First Handgun - need advice

i just got a new glock .40 and i love it!

 

I explained this in my giant ass post, man

A handgun, even with hollow points, will almost certainly get more (undesirable) penetration than shot. It's still a single bullet vs a bunch of pellets, physics applies here.

 

Swinging a long shot gun barrel around inside a house may not be a good idea since items could get in the way, and shooting wildly is not a good idea.
But could be a good idea if stationary, and you are the only person.

And yes, a shoot gun blast will and can go through a wall, please don't shoot your kids.

 

Im right there too...looking for my first pistol. I have my home defense Mossberg 500 with the 18" barrel.

 

You may want to try a Glock32. Its compact and its .357 sig rounds. it has a good feel to it. I have the glock 31 and Glock 26 9mm. i wish i had gotten the 32 instead of the 31. Hope this helps.

 

Awesome round. A 40 bottlenecked down to a 9mm projectile. Speer Gold Dots the Service Rounds for my agency they are running around 1400fps in the Glock 31. Best round IMO over everything except for maybe a 10mm

 

I agree with a bunch of other posts here, in the steps to take: A) Take a safety course (possibly combined with B); B) get to a range and try a few to see what you like; C) Don't get overly concerned with caliber- the fact that you'll have a gun you can handle is more important than stopping power, for now.
Now- for the combined mountain hiking and home protection gigs, I'm almost thinking a shotgun might be your most realistic option. It can be loaded appropriately for most situations from birdshot to slugs, and configuration changes are easily made. I've noted before that Big 5 Sporting Goods sometimes has a sale on Mossberg 500s with both a 28" and an 18" barrel, for less than $300.

Of course, everyone has their opinion. Mine is worth no more or less than some other here.

 

I recommend getting a .22 and learning to shoot. They are cheap to buy, cheap to shoot, and fun. You'll learn how to handle a handgun and be more knowledgeable about what you want when you go to spend bigger money on a centerfire later on.

Buying a large centerfire for a first handgun is a mistake in my opinion. They are expensive to shoot and the learning curve will be steep.

 

yes, a longer barrel can definitely be a problem when trying to move it around in potentially close quarters. there are pros and cons to each for home defense.

 

True, it certainly would matter on the size of the house and so on.
I'm sure a "security shot gun" type that you usually see in Big 5 ads would be great. Because of the shorter barrel length and special hand grips.

But if I had a choice, I would take a handgun over a shoot gun. But you can't argue with the fact of the scare affect of a shoot gun pointed at you and the sound of a shoot gun blast or pump action sound.

 

More good advice, I've shot plenty of .22's before and am comfortable with that so I'm ruling out those for sure. Maybe get one for the future wifey.

As with a shot gun, to quote Denzel Washington in Training Day "I'm surgical with this bitch." Well at least the ones used for skeet shooting anyway.

Looks like I have some research and some range time a head of me.

 

What's the diff between the 31 and 32 other than capacity..? Overall size?

 

Your best bet would be to go to a range that rents guns and pick out 5 you like and try them out to see which fits you best.

 

Yup, I got my Taurus 1911 when they first came out and I love it. It's all beat to hell from my time in Alaska and it still shoots great. That's all I can ask for in a gun.

 

Gun ranges are a great place to learn. All the ones around here offer courses and the curriculum for beginners and concealed carry courses. They usually starts small to big as most people in the thread have suggested.

Learn what you like. People may scoff at "little" 22s but they can still kill. 380s are numerous and come in many styles that are great for concealed carry and they fit into my daddy rule. Growing up my dad made me try to chamber a round in his 380 once every couple of months. This is a great safety measure as most kids are unable to pull the slide back. Revolvers are always chambered. Personally I do not like Glocks because the safety is in the trigger which my kid could shoot on accident and I always fear losing the top of my thumb knuckle to their hammer/slide.

As for the shotguns I do not know how big you are or if you have a lady but you can always go with a 20 gauge or 16 gauge. Although 16 gauge can sometimes be a pain to find ammo for. Same benefits but a hell of a lot less kick. This is important because you Do have to aim a shotgun. Especially in a home defense scenario. Oh and just chambering a pump shotgun won't make an intruder faint or die but it will definately get their attention.

Talk to co-workers, friends and family while steering clear of the Rambo type. Get what you are comfortable with and you will be happy.

 

got my mossberg under the bed, too. lotsa hiding places and defilades in my apartment for lotsa guns. shoot, move, and communicate.

 

Sig P220
Best handgun I've ever fired or owned.

 

I would not trust a .45 or 40 for taking down a bear, A great mountain pistol would be either a S&W .500 or a Desert Eagle in either .44 or .50

 

You should go with the Springfield XD .40 cal. It is light weight, not much recoil, and has more than enough power.

 

Best home defense round is either Hornady critical defense, or DRT ammo