Which handgun for home defense?
971075
Thankyou for asking your question\n\nMany people ask this question all the time, they have long guns, but need a light a portable one. I think we all know a shotgun is the best. But, you want a backup or another gun a pistol is nice too. \n\nI recommend for the expert and non-expert no matter who to consider the revolver. A smith and wesson lady smith. I carry this model even though I am a man, because it is a nice revolver. Mine is in .38 spcl and my main carry gun is a Springfield 1911 .45 GI. Anyways the revolver is really simple, no confusing safeties and that junk, no jams etc. The .357 mag are nice because they don't really kick that much and my wife can handle one, plus you won't really notice in a firefight, you could always put in .38 spcl and shoot the assailant a couple of times. Another caliber to consider is the .41 magnum as that is a really nice round, but I have it in a Taurus tracker with a longer ported barrel so I don't know what the recoil is like in a shorter firearm. The .44 spcl is a good round to consider too, for revolver, as it is a great heavy bullet, and if you handload you could always load reduced recoil loads that still have a lot of power. \n\nIf you wanted to go with a semi-auto...\nThey are great too, but make sure as with every gun you practice with it especially if it is you house gun. Practice in low light and around obstacles and on the floor in awkward positions, because that is how it will be used. \n\nI don't recommend Glocks, I have had jams in them and think they are unsafe, I have heard of and tested the drop firings and feel more safe with my cocked and locked 1911. That is not a comparison of bad with bad, I feel really safe with cocked and locked I have seen 1911s dropped and the hammer bent and the guns don't go off unintentionally. The jams occurred  with 9mm and could have been cheap ammo, but i don't like the feel of the polymer and the grip angle. Doesn't mean they won't do what they are intended to do. I would still trust my life to it, and I own one.I also feel the glocks sometimes have more recoil. \n\nI would recommend the .40 s&w but outside of your preferences the .45acp is the best. I don't like the 9mm, heard lots of things from the military and police. The .45 is used by special forces, and now in my hometown most of the departments use .40 s&w. My friends son is going through the academy and they all use  the .40 mostly due to the druggies. The 9mm just goes through them. The .45 does not recoil alot. That I think is a myth of the .45. In the 1911 models recoil is really nice and they point very well. If you go with a polymer or plastic pistol the recoil is worse in .45. I have had some 9mm cal pistols recoil more than a my 1911 for example. \nDon't be scared though you can always get reduced recoil loads. I recommend the Sig Sauer pistols in .40 as they are really good, I also personally like best the browning hi-power. My Browning Hi-power is in .40, the hi-power is thinner than most hi-capacity 9mm/40s and points real well too. I recommend it for your wife and my wife loves it too, but I took it back :) \nThe 1911, hi-power, or sig sauer can be found used and some new for that price range, the sig sauers are more expensive but can be found used for cheaper. Probably the 1911 is the only one in that range (Springfield), but the hi-power might be found new. The revolvers definitely can be found in that range, with the plethora of smiths and colts around. I recommend Smith and Wesson or Taurus as I have always been pleased with them. I recommend the .45 or .40 in semi-auto and .44spcl or .41 mag or .357/.38 in revolver. \n\nRemember a house gun shouldn't be light and handy for carrying, so don't worry if it is bulky or a bear to carry, just make sure you like the feel, and you shoot it without flinching, and your wife can shoot it too, then you should be good. My grandma was petite and she shot the .357 mag load in a s
746180
I suggest a nicer spyder.  Something on the lines of an Electra or an Imagine.  The electra is a great lightweight gun that is perfect for aggressive front players.  with the right hopper it should be able to shoot at least 20 balls per second depending on your shooting skill.  It has the rocking trigger which is really helpful.  If you are really skilled you can get it to shoot 27, 28 balls per second.  I reccomend this gun highly since i have used it.  You can get it for like 250 dollars.  Great Gun
424773
it really depends on the area you are playing. i bought an automatic submachinegun that has long range, accurate, and power, but it's $300. if you buy the rifle, you should buy a pistol for back up if someone comes right at you. just e-mail me if you have any question
1175576
the effin 50 cal....i have personally used it...such a powerful thing.yesssssss!!!
361801
I use a .243 myself.  It's light and there's not much recoil, but travels well and will put one down.
169420
The pistol of choice is the US Colt M1911 .45 cal. Good close range, lots of stopping power. The rifle would be between (@ close range) a AK-47, Russian, 7.65x59mm and a US M16 Colt 5.56mm.  For long range it would be a browning .50 cal machine gun. US made.
1020157
I believe that Kimber and Wilson Combat both make .22 cal Model 1911 pistols.  But if you already own a .45 cal. 1911 you can buy .22 cal conversion kits, for plinking and target practice, then switch back to the .45 for concealed carry/home defense.  All you have to do is switch out the slide, barrel and spring.
1084547
Go with a glock, you can't go wrong with a Glock.  (Assuming that you are of a legal age to own a handgun where you live.  If not, you should really give all the guns to your pops so that he can keep them somewhere safe.)      \n\nGlock is reliable, affordable, and easy to maintain.  I put hundreds of rounds of various manufacturers through my glock and it never misfired of jammed on me.  Although my Beretta never misfired or jammed, it is a bit of a hassle to clean.  \n\nI've never heard of a glock 16... is there a such thing? \n\nAs you know, there are two schools of thought regarding bullet performance, stopping power and its effectiveness:\n\nFirst is, "The bigger is better crowd" which argue that the bigger the hole(s) the better terminal performance of the bullet. Indications of bigger is better are the caliber and the size of the wounds the bullet makes - entrance and exit wounds. This crowd general prefer a .45 caliber pistol.\n\nThe other school of thought argues that lighter faster bullets are better because they produce more energy. Energy is a by product of velocity, that is the speed at which the bullet travels. This crowd generally prefers a 9mm, .40 caliber or a .357.\n\nMy personal advice to you is that once the bullet gets bigger than a 9mm, One shot Stopping power exceeds 90%.  Beyond 90% Stopping power, couple more percentage advantage bigger calibar gives are really meaningless.\n\nI would say that Shot Placement - hitting a vital area - is more important than any other consideration when it comes to stopping an attack. For this reason, try out m9 and a Glcok 16 (If such thing exists) at a shooting range and choose the gun and caliber that you can shoot most effectively.  \n\nI hope this helps.
761822
Kahr is a good company and has a loyal following with its users.  (As does Glock as previously mentioned).  Find one that best fits your needs, and hand and enjoy!
1146067
I've been shopping around for a 9mm as well and after much research I think I am going to purchase the newly released Smith & Wesson MP pistol. Its got superior ergonomics, and each MP pistol includes 3 different sized interchangeable palm swells to better the ergonomics! You can change the magazine release to either side in seconds, the slide release is ambidextrous, it has a steel rigid frame within the chassis, and and it has a built in rail!! \n"Reinforced polymer chassis, superior ergonomics, ambidextrous controls, proven safety features. The new standard in reliability when your job is to serve and protect and your life is on the line."
551672
Model 22, would be my choice of weapons, however most police departments issue a 9mm Glock. (Can't remember the model number)  Price is around $500.00, US.
1162785
I have shot alot of guns over the yrs.   I have carried several different ones as a police officer.    I have fired literally dozens of hand guns.   From my experience every gun has its plus and minus.   After all the shooting i would say the best revolver for the money is a Smith and Wesson 625.   As far as semi auto goes then probable the best for the money would be a toss up between the Springfield XDs and Beretta 96s.  \n\nYou must remember that your question has some factors to make it impossible ever to come up with one answer.  Size of hand, caliber preference, use, personal preference as far as revolver and semi auto. Just to give example of this,  i really love to shoot the XD in 9mm but i also think the Beretta 96 is on even stand with it but dislike the Beretta 92.  While i own the Beretta, glock, Taurus, smith and Wesson's  and several great guns i use a colt 5 inch 38 special  revolver for self defense.
714159
Most under locked up in a fire proof gun vault. \nOne hand gun to protect against intruders in nightstand by bed.\nLive in the country. Have big cats, coyotes, an occasional bear, an occasional wolf as well as poisonous snakes. Carry handgun with me when any distance from the house for protection against said above.\nIf they start getting too close normally a warning shot scares them off especially the cats.\nCoyodogs (cross between coyotes and dogs) and wild dogs are the most troublesome. They have no fear of man and kill anything just to be killing. They will attack a man given the chance.
1126096
Try a Springfield XD in 9mm. I have one in .45 acp and love it. I have put 4000 rounds through it in a month and hasn't failed yet. I have tried every type of round I can get my hands on and have yet to have a failure to feed or a misfire. Springfield has several different combinatios, 3" subcompact, 4" inch and 5" inch barrel lenghts. Every one has a built in accesory rail. In which many other manufatures cost extra for that feature. Just a little advice. Gunbroker.com has several auctions for they many configurations for under $500.
785517
depends on your budget but i would chose ruger
879826
Bound's hubby here:\n\nPersonally, I feel the Smith & Wesson line of handguns (revolvers) are the best value for the price. Customer service and support mean a lot to me. I would suggest a S&W K-frame or J-frame (if you want a small concealable revolver). However, your $500 limit is less than the average MSRP for a model 10 4" M&P .38 Special. The best thing about S&W revolvers is that they hold a crisp trigger like no other revolver I have encountered. Never have any of my S&W revolvers ever required a trigger job to maintain target accuracy!\n\nThe good thing is, you can get very good USED S&W K-frames [M14 - K-38 Masterpiece (.38 Spec.); M17 - K-22 Masterpiece (.22LR); M48 - K-22MRF (.22 Magnum); M19 - Combat Magnum (.357 Magnum); M10 - Military & Police (.38 Special)] for under $500. \n\nAll of these blued, "carbon steel" revolvers are exceptional values. The Model 19 Combat Magnum would require the most scrutiny for wear.
370383
I'm not impressed with the .223 round. No recoil, all-plastic can't beat a bad guy with it if you need to. When I'm firing my weapon I disassociate from my emotions, but my Peacemaker does have a little kick, had a Glock .40 kicked worse than my .45 so I sold it. My 1911 I can hit just about anything