For the Firearms guys
 

So- my wife and I are interested in leaning more about firearms, effectively we want to have one in our home for personal protection. Understanding that running to the local gun store and picking up the largest caliber would not be the best decision - let alone safe - the question becomes wear to start.

From what I've gathered, the smartest thing we could do is pick up a .22 handgun and a range membership and practice, practice (practice) and get comfortable.

Any suggestions? We're trying to go about this in the best (safest) way possible. I'm open.

Thanks!

At many ranges you can rent guns to shoot... I would suggest that to start. Try a .22 first then something a little bigger and so on. If you find a decent place and tell them you don't know much they'll usually offer extra instruction, or point you to a class or something. Which might not be a bad idea if you really know nothing...

:iagree:100 per cent!

Also incase you over looked this:

http://www.the370z.com/lounge-off-to...-firearms.html

+1 on starting with .22...lol I first started off with a .45 :tup:

Yeah my first owned hand gun was a .45acp but I did alot of research and alot of shooting of different guns. For safety stick with a double stage trigger and by all means please attend a class. for those offering a .22 thats really weak and i would recommend to start with a 9mm as it is very easy to use and very comfortable. Remember this is for home protection not target shooting so you eventually will want a larger caliber. A .22 will just piss a robber off and probably get you killed... a 9mm will stun them and do some good damage. A .40 or .45acp will decimate the robber causing SIGNIFICANT tissue damage! .50AE will give them a heart attach and will be the wrath of God raining down on them! Not only that but anyone within 30ft without hearing protection will be deaf! Im not kidding about the deaf part... those Mothers are LOUD! If you have specific questions feel free to ask there are many of us here on the board who are well versed in firearms.

I personally like to use my 6.8spc M4 Carbine as my home defense. I was at the range last weekend and in an unsupported standing position got 20/21 head shots rapid fire @ 25yds all within the fatal triangle or just a tad to the left :D

Remember practice make perfect...

yeah I understand since its just a .22 but it does help. I put two friend girls behind my .45 for their first time, although they hit jack squat (the shortest range the outdoor range we went to had was 25yds :icon14:) they liked it. Luckly a fellow shooter let them shoot his ruger mk.III which def. help them with getting the sight alighment right w/o the huge kick of a .45. Since then I bought a .22 and have taught another friend to shoot properly with it before handing them the .45.

i dont recommend a .22, at all for self defense. simply not enough stopping power. unless its a well placed shot, its not going to be a cut and dry stop.

how large are you hands? this plays a big role in being comfortable with a handgun.

also, i strongly recommend a glock. virtually maintenance free, fairly cheap, very reliable and easy to shoot well.

for me, i shoot better with a glock .45 than with a .40. simply put, the .45 fits my hands better, and the recoil is more of a "push" than a "snap".

based on that, i would choose on of the two above. i have shot more handguns than most people have/will, and i still go back to the good old glock. I trust my life with my glock .45 every day, and feel confident in doing so.

edit- based on that you want it for only home defense, a shotgun is very hard to beat. very good stopping power, and you only have to get "close". i would recommend a 870 remington....

You want to have one in your home for protection? Hmm....I have a loaded gun in every room in my house. Guess that's a bit of overkill, huh? ;)

In all seriousness though, you might also want to take a look at the Sig P226. It's a 9mm, shoots very smoothly recoil-wise (which is important for a beginner), and it's good quality. Glocks are good too as far as economical and reliable guns go, but the lack of a manual safety or heavy DA trigger on Glocks makes me a little nervous when it comes to novice gun owners. Another nice thing about Sigs is that they usually ship with night sights standard. You can get Glocks with night sights, but they usually ship without them. I wouldn't bother with a .22 for defense.

Here's a link for the Sig 226: http://www.sigsauer.com/Products/Sho...7&productid=90

I miss my .45, I def. shot better with it than my xdm9, I'm just not liking the snappy-ness hence my arms are pushing the gun before the striker hits the primer.

I would like this for HD :tup:
http://www.shootersdepot.com/images/...xtrashorty.jpg

What's your guys' opinion on revolvers? Specifically, the S&W 686 .357? I'm going to guess it's not really the best choice for a first timer? :D

http://www.impactguns.com/store/medi...mith_26266.jpg

IMO only disadvantages are that some have limited number of rounds (although I think there is one that holds 8) and reloading is slow unless you have speed loaders and moon clips. Some advantages are that they are pretty good when it comes to front sight tracking since you dont have to deal with the sight reciprocating back and forth, and that they handle bigger calibers well. Plus you look like a bad *** when you pull this out of you back pocket http://www.impactguns.com/store/media/smith_500_10.jpg:bowrofl::tup:

edit- based on that you want it for only home defense, a shotgun is very hard to beat. Everyone knows the sound of a ratcheting shotgun. I hear that sound, I'm Hittin the deck!

Damn, that gun brings back memories. I think revolvers are great guns, easy to maintain, and are simpler than semi-autos. I've shot revolvers and SA's and know how to handle both for different reasons, but for the past 10 years I've been carrying a SA.

I would highly recommend a revolver not just for your first gun but as a keeper. Point and shoot is all it takes. If you want it for home defense, that's the way to go. Just be sure that you have it locked up and hidden when you're not taking it out of the house, and I would even go so far as to suggest you learn how to carry it on your hip or wherever when in the house.

One never knows if there's a B&E that's going to happen while you're home. I know of a fed that got killed at his house by an escaped convict. Sucks that the convict got the first shot off.

I kept thinking that a .22 is a great assassin weapon. :icon18:

As for the shotgun, that's also a good one since you don't have to be very accurate to make your point. However, if you don't know how to handle it or load it quickly, it won't do you any good.

The shotgun is another great investment. Get the 870 and find a rifle range to practice becoming proficient at shooting the shotgun. Learn to do tactical reloads, and you'll definitely scare the bejeezus out of an intruder. LOL

I wouldn't start with a .22. That's a little bit weak. At least try a .38 or a 9mm first, preferably a reliable, comfortable gun. For home protection, however, I would personally recommend a 12 gauge, but that's just me. If you are at the point where you are desperate enough to aim a loaded weapon at someone with possible intention to shoot, you want to GET THE JOB DONE right the first time (shot).