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?
No, No, No....
Get something that makes a mess....
If you only want one firearm and do not want to start with a .22 I would recommend starting with a .38 Special revolver. Smith & Wesson or Ruger would be my first choices. They are simple but effective. You may later want to try a semiautomatic but the revolver is a good place to start.
Love em!
Even the I and II.
You can’t go wrong with any Ruger .22 auto. For that matter any Ruger .22 period.
The only bad part of the .22 autos is when you first try to strip it for cleaning, you will curse the day Bill Ruger invented it.
What handgun do I like....trying to remember....
That will work, too!
Here is the suggestions from my 14 year old son who loves his time at the range: start with low caliber ruger for handguns and then you can eventually proceed upwards. If you/she likes rifle, he suggest a basic bolt action. He especially enjoy the mosin nagant, Remington 870, and the desert eagle. However, he suggests working your way up to these.
Define your budget.
Define your maintenance.
Revolvers can be loaded once and fire 20 years later and without fail.
Most Semis can as well but more care is needed in cleaning. For pure “pick it up, pull the trigger” a revolver is fool proof.
9mm or .45 for a Semi. Neither has excessive recoil, the difference in “takedown” power between the two is minimal.
If takedown is your only goal, a .357 magnum revolver is the one shot, one stop king. It’s also got a hell of a flash, a very loud bang and pretty heavy recoil. Not something I’d suggest for someone who doesn’t shoot regularly.
For around 500-600 bucks you can get a reliable gun that will fire every time you pull the trigger. For around $1000 you can get a Heckler & Koch or Sig Sauer(some other brands) semi that won’t fail in 9mm. .45s are usually an extra couple hundred more than a 9mm.
A rock solid Smith and Wesson Revolver in 38 special can be had in the same price, a .357 magnum will run a few hundred more.
If you can find a place that rents, that’s your best bet. Shoot some different guns, figure out what’s most comfortable for you.
Caliber is less important but nothing smaller than 38 special and frankly, I’d stick to 9mm/.45 or 38spcl. Every caliber has some issue that need to be taken into account. It’s the indian, not the arrow anyway. With some Cor-Bon DPX rounds, a 38spc/9mm/.45 is going to be pretty devastating.
The issue is what your wife can handle, while respect others opinions, I bought my wife a Lady Smith 38, by Smith & Wesson, she loves it, we live in the country and it has ammo for snake shot too..
Afterwards I bought her a very nice Winchester, lever action 410 shotgun, saddle gun, Of course will shoot ammo from buck shot to slugs to squirrel shot,,may I say she looks really good on the horse with that bad boy, almost no kick, hold it tight to shoulder.....yea baby...and its easy to handle and sure to back off any one..even at some distance..
I have several others but really like my cane sword..hehehehehehehehe
Get it!!!
I absolutely love it over my Colt, which is still a great gun.
Try the TAC II. Most ranges have them for rent.
I second omega4179’s suggestion- S&W K frame .38 special is simple to operate, has little recoil, and always goes bang.
1. It's a damned shame that you need to worry about a scolding on this site when you ask anything about owning/purchasing/using a gun. I understand why you'd feel that way (some FReepers tend to be a little over zealous about stuff), but it's still a damned shame;
2. There are a Brazilian FReepers that absolutely LOVE these kinds of threads. Go ahead...ask their opinions about guns. See what I mean. The FReeper above that said you're about to be inundated is not prescient...only experienced.
3. I love the Springfield Armory XD (in almost any configuration if you're not going for concealment). I'd go for the .40 or .45 cal for home defense. Another terrific pistol is the Desert Arms "Baby Eagle" in .45 caliber.
Both of these are very accurate and the grips aren't ginormous...so if you're wife has wife-sized hands, they won't be too over-sized for comfort...
Oh, yeah...and you'll love shooting them, too.
I go with the Ruger for a nOOb. Costs less, highly effective and reliable.
Go for nicer or fancier tools after you have some time in on your first.
.38 double action revolver, always ready to go, no safety’s, always a bullet ready to go, either cock it and aim or just pull trigger for close quarter defense. No malfunctions.
Try the .... oh forget it. LOL
I know! LOL
Please consider “The Judge” from Taurus. It is a revolver-type handgun, but is essentially a hand-held shotgun specifically designed for in-home protection. I bought one and LOVE IT.
Mossberg’s 500 for home defense.
For something that will be an effective weapon that your wife can shoot easily, I can think of one that's head and shoulders above all the others, the Ruger SP101. Take your pick of 2-1/4 inch barrel or 3-1/8 inch. In the short barrel take your pick of hammerless or "regular". Also in either barrel length take your pick of Ruger's really nice rubberized stock grips, or the crimson trace laser grips. See Ruger's website for details:
http://www.ruger.com/products/sp101/models.html
This is a piece that your wife can run thousands and thousands of rounds of .38 special ammo thru, and sometimes .357, and then someday pass on to her granddaughter.
OTOH, if you like collector-type stuff you might try to find a used Smith model 10 or model 64 in .38 special. It's a six-shooter instead of the SP's 5, and it has the classic Smith lockwork. Nothing wrong with the Ruger, but I hear the old model 10's / 64's are really sweet. Plus, being .38 special only and NOT capable of firing .357 magnums, which you probably don't need anyway, it's a more trim, compact piece than many of the K-frame and L-frame Smiths made for the .357 / .38 special. Fixed sights too, which is good. "Everything you need and nothing you don't." It's commonly found in 4" barrel, sometimes 2". The model 10 is blue steel, the model 64 is the same gun in stainless.
So there are two choices. The difference is I'd say the Ruger can handle "anything a sane person would shoot thru it", as an old-timer once told me, while the Smith has a "very cool" factor to it without being overbuilt like the Ruger.
Revolvers are best for beginners, btw. "Just grab the handle and go blam."
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