Which handgun for Home defense?

[dmccarty]

I'll also join in with the no safety group. In times of stress, something like fiddling with a safety or even feeling around for something that is or isn't there could be just enough time for the situation to go south on you.

I am going to agree and disagree with you. :laughing::laughing::laughing: On the same point I might add.

The first firearms class I attended was taught by a retired FBI firearm's instructor. He spent the majority of his FBI career as an instructor.

The pistol we were using had a decocker which was/was no a safety. :confused3: The recommended carry configuration for the pistol was with the decocker up and thus ready to fire. My problem with that configuration is at the time a large number of officers where killed with their own weapon. This was before safety holsters. I looked at the stats and figured I would rather have the decocker in the non firing position and train myself to flip the decoker before firing. This way if I ever lost control of the pistol, the bad guy would have to futz around figuring out how to make the gun go bang, while I did something to the bad guy before he made the gun go bang.

The firearms instructor and I had a discussion one evening over this issue. To my surprise, he let me do what I wanted. I had no problem with passing the 40 hour class and many qualifications there after. Maybe I was just young and dump to even bring the subject up to the instructor but I did. :confused3:

I put in much practice to do this though.... Muscle Memory does work.

Fast forward from that time and I was going through yet another 40 hour firearms class. Different caliber pistol but from the same family. This time I shut my mouth and did what I was told. Was I older and wiser? :confused3::laughing::laughing::laughing: I struggled for years to stop trying to flip up that dang decocker. To be sure after the first 500 or so rounds in class I had mostly worked out the Muscle Memory but from time to time my thumb would try to flick the decocker. :laughing::laughing::laughing: Even now, with a pistol that does not have a decocker, my thumb will try to flip it back and forth after a string of fire to put the hammer back in the DA mode. :confused3: Muscle Memory takes a while to retrain but in this case it is harmless.

If one is going to have a defense weapon with a safety engaged, they need to train to flip off the safety before use. Otherwise they are asking for trouble. And I do mean train so that turning off the safety is an action, and not a thought, then action. Keeping the safety engaged on a pistol can be done but it is arguable that it should be done.

Its is just simpler to leave the safety off, if it even exists.

See I agreed and disagreed with what you said! :laughing::laughing::laughing:

Later,
Dan

 

[Bird]

Dan, some of what you and I (and some of our other members) were taught years ago doesn't apply anymore.:laughing: Incidentally, I just got back from a little target practice at Bass Pro's indoor range, and there is still a very noticeable shortage of both guns and ammo at Bass Pro.

 

[Soundguy]

I don't care for the Judge neither...seems like a novelty gun

i do like my circuit judge though.. and with 3" shells.. gives you plenty of more choices.. ie.. 4 and 5p buck..

 

[Soundguy]

While I prefer a "New York Reload", grab a second gun, .

that made me laugh.

same here.

empty and drop ( the revolver..e tc.. )

 

[Soundguy]

I am on my sixth Sig, my first was a 9mm 226 which I traded for the 228 which I still have then I got a 220 in .45 ACP then Sig 229 in .40 and it was stolen and replaced with another then I got a 239 which my son now has. I have always wanted a DAK, but I had to start using Glocks; maybe some day I will get one, sounds like a nice design.

none of the common 4 I have setup for defense have a safety. I do have a sig p238 that has a safety.. but it isn't one of my first reach guns.. though it could be one of the new your reloads.. if the revolver runs dry.. make that both revolvers go dry.. and the other sig goes dry, and I havn't reaced to grab the pump gun yet..

 

[Soundguy]

The recommended carry configuration for the pistol was with the decocker up and thus ready to fire. My problem with that configuration is at the time a large number of officers where killed with their own weapon. Later,
Dan

some guns with decockers have them spring loaded.. , decock and release... a p230 / 232 is in that configuration. on the other hand.. i believe a bersa thunder has the hammer block lever kind.. similar looking guns.. etc..

 

[TripleR]

none of the common 4 I have setup for defense have a safety. I do have a sig p238 that has a safety.. but it isn't one of my first reach guns.. though it could be one of the new your reloads.. if the revolver runs dry.. make that both revolvers go dry.. and the other sig goes dry, and I havn't reaced to grab the pump gun yet..

I have a couple with safeties too, but like you, they are not my defense guns, I just like to shoot them from time to time.

I know a lot of people depend on the 1911 for their defense guns and sure won't argue with their choice, they are just not for me.

 

[Pilot]

Learn something every day. OP wrote about a "pistol" vs. a revolver. I thought a "pistol" was another term for a handgun and that he should have written "auto" or "semi auto", but I see in Wikipedia they define a "pistol" as follows: "When distinguished as a subset of handguns, a pistol is a handgun with a chamber that is integral with the barrel, such as a pepperbox revolver - as opposed to a standard (single-barrel) revolver, wherein the chamber is separate from the barrel as a revolving cylinder." They go on to explain that a semi auto is a pistol.

Regarding a spring getting tired, I would think that could happen just as easily with a carry pistol as with a home defense, sit in the nightstand gun.

At the Air Guard, we were instructed to carry the Barrettas with one in the chamber and to fire the first round double action. I guess that first shot was supposed to scare the enemy, as few people can hit anything firing double action in a hurry.

 

[farmgirl19]

Learn something every day. OP wrote about a "pistol" vs. a revolver. I thought a "pistol" was another term for a handgun and that he should have written "auto" or "semi auto", but I see in Wikipedia they define a "pistol" as follows: "When distinguished as a subset of handguns, a pistol is a handgun with a chamber that is integral with the barrel, such as a pepperbox revolver - as opposed to a standard (single-barrel) revolver, wherein the chamber is separate from the barrel as a revolving cylinder." They go on to explain that a semi auto is a pistol.

Regarding a spring getting tired, I would think that could happen just as easily with a carry pistol as with a home defense, sit in the nightstand gun.

At the Air Guard, we were instructed to carry the Barrettas with one in the chamber and to fire the first round double action. I guess that first shot was supposed to scare the enemy, as few people can hit anything firing double action in a hurry.

I always heard, "Use the first round to put them down, and the second round to keep them down". :thumbsup:

 

[rekees4300]

I'm leaning towards the revolver.

You are leaning in the right direction. For HD you want a weapon that's going to be effective and is simply to operate. Your life is going to depend on it. A split second could make all the difference. Get a high caliber like a .357.