Looking to buy a handgun (Protection), What do you reccomend (Brand)? Semi-Auto or Revolver??

Question

Hello guys, just an intro, Im a 37 year old male who starts work (at the hospital, which is 12km from my residence) at 6 and usually comes home at 11:30PM-1:30 AM, or maybe later (if on-call) and the way to my condo is pretty dark and quiet at night.The reason Im looking to purchase a handgun is because a surgeon (and friend of mine) at the Hospital I work at had his vehicle stalled and had to wait for CAA, while he was waiting, apparently his car was stolen at gunpoint,and he uses the same freeway as I do, so I need a good handgun, and size does not matter nor does concealability (Guns at the hospital are locked in a huge locker guarded by 2 guards 24/7), all I care about is HIGH DAMAGE to be inflicted on my target and dependability (I dont want a gun that will fail me constantly)

Answer 1

CZ P01 9mm, or CZ RAAMI 40sw compact. Both are perfect for concealed carry, have excellent reliablility records, the P01 has a NATO stock number assigned to it. Basically they tortured a few P01's until they were satisfied they were good guns and bought a boat load of them. Mine is my new carry gun, I was carrying either a HKUSP40, or a G17, or even a 96G. I have large hands so I usually lean towards large framed pistols for carry, the CZ P01 is a compact, but it has the feel of a full size grip. I carry +P+ ammo in it so I installed a DPM recoil buffer, it helps tremendously with felt recoil. 14 round magazine of Double Tap 115gr +P+ JHP is more than enough to deter any would be assailant. I installed a set of Bomar night sights , mine came already with crimson trace grips, but I really prefer iron sights. The Bomar sights have the wide rear site groove that I shoot better with. CZ has a long history of making fine firearms, both for the civilian, and military/law enforcement. They stand behind their product too. Accurate, dependable, comfortable in the hand and a natural pointer too.

Answer 2

Any mechanical device can and will malfunction. Semi-auto pistols are no exception, but malfunctions in pistols is not common, and their probability can be reduced to almost non-existent if you take some very reasonable precautions. First and foremost buy a reliable gun. For a home defense gun you don't want to rely on a cheap piece of crap pistol because it was $200 cheaper than a well-made gun. You should also use quality ammunition in a home defense gun. At the range, shoot whatever you want but when you leave it loaded in the nightstand to deal with a potential intruder, you want ammo in the chamber that will go bang when you pull the trigger. Take care of your firearms. Clean it and lightly oil any moving parts that come in contact with other parts regularly. If you are going to get a gun for home defense, practice with the damned thing. If it's going to sit in a drawer for 4 - 5 years, until some night when your wife is home alone and hears glass breaking downstairs. Is she going to remember whether there is a round in the chamber? Is it going to be second nature for her to look for the front sight when she aims? Is she going to remember which way the safety is on or off? The magazine springs will be okay and you don't have to worry about replacing the ammunition, it will last for a century if it's stored in normal condition. If you have a home defense gun. You and anyone who may use it should be familiar and comfortable with it. Take it out and shoot it a couple times a year. Under the circumstances you described you would be just as well served by the .38. In a home defense scenario the double action trigger pull of a revolver isn't going to affect your accuracy nearly as much as the stress will.

Answer 3

My choice would be for a revolver chambered for .357 magnum. Smith and Wesson is a good gun as is a Taurus. My wife carries a snub nose .357 mag. Taurus. I carry a 1911 chambered for the .45 acp cartridge. Some people might suggest one of the semi-auto handguns but, I do not recommend a semi-auto for you. Unless you have the time, money and inclination to keep in practice in dealing with the possible stoppages to which semi-autos are prone, you are better off with a double action revolver. Too many things can go wrong and if you are not trained in how to handle them you can find yourself in a world of trouble. The .357 magnum has plenty of knock down power but is not overly powerful so that it becomes a hazard to other people. For ammunition, I would load it with Glazer ammo. Glazer will not roccochet and will not over penetrate and be a hazard to innocent bystanders. If you cannot find Glazer ammo, there are several other amo manufacturers who make ammo specifically for self defense.

Answer 4

I like the Springfield Armory XD Series. They are easy to shoot with little felt recoil, natural pointers, meaning what you point at is what you shoot (to some degree, you will still need to aim). The trigger safety is identical to the Glocks safety, but the XD added a grip safety for added protection against accidental discharge. You also have a load indicator on the top of the slide that shows if you have a live round in the chamber. There is also a striker indicator that will show if the firearm is ready to be fired.
The XD comes in 9mm, .40cal, .45ACP and GAP, .375sig, as well as in sub-compact, compact, service, and tactical sizes.
The sub-compact comes with one regular mag and one mag with a grip extension to make it a full size grip. The compact is similar to the sub, but it has a 4” barrel. It can be used for conceal carry or as a duty weapon with the grip extension.

Springfield Armory XD 9mm V-10 Ported and .45ACP Tactical owner.
4 years firearm experience.

http://www.springfield-armory.com/xd.php

Answer 5

I would be looking for a .45 caliber hand gun. a double action so as to be able to fire off multible shots. the disadvantage to this gun is that its range is fairly small 40yards is about max maybe more. A glock is a pretty good decision so is a ruger. Or you could go with a 9 millimeter it has a VERY high damage rating. again go with a double action which is pretty much the same as a semi-auto rifle just pull it back once and your set till u run out of bullets.

Answer 6

The best choice for your purpose is a 357 Magnum in a Smith & Wesson or Colt 4" Revolver because you can also shoot 38 caliber ammo in the 357 Magnum.* It is a proven man stopper.* You get two handguns for the price of one.* Nothing less than a 357 Mag should be considered for self-defense.* Buy new or used.*

Answer 7

I would have to say for your situation get a S&W 357 snub nose they are very reliable and easy to use.You also mite want to look into taking a class on handguns.That mite be part of getting the permit in your state.

Answer 8

i would take the semi automatic over the revolver because of ammo capacity also because they are usually ore compact then revolvers. the caliber i would recommend is the 9mm using hydra shok rounds or hollow points. the brand i would recommend is Glock or Springfield Armory

Answer 9

I like Beretta.... I prefer a 40 cal.... this is the one I like the PX4 Storm ... go here and check it out, others to look at also..... I like Berettas for their accuracy, easy to strip and clean and they are very reliable.

http://www.berettausa.com/product/product_pistols_main.htm

Answer 10

get a Glock 23. it's a subcompact but it has high magazine capacity. it's a 40 S&W round so there is plenty of stopping power.glocks are very reliable and don't require much matinence. really accurate and easy to field strip. don't get a 9mm, they don't have enough stopping power regardless of what other people say. i know a WWII vet who still has some German 9mm rounds in him and he aint dead yet.