Handgun to beat

[JulesMaximus]

Don't be like that. 🙂 If the job was just lying on the shelf, then I'd recommend a used book to get the most for your money. 😛 The job is lying on the shelf for immediate access in case of dire need. If I ever need to reach for a handgun in dire need, I want the superior all-around capability of an auto. If I lived in a hurricane zone I'd be ready for a cat 5, even if one hadn't hit in decades. If you're satisfied only being prepared for a cat 4, so be it.

I don't live in a hurricane zone. 😛

And I own 4 semi-auto handguns, a few shotguns, and a few rifles... yet the gun I have ready for home defense is a revolver. Sometimes it's one of the semi-autos but most of the time it's the revolver. I can always go get more guns out of the safe if I need to. Hasn't really been an issue though. YMMV.

-Peyton Manning approves of this post.

 

[Texashiker]

Just out of curiosity for home defense do you all still recommend semi-auto's? if so why? And i mean over a revolver more than anything.

The one thing I worry about with a 357 is excessive penetration through walls. That is compared to a 9mm or a 45acp.

A revolver works, plain and simple, just point and squeeze.

 

[SpatiallyAware]

Bottom line is revolver vs auto is primarily a personal decision.

It's like arguing whether it's better to drive a white car or a black car.



A lot of what is in this thread is blatant fanboyism and misinformation from our typical trollposter(s).

A 1911 is definitely NOT inherently less accurate than other guns. This is a ridiculous obvious troll statement.

Obviously double stack holds more ammo but at the expense of width.

Many of the 'negatives' people spew (about guns they don't own...) aren't negatives but just facts about the gun.

Just because single stack/single action isn't for YOU does not mean it's a poor choice for someone else, even if they have the exact same requirements you do.

There's nothing wrong with an XD or a glock unless you're talking to an outright brand fanboy (fanboys are far more common in the gun community than tech community. You think ATI vs nvidia is bad - try talking xd vs glock).

Just because it doesn't fit your hand doesn't mean it's a bad gun. Just because YOU think it's ugly doesn't make it an ugly gun.

This is all about what fits your hand angles, and what naturally feels and looks good to you.



Revolver - holds less ammo, easier to shoot and less prone to jamming. If you're never going to the range then this is generally the best gun IE grannies, people who just aren't into guns at all. They tend to have more recoil since there isn't a slide and spring helping to lessen recoil (although this is often offset by their heavier weight)

Semi auti - has a magazine you can easily swap out to reload the gun. They are more complicated, and they don't always shoot hollowpoints flawlessly so you really should put 100-500 rounds through any semi auto you plan to use for defensive purposes.





To me, the bottom line is what gun are you most likely to have on you and use? If you don't like complicated things and won't carry a semi-auto because of that then get a revolver.

If you're not 5'10 and fat then you'll probably want a single stack. Most double stack guns are fairly hefty to carry unless you do OWB (outside waistband, basically a 'cowboy style' holster).

If you're a regular person (not LEO, military, etc) then the difference between XD and glock is almost nil. They will both hold up equally fine for any person doing normal stuff. The glock has looser tolerances to it can shoot after being dunked in mud. Personally, I would never be in that situation with my daily carry so I don't care.



Going back to what you are going to carry on you.. To me this generall means the best gun is the smallest gun you can carry in the largest caliber that's comfortable to shoot. Once you've figured that out, decide if you want a polymer/plastic gun (XD, glock) or a metal gun (1911, Sig, many others)

 

[corwin]

If you're not 5'10 and fat then you'll probably want a single stack. Most double stack guns are fairly hefty to carry unless you do OWB (outside waistband, basically a 'cowboy style' holster).

Seriously why does everyone say this? In general a fat person would be less able to conceal a thick handgun since their belly sticks out all around would push it into their over shirt and print...myself at 6' 5" 215lbs (which might be big but I'm thin) I can conceal my double stack .45 super easy with an IWB holster and an un-tucked shirt, if I had a roll around my waist pushing it out I would want something thinner

 

[SpatiallyAware]

Seriously why does everyone say this? In general a fat person would be less able to conceal a thick handgun since their belly sticks out all around would push it into their over shirt and print...myself at 6' 5" 215lbs (which might be big but I'm thin) I can conceal my double stack .45 super easy with an IWB holster and an un-tucked shirt, if I had a roll around my waist pushing it out I would want something thinner

Without being offensive, fat people tend to wear loose clothes. Also if you're wearing a jacket/clothes that fit correctly it is definitely more difficult to conceal a double stack if you're skinny. I'm average height/weight and have carried both types pretty much every way possible, and single stack is far far easier to carry -there's really no comparison.

At 6'5 you really don't count for any of this, since at your size it doesn't matter much either way.


Have you carried a single stack to compare?

 

[Texashiker]

There's nothing wrong with an XD or a glock unless you're talking to an outright brand fanboy

Glocks are less forgiving then handguns that have a physical safety lever.

Wake up from the sound of breaking of glass at 3am, roll over half asleep, you better hope you do not grab that glock by the trigger. Most people can not hit the snooze button on their alarm clock at 6 am, much less grab a pistol at 3am.

 

[corwin]

Without being offensive, fat people tend to wear loose clothes. Also if you're wearing a jacket/clothes that fit correctly it is definitely more difficult to conceal a double stack if you're skinny. I'm average height/weight and have carried both types pretty much every way possible, and single stack is far far easier to carry -there's really no comparison.

At 6'5 you really don't count for any of this, since at your size it doesn't matter much either way.


Have you carried a single stack to compare?

Even wearing loose clothing their body tends to press against it before the drop off, would think that would cause more printing, not to mention having something bigger being pressed into your body...I'm not trying to be offensive either but I would think they would want something smaller but maybe my logic is flawed.

I have carried a single stack and while lighter found it no different really, just was able to loosen the belt a notch. I've never carried any way but IWB (jackets not really needed here) and just a light t-shirt over jeans or shorts and I'm good to go, even with dress clothes and a tucked in dress shirt lightly ballooned covers it fine...being fat would stretch that out farther...again maybe I'm just not in a position to understand, don't know anybody who carries that's big...

 

[SpatiallyAware]

Glocks are less forgiving then handguns that have a physical safety lever.

Wake up from the sound of breaking of glass at 3am, roll over half asleep, you better hope you do not grab that glock by the trigger. Most people can not hit the snooze button on their alarm clock at 6 am, much less grab a pistol at 3am.

Right, and the next guy is going to say he'd rather pick up his gun and shoot without worrying about any safety. It's completely 100% personal preference and what YOU are comfortable with. There is no defining 'end of story' argument for or against a physical safety.

 

[SpatiallyAware]

Even wearing loose clothing their body tends to press against it before the drop off, would think that would cause more printing, not to mention having something bigger being pressed into your body...I'm not trying to be offensive either but I would think they would want something smaller but maybe my logic is flawed.

I have carried a single stack and while lighter found it no different really, just was able to loosen the belt a notch. I've never carried any way but IWB (jackets not really needed here) and just a light t-shirt over jeans or shorts and I'm good to go, even with dress clothes and a tucked in dress shirt lightly ballooned covers it fine...being fat would stretch that out farther...again maybe I'm just not in a position to understand, don't know anybody who carries that's big...

You are 6'5 , it's really another category and totally different for someone less than 6'. Your gun is like 1% of your body mass compared to 3% with most people.

Again, it all comes down to personal preference. Some people don't care if the gun is pressing against them and some do. Some people are weird about weight, some aren't. Some people wear tight clothes, some don't.



So much of this is people saying "this is right and that is wrong" and pointing out details of guns when it all boils down to user preference.

 

[Texashiker]

Right, and the next guy is going to say he'd rather pick up his gun and shoot without worrying about any safety. It's completely 100% personal preference and what YOU are comfortable with. There is no defining 'end of story' argument for or against a physical safety.

Its not personal preference that our motor function skills can take several minutes to return after waking up from a deep sleep. In fact, its sound scientific fact.

If anything , use a revolver so you have the benefit a heavy trigger pull.

 

[SpatiallyAware]

Its not personal preference that our motor function skills can take several minutes to return after waking up from a deep sleep. In fact, its sound scientific fact.

If anything , use a revolver so you have the benefit a heavy trigger pull.

Ugh.

It's not about motor skills. It's about whether you are capable of memorizing to flip off the safety, and are willing to go through that effort for the benefit of an additional safety.

This is a personal choice, not something you can act as if it's a fact.

 

[Texashiker]

Ugh.

It's not about motor skills.

<facepalm>

There are 2 major factors you are not wanting to address - deteriorate of motor skills in a stressful situation, and deteriorate of motor skills from being half asleep.

Both of which will be a factor if/when you wake up in the middle of the night.

 

[SpatiallyAware]

<facepalm>

There are 2 major factors you are not wanting to address - deteriorate of motor skills in a stressful situation, and deteriorate of motor skills from being half asleep.

Both of which will be a factor if/when you wake up in the middle of the night.

No, it isn't. I am 100% confident that I would have no issues whatsoever, picking up my gun and flipping the safety is a 100% natural learned motion for me. Even just woken up, it is a non-issue, it is a subconscious motion.

Besides the fact that my bedside gun is a 12ga, which lessens the issue even further. Again, just because a manual safety doesn't fit your specific situation DOES NOT make it a bad thing. They key is to practice with whatever gun you use to make it a learned motion.





Again, you are pointing out simple details of differences and acting like it's a major negative and reason to not buy a particular gun.

Stop being a fanboy, just because it's wrong for YOU and not what YOU picked does not mean it's wrong for others.

Just because you would have an issue with waking up and fumbling with your firearm doesn't mean everyone will.

It's too bad that people are so quick to trash whatever gun they didn't pick, I think unbiased discussions are unfortunately just about absent in the gun community.

 

[corwin]

So much of this is people saying "this is right and that is wrong" and pointing out details of guns when it all boils down to user preference.

Truly that is what it comes down to in most every instance of anything, I would just think being fat would lend itself to a smaller gun for concealed carry in general...as another side note most people in that condition seem to have a problem keeping their pants up without adding the weight of a gun to it😛

 

[SpatiallyAware]

Truly that is what it comes down to in most every instance of anything, I would just think being fat would lend itself to a smaller gun for concealed carry in general...as another side note most people in that condition seem to have a problem keeping their pants up without adding the weight of a gun to it😛

The problem is that with guns, specifically, is people tout what they picked as the be-all-end-all no other choice should even be considered. It's nearly impossible to ask 'what's the best gun for me?' without getting tons of misinformation from people spouting their opinions and personal choices as outright undeniable facts.



In cars, computers, pretty much anything it's "this is why I picked what I picked, and it's the best". With guns it's "this is the best period, and the only way to go, and any other choice is dangerous to you and your family". From DAO/SAO, glock/xd, single stack/dbl stack, semiauto/revolver...

 

[SpatiallyAware]

Truly that is what it comes down to in most every instance of anything, I would just think being fat would lend itself to a smaller gun for concealed carry in general...as another side note most people in that condition seem to have a problem keeping their pants up without adding the weight of a gun to it😛

Really, you may be right but imo it completely varies person-to-person whether their big or not.


My issue is more that a trollposter is claiming double stack is no different than a single stack for carry, and is undeniably worth the extra rounds at the expense of comfort... I'm really just trying to point out that # of rounds aside, not everyone can comfortable carry a dbl stack since everyone is sized differently and wears clothes differently.

It would really suck for someone who bought a dbl stack and then found out it's too thick to comfortably carry, and the gun ended up in a drawer at home during the time they REALLY need it.





Personally IMO for a defensive gun you plan to carry, comfort is the absolute #1 issue. If it's not comfortable you won't carry it, so figuring this out should be the very first thing you do.

 

[corwin]

Personally IMO for a defensive gun you plan to carry, comfort is the absolute #1 issue. If it's not comfortable you won't carry it, so figuring this out should be the very first thing you do.

That, and practice, is the best advice of all...if you won't carry it you won't have it when you need it, I'd rather have a tiny .22 with one round than nothing at all

 

[SpatiallyAware]

That, and practice, is the best advice of all...if you won't carry it you won't have it when you need it, I'd rather have a tiny .22 with one round than nothing at all

Definitely agree with you.. Actually I stand corrected, practice is just as important if not more important than comfort.

 

[alkemyst]

There is a lot of misinformation here. Those that claim to 'conceal carry' I think are only doing it to functions they know people won't mind based on what they are saying.

Sure one can carry a double-stacked 1911 or hell a 9" .44 magnum...not going to be a really good choice each day, but then so few really need to carry daily.

having a .22 or .380, is better in your pocket than having nothing if you have a NEED.

Those that rotate their personal carry piece around often are sort of probably really not thinking they will need to use them one day.

Also going for a more powerful round in a ultra compact is self-defeating in my opinion. I know a lot claim they are extremely accurate and even in fast consecutive shots, but in witnessing these same people anyone can see they are very optimistic on their ability.

 

[corwin]

There is a lot of misinformation here. Those that claim to 'conceal carry' I think are only doing it to functions they know people won't mind based on what they are saying.

Sure one can carry a double-stacked 1911 or hell a 9" .44 magnum...not going to be a really good choice each day, but then so few really need to carry daily.

having a .22 or .380, is better in your pocket than having nothing if you have a NEED.

Those that rotate their personal carry piece around often are sort of probably really not thinking they will need to use them one day.

Also going for a more powerful round in a ultra compact is self-defeating in my opinion. I know a lot claim they are extremely accurate and even in fast consecutive shots, but in witnessing these same people anyone can see they are very optimistic on their ability.

I'm not sure I'm getting your logic or reasoning here...I carry a double stack compact .45 when I can carry, which isn't daily since I'm not allowed to carry at work however every other moment I'm out it's with me. Exactly how do you KNOW when you'll NEED it? ANd about rotating the piece carried how do you think that means they don't believe they'll need it? You can be proficient with more than one at a time and choosing different pieces depending on what your wearing makes sense...and a large caliber in a sub compact is perfectly fine given how most scenarios play out under 7 yds, odds are your target is not going to be 25-50 yds away, and if they are chances are you shouldn't be firing it

 

[irishScott]

I don't live in a hurricane zone. 😛

And I own 4 semi-auto handguns, a few shotguns, and a few rifles... yet the gun I have ready for home defense is a revolver. Sometimes it's one of the semi-autos but most of the time it's the revolver. I can always go get more guns out of the safe if I need to. Hasn't really been an issue though. YMMV.

-Peyton Manning approves of this post.

And if you can shoot a revolver better more power to you. If not then you have no logical reason to prefer a revolver. Which is fine, just so long as you know that.

 

[Merad]

Just out of curiosity for home defense do you all still recommend semi-auto's? if so why? And i mean over a revolver more than anything.

Average accuracy in a self defense shooting is about 20%. With most revolvers that gives you just 1 round on target. If there happen to be multiple aggressors, you're really screwed.

The one thing I worry about with a 357 is excessive penetration through walls. That is compared to a 9mm or a 45acp.

I have heard some horror stories about people suffering significant hearing damage after even 1 shot from a .357 without hearing protection. That's the main reason I wouldn't use it by choice.

 

[velillen]

Average accuracy in a self defense shooting is about 20%. With most revolvers that gives you just 1 round on target. If there happen to be multiple aggressors, you're really screwed.

Thats not a big deal for me as honestly if i had to use it it would probably be more in a fire a shot to get them ducking around the corner then bolting for the door over sitting and having a shot out trying to kill them. My house is fortunate in that i have a outside door in my bedroom so 1 shot from the 357 and i doubt the person is sitting in the doorway any longer so 1 or 2 more shots and the door is open and im running. Anyways that is my personal theory on it. Sort of why im not to worried about revolver vs semi-auto's with larger rounds. I sure dont plan to sit and shoot all 10 rounds then go for the door.

Call me a pussy for it but i have no desire to sit and kill an intruder but rather see the gun as a method of holding him back for me and loved one to get out. Of course if i do hit him in the dark then all the better 🙂 And obviously im lucky in my house layout to have a quick escape method. Unlike my parents who would be in a shootout as they sleep on the third floor.

I have heard some horror stories about people suffering significant hearing damage after even 1 shot from a .357 without hearing protection. That's the main reason I wouldn't use it by choice.

Granted the 357 mag is worse, two things for me personally come to mind. First is if i have to use it in self defense my hearing isnt the most important thing on my mind. Hearing loss would be better than being killed. Second I've heard plenty of stories of hearing damage/loss from shooting 45's or 9mm's as well. Granted most of them had ringing for a few hours and thats more or less it. But not fair to say only a 357mag would cause hearing loss either.

And if you can shoot a revolver better more power to you. If not then you have no logical reason to prefer a revolver. Which is fine, just so long as you know that.

And thats my primary reason. im just comfortable with it and know the gun well. I can shoot my brother and my fathers 45 and 40's just fine but i do find myself having to think on how to drop the clip or having to cock the slide. My gun i can just pick it up and fire 6 rounds and reload and do it again without having to think.

 

[irishScott]

And thats my primary reason. im just comfortable with it and know the gun well. I can shoot my brother and my fathers 45 and 40's just fine but i do find myself having to think on how to drop the clip or having to cock the slide. My gun i can just pick it up and fire 6 rounds and reload and do it again without having to think.

I'd say that's largely a training issue. My home defense is a commmander 1911, and while it's a more complicated battery of arms I've practiced drawing it so many times that even when aiming revolvers I instinctively swipe where the 1911 safety would be (I keep it cocked and locked). My concealed carry is a Sig P238, so the reflexes are transferable.

But whatever works.

 

[SpatiallyAware]

Thats not a big deal for me as honestly if i had to use it it would probably be more in a fire a shot to get them ducking around the corner then bolting for the door over sitting and having a shot out trying to kill them. My house is fortunate in that i have a outside door in my bedroom so 1 shot from the 357 and i doubt the person is sitting in the doorway any longer so 1 or 2 more shots and the door is open and im running. Anyways that is my personal theory on it. Sort of why im not to worried about revolver vs semi-auto's with larger rounds. I sure dont plan to sit and shoot all 10 rounds then go for the door.

Call me a pussy for it but i have no desire to sit and kill an intruder but rather see the gun as a method of holding him back for me and loved one to get out. Of course if i do hit him in the dark then all the better 🙂 And obviously im lucky in my house layout to have a quick escape method. Unlike my parents who would be in a shootout as they sleep on the third floor.





Granted the 357 mag is worse, two things for me personally come to mind. First is if i have to use it in self defense my hearing isnt the most important thing on my mind. Hearing loss would be better than being killed. Second I've heard plenty of stories of hearing damage/loss from shooting 45's or 9mm's as well. Granted most of them had ringing for a few hours and thats more or less it. But not fair to say only a 357mag would cause hearing loss either.




And thats my primary reason. im just comfortable with it and know the gun well. I can shoot my brother and my fathers 45 and 40's just fine but i do find myself having to think on how to drop the clip or having to cock the slide. My gun i can just pick it up and fire 6 rounds and reload and do it again without having to think.

Something to think about... In that situation, it would not be one robber kicking your bedroom door down. You'd have 1-2 guys at that exterior door and 1-2 inside.

People that do home invasions at night are not that interested in robbing you. They do other terrible things that you and your wife will never fully recover from.