Looking to buy a pistol

[Penance]

I have experience shooting rifles in the past and am looking to purchase a handgun for home protection.

I was thinking about a Glock, but I don't know that much about handguns. Any suggestions?

[GonzoStyles]

are you planning on getting a concealed carry permit?

[Penance]

Possibly, although to be honest I don't have a good reason to have one. The only reason I can think of is for self-defense while I'm in my car.

[Tant01]

Try before you buy...

I have experience shooting rifles in the past and am looking to purchase a handgun for home protection.

I was thinking about a Glock, but I don't know that much about handguns. Any suggestions?

I've always enjoyed shooting a Ruger Blackhawk (.357 Mag.) but a .41 or.44 Redhawk is a sweet unit too.

Simple, accurate and dependable. It's hard to beat a revolver.

However.... if you live in the city with neighbors nearby it might be too much power if you miss and the projectile penetrates the house next door...

Maybe you could try out a few at a local gun shop or shooting range?

Stay away from the recoil reducing "ports" as they can blind or harm the shooter in CQC...

Best weapon for home defense might be a short "camp" carbine or "coach" type shotgun...

Unless you REALLY want a handgun...


All the best.

[aitan]

what sort of pistol are you looking for like what kind not the name is it a single fire hand gun? my dad wants to buy a revolver for home protection they are only legal in australia if you are a hunter or police officer I guess the only reason I would buy a handgun if I was a police officer and of the law thats the way it is in australia you cant even carry guns over here but I would only use a weapon for self protection and only if the apposer or enemy was attacking I would have to shoot him we at home have a shot gun single double barrel it fires two shots per 0.3 seconds and another one which is a 308 rifle very heavy bullets and will make a mess of anyone in close range.

[eXcessiveForce]

I've heard good things about taurus pistols. And they are fairly inexpensive. You can pick up inexpensive ammo for some of them as well.

[Dim Wit Moc]

Take a close look at the Springfield Armory or Kimber 1911-A1 in .45 ACP. Sig-Sauer also makes excellent pistols. Again, I would recommend .45 ACP.

[Tom Yum]

Take a close look at the Springfield Armory or Kimber 1911-A1 in .45 ACP. Sig-Sauer also makes excellent pistols. Again, I would recommend .45 ACP.

Doesn't the Kimber 1911 have kind of a big, block-like grip? Just a thought since hand size varies

[aitan]

well I can tell you this in australia in sydney at the beach two life gaurds got the shit beaten out of them by a hord of lebonese gangs they were sort of racist against the australians we did nothing to them but they wanted to take over the country so many aussies had to fight them away with shotguns
but at the moment they still raging around neighbour hoods threatening to rape young girls. I am australian myself but I would stay right out of it unless they started to attack and cause a riot in my home town my old man has a 308 rifle and a shotgun that only fires two shot per 0.3 seconds that should do the job.

[Dim Wit Moc]

Doesn't the Kimber 1911 have kind of a big, block-like grip? Just a thought since hand size varies

The couple I have handled haven't, but I'm not sure if some do. I'm a Springfield Armory guy myself. The cognescenti always seem to prefer the Kimber, but I'll match the top of the line Springfields up against it any day.

[DonKey]

the glock is a fine pistol I've had the opportunity to shoot a significant portion of their lineup and found them to be very reliable.

the best advice I can give you is head to a shooting range where they rent out different brands of pistols and try everything you can.

A pistol is a very personal choice, for example I can't shoot a sig sauer p228 well but other people love them. (the US government uses this pistol extensively)

If you haven't shot pistols a whole lot I'd also recommend going to the range and getting comfortable with the sight picture and trigger pull as it's radically different from the rifles and shotguns you're used to.

The 1911 typically has a very slim grip which is why they're popular for concealed carry. The Glock, H&K, and other plastic framed high capacity pistols have the characteristic thick blocky grip mentioned above.


some recommendations that I'm very fond of
CZ75b (most accurate and comfortable pistol I've ever owned)
Springfield Armory XD series (I just bought one in 45acp and love it)
Glock model 19 (compact 9mm)
Glock model 20 (10mm full size)

[The_Judo_Jibboo]

A revolver makes a lot of sense to me if it's your first handgun and it's for home protection. They're reliable and you don't have to remember to take them out and do maintenance on them at regular intervals, you only need to clean a revolver after firing it.
Another smart home protection idea is these great little rounds that are basically shotgun shells for a handgun. I forget the name of them but they have them at the shooting range I go to and that's a pretty small operation so they should be easy to find. They won't put anyone down unless maybe you hit them in the face, but the idea is to load your first two or so chambers with them. If someone breaks in your house at night, you alarm's going of, it's dark, you're groggy, you're probably not going to be able to roll out of bed and put one between the guy's eyes. But if you've got a couple of those shotgun style rounds you can fire them off in his direction (don't quote me but i think the spread is somewhere around a 4 foot radius at 14 feet). This greatly increases the chances that one of your first shots will find the mark, plus you've made your assailant think maybe he picked the wrong house, and you've got just that much more time to draw a bead for the real thing. Hell, if it's for home protection but you're afraid of going to jail for killing an attacker who only had a knife or bat or whatever, load up all six chambers with those rounds. Even if you hit the guy with all six, chances are he's no where close to mortally wounded, but he'll be so docile you can reload before calling 911

[Tant01]

Or just keep a rolled up newspaper handy to bop him over the head with...
Kidding! Snake shot will probably scare him along with the noise but it might just piss him off. If you're going to shoot anyone, shoot to kill. If he's armed you think he's going to try to scare you first?

If you want to shoot tiny pellets use a real shotgun!

[The_Judo_Jibboo]

Or just keep a rolled up newspaper handy to bop him over the head with...
Kidding! Snake shot will probably scare him along with the noise but it might just piss him off. If you're going to shoot anyone, shoot to kill. If he's armed you think he's going to try to scare you first?

If you want to shoot tiny pellets use a real shotgun!

True, but the idea is just would you rather miss with your first shot or hit him with something. And i think these rounds pack a little more punch than snake shot because they are specifically self-defense oriented, but obviously i'm a little hazy on the details.

[Eliot]

Handgun

The Glock is a fantastic weapon, I've carried a Model 22 everyday for the past 12 years. Some people are turned off by Glocks because they do not have an "external safety" like most of the other handguns. They do have safety features but not a lever or switch like some of the other guns. If you can get past that, Glock has a gun for everyone, differnet sizes, calibers, etc.
I also like the Beretta in a 40 caliber. This is a nice weapon and it does have an external safety. Both Beretta and Glock can be equipped with a light which in my opinion is a must for home defense. There are other great home defense handguns out there. The previous advice is the best and get someone you can trust who knows about guns and go to a gun range or gun shop and look and hold several. It is not a decision to take lightly. Take a class before you bring it home also. Just my two cents.