Looking to get a handgun for home defense... Best/most economic calibre?

[Real_PhillBert]

@LaboonTheWhale Forgive me if this has already been asked as I didn't read the whole thread, How much firearms experience do you have? Are you dead set on a handgun?

 

I have been shooting for well over a decade and have been a competitive IDPA and IPSA shooter for the last few years.

 

Glamour shot of my comp gun, because who doesnt like glamour shots...

 

[Syntaxvgm]

@LaboonTheWhale Forgive me if this has already been asked as I didn't read the whole thread, How much firearms experience do you have? Are you dead set on a handgun?

 

I have been shooting for well over a decade and have been a competitive IDPA and IPSA shooter for the last few years.

 

Glamour shot of my comp gun, because who doesnt like glamour shots...

 

It's sexy!

[Art Vandelay]

You aren't getting up after getting hit from close range, and you are running if it missed anyway unless you are on meth or something

Larry Phillips, Emil Mataseranu and Michael Platt weren't on drugs, and they kept fighting long after they were shot repeatedly. Some people have the willpower to fight until there is no more blood to your brain.

 

If you get someone like that or a guy on meth, what are you going to do with your bird shot?

[Real_PhillBert]

It's sexy!

Thank you. I really really like that one. I bet I have five or six thousand rounds through it in the four years or since I bought it.

[Syntaxvgm]

Thank you. I really really like that one. I bet I have five or six thousand rounds through it in the four years or since I bought it.

Now I'm not a gun expert, and I avoid pistols, and avoid owning anything I have to register really. What is it exactly?

And doesn't that many rounds fired begin to degrade it or not?

[Real_PhillBert]

Now I'm not a gun expert, and I avoid pistols, and avoid owning anything I have to register really. What is it exactly?

And doesn't that many rounds fired begin to degrade it or not?

Where I live you do not have to register anything that is not federally regulated ie Full autos, SBRs or Suppressors. 

 

That is a Springfield Armory XDm 5.25 in 9mm. I have a solid stainless guide rod, Powder River Precision match trigger, and a Powder River Spring kit in it, as well as a couple of little titanium bits and pieces that I can use and still be IDPA legal.

 

As far as degradation, the springs do wear and its usually good practice to replace the springs ever five thousand rounds or so. There really isn't any accuracy degradation if you take care of your barrel.

[mr.skyrim_pc]

If you havent fired a gun before I would get a .22 pistol, and then later get a .38 special.

[mr.skyrim_pc]

Ok I'll give you +1 for the bath salts reference. But still, 90% of the time most people recommend bird shot simply so you don't hurt an innocent bystander. Buck shot maybe, but I would never use a slug, it's just too powerful to use indoors, it will go through somebody, and it will go through the wall behind them. The same reason I wouldn't use my AR-15 indoors, it would work wonderfully, but it's also far too much for the situation. I know for a fact that my .45 will more than likely stop them, I also know for a fact that my bird shot out of my 12 guage )plus the 9 rounds of bird shot after that) will stop them. (remington 870 with extended tube for the win)

 

Again, don't trust the FBI or any other government agency. If you shoot someone with a slug and get thrown in jail for "Excessive force" that's just another notch in their belt.

From what I heard, slugs have a TON of recoil. Have you ever shot one?

[heathd]

From what I heard, slugs have a TON of recoil. Have you ever shot one?

Slugs and mag loads can have tons of recoil.

[Builder]

Again, don't trust the FBI or any other government agency. If you shoot someone with a slug and get thrown in jail for "Excessive force" that's just another notch in their belt.

Yes, because heaven forbid you get thrown in jail for shooting someone...

[LaboonTheWhale]

@LaboonTheWhale Forgive me if this has already been asked as I didn't read the whole thread, How much firearms experience do you have? Are you dead set on a handgun?

 

I have been shooting for well over a decade and have been a competitive IDPA and IPSA shooter for the last few years.

 

Glamour shot of my comp gun, because who doesnt like glamour shots...

 

Hey there. Sorry I went away for a bit and dear god this thread exploded. I have shot firearms of different kinds on and off, moreso go shooting at the range with my friends who are enthusiasts. I've shot pistols and revolvers to AR-15's and M1 Garands. I'm not going to say I'm good at it but I know how to handle recoil and proper safety protocol. 

[Gix7Fifty]

Best home defense weapon

12 gauge pump action shotgun with an 18" barrel, upgrade the stock to a pistol grip AR-15 type .Have alternating rounds ready (bird shot, double 00 and slug), this is important due to what your structure is made of,  remember double 00 is like 9 .38 bullets that could be going through walls.

[Avratz]

9mm

FN FNX-9

Glock 17

S&W M&P9

CZ 75

Load it with good jhp ammo. Federal HST, Winchester pdx1, speer gold dot, hornady critical defense.

[Syntaxvgm]

Larry Phillips, Emil Mataseranu and Michael Platt weren't on drugs, and they kept fighting long after they were shot repeatedly. Some people have the willpower to fight until there is no more blood to your brain.

 

If you get someone like that or a guy on meth, what are you going to do with your bird shot?

Bird shot can still blow a hole through a thick plate of steel. I can empty the whole gun in like 5 seconds. The force alone can kill you. 

This man got shot with bird shot. Listen to what happened to him. 

(Spoiler alert, somehow survived, first shot missed and blew his arm off, second put a large hole through him. They announced him dead without even checking his vitals)

 

Bird shot is enough for me. 

yah he still was able to move, but so what? 

[eLucid]

.50 cal desert eagle, get one of those bad boys.

[Syntaxvgm]

.50 cal desert eagle, get one of those bad boys.

oh lord. Rolls eyes. 

[Real_PhillBert]

Hey there. Sorry I went away for a bit and dear god this thread exploded. I have shot firearms of different kinds on and off, moreso go shooting at the range with my friends who are enthusiasts. I've shot pistols and revolvers to AR-15's and M1 Garands. I'm not going to say I'm good at it but I know how to handle recoil and proper safety protocol. 

Ok excellent. 

 

If you are really set on a handgun, I always recommend 9mm for your first center fire handgun. You are going to want to shoot it and have fun, and 9mm is considerably cheaper than .45 ACP, .38 Special or .357 Mag. When the ammo is cheaper you are more likely to shoot it more often and because you shoot it more, you will be better with it. 

 

I dont know how much looking you have done at ammo prices so I will lay a few common ones out for you. I always buy by the case because its cheaper, so those are what I will compare.

 

115gr RN 9mm $202.65 http://www.freedommunitions.com/9mm-115-gr-RN-New-p/fm9r115n-c1000.htm

125gr FP .38 Special $292.12 http://www.freedommunitions.com/38-Special-125-gr-FP-New-p/fm38f125n-c1000.htm

125gr FP .357 Mag $359.48 http://www.freedommunitions.com/357-MAG-125-gr-FP-New-p/fm357f125n-c1000.htm

230gr RN .45 ACP $333.09 http://www.freedommunitions.com/45-Auto-230-gr-RN-New-p/fm45r230n-c1000.htm

 

As for the people who say a 9mm wont stop a bad guy, I respond by saying that any handgun round if for discouraging someone from activity, a rifle is for stopping the activity. All handgun rounds are naturally under powered, its just the nature of the beast. Besides, it is far more important where the rounds hit, than what round is doing the hitting.

 

I dont hate on people who carry a .40 or a .45, but I carry a 9mm. I shoot to much to be able to afford to shoot .45 in the quantities I shoot 9mm.

 

How much do you want to spend on a gun?

[TymmVonD]

I've shot Glocks. I had a S&W .40, it was cheap and had a 12 lb trigger. I've had a Springfield 9. It was good but not perfect. And my friend shot himself in the hand the first day I bought it. So I sold it. I love my Ruger Sr9C. Compact when needed. Trigger's great, looks good.

[SuperfastJellyfish]

A handgun is a bad choice for home defense. unless you have all brick/double brick walls a handgun shot will just go through the wall and unintentionally hit someone or break something like a TV. Small shotgun with a high count buckshot will get the same job done more safely, IMO.

 

Then again you don't even need a gun. Don't be unreasonable.

[Misanthrope]

Here's a couple of home defense tips that worked well for me over the years, for those who are not willing to flatout kill a human being on sight or worst, run the risk of being intentionally or accidentally shot with your own firearm (by far the most common way to die due to gun violence)

 

1) A good fence: And by that I don't mean and impenetrable wall (no such thing) but just something that is loud enough to wake you or your neighbors if it's being forced open or open at all

 

2) Window bars: This are bad for you in a fire, for sure but they're pretty inconvenient to get through: most burglars don't carry a blow torch and just using a saw would be pretty noisy and take too long

 

3) An alarm system: If you decide to buy it this is expensive, however you'd be surprised to find out the sensors for broken glass and such on their own are actually quite cheap and you could just ghetto rig em to a more basic solution

 

4) Surveillance/Closed circuit: See 3) for tips on it, a bit more involved but we're in a tech community we can help you rig out a NAS and a surveillance system on the cheap

 

5) Not having anything worth stealing: this is by far the best tip: I just don't have anything worth stealing or anything I can't easily replace or do without. I have some PCs but nothing too fancy or expensive, some old tvs, couple of gaming consoles. No really expensive jewelry to speak of, don't keep large sums of money in my mattress. There's basically nothing worth killing me over so in the extreme I'd just let a potential intruder take whatever. I also make a habit of not pissing off people enough that they would want to kill me. This sounds counter intuitive but I don't have wealth worth killing for whenever is as self defense or as an invitation to burglary. 

[mr.skyrim_pc]

Yes, because heaven forbid you get thrown in jail for shooting someone...

He meant if someone were to rob your house.

[Ruostunut kokis]

Here's a couple of home defense tips that worked well for me over the years, for those who are not willing to flatout kill a human being on sight or worst, run the risk of being intentionally or accidentally shot with your own firearm (by far the most common way to die due to gun violence)

 

1) A good fence: And by that I don't mean and impenetrable wall (no such thing) but just something that is loud enough to wake you or your neighbors if it's being forced open or open at all

 

2) Window bars: This are bad for you in a fire, for sure but they're pretty inconvenient to get through: most burglars don't carry a blow torch and just using a saw would be pretty noisy and take too long

 

3) An alarm system: If you decide to buy it this is expensive, however you'd be surprised to find out the sensors for broken glass and such on their own are actually quite cheap and you could just ghetto rig em to a more basic solution

 

4) Surveillance/Closed circuit: See 3) for tips on it, a bit more involved but we're in a tech community we can help you rig out a NAS and a surveillance system on the cheap

 

5) Not having anything worth stealing: this is by far the best tip: I just don't have anything worth stealing or anything I can't easily replace or do without. I have some PCs but nothing too fancy or expensive, some old tvs, couple of gaming consoles. No really expensive jewelry to speak of, don't keep large sums of money in my mattress. There's basically nothing worth killing me over so in the extreme I'd just let a potential intruder take whatever. I also make a habit of not pissing off people enough that they would want to kill me. This sounds counter intuitive but I don't have wealth worth killing for whenever is as self defense or as an invitation to burglary. 

To add more to this:

 

Addition to the point #4 in the quote: If you (OP) can't afford security cameras or can't be bothered with them, get fake security cameras that look real, but are actually just props to discourage breaking in. It's much cheaper, and most of the time burglars can't distinguish a fake security camera from a real one, if it looks real enough. It also helps to put the fake security cameras into places where placing real security cameras would make sense.

 

Then addition to point #5 in the quote: If you (again, OP) have something worth stealing, hide them in creative ways, like for instance if you would have a safe with a false bottom: you could have some small valuables visible, but your real valuables hidden. Some easier (and cheaper) ones include stuff like hollowed-out books like if you have a bookshelf with at least some books, almost no-one bothers to check them. Just almost whatever large enough commonplace object that doesn't look like is worth stealing  can be made into hidden containers.

[Gala]

Get a Glock 17 for semi-auto or a Glock 18 for full auto "spray and pray".

No seriously, a Glock is amost the most sensible option to me.

How is 9x19 Parabellum ammo availability over there OP?

[techswede]

A guy i know has a Taurus revolver that can shoot 410 shotshell and .45. 
It's pretty nice^^ And you get the best of both worlds

[Ruostunut kokis]

A guy i know has a Taurus revolver that can shoot 410 shotshell and .45. 

It's pretty nice^^ And you get the best of both worlds

Is he a Swede too? Or from somewhere else?

 

Also, I'm curious: how strict are the laws regarding firearms in Sweden? Here, hunting weapons are still easy to get, but something like even a .22 pistol is near impossible for a civilian to get, just because the laws here have gotten stricter due to few school shootings (most were done with .22 pistols, if not all). Good that we can still get any kinds of air guns / airsoft guns / bows, knives and swords and don't need a licence for any of them (yet, at least).