hand gun for inexperienced user
i have dedicded to legally purchase a handgun... with hardly any experience and knowledge what are a few reasonable gun choices to
consider for purchasing AND WHY? it will be primarily used for home
protection so i know i dont want a .22 but i really dont think i need
a 10mm or .45 but they could be considered if i like 'em
ones i am looking at are the glock 17/19 and 357 revolver (something like a SW 627 or 65) are those good for a beginner? btw: my wife will need to be able to fire it too... whatever it is.
consider for purchasing AND WHY? it will be primarily used for home
protection so i know i dont want a .22 but i really dont think i need
a 10mm or .45 but they could be considered if i like 'em
ones i am looking at are the glock 17/19 and 357 revolver (something like a SW 627 or 65) are those good for a beginner? btw: my wife will need to be able to fire it too... whatever it is.
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IMHO go with the revolver in 357. You and your wife can practice with 38spl ammo in it without beating yourselves up. There are fewer things that can go wrong and a misfire is cleared with another trigger pull.
The semi-auto's are good, but you have to be aware of their diet preferances, the ocasional jam up, and the lack of low-powered practice ammo.
For the experance level your stating, I feel that picking the revolver is the best choice.
Some guys like a mag full of lead, I still prefer one round to the head.0 -
how bad is the recoil with 357 ammo vs 38 spcl ammo? the two revolvers i mentioned are those decent? anybody know their cost? what are other options for a decently priced 357? 0 -
here's what I say,,,you'll find lots of opinions. Buy a medium size framed 357 mag, and shoot 38 spec's in it. It will last forever and the 38's will cut down the recoil till you get used to it,,then you can go to 357's for more power. On the revolvers, there is nothing to think about, just pull the trigger,,no mag's safty's buttons or whistles,,double action of course. In a situation where you get nervous or any other feeling,,no frills is the ticket to success.
Now that's if you buy a pistol for home defense, which is not always correct. I do it too,,,,BUT i also have a 12 ga shotgun that sleeps with me,,,You see,, i have kids and have decided that i like them. A 38 or 357 or any large bore will go thru MANY walls and kill something in the 3rd or 4th room it enters. Would that be my kids room? A shotgun will get slowed down more and not require so good of aim in the stress situation. Then there is the pyshcological thing,,,ever hear a pump shotgun get a shell racked up? EVERYBODY knows that sound!!
Buy stainless till you learn to take care of a gun correctly and maybe it won't rust up on you so quick. (stainless guns DO rust)
22's can kill and/or protect too,,,plus cheap to practice with,,but i still wouldn't have it for primary protection, but if it's all i could grab,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
what are you doing?! Shooting for windage? Turn the gun upright!0 -
joe,,forgot you said you are new to gun's,,,,,38 spec is the same bullet in a shorter case then 357mag,,,you can shoot 38 spec's in a 357 mag,,but NOT the other way (357 in 38)
what are you doing?! Shooting for windage? Turn the gun upright!0 -
getting forgetfull in old age,,sorry
If you go to shotgun,,i recomend a nice inexpensive mossberg or rem 870,,,cut the barrel of 1/2 inch OVER legal limit,,so you can turn around quickly in the hallway. I'm a double barrel guy myself.
what are you doing?! Shooting for windage? Turn the gun upright!0 -
for a good artical about first handguns
go to http://www.keepandbeararm.com
it will be in the top header
https://www.keepandbeararms.com/information/XcIBViewItem.asp?ID=3195
this is the page
SMILE...MAKE EM WONDER WHAT YOUR UP TO
Edited by - snarlgard on 11/17/2002 16:45:530 -
Stainless steel K frame 38/357 with no more than a 3-4" barrel. 0 -
A little tough love here: DON'T buy a gun for home protection. If you are worried about your safety 1) get an alarm system, 2) get a dog, or 3) get both. Yes, on rare occasions someone uses a gun to shoot an intruder, but FAR more often that gun is stolen during a B&E when you aren't there. Where do you think all those bad guys out there get their guns? They get them from burglarizing the homes of good guys like us!
Think about how you'd feel if some child in your family got hold of your gun and killed himself; it would be devastating. And, you wouldn't be the first husband mistaken by his wife for a burglar and...
If you are determined to buy a gun, you should first buy a safe or lock box that can be bolted to the floor or wall. Then, you should take a basic shooting course, offered by many gun shops and ranges. That will help you decide what gun best suits you and your wife. Then, practice with whatever you buy until you both become proficient. Only last week I discouraged a friend from buying a gun after she said, "I don't really want to shoot a burglar, but, if I just let him see my gun, that will scare him."; that type of thinking will get you killed!
And, of course, there's always the need to pick a gun & ammo that won't accidentally kill your next door neighbor (or wife in the next room) if you DO shoot at an intruder and miss.
Neal0 -
Neal:
Please cite the authority for the following claim:
"...on rare occasions someone uses a gun to shoot an intruder, but FAR more often that gun is stolen during a B&E when you aren't there."
I would comment that it isn't necessary to actually shoot an intruder for the firearms to be successfully used in self-defense. In fact, substantial evidence suggests that successful defense usually involves merely displaying or making reference to the firearm. But I question whether there are FAR more firearms burglaries than uses for self-defense.
While you comments regarding the importance of training are well taken, your statements about the means of storing a firearm are inappropriate for a firearm intended for immediate defensive use.
A reliable revolver is unquestionably the single most cost-effective method of self-defense available. It doesn't require extensive training to use or to maintain and store (ready for immediate use) safely.
redcedars
"The true art of war lies in so sapping your opponent's will to fight that he surrenders without battle." Sun Tzu
Edited by - redcedars on 11/17/2002 16:25:060 -
I agree with most of the posters here. For a first handgun that can be used for defence, it's hard to beat a .357 mag., practice with .38 spl., but load highly frangible hollowpoints, something like Magsafes or Glazers. However, I too sleep with a shotgun, but I load it with #6 birdshot, not #OO buck like many are fond of. Why? Inside my house, 25 ft. or less, they are equally deadly, and the #6 won't go thru my walls and kill my neighbor in his sleep. It's also wise (and fun) to advertize that you are armed and dangerous (to intruders). I simply have some old paper silhouette targets hanging on the front porch. I do get a smile out of those posters that say things like "Home Security by Smith & Wesson", "Forget the Dog, Beware of Owner", and "Anyone Found Here at Night Will be Found Here in the Morning" 0 -
Chunkstyle and others:
I hope you search and find an article written by M Ayoob. He addressed the issue of signs and t-shirts with logo similar in content to the signs and posters on Chunks porch...bottom line...the anti-gun attorney facing you in court he will hammer out the fact that you advertised you are a killer and had no intention other than to kill! The current crop of morons on jury's will hang you!
FIND THAT ARTICLE maybe in one of the issues within the last two years...if you fail to find this and read the ariticle...you will be doing yourself a grave injustice...
Chunk if I were you I'd take'em down...0 -
I whole heartedly disagree with using a steady diet of 38's in a 357 mag chambered hand gun.
A gun writer for either shooting Times or Guns & Ammo did a test report on this very topic. He pointed out some factors which may cause problems for the 357: A) the shorter 38 round when it fires that flame burns inside the cylinder between the end of the case and the edge of the reamed out cylinder where the 357 case would normally fit-flush. Contiued firing of the 38 could wear away that area. since powder burns in this space, the space will fill up with carbon and unburned p-granules and unless this area is thoroughly scrubbed it can prevent a 357 case from fitting in the cylinder......
In my 50 years experience of shooting I find that most if not all new shooters listen to verbal accounts of horrendous recoiling hand guns. Of course there are horrendous recoiling hand guns: 475 Linebaugh, 454 Casull and other's but we are not talking about handguns designed to shoot thru a Cape Buffalo's skull. This power of suggestion fall's on the fertile mind of the innocent uneducated new shooter. I often heard of the terrible recoil of 10MM's when they came out and when I shot one I thought YOU GOT TO BE KIDDING...this is BS...WHAT RECOIL?
In most case's if you can not lift 75 lbs off the ground, you do not have military press this -it would help tho- w/o struggling then NEVER EVER consider using a hand gun. I takes strength in the upper body, arms and wrist. One can get stronger lifting weights or excercise...and it won't take long...at nearly any age.
Once the upper body has been toned and the hand and finger strength strengthened and trigger-finger control controlled and trigger-finger positioning have been learned, then you should never have any fear of shooting ANY handgun...have more fear of not hitting the target!
Then there is learning how to sight and shoot a handgun and a most critical aspect: finger strength and what part of the trigger-finger to use in double action firing VS single action/semi-auto firing.
So if your wife has the upper body strength of a wet noodle reconsider a handgun...when you are looking at the muzzle end of a double barrel shotgun of any gauge it is A VERY THOUGHT PROVOKING EXPERIENCE!0 -
i have looking over the posts and one thing i didnt take into account: the bullets *could* go thru the walls... i live in an apartment complex with 1 unit on 1 side and another unit on the other side, also another unit on top of me. i'm kind of concerned now about hurting someone around me, not to mention other tenants who live ~25 yards across the complex... :-
anyways, i am still thinking about the SW 65 or 66 with a 3-4 inch barrel. i am also considering a 12 gg shotgun too. my pop has one so i can practice with that and see what i think about it. what are good shotgun models?0 -
Don't want to sound like a heretic, but you might want to look at the Taurus line of 357 revolvers. Nice guns, quite a bit cheaper than the comparable S&W.
Taxation WITH representation isn't so hot, either!0 -
I'll put my $0.02 in...
A supervisor at my job, knowing I'm a firearms enthusiast, asked me the same question you're asking: What gun should a first time handgun owner buy for home protection for himself and his wife (he currently owns a 12 ga. pump shotgun).
I suggested a 4" S&W 686 Plus. We went to the local gun show today and he picked up a brand new one for $475. I think this gun is a good choice for all the reasons mentioned before: it's versatile, powerful, rugged and simple to use/maintain; the extra round in the cylinder is a nice plus too. I suggested he start off with .38 Spl and work up to .357 Magnum when he/his wife is ready; the mid size frame and full lug barrel will keep recoil in check. We all know how good the .357 Mag 125 gr. JHP is as a man stopper. I think they'll be well armed.
Get yourself a good 4" .357 Magnum and you'll be very happy.0 -
After instructing handgunners for over thirteen years, the thing I see most is a lack of commitment in practicing. There is a lot of good advice here, but if you do not make the commitment to practice, you are doing yourself and your neighbors a disservice in getting a gun.
Guns are a good source of comfort and a lot of enjoyment, but one careless act can cause a lot of grief.
Any of the revolvers mentioned here will do a good job. Just remember to practice, practice and did I say practice?
You can't miss fast enough.0 -
FWIW, if you want your wife to learn to shoot, she needs to be actively involved in your purchasing a firearm. Sit down and discuss the matter with her if you haven't done so and then go together to try out your options.
Decide how much time and attention you are both willing to invest in learning to shoot. I think a 38 Special is just fine for home defense in an apartment building. You really don't need a 357, but if you want to, that's fine. I'd recommend a K frame S&W with a 3" to 4" barrel. If you are ambitious and willing to make for some extra range time, you can learn to use semi-auto--I'd recommend a Glock or SIG in 9mm. One thing about guns: you have to like their feel and sights. Comfort in fitting your hands and ease of use play a big role. Get someone to give you both a lesson or two in shooting and gun safety; perhaps renting a gun before making a final decision on which one to get. Learn to shoot accurately and well.
Three Precious Metals: Gold, silver and lead0 -
After instructing handgunners for over thirteen years, the thing I see most is a lack of commitment in practicing. There is a lot of good advice here, but if you do not make the commitment to practice, you are doing yourself and your neighbors a disservice in getting a gun.
Guns are a good source of comfort and a lot of enjoyment, but one careless act can cause a lot of grief.
Any of the revolvers mentioned here will do a good job. Just remember to practice, practice and did I say practice?
You can't miss fast enough.0
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