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Just went shooting....

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I suspect that my experiences are different from many here. But for me there will only ever be one favorite pistol.

Model 1911 Colt 45 Automatic.

Carried one for 15 months and 28 days. Even used to roll it up in my web belt and use it as a pillow. (Of course, that was 42 years ago...)

Simple, easy to clean, and reliable. Used to say that "God may have made all people. But it was Mr. Colt that made them equal." -- But I was younger then.

Please realize though that I have never carried concealed, never had a "compact" pistol with a grip that felt good, and would never buy a hand gun for home security.

My instructors were clear that a hand gun was just a weapon but the best weapon is the one that is between your ears. And that a silver medal in a gun fight was not something to aspire to...

Uno
 
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Don't buy a firearm based on what people tell you is needed. 9mm, 40, 45 are all great rounds. I carry 9mm because it is cheaper. This means I can shoot more which means I'm better prepared.

The same goes for picking a gun. Select a budget and find a gun that you like. I own a xd, m&p, and a walther and I personally love my walther and want to sell my xd and m&p. It is all personal. Try out as much as you can and buy what you like. After all, you have to use it, not the Internet.
 
unokitty said:
I suspect that my experiences are different from many here. But for me there will only ever be one favorite pistol.

Model 1911 Colt 45 Automatic.

Carried one for 15 months and 28 days. Even used to roll it up in my web belt and use it as a pillow. (Of course, that was 42 years ago...)

Simple, easy to clean, and reliable. Used to say that "God may have made all people. But it was Mr. Colt that made them equal." -- But I was younger then.

Please realize though that I have never carried concealed, never had a "compact" pistol with a grip that felt good, and would never buy a hand gun for home security.

My instructors were clear that a hand gun was just a weapon but the best weapon is the one that is between your ears. And that a silver medal in a gun fight was not something to aspire to...

Uno
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You're getting your gun designers mixed up. John Browning designed the 1911, not Sam Colt.
 
Modelworks said:
I like it because when I am out in the woods it can stop a person or a bear. I'm not interested in wounding something if I draw a gun . I want the target dead on the first shot.
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Then carry a shotgun. The Desert Eagle weighs over four pounds, and isn't considered as reliable as a service pistol or revolver.
 
You're getting your gun designers mixed up. John Browning designed the 1911, not Sam Colt.
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I wasn't mixed up.

My reference was to the Colt 45 Automatic. Wasn't referring to its designer.

But thanks for sharing.

Uno
 
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unokitty said:
I wasn't mixed up.

My reference was to the Colt 45 Automatic. Wasn't referring to its designer.

But thanks for sharing.

Uno
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Did you notice what I put in bold?

I understand you were talking about the Colt 45 Auto (the 1911 created by Browning), that's why I was surprised to see you paraphrase the saying "Abe Lincoln freed all men, but Sam Colt made them equal" - as it's a post-Civil War saying that refers to Sam Colts revolving 5 or 6 shot cylinder design, and predates the invention of the 1911 and the ammo it fires.

This making sense yet or am I 42 years too late?



For what it's worth I too am a huge .45 fan. My Springer .45 is my favorite piece to shoot, nicest trigger I have on any firearm.
 
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Glock 23 is a good choice. .40 is a great round but the pistol allows you to also shoot 357sig with just a barrel swap and 9mm with a barrel/magazine swap. 357sig is probably my favorite round its just expensive as hell.
 
basslover1 said:
Glocks don't offer a physical on/off thumb safety, just an FYI. Sure they have the "If you drop it like a moron, it won't go off" type safety, but I like having a true safety.
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Vic Vega said:
The Glock has a "true" safety and you must disengage it every single time the weapon is fired. Please don't spread misinformation regarding things you don't understand.
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Please, don't pick and choose which part of my comment you use to fuel your argument. You know exactly what I'm referencing, yet you choose to ignore it. 🙄
 
Skipping over the various nitty-picky arguments in this thread, most of which are typical gun forum fare, I'll just tell you my home defense choice and why. I've put a lot of thought into it and it's largely based on commmon sense, I hope you get some use out of it.

1. Gun choice: Commander Length 1911. Specifically a Springfield Armory Lightweight Champion Operator, with a forthcoming Viridian C5L light/laser combo, night sights, and 10 round extended mag (giving me 10 + 1).

Why: The weight (~35 oz loaded) mitigates much of the recoil from the .45 ACP. The 1911 trigger is probably the easiest trigger to shoot IMO (it's single action only, so slightly more complicated battery of arms but the trigger pull is well worth it). The light/laser combo gives me a variety of options, and while pricey, the C5L is programmable to any of a series of combinations of light/laser behavior, giving me maximum flexibility.

FHC: (Frequently heard criticism)

1. Lesser rounds count even with extended mag compared to other calibers .
Answer: (see caliber choice below)

2. Weight, it's heavy.
Answer: It's for home defense, not concealed carry.

3. Having a light on your gun tells the bad guy where to shoot.
Answer: The light/laser is there if I need it, and can easily be left off if I don't. Saying it's useless in all situations will earn you the irishScott stamp of stupidness (because you don't deseverve an ajective as dignified as "stupidity").

4. Handguns suck at killing things!
Can I shoot you then? Apparently you think the odds are in your favor.



Caliber choice: .45 ACP, preferably bonded 230 gr JHPs (usually Remington Golden Sabres) for defensive use.

Why: Most gunfights are short, chaotic, and at extremely close range from what I've read (as in within 10'). In such situations I want the closest I can reasonably get to a one-shot stop. The .45 ACP has one of the longest and most distringuished histories of any handgun caliber. It has proven itself in multiple large-scale wars (notably WWI, WWII, Korea and Vietnam), and the annecdotal acounts of it's effectiveness from soldiers and police officers is astounding. Reports of its ineffectiveness on unarmored targets is all but unheard of. Even ballistic gel tests favor the .45, either mildly or majorly, over other common calibers. That "mild" advantage could make a difference however, and I'll take it.

FHC:

1. Ballistic tests shown other calibers produce equal damage!
Answer: I've seen many more tests that show the opposite, and experience has taught me that in this argument I can usually provide more evidence than the other guy. Also, see close to 100 years of annecdotal evidence of effectiveness, in more primitive loadings no less. Show me another caliber with that track record. The 9mm has been around for a while, it has yet to develop said track record.

2. Even with an extended mag you only have half the rounds of a Glock!
Answer: Actually I have more than half, but it's still a significant loss. Fact is I will probably never be in a situation where I will have to use more than a few rounds, let alone the 11 + 2x7 rounders that sit by my bed. Nothing in my life currently puts me at risk of a situation that would require 17+ rounds of anything.

3. The .45 ACP can overpenetrate!
Answer: .22 lr will go through 4 walls before stopping. All rounds overpenetrate.

4. Why not go for 10mm or a S&W .500 if you want ultimate stopping power?
Answer: Cost, and I don't want to be completely deafened if I shoot the thing indoors. .45 ACP ain't the cheapest, but it's still half the price of 10mm and affordable enough for me to shoot regularly.

5. Your followup shots will suck!
Answer: The 1911 dominates many shooting competitions for a reason. With a heavy gun like the 1911 and adequate training, the recoild can be mitigated to an instinctive level. I can shoot plenty fast and stay on a man-sized target at realistic indoor ranges (7 yards or less).
 
BladeVenom said:
Of course firing 9mm in a gun made for .40 isn't reliable because of the case head size difference.

That's why I think 10mm is good choice since the .40 cartridge is based on 10mm with a slightly shorter case, and .357 Sig is just a necked down .40. So the case head dimensions are the same for all three. No extraction or ejection problems like when trying to fire a 9mm with a .40 slide.
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...just so long as you're not referring to the old (original) 10mm load.😉 That wasn't the most pleasant thing to shoot, even after the FBI came out with a watered down version.
 
BladeVenom said:
Then carry a shotgun. The Desert Eagle weighs over four pounds, and isn't considered as reliable as a service pistol or revolver.
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Why would I do that if I I like the desert eagle ? it is smaller than a rifle or shotgun and easier to carry. What you consider reliable or best doesn't matter to me because you are not doing the shooting.
 
Sixguns said:
Ive seen to many videos of people getting hit in the face due to the recoil of those things. I would love to shoot one some day though.
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yeah, I wouldn't recommend someone just pick up one for the first time and start shooting without someone with experience taking them through using the gun. It has to be handled with the understanding of how much power is in the rounds being fired. It was never meant to be a quick draw concealed carry type weapon and that is what a lot of people fail to understand. It is primarily a pistol and rifle crossover weapon. Large calibers are best when you think you may only get one shot because even if you miss the spot on the target you wanted the impact is going to do enough damage to seriously wound the target. Smaller calibers and a near miss can cause the damage to be too small to stop the target. With something like a wild animal you want it dead not pissed off.
 
irishScott said:
4. Why not go for 10mm or a S&W .500 if you want ultimate stopping power?
Answer: Cost, and I don't want to be completely deafened if I shoot the thing indoors.
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If I ever need to shoot my 12ga at someone inside the house, my ears are probably going to bleed.

Of course, probably not as much as the guy on the other side of the barrel, so I guess that evens it out.

p1050601r.jpg


@ 25 yds.
 
Jeeebus said:
If I ever need to shoot my 12ga at someone inside the house, my ears are probably going to bleed.

Of course, probably not as much as the guy on the other side of the barrel, so I guess that evens it out.

p1050601r.jpg


@ 25 yds.
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Oh yeah, no denying the carnage-wrecking ability of a shotgun. But the advantage of a handgun is that I can fire it one-handed from virtually any position instinctively, whereas with a shotgun I'd have to shoulder and aim. Plus if you're shooting non-slug ammo, you're legally responsible for every pellet, which would be an issue in an apartment. I'd rather rely on my own ability to shoot one round at a time relatively accurately. Not that the spread will be much indoors.

It's a trade-off either way.
 
irishScott said:
Oh yeah, no denying the carnage-wrecking ability of a shotgun. But the advantage of a handgun is that I can fire it one-handed from virtually any position instinctively, whereas with a shotgun I'd have to shoulder and aim. Plus if you're shooting non-slug ammo, you're legally responsible for every pellet, which would be an issue in an apartment. I'd rather rely on my own ability to shoot one round at a time relatively accurately. Not that the spread will be much indoors.

It's a trade-off either way.
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ya, not suggesting there's a right or wrong answer. We've also got the M&P 9mm loaded with 17 rounds of JHP and a TLR-1 light mounted on, sitting right next to the shotgun.

Any of the many options in this thread will do a good enough job of putting holes in places where bad guys don't want them.
 
Merad said:
Personally, I'd prefer not to be shot by anything larger than an airsoft gun. That doesn't mean that a CO2 pellet gun is effect for defense. Sorry, but from everything I've read the Judge produces really large shot patterns and seriously lacks penetration even when using buckshot.

If I lived in serious snake territory I'd probably consider one for anti-snake duties... but against threats on 2 or 4 legs? Meh.
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What kind of penetration are we talking though? There's an advantage to using something that doesn't go through your walls and then your neighbors when you miss.

And miss you will. Waking up in the middle of the night and encountering an intruder isn't the ideal situation. You'll miss. Spraying the guy with buck shot is going to get more of a result.

I haven't used one to shoot someone and keep a .45 myself but am intrigued by the 410 recolvers as a good reliable means at defense. If you have studies that show it unable to penetrate flesh at less than 10 feet I'd like to see it. It would make me reevaluate my desire to get one. And the 45LC is always an option too with one..
 
Nintendesert said:
What kind of penetration are we talking though? There's an advantage to using something that doesn't go through your walls and then your neighbors when you miss.

And miss you will. Waking up in the middle of the night and encountering an intruder isn't the ideal situation. You'll miss. Spraying the guy with buck shot is going to get more of a result.

I haven't used one to shoot someone and keep a .45 myself but am intrigued by the 410 recolvers as a good reliable means at defense. If you have studies that show it unable to penetrate flesh at less than 10 feet I'd like to see it. It would make me reevaluate my desire to get one. And the 45LC is always an option too with one..
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Spraying him with buck, then a 45LC, then buck, then a 45LC...etc

The buck can blind, cause pain, stun, surprise, etc. The LC will kill whatever it hits dead.

and by buck, I mean something like this
http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2009/12/03/winchester-pdx1-self-defense-shotshell-ammo/
 
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Nintendesert said:
What kind of penetration are we talking though? There's an advantage to using something that doesn't go through your walls and then your neighbors when you miss.

And miss you will. Waking up in the middle of the night and encountering an intruder isn't the ideal situation. You'll miss. Spraying the guy with buck shot is going to get more of a result.

I haven't used one to shoot someone and keep a .45 myself but am intrigued by the 410 recolvers as a good reliable means at defense. If you have studies that show it unable to penetrate flesh at less than 10 feet I'd like to see it. It would make me reevaluate my desire to get one. And the 45LC is always an option too with one..
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http://theboxotruth.com/docs/bot41.htm

45 LC of course will do a fine job defensively, but it's expensive.
 
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