Handgun advice for Noob.
Hi all.
My wife and I are looking to buy a handgun to keep in the house. I am a total noob when it comes to guns and Id appreciate some advice.
Were thinking of getting a Glock 9mm, medium size handle. I was told that glocks are the most reliable and hassle free guns you can get. The store wants $600 for it.
Any suggestions for alternatives? Is $600 too much? I live in Maryland.
thanks!
My wife and I are looking to buy a handgun to keep in the house. I am a total noob when it comes to guns and Id appreciate some advice.
Were thinking of getting a Glock 9mm, medium size handle. I was told that glocks are the most reliable and hassle free guns you can get. The store wants $600 for it.
Any suggestions for alternatives? Is $600 too much? I live in Maryland.
thanks!
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Have you tried shooting anything yet? You may find out that the Glock won't fit you or your wife's hands. Before you decide on a specific model, I suggest a trip to a range where you can rent a few different guns. The Glock is a good handgun, but, like all firearms, it has its share of problems. It's been a few years since I've bought a Glock, but $600 seems high to me. You should be able to find a new Glock 9mm for $500 - $550. 0 -
Consider a double action revolver, .357 mag., 4 " barrel. Ruger GP100, Smith 586/686, or similar older models. (Security Six in the Ruger,
Model 19 Smith, etc.)
.38 special is relatively inexpensive for practice, and you'll want to be doing lots of that. You may even want to consider starting with a .22 and moving up once you both feel thoroughly comfortable with that.
On the other hand, a pump shotgun has some real advantages for home protection. You'll be hearing from lots of folks I'm sure. Some will even second your choice of a Glock, but for a first firearm, and home security at that, I'd stay away from the Semi=auto's.
Good luck, and welcome to the Forum!0 -
Don't forget to look at the various DA (Double Action) revolvers.
The 357 Mag revolvers can also safely shoot 38spl ammo, which will tame the recoil during your practice sessions (your wife will appreciate that), and leave it loaded with the 357Mag rounds for home protection.
Any failure (fail to fire, fail to feed, fail to extract) with a auto loader will leave a panicked novice with a short club, while a revolver just requires another pull on the trigger to bring the next round into position.
Power wise, the 9mm fits between the 38spl and the 357 Mag (closer to the 38spl end), so your still in the same ballpark there0 -
Thanks for the initial responses!
Just to clarify, both my wife and I have had practice shooting guns. In fact out 2nd date was shooting shootguns (trap)
We shot handguns too, she's obv much better with the 22, but she did okay with a 9mm. Im fine with either.
I also feel that $600 is a bit high, my parents recently bought one for a bit over $500.
Never really thought about the revolver, but maybe thats a good idea.0 -
When you live in Maryland, you have no negotiating ability when buying a handgun; if your dealer has what you want, you pay whatever he is asking. The handgun must be listed on the Handgun Roster; it must come with a sealed, fired case; it must come with an internal lock. If you don't have a DD-214, you must take an approved handgun course.
My advice is to find a dealer with an in-store range, loaners, & who offers a handgun course. That way, you can try a lot of guns while having an expert stand behind you. On Target in Severn, & Continental Arms in Timonium are 2 such dealers.
Neal0 -
You want the revolver.
The semi auto is too complicated.
You may have a loaded mag, but you haven't racked the slide.
You may have racked the slide, but the safety is on.
In both cases, you have a "loaded" gun that won't shoot.
It is going to be 3 am, it is going to be dark, you are going to be scared.
With a revolver, you pull the trigger it goes BANG.0 -
I guess I need to go try some revolvers! 0 -
My advice on a revolver is very simple Smith and wesson 627 performace center model with 4" barrel, and some extra moon clips. There is atleast 5 home invasions every week in this area where multiple armed intruders are invloved.. that being the case revolvers have a small capacity and are slower to reload, and require alot more practice to reload with speed loaders under stress..
Moon clips are by far the quickest way to load a revolver, though the big 8 shot clips can be agrovationg to drop in. It is still pretty quick wih a practice.
Get a gun with enough rounds in it that is easy to reload.. In my opinion, you had the right Idea in the first place with the Glock 19.. The 19 is the one with the medium frame by the way, a very good gun..
Get a Glock 19 with tritium night sights and you should be good to go. keep it loaded with one in the chamber in a secure place where no children will find it, with a couple extra magazines. When you need it it will work.
home invasions have gotten awful around here also, My advice to you is get the gun that feels right, and once that gives you the advantage as far as hardware is concerned, As gary said a shotgun or semi auto carbine is the go to guns, a handgun is back up until you can gain access to long guns, or thats how at my house, and the houses of my neighbors and family..
good luck, practice, and get some training if you can afford it, and have the time..0 -
Our friend recently had a home invasion. She was home alone and two guys broke in, knowing she was inside.
She did not have a gun, and had to hide in the bathtub until the police arrived (15 mins later). Luckily she did not get hurt, but definitely was traumatized.
After that, we decided we need to have a gun in the house.0 -
The first shot is the most important one, even if you miss.
This is because, home invaders are punks looking for an easy score. They do not have a strong warrior spirit.
If the home invader knew you had a .38, and were going to shoot it out, they would simply choose another house.
Think about it from the criminal's point of view. Two punks have broken in to your house downstairs, and they are heading up to your bedroom.
You hear the breaking glass, and from your bed you fire one shot into the ceiling.
Do you think these two punks are going to say, "Probably one shot from a revolver, let's go on upstairs and shoot it out. He only has 4 or 5 shots left"
I don't think so.
These criminals would probably score real low on in IQ test. If you were to talk to them, you would think that they are pretty dumb.
But, in some ways they are real smart. They know that if they are hit with a single slug, they might die.
They also know that if they show up at the hospital with a bullet wound, the cops will be called.
Ninety nine percent of home invaders, at that point, are going to get the hell out of the house.0 -
thisnonesense.......thanks for your question, which we get a lot on the forum. If you are looking for home defense the best weapon is a shotgun, not a handgun. You admit that you are inexperienced with a handgun which takes a bit (or a lot, depending) of practice to master. But a shotgun? Loaded with 00 Buckshot or even #4 pellets? Also takes some practice but the fact of looking down the barrel of a shotgun is just more threatening to a punk than a pistol. But if it is a pistol you want and are willing to do the practice necessary, I suggest a .357 Ruger GP100 or a Smith 66/686 and go out and practice with .38 wadcutters, and work up to regular .38 loads and then to 38+P's and then to the "big guy".357. The .357 gives you the flexibility of moving around with loads and it will never fail. I have both guns recommended and use them a lot and they will last a lifetime. But my father lived in the "inner city" and I armed him with a double barrel 12g loaded with 00 Buck as I suggest here. He had to pull it out one time in his living room confronting a punk who ran out the front door and leaped the fence when he saw both of those large barrels in his nose. Nothing like the business end of a 12 gauge to gain attention! Good luck! 0
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