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?

[GigaDittos]

My wife's favorite pistol looks different. I'd recommend a .50 cal.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Colt Pyton .357. It can be loaded with .38 rounds if the .357 turns out to be hard to handle.

Or if you would like something more concealable...try the Smith & Wesson model 60 Chiefs Special .357 mag.

[archy]

Please recommend a good handgun

Don't think they'll be seeing this title on a DU forum

I expect those at Ducks Unlimited would be using a shotgun, probably with steel or bismuth shot.

[Atlas Sneezed]

With a .357 Magnum, a double tap is tough because you need to be able to hit a target flying backward through the air...

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Myth. Getting hit has no more knockdown force than the shooter experiences in recoil. You might knock someone off balance, and ther is a natural instinct to fall down when you think you are shot, but a handgun round won't push someone through the air like they do in the movies.

[archy]

Nothing really works for me since I've never had anyone come into my house. Most of my neighbors who would think of casing my place would stay away when they saw me and my family. I have 8 kids and my 13 yearold is 6' tall 210 pounds. I look like a skinheaded psycho with a lot of tattoos who works out a lot and then they see those Christian symbols on our vehicles and figure I'm one of those religious gun nuts tattooed skinheaded psycho's with 8 stout kids. Pass.

Sounds like you and thy tribe have the matter well in hand. And should it go beyond that, Get thyself up into the high places.

-archy-/-

[GigaDittos]

Nah, that's too clumsy. Use this:

[Atlas Sneezed]

"...not as clumsy or random as a blaster..."

[archy]

Funny they would find the .357 inadequate but then "upgrade" to the 9mm. Which is a less powerful .357, essentially. I guess they believe in the "spray and pray" method, where the hi-cap nines will let them put lots of shots into the target.

Personally I'll stick with the .45 ACP as John Moses Browning designed it for defense.

For the woods I like the .44 Mag, or maybe the 10mm in an auto.

A highway cop can have problems requiring more penetration than a .45 will usually deliver [Indiana's Conservation Police, headed by a one-time murder suspect, carried .45 SIGs when I was last out that way] and a high-cap 9 with the right ammo might indeed be a better choice. And the full-size Beretta 92 offers a 5-inch barrel and pretty good sights, so I don't think it was necessarily a bad choice for a department-issue piece; I heard relatively few compl;aints about the M92 from the guys trading in their M66s on them.

I agree with you completely about the full-size M1911A1, either as now again available from the Colt Custom Shop, or as manufactured by the Argentines [and for them by Colt] as their Modello 27, with that beautiful old 1930s-40s checkering on the hammer, mainspring housing, trogger and magazine release.

Out in the field is where I like the .357, as a lot of sportsmen have since its introduction in 1935. I'm also right fond of the .41 magnum for that use, but it's not for everyone, and I reload for it. I've fired six rounds through one of the new S&W .50 calibers, and don't think I'll be going that route in a handgun. But in a shorty lever carbine, or maybe a carbine-length Thompson-Center Contender, it might be worth my while.

-archy-/-

[dljordan]

Wouldn't a .38 revolver with +P ammo be better for a woman?

[Revolting cat!]

Thanks, but I use this:

[Constitutional Patriot]

HK USP .45.

[GigaDittos]

If she moves quickly, she can get an autographed one off of ebay

[GigaDittos]

Whoa, baby!!

[cweese]

...perhaps it would for a small woman with limited strength. my instructor for CC license was an itty-bitty lady, weighing no more than 100 pounds. she was blasting the hell out of the target using .357 loads! furthermore, she didn't seem to have a problem with it at all...

[GigaDittos]

You could always try using what Ann Coulter uses

[arm958]

Home or personal defense demands stopping the agressor, NOW! One or more shots, center mass. A .32 is not suited to the task.

I would never recommend a Kel-Tec P-32 for home defense, or for a first time gun buyer. I said it is an ideal concealed carry gun, and it is. The gun you have with you is a lot better than the one you don't. The Kel-Tec will sit unnoticed and practically unfelt in the front pocket of a pair of pants. I like my .45 auto, and it would be my first choice to have with me if the chips were down, but it isn't suited for concealed carry, unless I'm heavily clothed. A .32 will get the job done in a pinch. Your ridiculous comment that a perp would laugh himself to death if you emptied a .32 magazine into him is nothing but hyperbole.

[newgeezer]

A fairly newbee poster, asks for a recommendation on a handgun, and generates 184+ replies

It's like throwing meat to starving lions.

[dhs12345]

Good choice. Might be a little big for a woman. A 357 Titanium is best although recoil is different. Requires a little practice.

Also, a laser sight is really nice for improved accuracy in close quarters like a home. Would need to check if laser sights are legal.

[dhs12345]

A lot of people are recommending a 357 -- good choice. Titanium weighs less and is best for women.

If this gun is for home use only, you might want to add a laser site to it, too. That way, you don't have to be as skilled at hitting your target. Which can happen when you are stressed or distracted during an attack.

And most important of all: learn how to shoot it, how to store it, and how to maintain it. And ALWAYS! treat the gun as if it were loaded even though you may think it isn't.

Good Luck.

[LibTeeth]

Yes, and many people don't carry at home or in their yards. A Keltec P32 is the perfect 24/7 gun, as there is no reason to ever not have it on you where legal and undetectable. When condition yellow goes to orange, it's nice to have already in hand when heading for the nearest .45 or the 12 gauge. It's also easy to keep concealed in the hand so as not to alarm others when moving closer to heavier support equipment. Similarly, a nice small LED light is also a 24/7 item, even though a Surefire tactical light commands more respect. Mindset is important, and having any tool available, even a marginal one helps to keep the mind focussed on options and responses.

But it is important to know the limitations of the tools. My Keltec P32 practice target is a blackened T approximating the eyes and nose area, and I practice putting my rounds there at 2 to 5 yards.