A small gun for protection~

[Big Black Dog]

My advice is to go to your local gun shop. Talk in dept with the salesperson there. Tell him what your need and desires for a gun is. He may lead you towards a pistol or he may lead you towards a long gun depending on how the conversation goes. He will show you a variety of guns and help you select the one that is best for you and your needs. When you find the one that you feel meets your needs and feels comfortable in your hand, then you can decide to either commit to the purchase or think of other options. A good quality gun, be it a pistol or a long gun, is going to set you back more money than you realize. There's also things to buy like cleaning gear and ammo, ear protection for when you practice with the gun. The dealer will talk you through all of this stuff. The very last thing you want to do is to buy a gun, bring it home and load it and then toss it in a drawer someplace. If you don't know how to handle a gun, learn before you buy anything. Just because you have a gun doesn't mean you are "protecting" yourself. If you don't know how to use it, or if you don't know how to keep an intruder from taking it away from you, you are better off without a gun. Give it a lot of thought and research before you buy anything. Although many people on the board will offer some good advice, talk in dept with a professional before you buy anything. Good luck. If you do buy a gun, I hope you never have to use it to defend yourself. It's not a good situation to be in.

 

[Intense]

why a small gun? i am all for a shotgun...every heard one of them lock and load?

Hey, you got pistol on my shotgun!

No, you got shotgun all over my pistol!

Now, two great things that are even better together....The Mossberg 500!!

My brother and my son had one of those. I shot it. Woo hoo.

Don't do a little gun, EZ. Have a big gun. they're easier and you're more likely to hit what you're aiming at, and less likely to shoot your own foot off or accidentally blast yourself in the eye.

My first choice for close range defense would be the 12 Gauge which cuts the odds of someone playing the odds and coming at you.

Second Choice .357 6" revolver, giving you the visual deterrent advantage, Six Tries, no safety to worry about, less chance of accidental shooting, small chance of misfires, compared to a semi, and very easy cleaning and maintenance. Very reliable even when wet or dirty. I had a S&W 686 for a couple of years. Used target 38's for play and target, .357 for serious practice.

 

[Ringel05]

If you are relatively strong and can handle the heavier calibers then by all means go with one of those (357, 40 & 45). If not then stay in the 380, 38 or 9mil range. For me it's accuracy and length of time to get back on target which is why I perfer the 9 mil range of ammo for hand guns. I can generally get off two or three rounds with a good degree of accuracy to every one 45 round fired.
For in home your best bet is a mossberg 12 gage with bird shot (a lot less of a chance of penatrating walls and taking out family members or neighbors). Spend the extra an get a combat model with a ghost sight.

 

[Mr.Fitnah]

I carry one of these with 21 rounds .
Its a little big , but conceals well enough,
Modern Firearms - Handguns - Five-seveN

 

[Zona]

This is the .38 I am getting my wife

This is the .357 for me..

 

[Intense]

This is the .38 I am getting my wife

This is the .357 for me..

Doesn't your .357 shoot .38's? Yours doesn't reflect like hers in the dark, that could be a life saver.

 

[Zona]

This is the .38 I am getting my wife

This is the .357 for me..

Doesn't your .357 shoot .38's? Yours doesn't reflect like hers in the dark, that could be a life saver.

I have not bought them yet, but yes, the 357 does shoot the .38's shells. (Much cheaper when practicing.)

I agree with you, both will be uh...reflective..I wont bet the black one.

My only concern at this point is the kick back on the 38. It fits well in my wife's hand, but don't really know the kickback. I have seen enough clips on you tube though...should be ok. No safety....no hammer...definitely getting two speed loaders...it is the perfect self defense gun for the house and CCW is not a problem really. Very very very dependable gun.

We are going to be range junkies though. I want her so comfortable with that thing, its second nature.

 

[Mr.Fitnah]

This is the .38 I am getting my wife



This is the .357 for me..

/IMG]

Doesn't your .357 shoot .38's? Yours doesn't reflect like hers in the dark, that could be a life saver.

I have not bought them yet, but yes, the 357 does shoot the .38's shells. (Much cheaper when practicing.)

I agree with you, both will be uh...reflective..I wont bet the black one.

My only concern at this point is the kick back on the 38. It fits well in my wife's hand, but don't really know the kickback. I have seen enough clips on you tube though...should be ok. No safety....no hammer...definitely getting two speed loaders...it is the perfect self defense gun for the house and CCW is not a problem really. Very very very dependable gun.

We are going to be range junkies though. I want her so comfortable with that thing, its second nature.

The lighter the frame the more it stings the hand and the harder it is to return to target.

 

[WillowTree]

EZ I have a Taurus revolver. It shoots shotgun shells and bullets. And you can mix and match. Easy to hold and an easy trigger.




http://www.taurususa.com/product-details.cfm?id=200&category=Revolver&toggle=tr&breadcrumbseries=41

 

[Ringel05]

This is the .38 I am getting my wife

This is the .357 for me..

Doesn't your .357 shoot .38's? Yours doesn't reflect like hers in the dark, that could be a life saver.

I have not bought them yet, but yes, the 357 does shoot the .38's shells. (Much cheaper when practicing.)

I agree with you, both will be uh...reflective..I wont bet the black one.

My only concern at this point is the kick back on the 38. It fits well in my wife's hand, but don't really know the kickback. I have seen enough clips on you tube though...should be ok. No safety....no hammer...definitely getting two speed loaders...it is the perfect self defense gun for the house and CCW is not a problem really. Very very very dependable gun.

We are going to be range junkies though. I want her so comfortable with that thing, its second nature.

Tactical (combat) shooting or just target practice?

 

[WillowTree]

This is the .38 I am getting my wife

This is the .357 for me..

Doesn't your .357 shoot .38's? Yours doesn't reflect like hers in the dark, that could be a life saver.

I have not bought them yet, but yes, the 357 does shoot the .38's shells. (Much cheaper when practicing.)

I agree with you, both will be uh...reflective..I wont bet the black one.

My only concern at this point is the kick back on the 38. It fits well in my wife's hand, but don't really know the kickback. I have seen enough clips on you tube though...should be ok. No safety....no hammer...definitely getting two speed loaders...it is the perfect self defense gun for the house and CCW is not a problem really. Very very very dependable gun.

We are going to be range junkies though. I want her so comfortable with that thing, its second nature.

It has a bit,, I shot one the other day,, about 15 rounds and got a little sore in the webbing between thumb and indes.

 

[Mr. H.]

This is the .38 I am getting my wife

A dandy pistol. I gave that model to the Mrs. several years ago.

 

[Zona]

Doesn't your .357 shoot .38's? Yours doesn't reflect like hers in the dark, that could be a life saver.

I have not bought them yet, but yes, the 357 does shoot the .38's shells. (Much cheaper when practicing.)

I agree with you, both will be uh...reflective..I wont bet the black one.

My only concern at this point is the kick back on the 38. It fits well in my wife's hand, but don't really know the kickback. I have seen enough clips on you tube though...should be ok. No safety....no hammer...definitely getting two speed loaders...it is the perfect self defense gun for the house and CCW is not a problem really. Very very very dependable gun.

We are going to be range junkies though. I want her so comfortable with that thing, its second nature.

Tactical (combat) shooting or just target practice?

Yes.

 

[Zona]

This is the .38 I am getting my wife

A dandy pistol. I gave that model to the Mrs. several years ago.

I really like how uncomplicated it is. Here in arizona, EVERYONE carries unconcealed but that is not the point of this particular gun. I want one for her around the house and one that is really good at 7-10 yards. I dont want her fumbling around for my shotgun if something happens.

From what I read, this is the one to get her.

(LIke I said, I like the 357 version of it for me.)

Arizona is a strange place. The mail man is armed, the paper boy, the priest, the high school students, their little brothers and of course the ups/pizza delivery guys/donut shop people are all armed here. (ok, this is a little bit of an exaggeration, but every home owner I know has a gun and the bad guys know it. This is a good thing.)

 

[Ringel05]

I have not bought them yet, but yes, the 357 does shoot the .38's shells. (Much cheaper when practicing.)

I agree with you, both will be uh...reflective..I wont bet the black one.

My only concern at this point is the kick back on the 38. It fits well in my wife's hand, but don't really know the kickback. I have seen enough clips on you tube though...should be ok. No safety....no hammer...definitely getting two speed loaders...it is the perfect self defense gun for the house and CCW is not a problem really. Very very very dependable gun.

We are going to be range junkies though. I want her so comfortable with that thing, its second nature.

Tactical (combat) shooting or just target practice?

Yes.

The range, the range!

 

[KittenKoder]

I'm thinking about getting one. I've never been a gun person, though both my brothers and my sister carry.

I was talking to a friend on here, and he asked what I would do to protect my daughter and myself if someone broke in the condo. He's right, what would I do? It's safe here, but you're never really safe I guess.


So,,, any advice for what I should do?

Thanks.

Depends, do you intend to use it or not? If you don't want to use it, a little 22, it still scares the shit out of people but if you make a mistake it doesn't do quite as much damage.

But then, I'd ask someone who actually owns gun instead of me, personally.

 

[dilloduck]

make sure you can get ammo for whatever you get-------.38 auto is scarce as hens teeth

 

[Paulie]

make sure you can get ammo for whatever you get-------.38 auto is scarce as hens teeth

What are you talking about, I just picked up two cases of hens teeth. I'm set for months now.

 

[Midnight Marauder]

if someone broke in the condo

Police: 2 teens killed trying to break into home : News : KVII

 

[dilloduck]

make sure you can get ammo for whatever you get-------.38 auto is scarce as hens teeth

What are you talking about, I just picked up two cases of hens teeth. I'm set for months now.

can't find it anywhere here----shelves are bare--same way when I went to Colorado.