Need some handgun advice please

09/25/2002 | myself

[PushinTin]

Someone always opens up this can of worms. What it will be used for is one of the most important things to consider.

My Suggestions:

Home:
I use the old standby Ruger riot gun loaded with 00 shells. Great knockdown power and won't go through the wall and kill your neighbor.

For Concealed Carry:(inside pants/pocket)
I like my KHAR MK9. Light, Very easy to conceal, Internal hammer. Well made and reliable. KHAR is made by our friendly folks at Thompson Machine guns.

Concealed Carry outside pants:(on hip shirttails out or coat)

My favorite H&K USP COMPACT .45. I prefer H&K for their quality right out of the box. Sigs are excellent also. I do love Kimbers but they usually require some mods for better accuracy, but all and all you can't go wrong with any of these.


Some folks have already mentioned going to the range and trying them all, This should/must be your first step in the process. People like different things that may be totally irrelevant for you purpose. Go to the range and practice, practice, practice. STAY SAFE!!!!

In a world of compromise...some men don't. H&K-Heckler & Koch

[rockfish59]

As long as it fits the scanner! =0)

[rockfish59]

Yep, that's pretty much the size.
It does have 'beef!' =0)

[Mr. Mojo]

Can you fit that SP-101 in your pants pocket without too much difficulty?

[harpseal]

Actually I am not so sure you do need a mentality change regarding magazine preferences. Since you are discussing having your home invaded while you are alone, I would suggest you check to see what the longest shot you would be able to take in your home actually is. For most people we are talking well under 25 feet (8 Yards+/-). Check you accuracy at these distances. It should drastically improve your confidence level for actual need of a firearm if you try out hitting a target at these distances.

Now, from your post it seems like you have to use Stephen Crane's words "Seen the elephant." It can be a whole lot harder to shoot accurately when one's life depends on it than at the range. Generally, if you can not hit with one of the first four or five your opponent will have a big advantage anyway. I have no problem whatsoever with the concept of emptying the magazine, or shooting until there is no longer a large enough mass to shoot at. Just remeber if you continue shooting after the perp is down and not going to get up again you may have to deal with court case. (better tried by twelve than carried by six).

If one is using a good 9mm hollow point then you have a good one shot stop probability with a 9mm. I personally think a .45acp, a .357 Sig, or a 40 S&W would give a better one shot stop probability but make up your own mind. Among the smaller gripped large capacity 9mm's are the Smith & Wesson semi-autos (Model 59xx and 69XX). I would also look at maybe one of the EAA witness compacts with after market grips to cut the size even more.

I hope this is of some help.

[harpseal]

I note from your description of the incident in 2000 that you made one out 2 shots against the intruder. This is not bad for being unfamiliar with the sidearm. Having been through it before you will be able to handle any subsequent incidents better. You have the correct attitude and mindset which is the most importent element in an actual combat situation. Try some guns at the range and settle on that which you will shoot most comnfortably and most accurately that you will keep with you always.

Stay well - stay safe - Stay armed - Yorktown

[PleaseNoMore]

I agree with your comment that it can be harder to be accurate in a life or death situation than on a range. All of my life I took it for granted that I would "kill" anyone who invaded my home. Having had the oppotunity and having failed I totally agree that it is harder. On a range there is no adrenaline rushing, no fears for your children or yourself, and you think a lot more clearly. In my case, I had to awake from a very sound sleep, load a clip then load a gun. By this time my door was nearly off of the hinges. What was even more frightening was that I was face to face with a man who was previously diagnosed as psychotic, treated at Dorthea Dix here in NC and released being deemed "no longer a danger to society" and has since been released for attempted B&E. This man had actually stalked my home ( his own admission ) and was more familiar with my residence that I could have ever dreamed possible. The shots that I fired were shot while he was entering, not after he got in. I was totally and utterly frightened. I had that nauseating fear and afterwards I was in shock.

I feel more prepared mentally since this occured. I will tell you that one thought that ran thru my mind was that I didn't want my small children to "see a dead man in their home". Why I thought that, I have no clue. But I actually remember praying that I would not have to kill the man.

I have never considered accuracy in the manner that you have described it. Accuracy, the ability to handle myself in a pressure situation, and being able to control a weapon have all seemed to be seperate issues when actually they are one ( if you are ever put in a situation ). I am going to measure the distance in my home and get a better understanding of distance accuracy.

I have written down the various guns that you and others have mentioned and will be shopping this weekend.

[PleaseNoMore]

Well, I guess I will have to pass. :-)

I can scan, save, upload , etc but I cannot post a pic on this site. Never have been able to.

[harpseal]

I am glad you will do your shopping this way. I note that many of the other posters mentioned many excellent firearms that may be perfect for you but you are the one who must decide and decide comfortably. I am very impressed that with a psycho entering your home you were able to load the magazine, ready the firearm for action and still hit with one of two shots.

If you have followed some of the police threads on this site you will understand that many police officers have failed to do as well with a loaded ready firearm on thier hip, a bullet resistant vest on their body and ready backup at hand.

Stay well - stay safe - stay armed - yorktown

[tortoise]

Well, I'm curious as to where. HKPRO.com says there are no legal over 10 round, except for LEO, mags. Some have been produced for use (I guess) in other countries and have made their way into the US. The sentiment is that they are not legal to own since it would be tough to explain to the ATF how once could have a pre-1994 magazine for a weapon not sold until 1996. Anyway, I have no personal knowledge of any of this, it is simply what I have read. If you have other information that specifically disputes this, I would be interested in it.

A heavily exploited loophole in the original legislation was that LEO-only magazines must be clearly marked as such. You are correct that it was illegal to import hi-caps from foreign sources (which are usually unmarked). What happened was two things. First, in certain edge cases some people were able to strike deals with foreign manufacturers to buy their stocks of magazines before a pistol was officially released in the U.S. Second, as is true with many other things, the possession of magazines that are not marked LEO-only is not illegal, only the importation is.

What IS curious is that while USP9C hi-caps made it into the US, USP40C hi-caps never did. This leads me to believe that it may in fact have been an edge case, where the manufacturer had a quantity of the magazines in stock prior to the release of the pistol. H&Ks lead times on product releases is pretty long, and they had been working on the USP platform since the 80s. I've seen USP9C hi-caps for sale at many different places in California and Nevada, all meeting the legal requirements for non-LEO ownership. *shrug*. I've never owned a 9C, so I never bought them.

[Tijeras_Slim]

I've heard the P99 called "What the Glock wants to be when it grows up." :-)