Need opinions on first handgun/home defense

I have a Springfield XD .40 and LOVE it. As I saw in several responses, find the one that fits you the best and then PRACTICE. And that doesn't mean just you. Your wife will need to practice as well. She needs to be just as comfortable with the gun as you are.

I also have a dog with a mean bark, a baseball bat and a monitored home alarm that is set all the time.

I also saw a lot of discussion about shotguns. If you can afford it, get both. The pistol on one side of the bed and the pistol grip pump on the other. I personally like the odds of hitting an intruder with the shotgun better but like the portability and versatility of the .40; I carry it in the car with me too.

Good luck, and may you never have to use it in self defense!

 

I carry a Sig Sauer P229 9mm DA/SA using a Galco IWB holster.



My only complaint with the Sig is the weight of it. If I am carrying it and I do not have a belt on, it's a bit cumbersome to deal with.

As others have said, though, if you end up going with a handgun and you are solely buying it to keep at home for defense, go with the biggest caliber you are comfortable with and of course whatever gun you are the most comfortable with.

I would also recommend getting a CCP/CCW in your state - just a little extra peace of mind, at least for me. The more classes you have under your belt the better, obviously.

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I love my Beretta 92's...For something a little smaller i have Ruger LC9...give em a look.

 

I have to say, agreeing with one of the posters above, that a good dog is a great deterrent, especially one that has predictable defensive attributes.

 

Beretta 92s are amazing weapons, having owned and carried one for years. Very reliable and extraordinary accuracy. I miss mine.

 

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Glock and CWP CLASS

 

I would say no less than a .40 or .45 caliber for home defense. Got to take into account Meth heads which would laugh at the LCP and a 9mm if the shots aren't placed just right could take a few rounds to become effective.
Here at home I always keep my S&W M&P40 home for the wife should she ever need it and I carry a Springfield Lightweight Champion .45 as my CCW so when I am home that is the other option although she is not as comfortable with the 1911 frame. My wife is very accurate with the M&P and it is very user friendly which is why I feel it is a great firearm to keep around for her. I told her if the time ever arises get to the top of the stair case with the gun and if anyone rounds the corner on the stairs just keep firing until it's empty.

 

Thanks for all the helpful replies guys.
I live in southern california and carrying around a weapon is no-no, but then again I have never looked into it.
Primary use and storage for this weapon will be in the home, besides practice at the range to get familiar with it.

I too hope I will never "have" to use it to protect my wife and I...but you never know these days. scumbags will do whatever it takes to get what they want, and I will do whatever it takes to ensure protection while we are sleeping/at home.

 

i would suggest seeing which one fits best in your hand and finding a range that will rent guns so you can actually shoot a few different models in different calibers as well.

i myself have extensive experience with glock h&k and fn weapons.

the glocks have high capacity mags and are easy to learn to shoot due to there consistent trigger pull they are striker fired not the traditional hammer. my glock 30 in .45 cal with a viridian c5l green laser and light combo is a bad mofo for what your looking for its relatively small and packs serious knock down power.

also a plus is the factory mags a pretty cheap to pick up extras around 20 to 30 bucks a piece and all the .45 cal mags will inter change between models like for instance i have a g 30 that normally holds 10 rounds and one in the pipe but, i can use for home defense or at the range the g 21 full size mags in my subcompact to achieve a 14 round mag capacity in .45 caliber.

thats an awesome feature besides their awesome track record for reliability and ease of use meaning no manual safety. if your finger is on the trigger it's ready to go.. here is a pic of my set up and my wife's g19 in 9mm.

 

Very good post! When I got married, my wife had only shot a pistol in USAF training (she was aircrew--linguist). She was a bit nervous at first but after years of practice, she is an excellent shooter and has the confidence to use any weapon I have in my arsenal (yes, I use the word "arsenal"). It eases my mind knowing she is a very capable shooter. I have also had 3 of my 4 children (the youngest will have to wait a couple more years) take youth firearms training and each has their own rifle. My two older ones have shot a couple of my handguns and I have recently exposed them to shooting larger caliber weapons as well.

 

I live in a semi-rural area. Response time from local pd/sheriff is 35 minutes (per their own admission), unless they have a patrol closer. One of the residents where I live was subject to a B&E by a naked guy on drugs. Her dog scared the guy into hiding in a guest house. Cops took no less than a half hour to respond. I would at least want my wife to have an option if I wasn't there. I can handle myself without a gun, but that's another story. So you gun hating daisy sniffers can kiss my ass.

Glock or XD in fullsize, .40 or .45, I prefer 10mm

 

sig saur is also a very nice manufacture of hand guns i have no experience with them but, this is what navy seals carry and they have their pick to carry anything they would like so imho that speaks volumes about their weapons.

although if you think and look around glocks are the most wide spread hand guns in use today. they are carried by more police agencies around the world than any other weapon system so that along with my personal experience of putting more than 3,000 rounds a piece through both my guns with not a single hickup they get my vote they are also right in your price range )

 

If you see someone messing with your window I suggest you get your hands on 2 things- your gun and a phone. Call 911 stand keep watch on the guy.

As far as legality- if you shot the person as they were breaking into your window, you'd probly be cleared, but there'd be an investigation- more in depth than if you shot in your house.

If the guy is trying to get through the window and you are standing on the other side of the window, he sees you and continues to try to break in- shoot him. But make sure you can clearlu articulate that he was breaking in. You do that and you should be fine

 

Agree fully. I love 10mm...the ballistics on this caliber are very impressive. It's too bad this caliber hasn't caught on with the general public. Glock's .45 GAP is also another impressive caliber that never caught on.

 

agreed.
Not to try to sound like a "cool guy or bad ass" but I would preffer taking care of the situation one on one hand to hand..if there were ever a break in.. but odds are they will have a knife or some sort of weapon. I do not wish to hide behid a pistol. But just as someone mentioned earlier...crackheads/meth heads aint no joke and I do not see myself taking down 3 meth heads Chuck Norris style
If they break in or cause potential harm to me or my wife in our place..then the gun and range time will pay for itself in that situation.
not going to take any chances of whooping someone's ass in the living room over pulling a weapon out and asking them to leave

 

Here in Texas, you'd be cleared. It is reasonable to believe anyone who is breaking in your house, has the intent to not only steal from you but also harm you in the process. This is especially true if they have anything that may be used as a weapon, to include a pry bar, screwdriver, or knife.

I'd blow their f'ing head clean off and not lose a second of sleep. The hell if anyone is going to violate the security of my home without going away in a body bag.

 

It sounds like I'm in the minority with my 9mm.

I personally don't think the caliber is going to make a huge difference (unless we're talking .22 or less). I can't fathom getting shot with a 9mm and still going after somebody. I realize that certain drugs can enhance resiliency but even then, if I'm going to shoot somebody, I'm not going to stop until I see them hit the floor.

While I don't think it's foolish to get a larger caliber, I just don't think it's necessary. Not to mention going back to my previous point about the chances of not only shooting the perp but also shooting into a neighboring structure/car/etc.

OP,

Another thing to think about is getting a good, bright flashlight to use in conjunction with whatever firearm you get. Having a light to blind the perp with could be just as valuable as the gun itself; disorienting them can give you time to get your wife out of harms way and get your mind more in tune with what's going on.

All just my $.02, though.

Fink

 

Good Idea Fink
twice now I have seen someone mention the flashlight along with the handgun.
much appreciated

 

I completely agree.

I just looked up the laws in Florida and they have the Stand-Your-Ground statute - no need to retreat as long as you are smart about it.

http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes...ng=&URL=0700-0799/0776/Sections/0776.013.html

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