Posted on 11/23/2010 4:41:59 PM PST by pepsi_junkie
I've never posted a vanity before so I'm ready for the scolding I'll get for doing it, but I need help. My wife and I are considering buying a handgun and while I've fired a variety of guns previously at a range with friends, I've never bought or owned one. I know FR is full of 2nd amendment advocates and was hoping I could get some help as to what to buy.
It would be for both my wife and I for occasional use at a range and, in the unlikely event of a home invasion, self defense.
I don't want something too powerful for my wife to easily handle but at the same time I don't want something that would be ineffective in a self defense situation. Any suggestions?
I have not tried it, but have heard that under the adrenlin rush of a deadly force situation that recoil and noise are hardly perceived.
LOL! Yep, just like some folks are a little touchy and some aren't.
Have you tried the HK45? Just curious how it is to the USP...Not that I'm unhappy with the USP. The HK45 and P30 "LOOK" like basically the same gun except differing cals.
.22 magnum revolver mine is a taurus w/4” barrel. no fuss, nothing to confuse you & low recoil. get a lot of practice with low cost ammo & then move on to whatever your heart desires...
For home defense one of my considerations is bullet penetration. Where I live the neighbors are close and a concrete block won’t stop a 44 or 357 round. Sheet rock sure won’t either.
I know a .45 ball will go through a 2x4 stud but have been told the hollow point will expand too much and generally won’t go through 2-3 layers of sheet rock. Never been able to test it and I’m sure there are a lot of variables. In a home defense situation over-penetration is a concern with kids, neighbors and valuable stuff all around. The .45 acp HP has a 88% one shot stop capability if you hit center mass. The 9mm, .40 and .357 sig have a lower one-shot-stop capability. The .357 and .44 have a higher but again bullet won’t stop at the individual.
I have tactical loads for the 12 gauge which are quieter and less recoil. In a room I’m sure they are deafening but I’ve never tested it. Outside the noise tends to bring down pheasants its so bad.
Dont listen to him.
I think he is confused and maybe a little touched. /s
I almost choked laughing so hard
When you fire a 12 guage at a turkey or an .06 at a deer or an elk, the report isn't something you notice. But, if you fire those with no 'phones at a target your ears will ring for a half hour or worse. Funny how that is...
Since by now you’ve been inundated with the conventional wisdom, might I suggest a Holland & Holland double in .416 Rigby just in case you have to shoot through the engine blocks of 2 Ford F-250’s to kill the bad guy.
A recommendation directly from Ted Nugent to me (and now to you):
A handgun that can fire a 0.410 saboted deer slug (I like “The Judge”). The recoil is minimal, the take-down is exceptional even if off-COM and, since in most home situations the shot is less than 25 feet, if you are off-target the first time, just keep pulling the trigger until the perp quits twitching.
Beyond-target issues are small as the slug will get slowed by the “construction material” it impacts; your neighbors are not in danger.
Weird Post. Shooter 2.5? Irony.
LOL
I thought those were custom made only?
Yes the .22 is underrated by those who are not really familiar with it.
Any kid who grew up on a farm or out in the country knows just how deadly a .22LR can be. I can vividly recall my Father killing hogs with a single .22 short from a Remington model 513. Also cattle with the same gun but he would use the LR for them.
I specifically remember being surprised when the hog dropped dead like it was pole axed. I also remember a guy in Western Kansas who ran a small slaughter house. He used a Marlin model 60 for killing the livestock and doing it humanely.
A .22LR would not be my first choice for self defense but I would feel far from helpless with one.
Now if we are talking about dangerous game such as bears and wild boars in the wild where you can’t place your shots exactly, that is a different game altogether.
Sorry. My bad.
That’s one of them Rugers, ain’t it?
What’s $140K and 2 years between friends?
Of course, a nice pre-war Krieghoff drilling in 16 gauge and 9.3x74R would be a perfectly acceptable compromise for most social situations.
I’d love to get a Mk23 ... its about as practical as a Desert Eagle, but it’d be a lot of fun to own.
The wife is getting me a USPc .45 for our anniversary on 12/14.
I’ve fired an HK45 Compact, but not the full-size HK45 (though I’ve held the full-size). The HK45c is very comparable to the USPc .45. It just has the slightly sleeker look and more ergonomic grip.
My understanding is that the full-size HK45 is almost identical to the HK P30. The grip is the same. The HK45 has an external safety that the P30 doesn’t (though the P30s does). It is also a bit larger. Otherwise, they’re the same. I really liked the ergonomics on the P30, which is why I chose it over the USPc 9mm.
SnakeDoc
Might have something to do with THICK hands. Not real big just thick. Still...Taurus' grips don't like me.
I got Hogues on the .41 Tracker.
You may! May I mortgage your house too fund it? {;0)
>>I wish<<
I agree pretty much with driftdiver, but would add that if you elect to go with the .45 ACP with hollow points, find ammunition that it can feed properly (some of them are finicky with hollow points) and then shoot several boxes of them through it to break it in.
I've owned like four .45's, and the only one that fed properly when I got it was an Argentine model made like 50 years ago. I'm not condemning .45's, just telling you that my experience with 1911 type guns is that they need some breaking in. Other models may not. Shooting several boxes through the gun to be sure it likes your chosen ammo is good advice with any firearm. Good luck, and I hope you never need that gun for real.
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