A good handgun for home defense?

LeftBehind, what I meant was the .50AE, recoil is savage on those guns, even when fired from AR-15 style rifles (yes, there are AR-15's chambered for .50AE.).

vinrock, As for a rimfire (.22LR and such), I somehow have my doubts in their stopping power even if shot placement is good, they are slightly more powerful than any high-end, high powered air guns, also, most .22LR rifles and esspecially pistols have very poor accuracy.

Speaking of .22LRs, I saw a nice Mossberg Plinkster at Wally World, only 92 bucks or so, and since I work there I could probably get it for a mere 82.80 dollars (yes I like to be precise).

So I might considder a .22 for my first shooter once again, I was going to buy a Remington 597 .22LR one day but due to some problems due to my status (was a conditional permanent resident due to the fact I was only married for >1 year at the time).

Sorry to go a bit off topic though.

Originally posted by GrOuNd_ZeRo
LeftBehind, what I meant was the .50AE, recoil is savage on those guns, even when fired from AR-15 style rifles (yes, there are AR-15's chambered for .50AE.).

vinrock, As for a rimfire (.22LR and such), I somehow have my doubts in their stopping power even if shot placement is good, they are slightly more powerful than any high-end, high powered air guns, also, most .22LR rifles and esspecially pistols have very poor accuracy.

Speaking of .22LRs, I saw a nice Mossberg Plinkster at Wally World, only 92 bucks or so, and since I work there I could probably get it for a mere 82.80 dollars (yes I like to be precise

).

So I might considder a .22 for my first shooter once again, I was going to buy a Remington 597 .22LR one day but due to some problems due to my status (was a conditional permanent resident due to the fact I was only married for >1 year at the time).

Sorry to go a bit off topic though.

Yeah i'm with you on .22, i brought that up sorta as an example of tthe importance of 'good shooting'. Gotta admit tho, CCI Stingers do kick ass for what they are. I recently picked up a flawless pre-70's Belgian Browning Challenger and am in love with the thing.

It looks and sounds like a fun little shooter! I personally have considdered the Walther P22 and the Sig Mosquito, those are nice looking .22 pistols, but not even the sig would be able to hit the broad side of a barn, probably better than any other .22's out there but still...

.22 Margo is worthwhile gun to look at, butt ugly but accurate and cheap,

and most .22 pistols do shoot better groups at 25m than service pistols...

Oh man yeah, the Challenger is a blast to shoot. The craftsmanship is striking; it feels like a surgical instrument in my hands. The most gorgeous bluing i've ever seen and the thing is a tack driver. I mostly enjoy point shooting with it, 10-20yds, but on a bench it punches holes like a fancy match pistol.

.22LR is much too small for personal protection, even with decent shot placement and appropriate ammo selection. There are too many 'what ifs' for my liking. The smallest round that should EVER be considered for personal protection is .380ACP (9mm short), and most people even consider this too iffy. Realistically, 9mm Para is the minimum for reliable penetration and cavitation.

personally I recomend anything you can afford. it took me quite a long time to find one i could and felt ok about.which was a hi point 380 for 70$ a course then all the paper work crap pushes it over a hundred. but it is better then paying 3 to 5oo$ which i cant afford.also the police or other certain classes of priveleged citizens have a selection twice as big and half as much not available to us but showed in same case with window divider. somelame ass story those are not saftey tested.. but if i had my pick i liked my brothers russian 45 auto. it was lightr and he wears it in a shoulder holster while traveling and i told him california has naughty penalty for that but he didnt care cuz he a vet and not a criminal.lol. but it a good gun i hit target at 50 yards good all time. so all that # about inacuarrcy is crap .but i wouldnt go much further than 50 and count on it. but know your gun. mine i good for close up and handy is why i wnted it , rifles a little unwieldy in close house. bt i do hAVE a short barrel 5 shot norinco pump which is a nice one and in price good. now all i need is a aks or a larger cliber. 30.06 maybe lol.handguns are good for acesibility and swift deployment and ease of movement. hope i never need it but it nioce to have.if you cant afford over 40 dollars for a gun go to hock shop and buy a 22 tube fed or clip it is better than nothing. also the boat stores sell flare guns and they pretty nice to burn a wholr through some one with.ever think a that option?

I cant argue with the use of a sawn-off shotgun, but if the recoil worries you that bad and a handgun is what you really want a light weight 9mm, or .45. Stopping power plus semi-auto.

Hi-Points are actually good guns for the money, I read alot about them and I already decided i'm buying their .40cal pistol, enough stopping power so I wont loose any sleep over that and should be cheap and fun enough to take to a range.

Problem is, saving up for it really is a drag, I put away 20~30 bucks per pay check since I really can't afford much more since I have bills to pay while ironically the pistol is probably made with less cost, probably the amount of money I have saved up so far (50 bucks).

People say they are ugly (I have seen uglier), and that they are junk (NO Jenkins/Bryco/Jimenez is JUNK) and jam all the time (no, they actually are very reliable pistols for their price) and can't hit the broad side of a barn (many people who bought are suprised with their accuracy).

People say that you probably never need a gun, but I rather be safe than sorry, besides, I love guns!

I will buy myself a deagle in a short time.. caus its a beatiful gun ! men i like the style of shooting and stuff !

That gun just own ! muahaha.. you can blow somebody's head of the body with it ! OMG

What kind of caliber are you thinking about getting?

I'd recommend the .357 and not the other monster calibers since they are no fun as pointed out but it's completely up to you, just remember .50AE rounds run you quite a bit of money! 18 bucks for 50 rounds, actually that isn't too bad...

Sound great to me like a home defense gun !

Awesome tips dude !

Don't let anyone BS you about looks on a gun or anything else. First off is it reliable and of course affordable. Both the gun and the ammo.

When I hear people talk about a gun being good looking I want to laugh and break wind in front of them.

The Bolt action Lee Enfield is one of the most un good looking rifles I have ever seen . THere is however no question about its effectiveness and it is reliable. The Caliber is still plentyful and effective ...no doubt...especially in experienced hands. This rifle..the Lee Enfield in my mind is strictly buisness..not frills and thrills..I can respect this in any tool.

My Ithaca model 37 police 12 gauge shotgun is not a work of art ..not pleasing to the eye. But no doubt about its effectiveness or reliablity. This is the main reason I keep it.

Any experienced professional will tell you they want first of all a tool that works..is reliable and of course affordable.

If you are going to put your safety and the safety of your family in the ability of such a tool.....reliability/dependability should be first on your list within a certain price range.

Forget all that other stuff about looks , thrills and frills....keep your eye on the ball. Do your homework in these departments or categories.

I have recently purchased a Yugoslavian SKS rifle. I have been noting the price of them as relatively inexpensive. Once I purchased some soft point Wolf ammo I was really surprised at the inexpensive cost. What I have noted the two times I have fired this rifle to date is the reliability in the functioning of this piece. I have not had any malfunctions with this rifle once I learned how to properly position the gas porting mechanism. It seems to be pretty reliable so far. Not fancy or made with frills or thrills. It also seems to be a rifle a woman can use with its short stock length. I have put about 350 rounds through this rifle with no malfunctions and will go again this weekend. I can respect this kind of reliability in a tool.

I saw for the first time ...two of those High Point Automatics in a case at a store in the mountains on holiday a few weeks back. I dont know much about them but noted their presence as I had been reading the posts concerning them here on ATS. I will notice them more in the future as I now keep them in mind. I am not in any hurry to acquire them as I am more of a rifle person or a wheel gun person in pistols than automatics. But thanks to posts here I have noticed them.

Thanks again,
Orangetom

A shotgun, 12 or 20 guage is best for home defense. I always keep mine close at hand. Just in case I need something extra, I keep a .357 Ruger 4 inch also close at hand with .38spl +p federal hollowpoints at 158 grain loaded. Also, make sure to have a small, bright, reliable flashlight that you can use with a gun, unless you sleep with the lights on. Make sure to practice shoothing with the gun in one hand and the flashlight in the other. A flashlight attached to your gun would be the best. I keep a Ruger P95 9mm on myself at all times. But remember, it may take a few of those to stop an intruder or other criminal. Don't bring that sucker out unless you really mean buisness!!! Life threatening situations only. Most people get real scared of guns regardless of wether you have a carry permit or not. If you are looking for a fairly inexpensive gun. Check out Ruger. They are very reliable and I have always had the best luck with them.

-you never know when crap's gonna hit the fan. get a gun and know how to use it.

I would recommend a camouflaged sniper nest on the roof of the oppostie house, this could provide 24/7 coverage. Use a Barret .50 cal for maximum stopping power to ensure that your valuables and children are well protected.

Another alternative would we to completely wire your house with c4 and use it as a decoy house. Then have your house behind the decoy house on the back of a small truck. This means you can simply blow the house and drive away swiftly.

i dont know about anyone else but you cant beat a desert eagle

I know I'm getting in on this late and I'm sure what I am about to suggest has already been suggested but it's too late now:

Nothing smaller than 9mm.
Stick with a revolver for home D. If you pull the trigger and it just goes click you can go ahead and pull it again. No messing with jamming drills Thatface to face with an intruder.
Better still would be a shotgun with some low recoil load anybody can control and use.

And more important that the "what to get" issue is practice, practice, practice. And keep it clean. Just because my Mossberg 590 doesn't see much action at the skeet range and spends most of it's time leaning against the bedroom wall doesnt mean it isnt getting dry or dirty with dust. Clean the thing, practice with the thing, and know the thing lie you would know any other tool or equipment you have. Make sure everybody in the house shares the same knowledge and basic ability with the thing. It's no good if you went to see what the noise was and got clubbed in the head to have a wife who's afraid to touch a gun or has a flinch reflex that delays her shot. That's how you get the "killed with his own gun" crap.

But thats probably all already been said.

How many times have we seen law enforcement in short range shoot-outs, and with lead flying all over the place, no one gets hit.

I would agree that a shotgun loaded with limited penetration #6 birdshot is hard to beat, but whatever handgun you choose, you must thing first of being able to hit your target.

Whatever handgun you choose, I would strongly suggest get one that easily is converted to use laser sights such as by Crimson Trace. You don't have to worry about your sight picture, your handhold, or even lining up with your target which simultaneously puts you in his direct line of fire.

You pick up the weapon, the laser comes on, put the dot where you want it, and pull the trigger.

One good hit beats fifty non-hits.

One other thing. The pelvic area is the most effective area to make a target go down. Lots of bone mass to absorb shock and transmit to the nervous system, and lots of very tender bits that do not sustain damage very well.

Lots of good advice here. I am partial to the Springfield XD series of semi autos. They have high round capacities and are easy to fire (DAO) and field strip. I also prefer the Remington 870 "Marine Magnum" loaded with 00 buck. The sound of the action cycling on the 870 or any pump gun is enough to make most thugs think twice.