I like modern, tactical looking stuff. Want to mount a light on it too. Whatcha got for me to look at?

-Dan

if you've never really shot before...caliber wise I'd say go with a .40 S&W. They've got mild recoil with a good track record in stopping power.

Both the Glock and XD will probably run you around 550 more or less.

Sigs are awesome too.

The Biggest question is how much are you willing to spend?

– Evan Tanner, 2007

-Dan

the best advice I can give you is to go out and hold and try to shoot anything you can get your hands on before committing to buy.

around 500 will get you something you can trust with your life.

you can find some neat surplus stuff cheaper too...but it's here and there, I'd recommend getting something new.

how much experience do you have with handguns Dan?

being that you're in Kansas...I'd imagine there's not much else to do but drive fast and blow **** up.

-Dan

are you going to get your ccw?

KA24DE Fuel Rail and Z32 Fuel Filter

Chuki Bumper Grilles

3 mudflaps from S13 coupe

Dan, without any experience, Glocks and XD's would be my first suggestion to you. They're simple and rugged. no external controls save for a slide release.

between the two, I'd feel and shoot both and go with what you prefer.

-Dan

not that he's prone to do it or anything...but it's an awesome excuse for him not to be around.

A few things to consider even before make, model, and caliber:

Where will it be stored? Since you want it for home defense, I'm assuming you would want it in your bedroom near where you sleep, such as a drawer next to your bed. But do you have kids? If so, you will have to keep it safely out of reach, like in your closet on a top shelf. And even then, you may have to put a lock on it, like a trigger lock or a cable lock. And being in the closet, it's more of a distance away from you while you sleep. These are points to consider because if a situation arises where you need to use it, it will most likely be at night, while you are sleeping. Is your weapon within arms reach, where you can easily grab it while calling the police, or are you going to have to dig it out of the closet and unlock it? All of this at 3 am, in the dark. Just something to consider...

Having no experience, you would want a handgun that is as simple as possible. Mr1der is right on. Something with a simple slide release and a magazine release. No need for de-cocking levers and external safetys, at least not until you have more experience. Again, 3am and dark, you don't want to be fumbling around...

As for caliber, it's really up to you. I would recommend a .45 for home defense, but recoil plays a huge factor. If you have big hands, good strength, some beef to keep it down, then it's manageable. If not, a .40 like Mr1der suggested is the way to go. Don't even bother with 9mm.

I would suggest going with Glock. They have a new line for their .45 models coming out, the SF (Short Frame), making it a little more forgiving to fire the .45 round. And their .40 models are very easy to fire. That's why they are standared issue in most police departments.

Personally, I don't like the Springfield XD. I think it's a little clunky. Sigs are awesome! When you get more comfortable with handguns, and if you feel like spending the money, Heckler and Koch is the way to go. Their p2000 model is incredible. Simple and effective. About 800.

Regardless of what you buy, just get very familiar with it. Go to a range or outdoors or wherever, fire all the rounds you can, get comfortable with it in your hand. As my father would say, you want it to feel like a handshake from an old friend.

Ack, I think I finally got the keyboard plugged in properly.

Dan, I would pick the one that feels best in your hand. Caliber is really secondary to picking the proper pistol for you and being able to hit with it. One advantage to the 9mm is that it is cheap to shoot relative to other calibers and is an inherently reliable cartridge due to it being slightly tapered. The old saying "a hit with a .22 is better than a miss with a .44" is still absolutely true.

Carry on gentlemen. Sorry for my tardiness to this thread.

-Dan

That is pretty much what I was going to say. Although I don't know if I will ever own a hand gun. Something tells me a rifle will do just fine in self/home protection.

ultimately though, the handgun's main purpose is to use it to get back to you rifle.

Good advice James. Shooting other peoples pistols is a good way to get a feel for the weapons with out having to shell out money.

Quote »

I'd like to think he's confused and plugging a keyboard into a toaster. not that he's prone to do it or anything...but it's an awesome excuse for him not to be around.

Nah, probably plugging something else into the wall socket.

Dan,
As you have said you want to use the handgun for home defense. But you also want to think about the following:
1. Future- what will needs you may need later down the road. Will you need a carry weapon? Something that you can use in a shooting competition? And so on.
2. What materials are your walls made out of? Remember if a bullet on the off chance over penetrates you want to make sure it does not leave the house. Then you can be looking at litigation. One reason why I don't use my 454 Casull for home defense, I am not sure where the round will finally stop. That and the muzzle blast coming out of the end of the barrel would blind me and the target and deafen both of us. Though he/she will have to worry about the gaping hole in his/her chest if the muzzle blast doesnt kill first.
3. Safety/Storage- as someone pointed out you want to make sure that your handgun is stored safely. You also want to think about if you ever get robbed, do you want your handgun being stolen and possibly used in a crime. I have a nice little gun safe right by my bed that screws into the wall.
4. Handgun Laws- familiarize yourself with your state's laws before you purchase a handgun and also join the NRA. This is one area where gun owners are the most ignorant.
5. Training- get good training from an accredited instructor. I would highly suggest a basic safety course and then a home defense course. They should walk you through what all things you need to think and need to know before you use deadly force.
6. Shotgun- do you really want a handgun for home defense? A shot gun works very well in that roll. Not trying to talk you out of buying a handgun, but a shotgun can be a cheaper (in some cases) alternative.

As far as a handgun I would highly suggest picking up a Glock as your first weapon (Sorry James). It is easy to operate, a cheap reliable handgun with plenty of accessories that you can buy. I still love shooting my Glock 19 and to be honest it is my primary home defense weapon. That's right a 9mm. I also wouldn't rule out a good revolver as well. Nice think about a revolver chambered in a .357 magnum is that you can shoot 38 special with out a conversion kit. Same holds true for the 44 magnum/ 41 special and the 454 Casull/ 45 Colt. I love having the versatility of 4 rounds in two handguns. Also as Andy pointed out 9mm and 40 S&W are cheap to shoot. Might not break the bank in your case if you go shooting ever so often. But if you are avid shooter that can make a difference. I pay close to $15 a box for 454 ammunition.

I am looking to pick up a Glock 27 tomorrow to replace my .357 magnum as my carry weapon.

As far as safety goes, I've thought it all out about storage and was looking at those gun safes that screw into the wall I already plan on taking a training course with it as well.

As far as instructors go, shouldn't be difficult to find a good one, my uncle just retired from my local police dept. as a 20 year veteran, so i'm sure I can find someone with some good experience. He's also aquiring his c&c permits for KS and MO for some private security work right now.

I want a small caliber, like a 9mm or .40. I have no use or desire for a .45, I just don't feel i'd want something that big or need it. I do plan on doing some sport shooting with it down the road, but as of right now that's just something i'd like to do. There's just so much crime happening these days and my parents are getting older, so while i'm still living here, i'd like to have that there just in case. I'm going to be the first one to tell you that i'm overly cautious around firearms. It's not a tool for intimidation or anything to me, it'd be a last line of defense. So yeah, I'm gonna keep looking, like I said, I like the modern, tactical style weapons and plan on looking at Glochs and maybe a couple Sigs.

Again, really appreciate the input and advice!

-Dan

Dan,
Good man. I am glad that you have thought things through first. To be honest, I got my CCL before I even owned a gun. Not that you have to do that, but I thought it was a good idea to start that process off first. Especially since I was going to buy a handgun for the purposes of carrying. I would go to Cabelas (or the equivalent) or a Gun show near you and test drive the Rugers, Glocks, Springfields, Walthers, Taurus, Berettas, Smith and Wessons and the Sig Sauers. H&K tend to be very pricey, but hey if money is no option then throw them into the mix. I tell you, go shooting with friends if you can. It is a great way to test drive handguns before you buy.

BTW Its funny how I am the only one in this thread that isn't a Mod, besides Local Anarchy that is.

you're not coming to the Nash meet are you Dan?

James, no, I'm not coming to Nashville, but am still shooting for ATL.

-Dan

Is that because you can't shoot sperm?

Oh, and you should not swallow it either

haha, and this whole "James" thing keeps freaking me out. I keep thinking you are talking to me. I'm like "Man, I never asked you to go to Nashville..."

Quote, originally posted by audtatious »

Is that because you can't shoot sperm? Oh, and you should not swallow it either

Leave it to the OLD MAN to make a ED joke. Tell you what Matt, I don't need Levitra, Viagra or Cealis (I have no clue how to spell their names), proof being is my 2 year old daughter. Lets just say, there is/was no need for a paternity test when she came along. Unless you wanna doubt who the mother is...

Back on the subject (leave it to the old man to get side tracked)....
I was looking at Gander Mountain and they stock the Steyr. Steyr's 40 S&W was pretty nice and at a reasonable price. Just something about a good Austrian handgun!

Now you are mad at me

-Dan

-Dan

don't ever pay MSRP though. or more than that.

have someone you might know that's knowledgeable in them go with you to a store and just kinda look around, tell the guys that work there you situation and maybe you'll get lucky and be in a shop that doesn't have a lot of jackasses working in it. I'll tell you right now though that a lot of employees or owners tend to be elitist retards. Don't let them ever tell you one certain pistol is the best thing ever. Or caliber. The gun market has so many models and calibers that are tailored to different needs and cirumstances.

You'll be hard pressed to get one Do All gun.

most people consider the closest thing to it a Smith and Wesson Model 29 Mountain gun though....which in no way can I recommend for a first gun or by any means a first choice as a carry gun.

Some people say 9mm is too small but personally I prefer a little more ammo to caliber so I went with the .40 cal.

Just go to the store and hold and get a hands on familiarization with the pistols.

Quote, originally posted by rcabrita »

The GT3 looks WAY better the the GTR, that plus when women recognize a Porsche symbol their panties drop... When she recognizes a Nissan symbol, her panties turn into a chastity belt...

my opinion towards calibers is what's right for you, not someone else.

I've got no problem rapid firing a .44 Magnum honestly, but not everyone will be that way, especially a smaller shooter.

for a beginner wanting a good carry caliber, 9mm or .40S&W would be my first suggestions. I don't think Dan would have any problem handling a .40's recoil.

Placement before Power everytime. a .45 won't do you any good if you can't hit with it.

SIG makes an fine fine pistol as well.

I was talking to a buddy of mine at church and he suggested Dan check out CZ and EAA. CZ doesnt make bad handguns. Some of them just look a bit dated.

EAA Witnesses aren't bad..but sometimes have issues with reliability from my experiences. Both offer great combat accuracy for less than 500 in most cases.

almost any caliber in FMJ will be prone to over penetrate though...especially one moving faster than sound.

Its essentially a 10mm auto round with a smaller powder load. Range accuracy and recoil are comporable to a 9MM but its a more damaging round

I actually dont own a hand gun im trying to decide too. This thread has been helpful.

Exactly why threads like this are here

Thanks for the suggestions guys!

-Dan

I have a friend that swears by EAA. He seems to think the problem lies in the US ammo. Apparently, the Europeans have such tight tolerances in their pistols that the American ammunition make them prone to jam. I haven't been able to validate this.

Guys, don't get me wrong, I have no problem with 9mm. In fact, it's what I carry daily.

I'm actually a hypocrite of sorts. I shouldn't have recomended a .45 as a first handgun. I remember the first handgun I fired. It was a .45, and it was a week before I shipped out to basic. My dad wanted to get me a little experience before hand. So he had me out at a range firing this crazy, custom .45 he owned. And I missed EVERY SHOT! 25 yards out, couldn't hit a thing! After only about 2 dozen shots, I gave up. It was too powerful, and I was way too skinny to control it. hahaha Anyway, 2 months later, I'm on a range, firing an M9, and it felt great! Comfortable to shoot, and very accurate.

So as a first handgun, I would recommend 9mm. But the over-penetration factor Cold_Zero brought up is a definite point to consider. As you gain more experience and skill, as a strictly home-defense weapon, I would recommend moving up to .45 for it's stopping power. I think we all agree make and model is entirely up to what feels good in your hand. The only other thing I can suggest is investing in luminescient/tritium sights, if the model you buy doesn't have them. And a single-action trigger, like Mr1der mentioned, is another thing to consider. I'm sure we've all heard a story or two about someone re-holstering a DA pistol without de-cocking it, and it going off.

Lot's of things to think about, DanO. Good luck with the buy! Let's us know how it goes!

-Dan

-Dan