yes, I do want the added security and convenience of knowing a handgun is near me in the case of a break-in.

*I live alone with my two dogs, have no children and no young family members sleep over so this isn't a concern for me with owning a gun. And I live in a home with a decent buffer between houses. Though, I think it's a bit absurd to suggest a bullet is gonna travel through multiple layers of sheetrock and other structures of a neighboring home. Not saying it's impossible but I'm not gonna avoid a handgun over the remote possibility of injuring a neighbor. Though, I appreciate the concern and help. Safety is key when dealing with any guns.

*By stating "compact" I just meant that I don't want a very bulky, heavy gun with a long barrell. My buddy has a revolver and that thing is flat out gawdy. I think it's a 357 (or bigger) but has a really long barrel. Just not my thing but he loves it. I'm not looking to get a concealed permit but I would like to have something that's not so large.

*In terms of price, I guess I'm hoping to spend around $300, give or take $50. I haven't really looked around a lot so I'm not sure what type of gun I can get in that range that has some brand-credibility. I'd possibly spend a little more if I felt it was justified but ideally, I'd like to stay in that range.

*I asked on here, as opposed to a gun shop, because I know there are a lot of people on here who know a lot about guns. I wanted to get some info first before I went into a store so I'd at least have a little more knowledge when it came to seeing the guns in person. I definitely want to go see a retailer but I was hoping to get some first-hand experience first from people with no motives to sell me a particular gun.

I think that pretty much covers most of the questions or ambiguity from other posters. Thanks again for the help. I'm starting to think I may be better suited for a revolver even though it wasn't my first choice. I'm still pretty young (in my 30's) and I think I kind of fell for appearance over function/purpose when it came to the 9mm's (particulary the glocks). I guess I need to do some more homework, visit some stores and test some out at a range to see what feels right to me.

Go look at a Taurus Millenium PT140 or PT145. You should be able to find one for $350ish. Make sure you get the 3rd revision if you do...the first one had uber-issues.

 

[VanTheMan]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
Personally, I think the best choice for a first time gun owner is a 6 shot medium frame revolver chambered in .357 Magnum. You can shoot .38 Special loads through it for target practice (.38 Special is fairly inexpensive) but for defense you could keep it loaded with the hotter .357 Magnum rounds.

The revolver offers greater simplicity and they have that long heavy double action pull which helps prevent accidental discharges. There are no manual safeties to disengage so you are always ready to go when needed (if needed).

My thoughts exactly. I have a Ruger Blackhawk for home defense. It's single action, so no accidents. The .38 Special rounds are cheap to practice with and the .357 Magnum is THE number one "one shot stopper" round; basically meaning if you hit someone anywhere, they will be happy to oblige any request you make of them. There are arguments for and against having a semi-auto for home defense, but I don't believe there is ever any need to be able to rapidly discharge bullets in a home situation. If you can't stop an intruder with one round in the close quarters situations that occur during home invasion, go take a home defense pistol course. I don't have anything against semi-autos and I love shooting them, but I would recommend a revolver for a beginner pistol.

 

[dxkj]

Dont ask, go to a range and rent all of their guns and find out for yourself 🙂 best advice that I can give.

I liked a lot of guns, but settled on the CZ 75 Retro
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/dxkj21/cz75Retro.JPG


Sig p226 was a sweet sweet weapon, but I didnt want to spend that much... Taurus makes some nice ones as well.

 

[dug777]

USP Compact .45

 

[dxkj]

Originally posted by: Specop 007

Originally posted by: spikespiegal
I've fired a lot of different guns over the years, and I still don't rate hand guns as much good for home defense, other than possibly making a lot of noise and scaring an intruder off. In order of preference, I'd take a German Shepard first, Shotgun second, and HighPoint 9mm carbine third. For home defense I'd pick both a sword and baseball bat over a handgun given you have a higher percentile of hitting a target with those.

I'm skeptical on just how much shooting you've done over the years. A baseball bat would be about my last choice for home defense.

Seriously.... I can hit a human chest at 10 yards regularly, but not with a bat 🙂

 

[VanTheMan]

Originally posted by: spikespiegal
For home protection I agree with the .357 mag revolver....provided of course you want a pistol.

I've fired a lot of different guns over the years, and I still don't rate hand guns as much good for home defense, other than possibly making a lot of noise and scaring an intruder off. In order of preference, I'd take a German Shepard first, Shotgun second, and HighPoint 9mm carbine third. For home defense I'd pick both a sword and baseball bat over a handgun given you have a higher percentile of hitting a target with those.

The 9mm Highpoint is not only cheap, it's far more powerfull than any handgun, and far more accurate. Don't care who you are....if it came down to a duel with an intruder in my house and he had a choice of any handgun he wanted, I'd still drop him with the Highpoint long before he got a shot off.

My uncle has a wall full of rifles and many pistols. I asked him what he would use in the event of a break in. He said he would use his compound bow because of how utterly shocking it would be for a run of the mill thief to get to the top of your stairs and see someone holding a bead on them with a bow. He'd have to be thinking "What the hell kind of crazy, psycho, nutjob confronts a thief with a friggin bow?" The same shock factor can apply for a sword, but not a bat. I have an excellent quality rapier (slashing +5, DD piercing hehe) leaning against my wall, but I think I would opt for my .357 Magnum Blackhawk or .44 Magnum Redhawk over the sword any night.

 

[squirrel dog]

Used Ruger p89 or p90 should come in at around 300 .

 

[49erinnc]

Just out of curiosity, what is required in order to go to a range without a weapon but to rent/test out theirs?

I'm assuming a permit in hand is required but would the permit alone, indicate I've had the safety classes as well or would I need additonal documents to go test fire some guns? I'm thinking the rentals at a range may be my best option before purchasing something. That way I'll have a better idea of the mechanics, firepower, safety features, appearance and how it feels in my hand. Could likely get some valuable information there from the experts as well.

 

[sao123]

Glock... but I always recommend .40 instead of 9mm for home protection.
About the same cost, but more stopping power.

 

[49erinnc]

Most of the suggestions seem to be towards a semi. I really like some of the ones mentioned but I'm not sure I'll be able to get one for under $350 that's of any real quality. I love that Springfield XD-9 but I know it's out of my range. The semi's are sweet but honestly, I just don't see the need (for me personally) to fire off more than 6 shots at once.

If I went with a revolver, is a used .357 gonna be my best bet for a $350 budget? I do like the notion of using inexpensive .38 ammo since I'll likely be visiting the range a good bit. If someone can recommend the best revolver (brand/caliber) for under $350, that would be great. I have no problem buying used but would prefer retail. But I'd rather have a used, quality brand than a new, crappy one.

 

[Lazy8s]

Originally posted by: 49erinnc
Most of the suggestions seem to be towards a semi. I really like some of the ones mentioned but I'm not sure I'll be able to get one for under $350 that's of any real quality. I love that Springfield XD-9 but I know it's out of my range. The semi's are sweet but honestly, I just don't see the need (for me personally) to fire off more than 6 shots at once.

If I went with a revolver, is a used .357 gonna be my best bet for a $350 budget? I do like the notion of using inexpensive .38 ammo since I'll likely be visiting the range a good bit. If someone can recommend the best revolver (brand/caliber) for under $350, that would be great. I have no problem buying used but would prefer retail. But I'd rather have a used, quality brand than a new, crappy one.

Ask around at local ranges. The one next to my house rents you the gun all day for $15. You can rent any one in any display shelf. Just explain what you're looking to do and they will be happy to rent you anything you'd like I'm certain.

EDIT: They should offer to show you how to load/fire it before you go on the range as well as maintain it, if you buy it, for free. If they don't go somewhere else, you want to buy from someone that loves guns and wants to encourage proper care and safety. That said it may be a push to stay under 300 since alot of states require cases or at least trigger locks unless you get a conceal permit.