[driftdiver]

This should be fun.

My vote goes to the .45 acp with hollow points. Get a good one. My wife is tiny and can handle it well. Great one shot stop capability.

.38s and 9mm are easier to handle but have less of a chance of putting an intruder down fast.

.357 and .44s are too powerful for home defense unless you want to shoot your neighbor at the same time.

a 12 gauge shotgun is also a good home defense weapon.

[Vendome]

+1 Personally I prefer Kimber but the spring may be to much for your wife to pull the slide back. Go to an indoor range and rent their guns. They are usually pretty good at giving you direction that best fits your needs and realistic capabilities. but .45 hollow or 12 gauge works real well.

 

 

[DeoVindiceSicSemperTyrannis]

This baby here is also good for dealing with enemies....

[MileHi]

Well, there is one opinion. Here is another.

My vote goes to the .45 acp with hollow points. Get a good one. My wife is tiny and can handle it well. Great one shot stop capability.

.38s and 9mm are easier to handle but have less of a chance of putting an intruder down fast.

.357 and .44s are too powerful for home defense unless you want to shoot your neighbor at the same time.

You discuss calibers, not hand guns. .45 and 9mm are mostly semi-auto. More complicated to operate for new shooters. .357 and .44 mags are mostly revolvers. Much better for less experienced shooters.

.38 and .44 specials in medium sized magnum revolvers are excellent self defense rounds and the larger gun softens recoil. The .357 or .44 mag loads are still an option adding versatility if a person has only one handgun.

My vote: 4" or 6" .357 revolver for overall load selection.

[MattinNJ]

.357 and .44s are too powerful for home defense unless you want to shoot your neighbor at the same time.

Snort. That was funny.

Thanks for the advice. I was looking into this issue as well.

Stupid question, if I may. I went to the range a few times but they always make you wear sound protection. How loud would a 12 guage be if discharged inside?

[Hardastarboard]

Yeah, if there's one thing FReepers hate, it's a gun thread, as you can tell from the number of replies you got.

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.

[Principle Over Politics]

My nearest neighbor lives 3 miles away, through the woods. Why should I be worried about shooting him or her, unless my neighbor is the one breaking into my house?

Can you please give me an example of someone shooting at an intruder, who is inside their house, with a .44 or .357 and killing their neighbor instead of, or along with the intruder? I see your argument posted on these gun/home defense threads all the time. I have never seen anyone back up their claims with any instances of it happening.