Hand gun Question .

[mattg1500]

My Kimber 45 is what i use and my wife has an sr9c. Anyone that says a 9mm will not stop an intruder should get shot with one at 15ft and see if they still feel the same way. A quality ammo built for close range will do just fine. My 45 gets 230gr federal powershocks and the 9 has critical defense

[Haskell_Hunter]

If you are looking for a home defense pistol, the one you want is the one that is most comfortable in your hand that consistently hits the target where you are aiming.  There is nothing more important than that.

 

The gun that works best in my hand is a Glock 23 Gen 4 in .40 S&W.  I did not want a 9mm because in my stubborn and opinionated way, anything that does start with a .4x is not fit for home defense.

 

I adamantly disagree with using frangible rounds.  Hollow point LE rounds are in my pistols.  I have 180-grain .40 S&W hollow points in my Glock.  The purpose of a bullet is to transfer kinetic energy into the target.  A hollow point bullet is designed to do that.

 

I took a firearm self defense course at Cherry Ridge.  Excellent instructor.  He asked us, "How far away is a safe distance from an assailant if you are armed?"  We threw out various numbers.  So he says, "Let's see."  I put my back against his, and when he said go, I started running away from him.  He was facing downrange at the target.  He told me to stop when I heard the gunshot.  I did.  I was about 21 feet away from him.  The point of the lesson was this:  If your assailant is within 21 feet of you, they have the potential to reach you and disarm you.  So in a home defense situation, if you have an assailant in your house, you don't warn, you shoot.  Otherwise you risk being disarmed.

 

So finding the right gun for your hand that hits its target true, is the right gun.  Go to the range and rent all of them until you find that gun.

Edited November 14, 2017 by Haskell_Hunter

[1563621]

Just get a wheelgun and be done with it!

[not on the rug]

Seen it attempted homicides attempted suicides which none were fatal and all less then 2 ft away

It's in my line of work

I'm not saying it can't be fatal just saying ill leave birdshot for birds that's all, you put what you want in your gun

No need to get angry over a good debate

Not angry at all. I hope it didn't come across that way. I respect your opinion, but you clearly don't respect mine if you couldn't be bothered to read the information I provided. That's why I bowed out of the conversation.

 

I don't use birdshot in my own weapon, just pointing out and supporting with evidence that at close range, the results are virtually identical

[not on the rug]

If you are looking for a home defense pistol, the one you want is the one that is most comfortable in your hand that consistently hits the target where you are aiming.  There is nothing more important than that.

 

The gun that works best in my hand is a Glock 23 Gen 4 in .40 S&W.  I did not want a 9mm because in my stubborn and opinionated way, anything that does start with a .4x is not fit for home defense.

 

I adamantly disagree with using frangible rounds.  Hollow point LE rounds are in my pistols.  I have 180-grain .40 S&W hollow points in my Glock.  The purpose of a bullet is to transfer kinetic energy into the target.  A hollow point bullet is designed to do that.

 

I took a firearm self defense course at Cherry Ridge.  Excellent instructor.  He asked us, "How far away is a safe distance from an assailant if you are armed?"  We threw out various numbers.  So he says, "Let's see."  I put my back against his, and when he said go, I started running away from him.  He was facing downrange at the target.  He told me to stop when I heard the gunshot.  I did.  I was about 21 feet away from him.  The point of the lesson was this:  If your assailant is within 21 feet of you, they have the potential to reach you and disarm you.  So in a home defense situation, if you have an assailant in your house, you don't warn, you shoot.  Otherwise you risk being disarmed.

 

So finding the right gun for your hand that hits its target true, is the right gun.  Go to the range and rent all of them until you find that gun.

 

I have seen that test done various times and participated in it in martial arts trainings and I can safely say that the 20-25ft range is a very accurate estimate.

 

An attacker can easily close that distance before a defender can get a shot off.

 

All of the story book/movie scene fight nonsense goes out the window.

 

Remember... In a home defense situation, it will probably be dark, you will be disoriented, you will be terrified, your family will be terrified and it is up to you to safely retrieve a locked weapon, load/chamber a round and prepare to fire. This will need to happen quickly and quietly. Nothing will be the way you prepared for it to be and yet you need to remain calm enough to function.

 

Choosing the weapon that you feel the most comfortable with is excellent advice.

 

I feel most comfortable with 2 rotties and 12g loaded with 00buck.

[Bill from NJ]

Depends upon my mood/situation .........

 

Up close and personal, in the dark?

 

(Knife/Tomahawk)

 

 

 

 

 

 

As for using a firearm...

 

Personally, I would recommend a .45 ACP Revolver.

 

No jams, no head aches, no issues.

 

( Offering 230 grains of pure love right to the kisser )

 

 

 

[Haskell_Hunter]

Remember... In a home defense situation, it will probably be dark, you will be disoriented, you will be terrified, your family will be terrified and it is up to you to safely retrieve a locked weapon, load/chamber a round and prepare to fire. This will need to happen quickly and quietly. Nothing will be the way you prepared for it to be and yet you need to remain calm enough to function.

 

 

I always have a loaded gun in the house that is accessible to me and my family.  I have full magazines in places too.  The key thing is this:  You are correct that these situations are very fluid, but there are also times when you are wide awake and at your most alert when these situations transpire.  Having a weapon at the ready is a good thing.  God forbid I ever need it, but it's a grab-and-go.  And with a Glock, there isn't a safety to worry about (Glocks have a patented multi-point safety, but there is no "switch"; there is a lever built into the trigger that when squeezed, releases the mechanical safety).

 

Time yourself to see how long it takes you to open a safe, load a magazine, chamber the first round, and then aim the weapon.  Then put the loaded gun on top of the fridge and time yourself grabbing it off of the top of the fridge and aiming the weapon.  Shorter time wins.  Every second gives the perp that much more time to get to you.  I hope none of us ever have to know what that's like.

Edited November 14, 2017 by Haskell_Hunter

[Lunatic]

What if they have a gun?[emoji16]

 

I have seen that test done various times and participated in it in martial arts trainings and I can safely say that the 20-25ft range is a very accurate estimate.

 

An attacker can easily close that distance before a defender can get a shot off.

 

All of the story book/movie scene fight nonsense goes out the window.

 

Remember... In a home defense situation, it will probably be dark, you will be disoriented, you will be terrified, your family will be terrified and it is up to you to safely retrieve a locked weapon, load/chamber a round and prepare to fire. This will need to happen quickly and quietly. Nothing will be the way you prepared for it to be and yet you need to remain calm enough to function.

 

Choosing the weapon that you feel the most comfortable with is excellent advice.

 

I feel most comfortable with 2 rotties and 12g loaded with 00buck.

 

 

That's why next to my gun at my bed side I also always have a fully loaded bottle of bourbon

[B B]

The question you're asking can't be answered by anyone other than youself.  There's too many variables involved.  The layout of your house, are there other people in your house, distance to neighbors, what can you operate in "the worst" situation of your life, safety/no safety, what caliber can you handle, what can your significant other handle, how are you going to secure it in your residence, do you have it in you to pull the trigger etc... etc... etc.

 

Definitely an issue that requires a lot of thought.

 

Other than that I'm enjoying some of the responses... birdshot...   

[Lunatic]

The question you're asking can't be answered by anyone other than youself.  There's too many variables involved.  The layout of your house, are there other people in your house, distance to neighbors, what can you operate in "the worst" situation of your life, safety/no safety, what caliber can you handle, what can your significant other handle, how are you going to secure it in your residence, do you have it in you to pull the trigger etc... etc... etc.

 

Definitely an issue that requires a lot of thought.

 

Other than that I'm enjoying some of the responses... birdshot...   

 

 

You just gave me anxiety attack. Back to bourbon

[not on the rug]

Another one who refuses to read and likes to listen to old wive's tales...

 

If u think birdshot won't blow a hole straight through a human body at 3 yards, you are sadly mistaken

 

I encourage you to read the links and study the evidence. Its been tested on inches of plywood and also ballistics gel.

 

If more people would read and learn before mindlessly typing or talking, the world would be a much better place

Edited November 14, 2017 by not on the rug

[Lunatic]

Another one who refuses to read and likes to listen to old wive's tales...

 

If u think birdshot won't blow a hole straight through a human body at 3 yards, you are sadly mistaken

 

I encourage you to read the links and study the evidence. Its been tested on inches of plywood and also ballistics gel.

 

If more people would read and learn before mindlessly typing or talking, the world would be a much better place

 

 

Random statement or you are talking to someone?

[B B]

1. Someone is paid to conduct those tests and start a new "trend" so that someone else can get paid to write articles about them.  Kinda like how hunting magazines write new article every year on how to hunt the rut. 

 

2. If you let someone get three yards away from you already F'ed up.

[not on the rug]

1. Someone is paid to conduct those tests and start a new "trend" so that someone else can get paid to write articles about them.  Kinda like how hunting magazines write new article every year on how to hunt the rut. 

 

2. If you let someone get three yards away from you already F'ed up.

Um... False and um, false? If u dont believe the tests, conduct them for yourself. I have done similar tests and they are true

 

I'm sure you clearly live in 10k square food mansion and would be making 40 yard shots on an intruder, but in the real world where home defense situations occur, the shots are almost always less than 5 yards away. Picture your bedroom door and an intruder standing in the doorway. How far away is that from your side of the bed?

[Haskell_Hunter]

Um... False and um, false? If u dont believe the tests, conduct them for yourself. I have done similar tests and they are true

 

I'm sure you clearly live in 10k square food mansion and would be making 40 yard shots on an intruder, but in the real world where home defense situations occur, the shots are almost always less than 5 yards away. Picture your bedroom door and an intruder standing in the doorway. How far away is that from your side of the bed?

 

A word of caution:  Every home defense situation is unique.  No two are the same, but they can be similar.

 

We all can agree that when they do occur, time is not on your side.  Your ability to arm yourself, aim and fire a weapon are the most important.  The vast majority of people don't want to die.  So if you do fire, and most likely you will miss, the perp will run.

 

The same self defense class I took at Cherry Ridge we did some shooting under pressure.  Our pistols were on the shooting table in front of us.  Hands at our side.  The instructor yelled "go" and we grabbed our pistols, said "stop or I'll shoot" and then fired two rounds as quickly as we could.  Our targets were maybe 20 feet away.  I got my target in the right side with only one round going into the RDZ (rapid decompression zone).  The other shooter in class missed the target with both shots.  You have to be a very, very good shot to drop your target with the first and/or second shot.

 

Do you shoot trap / skeet with the gun already at your shoulder when you call "pull"?  I don't.  I hold the gun at rest and shoulder it and then fire.  It obviously makes a huge difference.  Try it some time and see how your accuracy suffers.  In a home protection situation, you'd have to shoulder your gun, aim and shoot.  That is a long process and your aim will suffer.

 

I strongly recommend going to the range and / or taking a live fire defensive class.  I love them.  Lots of learning going on and nearly all of my assumptions were invalided in the process.  However, in the end, I am better prepared at home if the unlikely situation occurs.