Firearm recommendation?

Question

I'm looking for a small handgun primarily for home defense, secondarily as a tool for sport (shooting for fun). My priorities, in order, are: ease of use, safety/reliability, stopping power, non-penetration through thin walls, and durability (so that I can set it aside for months at a time without maintenance or attention without it falling apart).

I live in the San Francisco Bay area, so any restrictions as to models etc. apply. Any recommendations as to the best models, given the above, would be appreciated. I would especially appreciate first-hand experience and price information.

Thanks.

Answer 1

You almost can't go wrong choosing a revolver with a 4" barrel. They're easy to use, reliable, and suitable for sport shooting or defense. Get one chambered for .38 special. You could also choose a .357 magnum. The benefits of a .357 are greater stopping power and the ability to use .38 special ammunition in the same gun. The drawback is a lot of flash, bang, and recoil, which makes a .357 unpleasant for some shooters. There's a wide variety of ammunition for both the .38 and .357, so you can choose the right round for either defense or sport.

Personal experience? After the L.A. riots, I decided to buy a pistol for the same reasons you want one. After a lot of research, I chose a 4" Smith and Wesson Model 19 in .357 magnum. After I bought it, I talked about it with my father, who was a combat veteran and a firearms trainer for both military and law enforcement. His choice for home defense turned out to be a 4" S&W 19 in .357.

I don't think they make the Model 19 anymore, but any similar, medium-frame revolver from a reputable manufacturer should serve you just as well.

As for laws in your area, I have no advice. One of the reasons I left California was that their gun laws were getting too complicated and weird. You'll need to check with local authorities to get an answer on that.

If you have any other questions, feel free to contact me, and I'd be glad to help.

JMB
Former NRA-certified trainer in Basic Pistol, Basic Rifle, and Home Firearm Safety.

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

Tall order. Also, I don't know what SF Bay area restrictions are, but here goes...

In revolver, nothing smaller than a .38 Special. Short barrel is okay so long as you tailor the ammo to your need. Check out the Federal brand personal defense rounds specifically made for the 2" snubnose. However, these will go through 'thin walls.' Smith & Wesson is still the major producer of .38 revolvers in the USA today. Ruger, Taurus or even Rossi would be okay and a bit more economical. Price range should be between $350 to $550 depending on make and model. Remember that a .357 Magnum revolver can be loaded with .38 Special ammo for a reduced load. So don't dismiss the .357. The .38 Special is just your 'minimum' size requirement.

In automatic a .380 would be your best option. Walters, Sig or Beretta--they are all 'high dollar,' but its your home you are defending. A Bersa brand .380 would be lower priced and still good. In .380 again, look for the Federal personal defense round. Again, they will go through thin walls. Another lower cost option would be the Beretta 3032 Tomcat in .32 auto. Not really a plinker, but it is accurate enough and with Winchester Silvertips it will work at short range. Again, thin walls are a problem. They are a problem even with .22s or .25s. You can always purchase the high priced Glazier type ammo (prefragmented bullet) for just about any centerfire revolver/pistol ammo and they are not supposed to penetrate even a sheetrock wall, but that ammo is pretty unforgiving when it hits flesh and bone.

Like I said, tough question. You might consider two guns. One for plinking and one for home defense. For merely plinking you can't beat a .22. Ruger, Smith & Wesson and Walthers all make quality .22s. I have a Walters P22 with fitted laser sight. The whole thing cost me just under $400. new. I opted for the nickel finish which is why it was a little higher priced. In plain blue without the laser sight it should be under $300. With a good quality, high speed .22 Long Rifle hollowpoint rounds it could double for home defense, but again, thin walls are a problem and prefragmented ammo (as far as I know) is not made for .22s (which are rimfire rather than centerfire bullets).

H

Answer 4

I personally use my trusty 45acp semi auto however-- a .38/357 revolver is all you really need for personal protection and you'll get that extra piece of mind knowing you most likely 'will not have to double tap any one' in the event you actually had to use it.

[double tap is to shoot more than once or twice to prevent further advancement by say -- a intruder for example].

Besides, the .38 cal rounds are cheaper and great for target practice when brushing up on your skills. You can keep the 357 close by when home etc...

As for bullets that don't penetrate thin walls? I don't believe any really exist. However-- You could try using fragibles. These are rounds that break apart once hitting their target. They are good for self defense because they don't keep going like FMJ's. On the other hand if you had to shoot a intruder for example, it would cause all sorts of damage.

A revolver is what folks refer to as stupid simple. You have 5 or 6 shots. Easy to maintain. Prices vary depending manufacturer but you can get good side arms starting at about $300.

Ruger, Taurus, EAA (Windicator - a great little gun by the way, inexpensive and very reliable), Smith & Wesson just to name a few. Go out and shop around a bit. You need to hold the gun to see if it fits your hand right, how is the weight? and so on.

Good luck and don't be pushed into buying something that doesn't feel like a extention on your hand/arm.

Answer 5

Bound's hubby here:

I respect your candor ... not many people would be this honest about what they want and their knowledge of handguns.

I would personally recommend a Smith & Wesson K (Medium) Frame revolver, see links below. I would recommend a .38 Special over a .357 Magnum, for reasons I will list below.

Why a revolver .... revolvers are easier to use than a semi-auto, the trigger is the safety, no levers to fiddle with in the dark under stress, it has adequate stopping power without excessive penetration, and they are durable. S&W revolvers have the best triggers I have ever experienced, and they hold a good trigger very long (consistent trigger pull). Revolvers do not require you to compensate for the momentum of a moving slide, in addition to the recoil of the handgun.

Why a .38 Special ... the 38 Special has a number of great bullets to choose from. My personal recommendation would be a 38 Special 148 grain wadcutter. It is a light load, light recoil, no over-penetration, and it punches nice holes, great for target or defense. It has mild recoil and mild muzzle flash ... something to consider when firing in a dark, enclosed room. The .357 will have excessive muzzle flash and "bang" in a dark room, with excessive penetration and recoil.

I would suggest either a 4" with target sights (Model 67) or a 4" with fixed sights (Model 10). If you think the police would have a problem issuing a target permit for a revolver with fixed sights, go with the adjustable sights. (Personally, I have 7 S&W revolvers, all target sighted, and extremely reliable.)

You can get very good police trade-ins for a few hundred dollars, or you can get a new S&W for anywhere over $500. If you look for used, find a reputable gun shop you would/can trust.

ETA: Just a point concerning the selection of a semi-automatic pistol as a "first handgun" for an inexperienced shooter, that may be used for self-defense in the home. To insure reliable feeding, the shooter needs to use full metal jacketed rounds, which tend to had "over-penetration" qualities. If the shooter wishes to use hollow-points or semi-wadcutters, the barrel feed ramp needs to be throated by a competent gunsmith, otherwise the nose of the bullet catches on the barrel feed ramp, causing a feeding jam.

Even though semi-automatics are the new, fashionable trend for the gun-owning, and future gun owning public, they add their own unique complications. Simple and reliable are not always in a semi-automatic's vocabulary, but they are built in to a revolver. I am not biased ... I own several semi-automatics, and prefer as a self-defense arm a 1911 in .45 ACP, but if awoken in the middle of the night by a potential intruder, half awake (or half asleep) with the concerns of a wife, children, and dog in the house ... the safety of a revolver is desireable ... especially with the long double action pull of a revolver. And for those needing a crew fired high capacity handgun ... with practice, you can do what you need to do with a 6 (or fewer rounds) shot revolver, and with practice, you can speed reload in under 10 seconds. If you can't do it with a revolver, get a legal, short barreled shotgun for home defense!

Good luck!

Answer 6

For Novice shooters I always point them in the direction of a Glock 17 or 19. 9mm is cheap so you can practice alot (very important). It does well against intruders and if you use Glaser rounds you will not have a penetration problem. I suspect you are limited to 10 rounds in the Peoples Rupublik of Commiefornia, but ten ought to be enough.
The nice thing about the glock is that there are fidgety buttons to deal with; it has a trigger, mag release and slide release. You don't need the slide release so you only need to learn two controls. The trigger in a glock is always the same and easy to learn (unlike many DA/SA guns). You cannot kill a Glock and they are reliable even if you forget to clean them.

A new Glock is $469 out the door at a show, you can get used ones at $350 or so. Like I said, pretty hard to break a Glock 9mm. Wife wife used one to shoot 248/250 on her CCW test after 100 rounds practice (and a little coaching).

As far as a Glock not having a safety, you finger had better not be on the trigger until you want to shoot, so they are safe as long as YOU are safe.

Answer 7

Sorry you have to be in Cali "all the gun laws." I hate a 9mm but it looks like your best all around choice. I don't like the stopping power,".40 cal is much better," but a good glock or Springfield XD sounds like your best bet. Glock is around $500-$700 depending on the model and a Springfield XD 9mm will be around $550. I have an Xd .40 cal and I wouldn't give it up for anything. I also have a glock model 17 and it is a fine firearm as well. (mm are cheap to target shoot with but for home defense get the Winchester 9mm hollow point ballistic silver tips. They are a little pricey but the wont go through thin walls as bad. If you go with a revolver get a .357mag with a 4" barrel. Anything smaller ".38" is worthless and doesn't have the stopping power. I have a Ruger .357 w/ a 4" barrel and it is my carry gun. It cost me about $325 at a gun show. Since .357mag rounds are expencive you can use .38 rounds to target practice with. Get the hollow point 158gr loads for a .357 they also have the silver tips. Which ever you decide stay away from Full Metal Jacket loads they lack the stopping power of a hollow point and can't be stopped as easily as a hollow point can. "A human mid section"

Answer 8

Bound is mostly right. Although a .357 revolver will shoot .38 special as well as .357 magnum. .38 special ammo is lower power, lower recoil and cheaper. So if you choose .38 special, go with the .357 and just shoot .38. You'll get a more durable gun and can go on to more powerful ammo in the future, should you choose to do so. If you are concerned about weight, get a 5-shot revolver.

Read all the suggestions above. Most are good. Then, find a range that rents guns, a friend who has guns, or a class. Go shoot, learn firsthand. There are hundreds of choices for a reason.

Answer 9

For home defense, I would look at the .357/.38 revolvers. I am a fan of the Ruger GP 100 for this reason. ANY handgun round will penetrate through walls. If one could be found a 4 inch barrelled revolver in .45 colt of .44 special would be a viable alternative as well, but ammunition will be harder to find. My typical self defense load at home in my .357 is the .38 Special 158 grain lead hollow point +P, AKA The "FBI load". It is accurate, recoil is minimal and doesn't tear my ears up as bad as the magnum rounds.

Answer 10

The Springfield XD is a terrific handgun. I have one in 9mm (they come in 45 ACP for your stopping power preference). I never had one problem with it since I took it out of the case. I shot more than a thousand rounds through it, no problem at all! It's easy to field strip and clean! It's an aggressive handsome firearm made from one of the oldest most reliable gun manufactures in the world! And it's not all that much money. I use mine for competition, concealed carry and on the job. It has convenient mag release on both sides and an indicator that shows if it is loaded or not. BUT, always treat any firearm as it were! Google Springfield armory and look it up. I think it shoud fit your need very well. Hope this helps and safe shootin!