Gun Question- nonpolitical, for the gun enthusiasts
- Thread starter WriterDom
- Start date
KillerMuffin
Seraphically Disinclined
- Joined
- Jul 29, 2000
- Posts
- 25,603
Reuger P90 or P89. One's a .45 and one's a 9 mil. The thing about it that the grip is big enough to feel good to a man, but the cartridge is ejected with enough force to eat some of the recoil so a woman can find it easy to fire. Rueger is a relatively good quality weapon. Both are semi-automatics.
I also highly recommend some education in use, care, and if it's to be used in self-defense, then in self-defense classes.
I also highly recommend some education in use, care, and if it's to be used in self-defense, then in self-defense classes.
KillerMuffin
Seraphically Disinclined
- Joined
- Jul 29, 2000
- Posts
- 25,603
Very true, Jinny. Good point. Not to mention a handgun doesn't always stop someone. On occasion people are too doped up to "know" that they're dead. The headless chicken syndrome.
Things like proximity of neigbors is important as well and where you intend to use it. If you're in a neighborhood where your neighbor is close, as in within say 100 yards, there is a chance that you will shoot your neighbor with stray rounds. They can go through walls, you know. Even a .22 will carry a mile if it doesn't hit something and it can also go through walls, though not as well as a larger caliber bullet.
Home defense weapon is a shotgun. Defense against bears and moose is a shotgun. Defense against rattlers is a .22. Defense against 2 legged predators varies depending on your needs. A pump action shotgun loaded with buckshot is your best bet. Usually the sound of it is good enough to send anyone running, its one of the worlds most recognizeably scary sounds, and you don't have to aim it to hit since it's a "scatter" and throws lead everywhere. It generally doesn't go through walls either, but it does make a nasty mess. A woman can handle it simply by holding it at her side, pointing in the general direction of a bad guy, and pulling the trigger. However, in a car a shotgun isn't as effective as a handgun.
Check with local gun stores, not pawn shops, for things like gun clubs, defense classes, and how to find out what your state laws are regarding shoot people who break into your home.
You rock, Jinny.
Things like proximity of neigbors is important as well and where you intend to use it. If you're in a neighborhood where your neighbor is close, as in within say 100 yards, there is a chance that you will shoot your neighbor with stray rounds. They can go through walls, you know. Even a .22 will carry a mile if it doesn't hit something and it can also go through walls, though not as well as a larger caliber bullet.
Home defense weapon is a shotgun. Defense against bears and moose is a shotgun. Defense against rattlers is a .22. Defense against 2 legged predators varies depending on your needs. A pump action shotgun loaded with buckshot is your best bet. Usually the sound of it is good enough to send anyone running, its one of the worlds most recognizeably scary sounds, and you don't have to aim it to hit since it's a "scatter" and throws lead everywhere. It generally doesn't go through walls either, but it does make a nasty mess. A woman can handle it simply by holding it at her side, pointing in the general direction of a bad guy, and pulling the trigger. However, in a car a shotgun isn't as effective as a handgun.
Check with local gun stores, not pawn shops, for things like gun clubs, defense classes, and how to find out what your state laws are regarding shoot people who break into your home.
You rock, Jinny.
Lasz
Super Fan
- Joined
- Oct 14, 2001
- Posts
- 11,276
Revolver
Just stay away from a revolver, they suck!!! My friends and I had this thing where we played we went to a shooting range last year. All I have to say is I was so innacurate with the revolover, you will probably miss the person errr target with a revolver.
Just stay away from a revolver, they suck!!! My friends and I had this thing where we played we went to a shooting range last year. All I have to say is I was so innacurate with the revolover, you will probably miss the person errr target with a revolver.
jinnysub
Literotica Guru
- Joined
- Nov 15, 2001
- Posts
- 652
From what I understand, with a shotgun inside a home, you don't even really need to use buckshot. Inside of 10 yards, I think that even the kind of shotgun shell you'd use for target shooting acts pretty much like one big monster bullet.
You're not going to get one for under $500 dollars, I don't think, but a double barrel (two barrels side by side, like in the westerns) is about as intimidating a gun as I'd ever like to face, I think. That's the one I'll pull out if I need one!
But, like Killermuffin said, the sound of a pump shotgun is pretty recognizable.
You're not going to get one for under $500 dollars, I don't think, but a double barrel (two barrels side by side, like in the westerns) is about as intimidating a gun as I'd ever like to face, I think. That's the one I'll pull out if I need one!
But, like Killermuffin said, the sound of a pump shotgun is pretty recognizable.
registered "^^"
"^^"
- Joined
- Jun 29, 2001
- Posts
- 2,869
Move to the country, we just buy alot of land and set out land mines. Cuts down on reloading cost.
A touchy subject
I have owned a few firearms. However, I have come to the conclusion that one is hardly ever in the position to have to use a gun for self-defense.
I do believe that it is more likely to harm someone other then an 'intruder', of be used in a suicide I know it sounds sappy and liberal.
How often does one actually use a gun for 'self-defense"? I kept mine under the bed, with a trigger lock, the shells were in the closet out of reach of curious hands. If someone did break into my home, I had to unlock the weapon, go to the closet and obtain the shells and load it, all after waking from a deep sleep.
I sold the shotgun, and have no regreats. My home seems more peaceful without the weapon lurking under the bed.
Take a self-defense class, carry pepper spray. Stay alert, be aware of your surroundings.....there are many thaings that can be done to prevent an attack from an aggressor.
Think long and hard about purchasing a hand-gun for self-defense.
A
I have owned a few firearms. However, I have come to the conclusion that one is hardly ever in the position to have to use a gun for self-defense.
I do believe that it is more likely to harm someone other then an 'intruder', of be used in a suicide I know it sounds sappy and liberal.
How often does one actually use a gun for 'self-defense"? I kept mine under the bed, with a trigger lock, the shells were in the closet out of reach of curious hands. If someone did break into my home, I had to unlock the weapon, go to the closet and obtain the shells and load it, all after waking from a deep sleep.
I sold the shotgun, and have no regreats. My home seems more peaceful without the weapon lurking under the bed.
Take a self-defense class, carry pepper spray. Stay alert, be aware of your surroundings.....there are many thaings that can be done to prevent an attack from an aggressor.
Think long and hard about purchasing a hand-gun for self-defense.
A
KillerMuffin
Seraphically Disinclined
- Joined
- Jul 29, 2000
- Posts
- 25,603
Well, when the Stud is elsewhere I sleep with a Mossberg. Let's just say that the G-man would cream his pants. No, I don't have pics.
Shy Tall Guy
Literotica Guru
- Joined
- Aug 24, 2001
- Posts
- 5,735
Okay, first some questions:WriterDom said:
1) How much experience do both people have with firearms? This makes a difference. Does either person have problems with their hands as far as recoil?
2) Kids in the home? Makes a diff too.
3) Want it for other purposes and is it the only handgun in the house? Like sport shooting, something to carry along in the trunk of the car when in the back woods, something to protect against rabid dogs in the woods?
I do not recommend shotguns for home defense for a number of reasons:
1) Despite the common myth that they don't, most shotgun shot will go through walls quite easily - and you don't want to injure kill any innocents.
2) At the distances commonly found inside the house (at most, 10-20 feet), a shotgun blast just does not spread enough to be of an advantage over other firearms, and people miss with shotguns all the time (sorry KM, but the "scatter" theory just doesn't work that well at close ranges and you still have to aim regardless).
3) Shotgun ammo that does not go through walls, also often are not effective as protection ammo.
4) Most shotguns, even bullpups, are not optimum for maneuvering in a house. While usually you want to stay put and not go wandering around the house with a gun, sometimes you have to, and a shotgun can be taken from your hands easier than a handgun.
Even though I own Glocks, I do not recommend them for everybody; when you pull the trigger a Glock goes bang! No active safeties only passive ones. While a safety is not a substitute for a brain, sometimes it does the job, and those with no safety sense tend to have more unintended discharges with Glocks than with handguns with active safeties.
WD, get back to me with the answers and I can start to point you in the right direction.
Problem Child
titleless
- Joined
- Feb 21, 2001
- Posts
- 27,935
Re: Revolver
Bullshit, bullshit, bullshit. The only problem you've got with a revolver is you're a crappy shot.
Revolvers are excellent home defense weapons. They have no safety to forget to take off, and are double action so the can't go off unless you pull the trigger intentionally. They are incredibly reliable since there is no mechanism for spent case ejection that can possibly jam.
They are manufactured in every caliber imaginable. The two best for home defense in my opinion are the .357 mag. and the .44 special, the latter of which has almost the same ballistics as the .45 ACP, which, in is the unltimate in controllable stopping power. Use an expanding bullet to tranfer all the stopping power of the round into your attackers body.
As for accuracy, I can hit a 6" circle at 25 ft. at a fairly rapid rate of fire all day long with my S&W 686 with 4" bbl. That's offhand. Most confrontations in the home are going to take place at a range of about ten feet or less. If you have a gun for self-defense, you need to practice with it until you can hit what you are aiming at without thinking. If you really want piece of mind, put a laser on it.
Lazarus1280 said:
Bullshit, bullshit, bullshit. The only problem you've got with a revolver is you're a crappy shot.
Revolvers are excellent home defense weapons. They have no safety to forget to take off, and are double action so the can't go off unless you pull the trigger intentionally. They are incredibly reliable since there is no mechanism for spent case ejection that can possibly jam.
They are manufactured in every caliber imaginable. The two best for home defense in my opinion are the .357 mag. and the .44 special, the latter of which has almost the same ballistics as the .45 ACP, which, in is the unltimate in controllable stopping power. Use an expanding bullet to tranfer all the stopping power of the round into your attackers body.
As for accuracy, I can hit a 6" circle at 25 ft. at a fairly rapid rate of fire all day long with my S&W 686 with 4" bbl. That's offhand. Most confrontations in the home are going to take place at a range of about ten feet or less. If you have a gun for self-defense, you need to practice with it until you can hit what you are aiming at without thinking. If you really want piece of mind, put a laser on it.
Shy Tall Guy
Literotica Guru
- Joined
- Aug 24, 2001
- Posts
- 5,735
Re: Revolver
Revolvers may be harder to shoot accurately in double action than a semi-auto in any mode, but they do have certain built in safety aspects. The one bad thing about a revolver, from the aspect of safety, is that if you have to chose whether to keep it loaded or not. A semi-auto is much faster to load; just slam in the mag andrack the slide - so you can keep it in various stages of loading/unloading as fits your level of comfort with safety. A revolver is either loaded or unloaded, and it takes longer to load.
I keep my defense handgun, a Glock 21 (.45 ACP) in the headboard compartment (with a door) of my bed - it has a loaded mag in it, but nothing in the chamber. I will have to rack the slide to get it into action before I shoot someone, but that goes fairly quick. That greatly lessens the likelihood that I would pick it up and shoot someone before I was fully cognizant of what I was doing. I have my front dorr setup such that anyone breaking in would make a huge amount of noise and it would take some time, giving me time to wake up (I wake up instantly when there is a strange noise) and get ready.
The most precise handgun I ever owned was a revolver - a Dan Wesson .44 Magnum - half inch groups at 25 yards.Lazarus1280 said:
Revolvers may be harder to shoot accurately in double action than a semi-auto in any mode, but they do have certain built in safety aspects. The one bad thing about a revolver, from the aspect of safety, is that if you have to chose whether to keep it loaded or not. A semi-auto is much faster to load; just slam in the mag andrack the slide - so you can keep it in various stages of loading/unloading as fits your level of comfort with safety. A revolver is either loaded or unloaded, and it takes longer to load.
I keep my defense handgun, a Glock 21 (.45 ACP) in the headboard compartment (with a door) of my bed - it has a loaded mag in it, but nothing in the chamber. I will have to rack the slide to get it into action before I shoot someone, but that goes fairly quick. That greatly lessens the likelihood that I would pick it up and shoot someone before I was fully cognizant of what I was doing. I have my front dorr setup such that anyone breaking in would make a huge amount of noise and it would take some time, giving me time to wake up (I wake up instantly when there is a strange noise) and get ready.
Shy Tall Guy
Literotica Guru
- Joined
- Aug 24, 2001
- Posts
- 5,735
There are a lot of brand name pumps available for well under $500, including a Mossberg/Maverick bullpup for $350. Even with a bullpup, I don't recommend shotguns though.jinnysub said:
A highly overrated aspect of any firearm is its ability to intimidate bad guys. The racking of the slide on a semi auto makes a pretty distinctive sound too, with the cocking of a revolver not too far behind. Personally, I prefer not to rely on such intangibles and chose my firearms based on what they do when I pull the trigger.
Problem Child
titleless
- Joined
- Feb 21, 2001
- Posts
- 27,935
WD, I got so worked up about revolvers not sucking, I forgot to answer the question.
I think a handgun is the best home defense weapon for the reasons STG outlined above, mainly for manueverabilities sake. The last thing you want in a stressful home intruder situation is for the barrel of your shotgun to get hung up in a curtain, or knock over a lamp in the dark. If you feel safer with a shotgun, by all means get one, but I prefer a handgun.
As for which handgun, as I said above, I believe that the .45 ACP is the best round for knocking a man down and making sure he doesn't get back up. I makes a big hole, and travels slow enough that all the energy of the bullet it transfered to the assailant. A large caliber, relatively slow moving bullet means the wound channel will be massive, and create a lot of trauma, and that's the point of shooting someone.
As for revolvers vs. semi-auto pistols, there are trade offs. The revolver is a no brainer...pull the trigger. No safety to forget to take off, and nothing to jam. The only real advantage a semi-auto has is that there IS a safety...again this can be a disadvantage..., but if the safety is on, it won't accidentally fire, whereas a revolver will IF you pull the trigger. Semi-autos hold more shots too, depending on the caliber, and whether you've got hi-cap mags. Even though I keep a Springfield Armory .45 for home defense because I am a good shot with it, my opinion is if you can't hit someone at close range with six shots from a revolver, you're probably not going to hit them with ten or even thirteen from a hi-cap semi-auto.
To summarize...if the person that's going to be depending on the gun to save their life is willing to practice with it a lot, go for the semi-auto. If they are just going to take a safety course and then put it away except for twice a year at the range, go for the revolver. There really isn't any difference in accuracy in this situation.
If the gun is strictly for home defense, I would go for a Taurus. They make good guns, and are cheaper than most of the other brands. Colt, S&W, Glock, Springfield Armory, Ruger, and Taurus all make excellent handguns. Taurus will be cheapest, and probably Colt most expensive.
I think a handgun is the best home defense weapon for the reasons STG outlined above, mainly for manueverabilities sake. The last thing you want in a stressful home intruder situation is for the barrel of your shotgun to get hung up in a curtain, or knock over a lamp in the dark. If you feel safer with a shotgun, by all means get one, but I prefer a handgun.
As for which handgun, as I said above, I believe that the .45 ACP is the best round for knocking a man down and making sure he doesn't get back up. I makes a big hole, and travels slow enough that all the energy of the bullet it transfered to the assailant. A large caliber, relatively slow moving bullet means the wound channel will be massive, and create a lot of trauma, and that's the point of shooting someone.
As for revolvers vs. semi-auto pistols, there are trade offs. The revolver is a no brainer...pull the trigger. No safety to forget to take off, and nothing to jam. The only real advantage a semi-auto has is that there IS a safety...again this can be a disadvantage..., but if the safety is on, it won't accidentally fire, whereas a revolver will IF you pull the trigger. Semi-autos hold more shots too, depending on the caliber, and whether you've got hi-cap mags. Even though I keep a Springfield Armory .45 for home defense because I am a good shot with it, my opinion is if you can't hit someone at close range with six shots from a revolver, you're probably not going to hit them with ten or even thirteen from a hi-cap semi-auto.
To summarize...if the person that's going to be depending on the gun to save their life is willing to practice with it a lot, go for the semi-auto. If they are just going to take a safety course and then put it away except for twice a year at the range, go for the revolver. There really isn't any difference in accuracy in this situation.
If the gun is strictly for home defense, I would go for a Taurus. They make good guns, and are cheaper than most of the other brands. Colt, S&W, Glock, Springfield Armory, Ruger, and Taurus all make excellent handguns. Taurus will be cheapest, and probably Colt most expensive.
Shy Tall Guy
Literotica Guru
- Joined
- Aug 24, 2001
- Posts
- 5,735
Re: Re: Revolver
However, most modern semi-autos are as reliable, or more reliable than a revolver, and there no "short-stroking" the trigger as with a revolver when someone gets excited. I have seen people jam revolvers that way - not all the time, but it is fairly easy to do in a tense situation.
Whatever firearm is selected, the owner should take it out and put at least 100 rounds of ammo through it to be sure it functions properly, before relying on it for self-defense. My latest handgun purchase, a Taurus Titanium Tracker in .357 Mag, bought for carrying while hunting, had a barrel/cylinder gap that was way too small (much less than 0.001 inches), and it would jam up after 50 rounds. I had to increase the gap, and though it is still too small for my tastes (about 0.0015"), now it works.
Only when kept clean - there is a reason why no country in the world uses revolvers in their military anymore. For home defense there is that consideration though, as it is unlikely the firearm will see battlefield conditions.Problem Child said:
However, most modern semi-autos are as reliable, or more reliable than a revolver, and there no "short-stroking" the trigger as with a revolver when someone gets excited. I have seen people jam revolvers that way - not all the time, but it is fairly easy to do in a tense situation.
Whatever firearm is selected, the owner should take it out and put at least 100 rounds of ammo through it to be sure it functions properly, before relying on it for self-defense. My latest handgun purchase, a Taurus Titanium Tracker in .357 Mag, bought for carrying while hunting, had a barrel/cylinder gap that was way too small (much less than 0.001 inches), and it would jam up after 50 rounds. I had to increase the gap, and though it is still too small for my tastes (about 0.0015"), now it works.
JazzManJim
On the Downbeat
- Joined
- Sep 12, 2001
- Posts
- 27,360
Again..kind of up my alley.
In talking with some of the guys at work over the years, there's a couple things they recommend almost unanimously.
First, if you want just home security - and the ability to take down an intruder - get a shotgun and set the choke wide. You'll have fewer problems hitting your target, shot rounds have good knock-down, and the pellets are much less likely to go through a wall into a place you don't want them to go.
Second, unless you're *very* familiar with a gun, get a revolver. If you need this gun, chances are, it'll be late at night, when yuo've been awakened by a strange noise. you'll be a little fuzzy at first and you may not be conscious of whether the safety is on or not. With a revolver, just cock the hammer and you're set, and some models don't even require that.
Third - get something with knockdown power. Don't get less than a .45 ACP. Most police departments have gone from 9 MM to .40 caliber, simply because the knockdown power is much better with the .40.
Fourth, if you have to use it, get in the habit of firing twice. It's called "double tapping" and nearly every police department uses it in their training. Chances are, if you don't get an immediate knockdown, you'll get one with the second shot. And aim a little low, center mass. That way the second shot doesn't go high and miss.
That's about it. But, for the record, I don't have a gun for home defense. I rely on my baseball bat, and that I have a fairly small place. If I hear a noise, the intruder's pretty much right on top of me.
In talking with some of the guys at work over the years, there's a couple things they recommend almost unanimously.
First, if you want just home security - and the ability to take down an intruder - get a shotgun and set the choke wide. You'll have fewer problems hitting your target, shot rounds have good knock-down, and the pellets are much less likely to go through a wall into a place you don't want them to go.
Second, unless you're *very* familiar with a gun, get a revolver. If you need this gun, chances are, it'll be late at night, when yuo've been awakened by a strange noise. you'll be a little fuzzy at first and you may not be conscious of whether the safety is on or not. With a revolver, just cock the hammer and you're set, and some models don't even require that.
Third - get something with knockdown power. Don't get less than a .45 ACP. Most police departments have gone from 9 MM to .40 caliber, simply because the knockdown power is much better with the .40.
Fourth, if you have to use it, get in the habit of firing twice. It's called "double tapping" and nearly every police department uses it in their training. Chances are, if you don't get an immediate knockdown, you'll get one with the second shot. And aim a little low, center mass. That way the second shot doesn't go high and miss.
That's about it. But, for the record, I don't have a gun for home defense. I rely on my baseball bat, and that I have a fairly small place. If I hear a noise, the intruder's pretty much right on top of me.
registered "^^"
"^^"
- Joined
- Jun 29, 2001
- Posts
- 2,869
Re: Re: Re: Revolver
Are you WH in disguise?......lol
Shy Tall Guy said:
Are you WH in disguise?......lol
Problem Child
titleless
- Joined
- Feb 21, 2001
- Posts
- 27,935
Well, STG, we could argue all day long about short-stroking, and keeping a revolver clean. I could say that with a semi-auto, you can get a dud round and get nervous and waste a split second having to re-rack, whereas with a revolver you just pull the trigger again. You can forget to take the safety off and the other guy gets off the first shot. They DO jam occasionally, especially if you are using ammo that you haven't practiced alot with, and aren't totally sure how it functions in your gun. I think either choice is fine.
I think the most important thing, no matter which gun you choose is to practice, practice, practice, so that if you ever do need it, you don't have to think about it how to use it.
And please, don't think I'm putting down semi-autos. I love my .45. I just think that with a semi-auto you need to put in a bit more time practicing with it. If you aren't willing to to that, get a revolver.
I think the most important thing, no matter which gun you choose is to practice, practice, practice, so that if you ever do need it, you don't have to think about it how to use it.
And please, don't think I'm putting down semi-autos. I love my .45. I just think that with a semi-auto you need to put in a bit more time practicing with it. If you aren't willing to to that, get a revolver.
Shy Tall Guy
Literotica Guru
- Joined
- Aug 24, 2001
- Posts
- 5,735
Re: Re: Re: Re: Revolver
Wierd Harold has nothing on me when it comes to firearms, except maybe the fact that he lives in a state where you can rent select-fire firearms (machine pistols, sub machine guns, assault rifles, machine guns, etc.) when you want to and I live in a state where they do not even allow us to own such things - the most we can own are supressors, and I think the some "Destructive Devices" (mortars, cartridge firearms above .50 caliber, grenades, etc.) and I am not sure about that.registered "^^" said:
Shy Tall Guy
Literotica Guru
- Joined
- Aug 24, 2001
- Posts
- 5,735
Actually, I have found, and people who train first time firearms owners have found, that for ease of teaching someone to shoot, shoot rapid fire, and actually hit something, semi-autos are superior to revolvers. It is a hell of a lot harder to shoot a revolver rapid fire and actually hit something.Problem Child said:
I compete in pin shooting where we knock bowling pins off tables at 7 yards - a sport meant to create some of the stress/accuracy problems of self-defense with a firearm (although not like more serious defense related courses). The person who kocks the pins off the fastest wins - and it does take a good hit to knock them off. Most people, including novices do much better with a semi-auto than with a revolver. I compete with both a .45 ACP and a .44 mag, and while the .44 does a better job of knocking them off, I can clear the table faster with the Glock.
Both types have their advantages - that is why I asked the questions of WD to get the best fit (where's the answers WD?).
Problem Child
titleless
- Joined
- Feb 21, 2001
- Posts
- 27,935
Goddamn you're a perfectionist. We're not talking about pin-shooting here or IPSC matches. We're talking about pointing a weapon and pulling the trigger. 98% of the people involved in these situations aren't going to go to the range but once a year, if that....
*cooling off now*
All I'm saying is there is less shit to remember with a revolver. Will you at least give me that, you anal gun freak?
~smile~
*cooling off now*
All I'm saying is there is less shit to remember with a revolver. Will you at least give me that, you anal gun freak?
~smile~
KillerMuffin
Seraphically Disinclined
- Joined
- Jul 29, 2000
- Posts
- 25,603
Okay, coming from a strictly amateur here, I was a squid. Two years in and five entire minutes of gun instruction.
I've shot both revolvers and semi-autos. I prefer the auto because it's easier to shoot, at least for me. Blow my was, pop out the clip and slap in a new one. Until it jams. That's when it gets passed off to Mr. Paranoid to fix for his baby before she blows herself to kingdom cum. I don't care for revolvers because you shoot 6 times and you have to re-load. Takes too long. Not to mention the recoil in a revolver seems more pronounced than the recoil in the semi-auto. Probably the fact that it was SP101 vs. P90.
Using a shotgun for initimidation only works if you pull the trigger or have every intention of doing so. I can tell you with absolute authority that a shotgun's sound does not work on a moose. For home defense, I prefer the shotgun. Yes, I have magnificent aim, but in a crisis situation, aim is less important with a shotgun. Also, in this particular state you can't shoot an intruder unless he intrudes into your bedroom. In the case of an intruder I'm bunkered up behind the bed with my back to the wall. Moving through the house isn't a problem. However, shooting through walls is if I miss.
I've shot both revolvers and semi-autos. I prefer the auto because it's easier to shoot, at least for me. Blow my was, pop out the clip and slap in a new one. Until it jams. That's when it gets passed off to Mr. Paranoid to fix for his baby before she blows herself to kingdom cum. I don't care for revolvers because you shoot 6 times and you have to re-load. Takes too long. Not to mention the recoil in a revolver seems more pronounced than the recoil in the semi-auto. Probably the fact that it was SP101 vs. P90.
Using a shotgun for initimidation only works if you pull the trigger or have every intention of doing so. I can tell you with absolute authority that a shotgun's sound does not work on a moose. For home defense, I prefer the shotgun. Yes, I have magnificent aim, but in a crisis situation, aim is less important with a shotgun. Also, in this particular state you can't shoot an intruder unless he intrudes into your bedroom. In the case of an intruder I'm bunkered up behind the bed with my back to the wall. Moving through the house isn't a problem. However, shooting through walls is if I miss.
Comshaw
VAGITARIAN
- Joined
- Nov 9, 2000
- Posts
- 12,013
I spent a lot of time searching for an affordable handgun I could use as a carry weapon. My choice?
A Firestorm (made by the combined company Lama and Taurus) compact in .40 cal. SW.
It weighs 28 ounces loaded with 11 rounds. Every thing is ambidextrous, for us lefthanders, and it is both double and single action.
The .40 SW round with a 165 grain hollow point has a speed of 1000 fps and 415 foot lbs. of muzzle energy.
Accuracy isn't bad. I shot a 3 inch 5 shot group at 10 yards off hand.
I paid $350.00 dollars at a gun show for it, new. It is a well made pistol for an affordable price. The grip is rather large, to accommodate the 10 round magazine. It might be a problem for someone with small hands. The recoil isn't bad at all. Being an auto loader some of the recoil energy is taken up by the slide.
They do make the Firestorm in a 9 MM. Which is a bit smaller and lighter with less recoil then the .40 cal.
I was also considering one other and I still might buy it; a stainless steel Charter Arms Bulldog .44 special. It only has a 5 round cylinder, but it's light, almost indestructible, easy to fire and will do the job in close quarters.
As for auto's verses revolvers, either one will do, it's all in the practice. I've been shooting since I was 9 years old, but I still put in a lot of practice with any new firearm I buy.
To show you how easy it is to get nervous and miss:
About three years ago two of our cities finest went out on a dangerous animal call. It seems
two PitBull's had gotten out of the fenced yard they were in and bit one of the owners neighbors. The cops showed up and had the two dogs trapped in the corner of a fenced yard. The two dogs got nervous and ran toward the officers (the only escape route) and the officers thought they were being attacked. They both started shooting. 21 rounds later, one dog was hit twice and the other once. The on shift sergeant had to dispatch both canines with a shotgun. These are guys that practice at least once a month with their handguns, and they still missed 18 times. Makes you think a little, yes?
Comshaw
Shy Tall Guy
Literotica Guru
- Joined
- Aug 24, 2001
- Posts
- 5,735
Re: Again..kind of up my alley.
Wall penetration is a concern with any firearm, handgun, shotgun or rifle, and all can be made to not totally penetrate walls if special ammo is chosen. There are two popular brands of ammo that are for this very purpose; Magsafe (my preference) and Glaser. There are others, but those are the two I and others have tested, that are popular enough to have been used in some shootings, and that most people recognize will actually work. You give up some lethality, but it is probalby worth it to not kill your neighbors or the baby sleeping in the next room.
What firearm projectiles do is penetrate and damage vital organs (if you aim properly). As such, mass and diameter of the projectile are factors, but so also is design. Any properly designed projectile of 9mm on up does just fine in this regard. I tend towards the .45 ACP, but for my kids I chose matching 9mm pistols loaded with 147 hollow points. I also carry from time to time a 9mm or a .357 Mag, both of which are basically equivalent to each other as they have similar external ballistics for the same sized handgun. I feel confident in their ability to cause enough injury in a human to stop that human most of the time - as long as I do my job and put the bullets where they will do the most good. A .22 LR to the heart or brain is a lot more lethal than a .44 Mag to the shoulder.
Have you ever done any tests of this, or are you just repeating what you have heard? I have done tests (with walls I made and took to the range), and have seen other penetration tests of various firearms and ammo. Even bridshot will go through a wall and many doors - often as much or more than a projectile from a handgun. One test at the S&W Academy found that some popular ammo from an M16 penetrated walls less than some 9mm ammo.JazzManJim said:
Wall penetration is a concern with any firearm, handgun, shotgun or rifle, and all can be made to not totally penetrate walls if special ammo is chosen. There are two popular brands of ammo that are for this very purpose; Magsafe (my preference) and Glaser. There are others, but those are the two I and others have tested, that are popular enough to have been used in some shootings, and that most people recognize will actually work. You give up some lethality, but it is probalby worth it to not kill your neighbors or the baby sleeping in the next room.
While there is sometruth to what you say, I sure hope no one is going to be doing any shooting while they are "fuzzy" - that is a good way to kill someone you love, or to miss someone you mean to stop.
There is really no such thing as "knockdown" power - not in the sense that the bullet will knock down a human that is for sure. Firearm projectiles have barely enough momentum to knock over very small poorly balanced light objects, much less a well balanced human - anyone who has ever shot or watched metal silhouette competition can tell you that.
What firearm projectiles do is penetrate and damage vital organs (if you aim properly). As such, mass and diameter of the projectile are factors, but so also is design. Any properly designed projectile of 9mm on up does just fine in this regard. I tend towards the .45 ACP, but for my kids I chose matching 9mm pistols loaded with 147 hollow points. I also carry from time to time a 9mm or a .357 Mag, both of which are basically equivalent to each other as they have similar external ballistics for the same sized handgun. I feel confident in their ability to cause enough injury in a human to stop that human most of the time - as long as I do my job and put the bullets where they will do the most good. A .22 LR to the heart or brain is a lot more lethal than a .44 Mag to the shoulder.
Better yet - get in the habit of firing until the opponent is down - once twice, ten times, keep shooting until there is not more threat. Don't stop at two and evaluate, just keep shooting until the person runs away or is on the floor.
Similar threads
