# Need advice....



## Trainerx8 (Sep 14, 2011)

Hey everyone,

I'm new to the forum and new to handguns. That being said, I need opinions as to what caliber handgun is right for me. I would want the accuracy of a 9mm but better stopping power. I've been looking at Sig Sauers, Berettas, ans Smith & Wessons.
I was considering a .40 or 45. The gun I will be purchasing will be for home defense/ range firing.
Any information will be appreciated.

Thanks! 8)


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## huntin1 (Nov 14, 2003)

I have both the 40 and 45. Either one is good. If you can find surplus ammo the 45 may be a bit cheaper to shoot. The 40 has a bit higher magazine capacity. I really like my P229 in 40, but more often than not i am carrying my P220 45. I think you can guess which brand I would recommend. 

huntin1


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## specialpatrolgroup (Jan 16, 2009)

The M&P's are really nice guns. With today's ammo I wouldn't overlook the 9mm so quick, others will disagree with me I'm sure, but with modern +P ammo like Speer gold dots and the extra few shots you will get in 9mm make it a formidable combo. I like the 9mm since its cheaper than .40 and .45 you will shoot it more. That being said, I am a huge fan of the .45, but to me the only .45's I am intereted are in 1911 form.


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## Recurvenator (Aug 6, 2010)

You need to handle as many different guns you can before you purchase. If the gun doesn't feel right, it's not for you.

As far as caliber, a lot of people do not like the 40 because of the snappy recoil. I have a 40 and actually love it. The 9mm has the cheapest ammo, but it doesn't have the stopping power of the 40 or 45.

Bottom line, YOU have to decide for you. The best advice is get set up for reloading and shoot a lot once you get your firearm.

Good luck with your choice.


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## spar (Feb 19, 2011)

A 12 gauge shotgun with a 18.5-20' barrel would be ideal. throw and a mag extension and a flash light and you cant go wrong. but if you are wanting a handgun i would recommend a 9mm. Like said before with todays ammo there is a lot of stopping power plus more magazine capacity and less recoil making follow up shots easier. Not to mention ammo being a lot cheaper. But you got to try out a lot of guns before you buy one that fits you.

Happy Hunting :beer:


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## the professor (Oct 13, 2006)

There are a lot of variables when it comes to selecting a hand gun. To me, how a gun fits my hand and how well I can manipulate the controls trumps caliber. A light polymer subcompact in 9mm might give off the same felt recoil as a heavy steel framed .40 or .45. First off, I would decide what size gun you are looking for...then try to handle some different brands and models to see what fits your hand best. Getting the proper grip on a gun will greatly reduce the amount of recoil, even if you are ripping off 8 shots of .45. Most importantly, practice practice practice. Oh, and for home defense, nothing beats one of these...


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## dsm16428 (Feb 19, 2009)

Unless you are very skilled with a handgun, I would have to recommend against it, though any firearm at hand when you need it is of course better than none. If you are dead set on a handgun however, a good, strong, SIMPLE revolver with maybe some Chrimson Trace lazer grips would be good for someone not used to handling a handgun in stressful situations.

In built up areas, a short barreled, IC choked pump shotgun loaded with modest #4 heavy shot loads will straight up drop an intruder to 35 feet or so and the pattern will just about fill a 36" wide hallway, virtually ensuring a hit. In more rural areas, where you don't have to worry about pellets over penetrating and passing through walls and possibly into the neighboring house, I would go with low recoil 00 buck loads. Mount a light to it and center the pattern to the light so if heaven forbid you ever actually have to use it, all you have to do is center the target in the beam of light and drop the hammer. I always keep my 870 loaded in the closet with LR 00 buck and *ALWAYS *keep the chamber empty for safety's sake. Plus...the sound of a 12 gauge shotgun slide action being cycled is about the scariest sound you would ever want to hear.


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## Savage260 (Oct 21, 2007)

Professor, what do you need that sling for? Are you hunting in your home for intruders or just looking to defend? :lol:

Sorry, saw the sling on the "HD" shotgun and had to chuckle. Just joking around a bit! :beer:


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## Csquared (Sep 5, 2006)

Once again I need to acknowledge the sense on this forum. I saw the original post and intended to post only three words..........


> 12 ga 870


(is that 3 words?) But I was beaten to the punch by several. I don't mean to be rude, but to me home defense and handgun go together like marriage and girlfriend....it works for some, but for the vast majority it's a BIG MISTAKE! 



> In built up areas, a short barreled, IC choked pump shotgun loaded with modest #4 heavy shot loads will straight up drop an intruder to 35 feet or so


That is one of the best pieces of advice I've seen anywhere. FAR TOO MANY people think they need buckshot..._or worse_. You've described my go-to perfectly. I simply refer to it as "the butler", since it's job is to greet any uninvited guests who might show up :wink:


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## Bore.224 (Mar 23, 2005)

specialpatrolgroup said:


> The M&P's are really nice guns. With today's ammo I wouldn't overlook the 9mm so quick, others will disagree with me I'm sure, but with modern +P ammo like Speer gold dots and the extra few shots you will get in 9mm make it a formidable combo. I like the 9mm since its cheaper than .40 and .45 you will shoot it more. That being said, I am a huge fan of the .45, but to me the only .45's I am intereted are in 1911 form.


Todays ammo , ya think its any better? Well the super bad guy stoppers that are overpriced and come in 20 round boxes are in my opinion a bunch of BS. Actually I think they are a sorry choice for defence as they are notorious for underpenatration and the guns they are fired in are not tested with them because of the price of ammo! .45 round for round is the best handgun stopper for one reason and one reason only........bigger hole. But with a 9mm most folks can control better for follow up shots so two .35 cal holes are better than one .45 hole. Its that simple folks no matter how much the marketing media makes you think different. So to address the op's question , dont worry about stopping power its BS the only thing that matters is how well you can employ the weapon. 9mm is the cheapest and if you don't have deep pockets you can practice more , shoot it faster and more accurate than .40,s and .45's so the choice is simple 9mm.

Althought I would recomend a revolver in .38 special , like a S&W 67 or model 10 . You can outshoot auto pistols all day long. Of course sombody will tell you 6 shots is not enought. But that is another rant I will not get into for your sake and mine!


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## the professor (Oct 13, 2006)

Savage260 said:


> Professor, what do you need that sling for? Are you hunting in your home for intruders or just looking to defend? :lol:
> 
> Sorry, saw the sling on the "HD" shotgun and had to chuckle. Just joking around a bit! :beer:


Yeah the sling has no purpose when the gun is inside the house; I only attach it when out plinking, or on the off chance that I ever need to use this gun hunting. I did duracoat the 28" barrel as well so I have lots of options for this gun.

as far as HD shotgun ammo selection and empty chambers, well thats a whole different topic.


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## huntin1 (Nov 14, 2003)

bore.224 said:


> so the choice is simple 9mm.


I couldn't disagree more with this statement. The choice is far from simple. I am a firm believer in two seperate schools of thought. First, any handgun that you have in your hand is better than the one you left at home. And second, a handgun is a useful tool only for fighting your way to a rifle or shotgun.

This being said, a larger caliber will always be a better choice. The FBI learned this back in the 1980's, the hard way. They conducted an extensive study and concluded:



> "Kinetic energy does not wound. Temporary cavity does not wound. The much discussed "shock" of bullet impact is a fable and "knock down" power is a myth. The critical element is penetration. The bullet must pass through the large, blood brearing organs and be of sufficient diameter to promote rapid bleeding. Penetration less than 12 inches is too little, and, in the words of two participants in the 1987 Wound Ballistics Workshop, "too little penetration will get you killed." Given desirable and reliable penetration, *the only way to increase bullet effectiveness is to increase the severity of the wound by increasing the size of the hole made by the bullet.* Any bullet which will not penetrate through vital organs from less than optimal angles is not acceptable. Of those that will penetrate, the edge is always with the bigger bullet." (Handgun Wounding Factors and Effectiveness, Firearms Training Unit, FBI Academy, Quantico, VA. July 14, 1989)


(Bold added by me)

The entire report can be found here: http://www.firearmstactical.com/pdf/fbi-hwfe.pdf

Then we have this:



> Some folks who think the 9mm is the perfect round say, "how can a 'silly millimeter' between a 9mm/.355 and a 10mm/.40 make any real difference?" What they are missing is the fact that it's not the diameter that's important, but rather the area of impact that determines the amount of damage produced - the reason we like to use expanding bullets. Note the percentage of impact/damage area increase as bullet diameter goes up. Since expanding bullets frequently do not expand, it makes sense to start with a bullet diameter you'd like the 9mm bullets to expand to.


From here: http://throwinglead.com/index.php?page= ... s_terminal

What I will agree with is that whatever caliber you have, practice is essential, the more you get the better off you'll be.
You can have you 9mm if that is what you choose, I'll go with something bigger.

huntin1


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## Trainerx8 (Sep 14, 2011)

Thanks Everyone for your advice...

I just purchased my 1st gun today. I had my heart set on a Sig from the beginning of my research but was open to other recommendations. So I went today to a local gun shop and after handling a few gun (Sig Sauer, Smith & Wesson, Beretta, Heckler and Koch...) I decided on the Sig Sauer P229 .40 cal two tone below...


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## wurgs (Mar 3, 2008)

Not a bad choice. Hope you like it. :beer:


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## specialpatrolgroup (Jan 16, 2009)

Nice choice, Enjoy!


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