One gun for personal protection and target shooting, possible?

[JAL]

Did anyone mention a double-action wheel gun yet? If this is for home defense, you can use speed loaders, and those are just as handy on a range as for home defense. Does take a little practice with them using proper technique to gain true speed with reloading, but the same applies with pistol magazines. I use the Massad Ayoob method with speed loaders and it's fast, although I'm nowhere near his lighting speed. A 4" or 5" .357 magnum offers the options of .357 magnum loads when you want something that hot, plus .38 Special or .38 +P for a range of energy and recoil. As with pistols, unless you're going to do concealed carry and really need an air-weight small revolver, one the size and weight of a Ruger GP100 will help with recoil. S&W has equivalent K frame.

I do not recommend single-action revolvers for self-defense unless you're into using New York reloads. G.S. Patton learned this as a captain chasing after Pancho Villa in 1914, and bought a second M1873 SAA (replaced with a .357 magnum in 1935).

John

 

[Chris S]

personal protection as concealed carry or home defense gun? If your going to carry, what ever four inch class 9mm that feels the best to you with in your budget. xdm, walthers, M&P, glock, CZ, FNS and sig are the most common usually. You can't go wrong if it feels good to you. If its target shooting and home protection, go right to full size 9mm and consider one with MOS option for mounting optics if that interests you.

 

[gregkl]

Did anyone mention a double-action wheel gun yet? If this is for home defense, you can use speed loaders, and those are just as handy on a range as for home defense. Does take a little practice with them using proper technique to gain true speed with reloading, but the same applies with pistol magazines. I use the Massad Ayoob method with speed loaders and it's fast, although I'm nowhere near his lighting speed. A 4" or 5" .357 magnum offers the options of .357 magnum loads when you want something that hot, plus .38 Special or .38 +P for a range of energy and recoil. As with pistols, unless you're going to do concealed carry and really need an air-weight small revolver, one the size and weight of a Ruger GP100 will help with recoil. S&W has equivalent K frame.

I do not recommend single-action revolvers for self-defense unless you're into using New York reloads. G.S. Patton learned this as a captain chasing after Pancho Villa in 1914, and bought a second M1873 SAA (replaced with a .357 magnum in 1935).

John

Yeah, I mentioned it. Seems like most everyone is only going to recommend a semi-auto pistol. It appears they are the default.

I agree with what you said. I would carry my 586 but it is a tad heavy for me so it'l take up residence by my bed. I am thinking of selling my Shield and buying a 642 for carry purposes.

 

[WanderingSol07]

I'm not married to any caliber, just saying of all the guns I've held the Kimber and Walther .380 felt the best to me. I could get all my fingers on the butt and reach all the controls without difficulty. The small Glock, 34?, felt very awkward with my pinkie dangling. I want a self defense gun (carry) that would be enjoyable to shoot so I would shoot with it often and therefore be familiar, comfortable, and accurate with it.

I can also see getting a .22lr pistol like the Browning Buck Mark as a dedicated plinker/target gun. It is a lot of fun to shoot even though no left handed controls. I use my middle finger to release the magazine and don't use the safety or slide release at all.

When it comes to mechanical things I am usually hard to please, takes me a year to buy a car! :-) But then I keep them for 10+ years.

Thanks for all the replies, you all have given me a bunch of guns to research and checkout. This helps a lot.

Thanks,

Tim.

 

[Ggreen]

I'm not married to any caliber, just saying of all the guns I've held the Kimber and Walther .380 felt the best to me. I could get all my fingers on the butt and reach all the controls without difficulty. The small Glock, 34?, felt very awkward with my pinkie dangling. I want a self defense gun (carry) that would be enjoyable to shoot so I would shoot with it often and therefore be familiar, comfortable, and accurate with it.

I can also see getting a .22lr pistol like the Browning Buck Mark as a dedicated plinker/target gun. It is a lot of fun to shoot even though no left handed controls. I use my middle finger to release the magazine and don't use the safety or slide release at all.

When it comes to mechanical things I am usually hard to please, takes me a year to buy a car! :-) But then I keep them for 10+ years.

Thanks for all the replies, you all have given me a bunch of guns to research and checkout. This helps a lot.

Thanks,

Tim.

The glock 34 is full size glock 17 frame with a long slide. I think you're referring to the 43. The 43 comes with 2 mags, one extended to fit all your fingers on the grip, and the other not but there are cheap extensions to remedy that. I would absolutely not recommend a 43 for a universal use pistol, great concealed guns and accurate, but no fun to shoot at the range. I'm sure someone has put a ton of aftermarket goodies on one to make it a mediocre range pistol, but would not even be top 10 in my book for a do all pistol. I do not think a subcompact will keep you happy in a do all. It will depend on your carry preference inside the waistband or outside tho. I prefer outside even when I was carrying a 43 (only with the pinky extension it felt dangerous shooting without a good grip). I've now moved on from the 43 and carry my FN509 owb. I highly suggest getting your hands on a 509 at a shop, it's truly ambi, light, accurate, excellent trigger, and a blast to shoot all day at the range. It is a full size pistol with 17 round mags so may be more than you're looking for in a carry pistol, but with a nice belt and a quality holster the size difference is less noticeable than you would think.

 

[nakinate]

Beretta PX4 is ambi/reversible and about that size if you're ok with a hammer fired gun. I'm not super fond of the ergonomics, but that's personal preference and not right or wrong.

I'll second this. A PX4 Compact Carry is probably my next purchase.

 

[Liberty1916]

Sure - I have a PPQ for EDC and another for the range. I get them mixed up though.

 

[Areoflyer09]

Something I forgot about until this morning is the Honor Guard pistols from Honor Defense. I don't know much about them but I've read some good reviews and the controls are all Ambi.

Product <- Honor Defense Website

 

[South Bender]

I came here to recommend the Glock 19. I see I wasn't the first.

If it's just going to be a house/range gun, I would go up to the 17 or the 34. Guarantee you'll enjoy the accuracy boost with the longer barrel.

 

[Dddrees]

I'm not married to any caliber, just saying of all the guns I've held the Kimber and Walther .380 felt the best to me. I could get all my fingers on the butt and reach all the controls without difficulty. The small Glock, 34?, felt very awkward with my pinkie dangling. I want a self defense gun (carry) that would be enjoyable to shoot so I would shoot with it often and therefore be familiar, comfortable, and accurate with it.

I can also see getting a .22lr pistol like the Browning Buck Mark as a dedicated plinker/target gun. It is a lot of fun to shoot even though no left handed controls. I use my middle finger to release the magazine and don't use the safety or slide release at all.

When it comes to mechanical things I am usually hard to please, takes me a year to buy a car! :-) But then I keep them for 10+ years.

Thanks for all the replies, you all have given me a bunch of guns to research and checkout. This helps a lot.

Thanks,

Tim.

'I really think a 22 is a good call when it comes to target shooting or just plain plinking. Recently I was able to pickup 5000 rds of 22 for $249 at .05 cents a round. Before that I had used nothing but CCI mini mags but that was at .07 a round. The Aguila ammo has good reviews and at just 300 rounds fired so far only 2 FTEs. Anyway you are just not going to come close to that cost for 9mm. I typically only fire about 300 rounds per range visit currently so I should be able to make it through the rest of the year.

 

[croy]

I would definitely go 9mm.

The HK VP9 has ambi controls, and maybe the walther.

I am pretty partial to glocks, but I'd get the m&p a hard look.

 

[ikendrick15]

The CZ P07 is a good option, it has the size of a Glock 19 and there are several options such as extended magazines, threaded barrel, etc.

 

[charley59]

I have a G19 and G17 which I was very happy with. Then my son recently purchased a Sig P320 FDE Compact in 9mm. The best trigger I have ever found on a striker fired gun. The grip frame feels great and the gun is accurate. Ambi slide release and the magazine release can be configured for either side of the gun.

 

[WanderingSol07]

I'm the OP. For my first gun I purchased the Browning 1911-380 Black Label Pro. Shot it for the first time yesterday. This gun fits my hand very well, I have small hands, but everything is in reach and easy to work. I'm also a lefty. This is the first pistol I've found that I can work the slide release without effort. My first shot yesterday was a dead center bullseye at 7 yards. The rest not so good, but just as good as I do with the Browning Buck Mark .22lr at 7 yards. I only shot 50 rounds so far, but it was fun!