Choosing a handgun

Advice? Josh wants to get me a handgun for home defense especially since we are planning to move out in the country more.

I'm going to get a concealed carry. I have smallish hands and want something that would fit comfortably in my hand. I'd like one that has a decent range and not too much of a punch when you shoot it yet still has enough power to easily put someone down if I had to in defense.

I'd also like one that I can do target shooting with as well. I was looking at a little one today that was nice. The barrel was super short though and Josh didn't think it would be so good for target shooting and its more of a strictly home.defense gun.

So those of you with gun experience. What's a good handgun that might be a good fit for what I'm looking more that's no more than $500?

I do already know how to shoot and own a few rifles, but I want something smaller.

I know nothing about guns or selecting one, but what about finding a gun range that might let you try some out?

I wouldn't say I have much experience, but I can tell you what I decided on when I was in your shoes

I went with a .38 s&w airweight. It's a nice light weight revolver and I've been quite happy with it. Not a good target practice gun for a few reasons......one, like Josh said, it has a short (snub) barrel, and of course burning through .38 bullets can get costly 'cause they go FAST when you're having fun, LOL For home defense though I love it, I keep it loaded with hollows.

For target practice, Kevin's dad passed on his .22 High Standard pistol .........I LOVE target practice with it! It has a nice long barrel (about 5 1/2 inches!) and it's pretty easy to be an accurate shot with it. So fun and CHEAP to play with! It takes a .22 LR so we can shoot for hours for a little $$

Hopefully you can find something to fit all your needs. I'll probably end up with a small .22 for my purse, been looking around at a few lately But I can't see me ever getting rid of my smithy for home defense........I <3 it.

I can't help it . . . Two threads, Skittle: "My mom" and "choosing a handgun."

:rofl1:

I have a .38 police special. It's small and very easy to conceal...easy to hold when you have small hands. It was recommended to me when I asked the police about it years ago. Not that fun for target shooting but one of the best for a lady's hand gun/self defense.

You might look at a Ruger SR9. You're wanting something you can conceal and something that will fit nicely in your hands, and I think this is a good bet. I believe it should be right around your price range, as well.

I would definitely take Erin's advice. There are lots of places around here that let you try out guns before you buy them. I would find a place like that in your area. You could also go to a range and rent the gun you want to try, but that can get a little pricey.

LOL, I thought the same thing!

No advice for guns, though!

I have a Ruger LC9 as my primary concealed carry. I LOVE it - I specifically chose it due to its size and simplicity. I have two completely different guns (a Ruger GP100 and a Ruger Redhawk) for home defense, simply because I feel more comfortable having a revolver loaded at all times.... and they pack a LOT more punch than my LC9. I couldn't carry either of those revolvers as a concealed carry, they're too heavy and just plain too BIG.

ETA.... taget shooting. LC9 wouldn't be an ideal gun for this. If I had to choose one of my three handguns for target shooting, I'd choose the Redhawk.

Also ETA.... I never liked revolvers until I got a few. Now I really enjoy them.

I own a 38 special J frame and have smallish hands. I love it. Not too much kick, easy to maintain, load, and very concealable.

Dh got me a Walther .22 colt I believe it's called to start out with. He calls it the bedroom gun. We can't carry here in NJ. His off duty gun is a 38 revolver.

I can ask him when he gets up for work.

A lot of folks I know have a steady little .22 caliber for home defense, as they're lightweight, easy to fire and also enjoyable to take to the range for hobby shooting. It would be my gun of choice if I could get away with legally having it unlocked in my home.

A .22 is not a weapon I'd advise for home/personal defense. If you're shooting at someone - in fear of your life -your intent should be to kill them. Period. My personal suggestion for home defense is a 12 gauge shotgun loaded with rounds appropriate for the environment you live in. For personal carry it's whatever gun is comfortable and simple for you to use under stress and lethal enough for you to finish the job in a small burst.

Shooting yet not killing an intruder/attacker can lead to legal complications that no one should have to deal with. So remember:

Dead people have a hard time telling their side of the story.

They also have a hard time filing lawsuits about their pain and suffering.

Your end goal with firing a gun at a person should be two things -
Surviving the encounter and the act being declared justifiable homicide.

This. :hail:

While that does make sense, the reasoning most folks I know have a .22 is that they cannot see themselves justifiably killing someone.

I know I'd have a much better time psychologically by simply injuring someone, despite the lawsuit that may occur. I guess it would depend on the severity of the situation I'd find myself in, though.

The culture here is quite different.

I agree 100000000%. Ask any policeman or military person...expert. They'll agree. Shoot to Kill. ALWAYS... if you're going to shoot a gun at someone. Absolutely. It's incredibly dangerous to just injure a perpetrator who breaks into your house or is violent. If someone breaks into my house in the middle of the night, in my mind, it's me or them. Period. No middle ground there.

You don't trust Joey to protect you?



hehehe baby kangaroo punch!

Folks I know are quite misinformed then! This wouldn't surprise me.

Around these parts, you cannot keep a gun in your home without a PAL (which I do have) and even then, it has to be locked three different ways. So much for self defense.

Your gun control is much more intense than ours, I believe.

P9R.

It's the one the Hungarian police use. 9mm round. It's sooo awesomely calibrated that when you shoot the brass all lands within a 4 inch square pile of each other when they're ejected.

I don't have a handgun for defense because I don't think I can bring myself to actually shoot at someone. But I've shot a lot of handguns. Of them all, the P9R is my favorite. It was really easy to load, easy to shoot, barely had a kick, and of all I've tried it was the easiest to get a nice grouping on the target.



If you want a revolver, the m1895 Nagant is pretty dang awesome and sometimes you can get one for about $100. They're safer than other revolvers as far as not getting burned by vented gas from the cylinder. The only drawback is the ammo is expensive but you run into that problem with any firearm.

Your state is awesome, because you can have fully automatic firearms but you can't pump your own gas. :rofl1: