If I wanted to buy a handgun for home security, say, a Glock, what model should I consider? Thanks.
IMO, it's a better value.
L
“If I wanted to buy a handgun for home security, say, a Glock, what model should I consider? Thanks.”
G19
I have several Glocks and the most fun and economical to shoot is the 17. The wifee even likes it.
If you are extremely experienced with handguns a Glock, or other automatic pistol without an external safety is right for you.
If you are experienced with handguns get an auto pistol with an external safety.
If you have little or no experience, get a revolver.
Regardless of what you buy...practice, practice, practice.
Any one of them, but preferably one whose caliber begins with a 4. If you can afford a Glock, you can look at SIGs. Same rule applies.
OTOH, the prime home defense arm is a shotgun.
I'm a bit of a revolver fan, but the most important issue is your comfort level with the handgun you own, your ability to place the first 2 or 3 shots on target under high stress.
You'll get plenty of advice on the thread, but if you've got a handgun you're comfortable with, start there.
My "handgun" choice strictly for home defence, a shotgun.
While I don’t recommend Glocks since the safety is on the trigger, meaning the trigger is the only safety, they are reliable and I have owned two with no problems. I would recommend going to a shooting range that rents them and try a few. I would consider the 9mm as the least powerful round to consider (Glock 17 is full sized 9mm and Glock 19 is smaller). Going up in power are the .40 cal S&W, 45ACP and 10mm. The 10mm is most powerful (Glock 20 is full sized and 29 is smaller) but ammo is more expensive and recoil makes them more difficult to shoot. I am not familiar with the 40 cal Glocks, but this round is almost up to 45ACP power levels. In 45ACP there is the full sized Glock 21, the smaller Glock 30 and the compact Glock 36.
I have owned the Glock 19 9mm and the Glock 30 45ACP. If you can handle the recoil I would go with the Glock 21 or 30 in 45ACP. If not, I would go with the Glock 17 or 19. I mention these two calibers because the ammo is more common and is cheaper, giving you more opportunity to practice. For self-defense loads use a premium hollow-point if you don’t live in NJ. Good brands are Speer Gold Dot, Federal HST, Winchester SXT, and there are others. For practice use less expensive full metal jacket (FMJ), but make sure you shoot a few boxes of the home defense choice to make sure it will feed reliably.
You may want to try other guns you can rent too. A 357 magnum revolver can shoot 38 special ammo as well and reliability is usually better than with a semi-auto pistol. I personally like a thumb safety on a semi-auto. Many quality manufacturers offer guns that are similar to Glocks, but with a real safety feature.
Glock 17. I loved it so much I now have 3 of them.
If you want a .45 get the glock 21 I have one of those as well and its sweet to shoot.
Speaking as an NRA Instructor with 20 years of experience, your best bet is the Glock Model 19 in 9mm. That's a first step. The very next step is to take a good NRA training class. Step #3 would be to join an IDPA Club and actually participate in the classes. It's not Gunsite or Thunder Ranch but it's a good way for a novice to learn tactical problem solving in a safe and secure environment. Another great place to hang out is another forum where I hang my hat: DEFENSIVE CARRY
Glocks are outdated. Check out Springfield Armory’s XD.
At this point, you shouldn’t pick out a specific company. Go to a gunrange that rents guns and find one where your fingers can reach all the bells and whistles. Don’t buy any defense gun smaller in caliber than 9MM.
I own a G17, G19 and a G21 all are fine firearms never a jam and all are high cap capable. personaly for 2 legged critters i would take the G21 in 45acp been putting d1cks in the dirt since 1911. The G17 is a hoot to shoot low recoil and 19+1 mags can be had oh any high cap mag from one caliber can fit in any sized Glock of the same caliber such that my 19+1 mags from the G17 also fit in the compact G19 too, just looks funny with an extra 2 inchs of mag hanging out the bottom of the gun :)
> If I wanted to buy a handgun for home security, say, a Glock, what model should I consider? <
The tone of your question suggests you don’t yet know enough about handguns to use a semi-automatic. If I’m right, then you don’t want a Glock. The reliability and safety factors dictate (IMHO) that if you’re sure you want a handgun, then by all means you should get a revolver — probaly a .38 special or a .357.
(Or a 20-guage pump-action shotgun. To the burglar’s ear, there’s no sound scarier than the racking of a shotgun in the the black of night!)
There are many that argue that 9mm doesn’t have enough stopping power, however being a NATO round and used by our military, ammo is plentiful and cheap. It is also so common, the chances of you being able to supplement your supply after a skirmish is high. Believe me, they make 9mm rounds with PLENTY of stopping power. I have a Glock 19 and love it.
Some of the best advice has already been given on this thread. My wife asked me the same question a few years ago. She’d never shot anything bigger than a 9mm. I asked her if whe was willing to invest time not only in practice but in cleaning and maintaining her weapon, and whether nor not she was thinking about carrying. Based on her non-commital answers, I got her a S&W model 686 with 4” barrel. It’s way too big for her to carry, but a revolver is much, much easier to maintain and not difficult to become proficient with. She can shoot .38 Specials from it, which is eqivalent to the 9mm she’s familiar with. Plus, she has the option of opening bigger holes with .357 Mag.
As for me, I carry with a Ruger P345 (.45ACP). It’s a mid-size auto, and probably not a good carry choice for the average sized male. I’m a bit bigger than average so I can get away with it.
Here’s another vote for a Glock 19. Considering that every choice is a bunch of trade-offs, and we don’t know the nuances of your situation, the G19 generally provides the best balance of all factors.