First Pistol

Rain

I'm looking in to buying a pistol for self protection. The wife is on board because a couple days ago, a female that lived on our block was assaulted and had her house burned down. I'm thinking, since it will be for protection and the wife may have to use it, of getting a 9mm then maybe working up to a 45. What are your thoughts? Anything else I need to take in to account?

JDH

greg2648

The number one home protection weapon is still a shotgun. However, I still keep a loaded 9mm in the bedroom. Recoil wise, she will handle a 9 easier than most. I would get something hi-capacity. Easy to load, may not need a reload. If you really want to scare a crook, get a set of crison trace grips. It will also provide some light in a dark hallway. Most importantly, get something that she can handle and wont be affraid to use. Good luck and stay safe.....

Rail Jockey

being a police officer for 10 years before joing the rail road, i carried nothing on my hip, but a .45, mainly because they don't make a .46, i'll take the stopping power of a .45 over a 9mm any day, just my opinion, but for your wife, i would go with a glock 19 9mm, small fram holding 17 or so in the mag......but for you .45.....

jadelt

Actually there is a lot to consider. I am a firearms instructor and will be glad to help... PM me for more info

jadelt

jadelt:

Actually there is a lot to consider. I am a firearms instructor and will be glad to help... PM me for more info

I also teach at a range in Dallas so if you want to come up we can go over a lot of stuff and you can shoot a wide variety of things to see what fits and feels good.

bbass2

If it's for your wife, you may want to take her to a range and try out various sizes. My wife liked the .45 much more than a 9mm.

marineatbn03

catfishbluezz

Tons of great advice here. If you get a shotgun for the house, an 1187 is a good low recoil she'll enjoy. Gotta agree with everyone here...what's best for her will not be what's best for you. Always buy what feels best and is most comfortable in your hands. Bersa 380 is a good one for the ladies. For you, Kimber all day =] Glock is a damn fine gun too, love my 23. Either way, you should both shoot as many as possible and buy what is comfortable. Caliber don't matter if you don't hit the target so buy what you shoot best. I sure do wish those 410's were legal in CA lol, I'm going 1911 next.

reggie713

my first hand gun was a ruger sr-9, me and the wife both loved it, actually still keep it loaded in the bedroom! for the zombie apocolypse and all!!

kingjk729

Hey Rain if everything is a go I would say 9mm especially if you can get the wife on board and get her comfortable shooting it. As others have mentioned Glock makes a damn reliable weapon, and I would also strongly consider a Sig Sauer. I purchased two Sig's in the last 5 months both are the SigPro one in 40S&W and 9mm as well. You will really want to go to a store and hold any gun as they are all very different in grip ergonomics and I Sig and Kimber are at he top in that category but that's just my opinion. Not to mention you can find the SigPro for anywhere from 349-399 plus the gun has a single action double action the make it very easy to use .

Rain

jadelt:

jadelt:

Actually there is a lot to consider. I am a firearms instructor and will be glad to help... PM me for more info

I also teach at a range in Dallas so if you want to come up we can go over a lot of stuff and you can shoot a wide variety of things to see what fits and feels good.

Thanks guys, really a lot here to think about. I had not even thought about the shotgun. I may just do this. Having carried a 9mm in Iraq/Afghanistan (my only realy experiance with weapons, sadly), I'm not very convinced in it's stopping power, which again makes the shotgun a good idea. Because I'm not convinced in a high pressure situation that she would be able/remember to use the sights. I suppose the best advice is to find one that we both like.

Rain

jadelt:

jadelt:

Actually there is a lot to consider. I am a firearms instructor and will be glad to help... PM me for more info

I also teach at a range in Dallas so if you want to come up we can go over a lot of stuff and you can shoot a wide variety of things to see what fits and feels good.

Plus this is a good excuse to herf

pross

+1 on the shotgun. The sound of a shotgun being cocked is a strong deterrent to 99% of d-bags.

firetruckguy

Glock1975

i am on the ohio special response team, and i would have to say Glock is the best gun out there, that's all we carry as far as handguns, can't go wrong with a glock 40.

danielzreyes

Glock1975:

i am on the ohio special response team, and i would have to say Glock is the best gun out there, that's all we carry as far as handguns, can't go wrong with a glock 40.

I disagree. daniel is the best gun out there. Can't go wrong with a danielzreyes deuce deuce.

Rain

marineatbn03

Glock1975:

i am on the ohio special response team, and i would have to say Glock is the best gun out there, that's all we carry as far as handguns, can't go wrong with a glock 40.

Ray, this is subjective. I too am a fan of Glock, I carry a G32 for my concealed weapon and love the reliability of Glock. In my opinion it is hard to beat the reliability and price point of Glock products. But even being a fan, I admit that there are weapons out there that are superior. Kimber makes one of the best hand guns out there, I just will not carry one because of the steps neccessary to have to fire it. Which gun is better than others is really in the eye of the beholder.

The Kid

pross:

+1 on the shotgun. The sound of a shotgun being cocked is a strong deterrent to 99% of d-bags.

+1,, kept mine next to my bed, slept upstairs and if I ever heard anything going bump in the middle of the night, I'd rack my shotgun and then listen. No other sound is more unique and fear invoking. As far as handguns I prefer Beretta, Sig and Browning. for me I like the .40 caliber. Nuthin wrong with a .38 S&W revolver. In any case if inexperienced one should attend a gun safety/handling class.

stad

catfishbluezz:

Tons of great advice here. If you get a shotgun for the house, an 1187 is a good low recoil she'll enjoy. Gotta agree with everyone here...what's best for her will not be what's best for you. Always buy what feels best and is most comfortable in your hands. Bersa 380 is a good one for the ladies. For you, Kimber all day =] Glock is a damn fine gun too, love my 23. Either way, you should both shoot as many as possible and buy what is comfortable. Caliber don't matter if you don't hit the target so buy what you shoot best. I sure do wish those 410's were legal in CA lol, I'm going 1911 next.

++1 gotta go with the kimber. I carry a pro carry model. Small, light, and shoots more accurately then me. A good second choice is XP 45. I bought one for my brother as a b-day present last year and he loves it.

Gaetano7890

My take on it would be find out what your going to use this gun most. House or on your person, this will give you an idea of the size that you will want to looked into purchasing. A larger gun is always better but can be hard to conceal. 9 mm will be easier to control for your wife but a large 45 will not be impossible. If you going for concealment a anything larger than. A 9 will be difficult for the wife to get on target for follow up shots. A revolver is a good idea and you can use either 357 magnum or 38 special and they are very easy to learn. No matter what gun you decide practice and bring your wife. Any weapon can be learned to fire well but you have to spend time learning the gun and shooting lots of rounds which can be expensive so 9 mm are the cheapest. I like a 45 myself but a hit with a 9 mm is better than a miss with a bigger gun.

phobicsquirrel

phobicsquirrel

Rain

Rain

phobicsquirrel

reggie713

bigjohn125

As others have said, shoot as many different guns and calibers as possible. I love 45acp and 9mm, but don't care much for the 40. Acurate fire is the only real "stopping power", so buy whatever gun/caliber that you can acurately fire. BTW, my wife has her own gun. She carries a light weight S&W j frame revolver. She has some carpal tunnel issues and had trouble working the slides of small autos. The revolver is pretty simple. Not glamorous, but easy and dead reliable. Good luck and don't be surprised if you own more than one before long. Guns are like cigars, you will want way more than one.

duckshooter

Rain:

jadelt:

jadelt:

Actually there is a lot to consider. I am a firearms instructor and will be glad to help... PM me for more info

I also teach at a range in Dallas so if you want to come up we can go over a lot of stuff and you can shoot a wide variety of things to see what fits and feels good.

Thanks guys, really a lot here to think about. I had not even thought about the shotgun. I may just do this. Having carried a 9mm in Iraq/Afghanistan (my only realy experiance with weapons, sadly), I'm not very convinced in it's stopping power, which again makes the shotgun a good idea. Because I'm not convinced in a high pressure situation that she would be able/remember to use the sights. I suppose the best advice is to find one that we both like.

I spent the last 6 months in the same boat as you. New pistol owner, 9 vs 40 debate, brand of guns, what cartridges to use.........I researched and researched and researched. Shot a 9, shot a 40, but never a 45. Found out I enjoyed shooting the 9 a lot more and was way more accurate with less snap on the gun, I also quickly figured out Glocks weren't for me. So I went back and read even more on the whole 9 vs 40 power argument. You carried a 9mm in the military which after all the research I've read it means you had to carry ball ammo correct? Which if you research is what gives the 9mm a bad name to some people. Check out the modern day hollow points as they make a 9 mm a very legit home defense weapon, plus extended round capacity in a normal magazine versus the .40 and .45. In the end I went with a SW M&P 9mm for a few reasons. I could shoot it well, I can carry 17 in the magazine and 1 chambered for 18 shots, and the ammo price is a little cheaper. I've done my research and I have total confidence in the gun if I do my job with shot placement. As others have stated though what works for me may not work for you.

Rain

duckshooter:

Rain:

jadelt:

jadelt:

Actually there is a lot to consider. I am a firearms instructor and will be glad to help... PM me for more info

I also teach at a range in Dallas so if you want to come up we can go over a lot of stuff and you can shoot a wide variety of things to see what fits and feels good.

Thanks guys, really a lot here to think about. I had not even thought about the shotgun. I may just do this. Having carried a 9mm in Iraq/Afghanistan (my only realy experiance with weapons, sadly), I'm not very convinced in it's stopping power, which again makes the shotgun a good idea. Because I'm not convinced in a high pressure situation that she would be able/remember to use the sights. I suppose the best advice is to find one that we both like.

I spent the last 6 months in the same boat as you. New pistol owner, 9 vs 40 debate, brand of guns, what cartridges to use.........I researched and researched and researched. Shot a 9, shot a 40, but never a 45. Found out I enjoyed shooting the 9 a lot more and was way more accurate with less snap on the gun, I also quickly figured out Glocks weren't for me. So I went back and read even more on the whole 9 vs 40 power argument. You carried a 9mm in the military which after all the research I've read it means you had to carry ball ammo correct? Which if you research is what gives the 9mm a bad name to some people. Check out the modern day hollow points as they make a 9 mm a very legit home defense weapon, plus extended round capacity in a normal magazine versus the .40 and .45. In the end I went with a SW M&P 9mm for a few reasons. I could shoot it well, I can carry 17 in the magazine and 1 chambered for 18 shots, and the ammo price is a little cheaper. I've done my research and I have total confidence in the gun if I do my job with shot placement. As others have stated though what works for me may not work for you.

Regardless Duck, thanks for more information! Correct, I just had regular ammo. I really think that I am going to choose between a 9mm and a Shotgun. After a while, I may get something else to carry on a daily basis. We'll see though. Thanks for all the great information everyone, I'll keep you updated with my decisions.