Stepping up from my Browning 9mm (FReeper advice needed for higher caliber pistol)

vanity ^ | 8-5-10 | wac3rd

[wac3rd]

I bought a 9mm and love using it, but am debating what to get for home protection at a higher caliber.

I like the looks of the 1911 45's and I also like the idea of a 40 caliber Glock or 10mm Glock. I think I want a semi-automatic, so the revolver is out...

Finally, should I get a shorter barrel (4" or less) or stick with the standard 4.5 - 5" barrel?

Your advice would be very much appreciated...

[Bottom_Gun]

Don’t feel bad. I get the same reactions carrying a Walther PPK/S. I love that pistol and at 6’3”, 220 lbs I have lots of places to hide it depending on the weather ;).

If you like the DPX ammo take a look at the new Critical Defense from Hornady. It was manufactured to FBI specs and can penetrate drywall, light plywood, and clothing and still maintain expansion and stopping power> I did my own tests and I’m quite confident that when needed it will get the job done :).

[IamConservative]

Get a Glock 22 .40 caliber and then buy a 9mm and/or .357 barrel for it. You can use the .40 for home protection and the 9mm for plinking around with cheap ammo. Takes about 5 minutes to switch, assuming you will linger over barrel with a cleaning rag.

[1COUNTER-MORTER-68]

Great post,,,

One of my teachers when I was young was Bill Jordan,,,

He only used a .357 magnum,,,wheel gun,,,

His book “No Second Place Winner” is a great read,,,
(if you can find a copy),,,

[IamConservative]

Also, if you are strictly interested in home defense, consider a Taurus Judge. 6 shot revolver that will chamber .410 shotgun shells and .45 Long Colt. Put in 2-3 .410 buckshot loads backed with .45 Long Colt. Intruder will either be dead or have bleeding ears and a pant load.

I think it is always tempting to buy “one gun for everything.” What you end up doing is compromising on all of your requirements. For example, a good 12 gauge goose gun is probably not a good choice for a 12 gauge home defense gun. You need a long, full choke barrel to goose hunt. In the house, you need a short barrel with a more open bore.

Write all of your requirements down and buy a gun or guns that meet those requirements. Don’t compromise.

[Radio_Silence]

You are a very lucky man to have known and learned under Jordan. Without a doubt one of the top, if not best, gun guys of all time.

I do have a copy of the book and thought it was a great read - a lot of very valuable points. I also liked the fact that he seems to have a good sense of humor which I didn’t expect.

[surfer]

Go fire a Kimber

[Old Teufel Hunden]

"Still, I want to get something for my wife, so maybe some FReepers can chime in as to what is a good option for a 4’10 woman with small hands."

I assume this is for conceal carry. Have you considered the Smith and Wesson Ladysmiths?



They are small lightweight and DAO. Perfect for a female's conceal carry needs. I know lots of people love pistols for conceal carry, but I still think a wheelgun is the best thing for this need. Let's face it, if you're going to need it, there won't be a 10 minute long shootout like in the movies. More than likely it will be short and quick and at most a few rounds will be fired. You don't need 15 or 20 rounds if you read the accounts of citizens protecting themselves. If you feel better, you can always carry a speedloader with more rounds.

What I like about a wheelgun is that nowadays they are perfectly safe with the safety transfer bar, no safety to worry about flipping on and no chance of jamming. In other words, with a DAO, just bring the weapon to bear and pull the trigger. That's what you want in a life or death situation and chances are the assailant will be no more than 10 to 15 feet away so the short barrel is not a problem. Would I want this gun for my shooting team shooting NRA bullseye matches? No. But it's a great gun for conceal carry.

[AnAmericanMother]

.45 ACP is the way to go.

10mm is something of a curiosity. You have to consider ammo availability.

My personal preference is the Colt, but Kimber is very nice. My carry gun is either the Sig P245 or a Colt Combat Commander. I have never liked Glocks - fit and finish don't compare to the Sig or Colt, and trigger guards should only have triggers in them.

[CrazyIvan]

Very fond of my Springfield XD40. Good service too. I live
within minutes of both them and Rock River Arms and have
done my best to support the local economy!

[SirFishalot]

Your 9MM is fine, but use frangible ammo for home defense so that you don’t have to worry as much about misses traveling, god forbid, into other rooms or the neighbors. Remember, in home defense your target will be within feet of you. Same idea goes for shotgun; use #4 Buck, devistating in close but won’t carry much energy past the first wall any flyers hit.

I also would stay away from lasers, you could hit a shiny object and “daze” yourself at the worst possible time, not to mention that you also provide the buy guy(s) with a perfect point to aim at.

[mad_as_he$$]

Springfield XD in 45 auto.

http://www.xdpistols.com/category/11-Springfield_Armory_XD_Pistols.aspx

[Joe Brower]

I love these kind of threads.

[Radio_Silence]

The Taurus judge is not an effective home defense weapon. In fact, I would say it’s very poor in this area but obviously better then nothing. A .410 gauge shotgun shell is not an effective man-stopper and if you’re going to go with 45LC than just but a gun designed for that round and lose the unneeded cylinder length and weight.

In my opinion, the value of The Judge is for someone hiking or backpacking in snake territory. However, it is an excellent case study in the power of marketing.

[herewego]

another Kimber bump...

[RaceBannon]

Hmmm, all the old Jarheads speak of the 870....

That’s only because it was the first we learned to clean well! :)

[Old Teufel Hunden]

"Hmmm, all the old Jarheads speak of the 870...."

My first duty station many moons ago was K-Bay Hawaii. In 3/3, the platoon sergeants were issued Remington 870 shotguns. The idea is that a platoon sergeant's job is not to shoot but to direct the fire of his platoon. The only time a platoon sergeant should be firing his weapon in combat is when the poop hits the fan and the enemy is in close, all around you. What type of weapon do you want in that instance? A shotgun. Sounds like the type of situation for a home defense weapon...

You're right though, the 870 is the shotgun of the Corps. Semper Fi brother...

[IamConservative]

A .410 gauge shotgun shell is not an effective man-stopper

They make a personal defense round just for the judge that is a short-range defense shell that is loaded with three metal discs and 12 BB size pellets. This round will blow a watermelon to pieces at 10 yards, where as your garden variety handgun load will pass right through a watermelon clean in and out. The Judge with the Winchester PDX1 ammo will stop a man inside a house. Being a handgun, the Judge is much easier to wield in a house than a long barrel shotgun and, being a multiple projectile load, gives you the security of getting a point and shoot hit in the dark. You can also buy a 000 buckshot load that has three pellets in it if you are more confident in your aim.

[Joe 6-pack]

If you have a Browning and like it, why not just step up to a .40 Hi-Power?

You may also want to look at the CZ menu...extremely well built weapons in a number of variations, in 9mm, .40 and .45, all at very competitive prices...

CZ-USA Pistols

[Eye of Unk]

If I had the state of mind into thinking that my home may be invaded I would have a dozen sawed off pistol gripped 12 gauge shotguns hidden behind secret panels in every room of the house.

And cans of wasp spray,and some home made flash bang grenades or some simpler battery operated flash bulbs like the disposable types used in older cameras, wiring several to go off is an easy trick with just a single 9 volt battery, not that I have ever tried it but in theory should be a disorientating thing for the home invader.

And a bag of industrial sized cable ties.

[AngryJawa]

Still, I want to get something for my wife, so maybe some FReepers can chime in as to what is a good option for a 4’10 woman with small hands. My brother has given some great advice, but I enjoy talking to people about this stuff.

IMO, the choice of firearm(s) for your wife comes down to a single question: Is she looking to concealed-carry?

If not and she's just looking for home defense, my opinion is to look into a 12- or 20-gauge pump shotgun. The manual of arms is relatively easy. Practicing on flying clays is fun for most every woman I've ever met. Practice ammo (birdshot) is plentiful. Defensive ammo is worderfully effective.

A lot of folks will say that the kick will be tough on such a petite woman, but there are add-on recoil-reducing buttstocks available that soak it up nicely. Another way to cut the recoil is to go with a semi-auto shotgun, but they're generally more expensive, finicky, and prone to malfunctions.

If she *is* looking to ccw, my suggestion is definitely to go to a range that rents pistols so she can try on a bunch of different models so she can find one that fits and she can control.

My opinion on pistols is that, in terms of stopping power, handgun rounds suck compared to rifle and shotgun rounds. At 9mm and above with quality ammo, it comes down to shot placement, not the size of the bullet. Find a pistol/caliber combo that she can conceal effectively, deploy quickly, and control precisely. Please note that the bolded items above are always a compromise. Small, light, easy to conceal pistols, for example, are usually wonderful to carry all day long, but more difficult to shoot precisely due to a shorter sight radius and a more severe felt recoil.