Please recommend a good handgun

[Charlotte M. Corday]

I need the advice of an expert. Two nights ago, in nearby community, a high school football coach and his teenage son were murdered by a home invader. In the wake of this, I have finally decided to buy a gun and take a class in how to use it.

Here's what I am looking for in a handgun:

1. Easy to use, but not easy to discharge accidentally.

2. Powerful enough to stop an attacker, but not difficult for a small woman to handle.

What would you suggest?

[ampat]

I think the .357, with 4" bbl revolver is the best initial recommendation. I also agree to go rent some handguns at a firing range to get a feel for what you can handle and are comfortable with. My personal choice, although, is a .45 auto.

[TC Rider]

Lot's of good advice here already.

I agree that you should:

Go to a range and rent some guns.

If you're not interested in carrying, stay away from Titanium/Scandium models (they're so light they bite) Consider a revolver for simplicity.

Here's a new tidbit to digest: While a .38/.357 is a great choice, consider a 9mm, .40 or .45 ACP revolver. They all use moonclips to make reloads very fast and easy. 6 go in, 6 come out, all at once. The 9mm is close in performance to the .38s, the .40 makes a bigger hole and the .45 will drop a horse. I have a 625 S&W that fires .45acp, it is heavy enough that recoil is negligible.

[Barnacle]

You are doing the right thing. Home invasions wouldn't happen if criminals believed that most home owners were armed and ready for them when they went through the door.

Getting proper instruction is crucial and I applaud you for that. Your instructor will probably have many good recommendations for you.

Before you get a .38, get a .22 revolver. Take it to the range and shoot it. Have fun with it plinking cans, etc. And, always wear hearing and eye protection, one oversight can leave your ears ringing for a lifetime.

Once the .22 is second nature, then get a .38 or .357 revolver with a 4" barrel. Start off shooting low powered loads and work up to as heavy a load that you are comfortable with. The gun is worthless unless you feel it as an extension of yourself. Keep it loaded with hollow point bullets.

If you have kids, get a easy access hand gun safe for your bedside. All the weaponry in the world is meaningless unless you can lay your hand on it when you need it. Home invaders don't tend to announce their intensions in advance. So again, unless you can grab it NOW, it's of no use to you.

Keep a bright flashlight paired to the gun. Practice going through your house with the lights off and just the flashlight and gun pointed down range. You want to have the feel of the situation before you'd ever have to do it for real. But, do it in a way that an alert neighbor doesn't see the flashes in the window and call the police.

Check out his site:

http://www.nra.org/display_content/show_content.cfm?mod_id=58&id=0

Best of luck.

[from occupied ga]

Actually, I'm not sure that's true, especially if you buy them at the same time, hence only a single NICS check.

Supposedly true, but like you I once bought two and never heard anything else about it, but then I'm aready on every list anyway.

[verity]

... carry one myself. But for home defense I keep a 12 ga pump shotgun loaded with 00 buck.

Where in God's name do you live?

[68 grunt]

#'s 4 - 10 - 14 - 17 -19 - 22 - 25 - 27 - 28 - 29 - 31 - 36 and you get the idea ;^)

[amom]

Lady Smith by Smith & Wesson. It's a nice & tidy 357 engineered to fit in a smaller hand (like a ladies). Packs a whallop so target practice after lessons is a good idea to help work up those muscles.

[in the Arena]

Like a previous FReeper posted, renting a firearm at the local indoor range would be the first step in making an educated decision. If you have never owned firearm before I would recommend starting with a revolver. A revolver would be easier to learn (and commit to muscle memory) than a semi-automatic pistol and they are just as lethal.

In the past, I've owned the one pictured below. It's the .38 caliber, S&W 442, Airweight revolver. It is light weight and has an internal hammer which equates to easier concealability. It does only hold 5 rounds though, and it is not recommended to shoot +P ammunition. I believe that S&W makes a similar model rated for .357.

Another suggestion I would make is to get a back-up and then get a back-up for your back-up...keeping these weapons similar would be a plus. As history has proven, eventually you will have more firearms than you need but not all that you want.

In the end, it doesn't matter which handgun you choose as long as you train with it, are confident in it's operation and you have it with you when the need arises.

There's a wealth of information on FR and these guys will most definitely point you in the right direction.

Good luck,

Jim

[RiflemanSharpe]

Pasadena TX. Just outside of Houston.

[MarkL]

go get a .357 revolver with a short barrel and load it up with +P+ .38 ammo. You wont be able to handle a .357 load.

There's not all that much a difference between .357 and +P+ 38 Special.

Most importantly, with proper training, ANYONE can handle ANY load! It's a matter of familiarity, training, and not getting into any bad habbits. A petite, young lady friend of mine learned to handle my "fun" .44Mag loads... 200gr JHP at about 1800fps! Nice, big fireball comes out of the barrel! And she is perfectly comfortable with the load, although the Ruger Redhawk it's fired from is a bit big for her.

Mark

[Travis McGee]

.38 revolver by one of the "name brands." New or used from a reputable shop. You will never regret this choice. Avoid semi-automatic pistols unless you are willing to devote loads of time to training.

[cinFLA]

you can load .38 special

.38 +P loads are nice in the Ruger small frame 357 as are the Glasser type loads.

[Billthedrill]

A BTT and nothing to add to Stylin_Geek's and Gillman's excellent advice. Go to the range and take a class and try out lots of guns - if you have a friend who shoots, try his or hers too; if not, make one.

I love semis - Kimbers, Glocks, Colts, Kahrs, and Sig-Sauers. Lots of fun to shoot. But when I'm reaching for a self-defense weapon in the dark it's an old Smith & Wesson Model 19 - a former police service revolver that I bought used - loaded with .357 magnum. I practice with the lighter-recoiling .38 special ammo just as people have suggested - it's cheaper and easier on the bod. If you have to use it for real, you won't notice any recoil at all. If there's time, I go straight for my Mossberg 12-gauge. It isn't as handy as a handgun but it's a lot more powerful.

The revolver is easiest to use under stress - you aim and pull the trigger. Having been in several high-stress situations I can tell you that there's no real time to think, and training takes over, so get the training and practice, practice, practice, and then more practice. (Jeff Cooper's advice). If you have house-guests who are not firearms-aware you may want to look into secure storage that is quick to get into, which is a separate subject, but if not the key is availability and ease of use. Did I mention practice?

[verity]

Rough neighborhood?

[Cannoneer No. 4]

There are alternatives to handguns for home defense.

EAA Baikal 12 ga. double barrel shotgun

Winchester Trapper .45 Colt

[B4Ranch]

Do you want to hit what you are aiming at on the first shot?

If so then first and foremost, select a handgun that you can grasp with a smooth, firm, solid grip. No one finger should be grasping tighter than any other finger.

A large 1911 .45 caliber with designed grips can be easier to shoot and hit the target than a .22 that doesn't sit well in your hand. The handgrips on all handguns can be swapped for a different styles or sizes to enlarge or reduce the size to enable a firm, solid grip.

Then select a handgun that 'feels' comfortable in your hand. By this I mean one that when you grasp it you do not need to make readjustments in order to get it to sit comfortably within your hand.

It should just somehow automatically slide into your hand feeling comfortable allowing you to grasp it firmly without any readjustment.

You know how one pair of not overly tight gloves feels so much more comfortable on your hands than another pair that squeezes a finger more than it should. This is the feeling I'm describing that you should have when gripping your handgun.

You have no fear that it will jump out of your hand when it recoils. The purpose behind what I'm describing is to permit you to shoot this handgun without grasping it as if if were a dangerous animal. You will automatically hold it the same way every time you pick it up, thereby your point of aim will always be the same.

This will enable you to align the sights without fiddling around. This is very important if you wish to hit what you want on the first shot.

A few hours of target practice and your ability to use the weapon will become very easy. Confidence is what you are wishing for. Practice with a well balanced, comfortable weapon (not one that recoils so hard it hurts you wrist) and you will be able to protect your loved ones and yourself with full confidence.

The caliber is not important if you cannot hit what you are aiming at. A .22 slug in the forehead is much more effective than a .40 slug in the wall next to the criminal who means you harm.

Have fun and enjoy practicing with your new handgun.

[templar]

A lot of suggestions seem to be the .38/357 revolver. I concur. You might consider a little snub nose version though. The 357 is more versatile if you want stopping power, you can practice with .38 and get the advantae of low recoil and keep it loaded with .357 for defensive purposes (you won't be concerned with recoil while defending your life).

I've taught women to shoot handguns before and I find that, frequently, they have a harder time with pulling the trigger. Not because of the strength it requires, but because small hands have shorter fingers and revolvers require a fairly long trigger pull (severe problems with hitting what you are shooting at can result from not being able to grip the gun well while reaching the trigger easily): this makes it highly advisable to try several different models to be sure you are getting one that fully suits you. If possible try practicing on several different occasions (if you are new to handguns) since the first time out the "new" of the experience will offset any real feel for the gun. If you plan to carry the gun in a purse or keep it under the mattress or pillow or something, consider a 'hammerless' model (they're not really hammerless, the frame is just designed to keep the hammer from being exposed) since the spur on the hammer can get caught and stuck on things while trying to pull it out and make it useless in an emergency.

Always keep the chamber beneath the hammer (the one lined up with the barrel) empty. Modern guns aren't really all that prone to accidental discharge, but if it is caught in a fire the gun will definitely discharge and anything coming out of the barel will potetially shoot a fireman or someone.

[Eaker]

I liked that choice because she can practice with .38's, and load it out for carry with .357 hollow points.

You should practice with the ammo that you are going to carry with. At least the last 12 rounds should always be .357 Magnum.

[MD_Willington_1976]

I am much crueler, first one is a beanbag, next is rocksalt, rubber slug, then 00 buck...I think of it as a progressive deterent...

I am just kidding by the way !!

[cinFLA]

Some .38s can take .38 mag or .357

Where can you find a .38 chambered for the longer .357??????