[hawkster]

Tommy's the name......

I only own one gun...a ruger 10/22 rifle. My father gave it to me some time ago. I just tore it down tonight to refinish the stock. The cool part was that I found a slip of paper with my old man's name on it dated from 1974 under the metal at the end of the stock...pretty cool I thought.

Anyways, what brought me here was to do some research on best guns for home protection. Some neighbors and myself suspect a drug house in the neighborhood and finally my wife, God love her, says to me..."Let's go buy a hand gun" Just need something thats easy to handle and can handle the job.

I appreciate your kindness here.....

Tommy

 

[hawkster]

Crap....1st post and I put it in the wrong place

Mods....Help?

 

[McNabb11b]

Welcome, and any suggestions that you get from this forum I would take seriously as long as that suggestion is a 1911.

 

[GarandGuy]

WELL, IF you refer to your Dad as the "Old man", you need to rethink things SON!

 

[c3shooter]

Well, while I like my 1911A1 (spent a happy afternoon at the range checking a few different handloads) it would NOT be my first choice for a first handgun- especially if Mom may be using it- have seen too many ladies struggle to rack the slide on a 45- and yes, I know most of the tricks to make it easier- but SHE does not know them!

Couple of thoughts- If you want a handgun, ONE suggestion would be to get a decent 22 auto, such as a Ruger Mk II. These are very good target pistols, easy to learn to use, inexpensive, cheap to shoot, and have very little recoil. Drawback from a defensive point is that 22 Long Rifle ammo, while it CAN be lethal, has very little stopping power.

for stopping power, you will need a larger caliber- and when you (or your lady) may be under stress/duress, the simplicity of a double action revolver is hard to beat. Point gun, pull tigger hard, gun makes loud noise. If you are on a limited budget, you could do worse than a used Smith & Wesson Model 10 revolver in .38 Special. (lot of police department trade-ins out there) If money will allow, go for a .357 revolver- which can also shoot .38 Special ammo. Either one WILL have more kick than a 22, but managable by most people.

You may also consider the what is the classical "home defense" gun, a shotgun. It will have more kick than a handgun, are usually less expensive, and has enough power to stop a truck- literally.

However, for right now, you should not buy any of what I has just mentioned- but you should find a local gun shop with friendly, knowledgable staff, talk to them, see what fits you (and your lady) and see if there is a local range that RENTS firearms to try out on the range.

If y'all are anywhere near central VA, would be happy to take you out shooting with me, and let you try some different arms.

 

[user4]

Get a .357 from Ruger or S&W. Nothing to learn and ready to go. You can also put .38 rounds in it for practice.

 

[chopkick]

Hawkster, the 1911 style .45 is your ultimate goal. That being said, until you and your wife become proficient, I would recommend the S&W model 625 revolver. It is safe, reliable, extremely user friendly and it is available in a version that fires the same powerful and proven .45 caliber round. It will definitely do the job!

 

[Minionsram]

Welcome Tommy! there is a lot of knowledgeable people here that will be more than happy to help you.

I like the ruger 10/22, the aftermarket parts are fairly cheep and reliable. The rifle will eat any thing you put in it as long as you have good steel lipped mags.

As far as your home defense weapon goes you need to see what you can shoot accurately. A .45 is good but if you can not hit your target it is worthless.

Are you going to be using the firearm for home or self defense? For home defense you can get yourself and the wife a 12 ga shotgun and load it with some low recoil buck shot. I bought one for the wife because I spend alot of time out of town. I payed under 300 bucks for it and it is accurate and reliable.

 

[McNabb11b]

If you go with a 12 ga. I would suggest having a butt stock on it, at least a folding stock. Also make sure that your receiver is capable of 3 inch shells as well. When I take my 870 to the range I use 2 3/4 inch but when it is sitting at home I load three inch. Also I load an alternating pattern of 000 Buck and rifled slugs, so no matter what the attacker is wearing I will still get to him. There are also some accessories that you can get fairly cheap. Think security barrel and tube extension. I would not suggest a 38. for self defense though, a 357 would be adequate.
During the Manila war why did the 38 cal round fail? - Yahoo! Answers

 

[hawkster]

WELL, IF you refer to your Dad as the "Old man", you need to rethink things SON!

Garandguy, trust that my dad (RIP) reveled in the fact that all us kids called him the old man. I guess it got started back in the day when I first started realizing...Hey wait...how old were my parents when they had me

Hawkster, the 1911 style .45 is your ultimate goal. That being said, until you and your wife become proficient, I would recommend the S&W model 625 revolver. It is safe, reliable, extremely user friendly and it is available in a version that fires the same powerful and proven .45 caliber round. It will definitely do the job!

View attachment 1061

I must say, initially I was anamored with the thoughts of buying some bad *** looking semi auto pistol.....Facts are facts and I know my wife would not be able to handle it as well...so for once I am going to listen to the experts and we are set to go this coming weekend to look at revolvers. Perhaps once I get some time under my belt I'll upgrade myself...hell who am I kidding....I know I will.

If you go with a 12 ga. I would suggest having a butt stock on it, at least a folding stock.

What would be the benifit of a folding stock? Recoil?

That said...thanks guys a ton for a great welcoming and some quick knowledge....off to the rifle section as I plan on getting the ruger 10-22 up to par with a decent restoration on it.

 

[MrKimber]

Welcome !!!

I obviously like the 1911. However, you have to take into account the ammo you use for a handgun. A full metal jacket round (FMJ), will travel through walls and even perhaps into you next door house. A hollow point still stops the bad guy and doesn't travel through walls intact. Here is where the shot gun shines. It will cause drywall damage of course and stopping the bad guy is a given even with just pointing in the general direction of the perp. It will not go next door and more than likely will not even exit the outside wall of your house. The slugs will, and man do they hit hard. So if you are in the sticks like I am or in the city with the house or apartment in close proximity be sure to pick the ammo carefully. Revolvers are a great pick, easy to use and the choices are many. I have several myself and love them. (of course I love any gun, cheap junk or top of the line, as long as it knocks a dent in the primer and does its job it is all good!)

 

[McNabb11b]

The benefit of a folding stock will allow you to choose between a pistol grip, which is easier to maneuver but less accurate and must be fired from the hip with less control. The butt stock will allow you to acquire a good aim quicker and there is an added element of control simply because the is another point of contact with your body. My personal preference so find what works for you.
You also might try taking your wife to a range or show where you can "test drive" various weapons if they have them in your area. They are alot of fun and allow you to find what you and she are comfortable with.

 

[canebrake]

Hawkster, the 1911 style .45 is your ultimate goal. That being said, until you and your wife become proficient, I would recommend the S&W model 625 revolver. It is safe, reliable, extremely user friendly and it is available in a version that fires the same powerful and proven .45 caliber round. It will definitely do the job!

.45 round in that gun? Chopkick, you off your meds?

That's a 44 Mag

 

[Dillinger]

.45 round in that gun? Chopkick, you off your meds?

That's a 44 Mag

Also comes in .45

JD