Seeking Handgun Insight


 
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BFletcher said:
From what I read in the forum rules, this topic is permissible but please help keep me on track to what is my true objective here so that I don't drift to unwelcome territory.

I don't own any firearm but I have a growing interest in purchasing a handgun that will be kept in the home for protection. If this is possible and sensible, I think I'd like to hone-in on three possible choices and then go to a shop to see them. For a reason that didn't come by any intelligent means, I'm currently interested in the HK P30 despite its price tag.

Can you gun experts help me a little, including offering a couple other choices to consider? Can you also make recommendations on how to store this properly and safely, while having quick access to it if needed? This would include my wife.

I prefer not watching a multitude of YouTube videos but I did watch one that spoke of an LEM option on the P30. Can you tell me what LEM would bring to me along with any other options that should be considered?

Thanks!
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Find a local shooting range preferably with a store front and take a few shooting classes. Rinse and repeat and you'll be better suited to answer your own concerns.
 
Lessee..... other possible tricks. Keep a baseball bat handy, but with a sock slipped over the business end. First attempt to grab it and take it away from you will probably fail.

Great idea, thanks. Never heard of that before. Louisville Slugger under the bed has been my self-defense weapon of choice for years.

Speaking just for my civilian self, have consistently felt that my risk of home intrusion (and chances of successfully detering it with a firearm) was much lower than the odds of mistake, accident, suicide, and incidents fueled by fear, confusion, anger, depression, alcohol, etc. More so when I had kids in the house.

Be safe.
 
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@BFletcher , have you ever owned a firearm? If not, securing your home with one may not be your best choice. Becoming proficient with any type of firearm will be expensive and time consuming. Maybe a professional security company could help with a plan to secure your home. I do a lot of shooting and reload my own ammunition but I know that gun ownership is not for everybody.
 
Jim C in Denver said:
Speaking just for my civilian self, have consistently felt that my risk of home intrusion (and chances of successfully detering it with a firearm) was much lower than the odds of mistake, accident, suicide, and incidents fueled by fear, confusion, anger, depression, alcohol, etc. More so when I had kids in the house.
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This is true, but only part of the calculus. The bad guys could turn the gun on you if your defensive encounter goes south. It could be stolen. Also, everyone ages. You will potentially burden your family with taking away your guns when they realize that 98-year-old granddad can't handle the 12-gauge shotgun on his dresser anymore. Also the legal considerations.

Better door locks don't have the same kind of risk associated with them.

So no guns in the house for us.

I do have one kid that's ten and we take him one night a week to the NRA kids program to learn the fundamentals of shooting. I don't see any downside to getting kids educated about firearms.
 
I made the mistake of buying Glock handguns, I can’t stand either one. My dad died a few years back and I got his Walther PPK 380 (007 gun) I love this gun, it’s a go anywhere gun, fits in my hand nicely, and provides plenty of defense, especially when you’re up close and personal. My other gun that sits next to my bed in my Remington 870, 3” chamber. I have 4 barrels for it, but the barrel that’s in in for home use is the deer slug barrel, but no slugs or double 00 for, just high base 3” with 4 shot. I pity the fool on the receiving end of that :)
 
Get a lot of training from a good instructor.
Stay away from windbags or instructors that are full of themselves, sadly there are plenty of those
Maybe start with a Browning Buckmark .22.
Consider a Remington 870 12ga, a Smith & Wesson 686 .357 w/.38 or a 1911 .45 when you get comfortable.

Because of my current line of work I carry a concealed pistol and keep loaded firearms near the wife and I at night.

One size does not fit all, if ever.
Everybody is different so it’s ok if this is not your thing.
Remember it is always loaded and never accidentally sweep the barrel at anyone.
 
This is a huge topic, morally, legally, and politically. I'd like to suggest a good book to read while you weigh this out:

In the Gravest Extreme: The Role of the Firearm in Personal Protection, by Massad Ayoob

Many years ago, with young children in the house, we were interested in buying a handgun. A good friend of ours who owned the local gun shop recommended this book to us. Having other guns in the house, instead of buying the gun we had our eye on, we deferred our purchase and bought a gun safe.
 
ChuckO said:
I made the mistake of buying Glock handguns, I can’t stand either one. My dad died a few years back and I got his Walther PPK 380 (007 gun) I love this gun, it’s a go anywhere gun, fits in my hand nicely, and provides plenty of defense, especially when you’re up close and personal. My other gun that sits next to my bed in my Remington 870, 3” chamber. I have 4 barrels for it, but the barrel that’s in in for home use is the deer slug barrel, but no slugs or double 00 for, just high base 3” with 4 shot. I pity the fool on the receiving end of that :)
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Sell the Glocks and buy a Sig. massive improvement. I’d rather have a handgun than any shotgun. More rounds and you can light up a target with that dot and know where you’re aiming.

Maybe if I lived on some land with no neighbors, a shotgun would make sense.

A shotgun just seems unwieldy with the limited amount of time from entry to defense.
 
Also, around that time, the "Night Stalker", Richard Ramirez, was breaking into homes and killing people in the area. One of my co-workers went into panic mode and bought a .357 Magnum revolver and hid it away in his closet. Of course, they ultimately caught the guy, threat removed, but some time later I asked my co-worker if he ever took the gun out of the closet or showed his wife how to use it. And of course, the answer was "No".

Don't be that guy. A gun is every bit as much, if not more, of a liability as it is an asset. It is a responsibility that you choose to take on.
 
Ed P said:
Don't be that guy. A gun is every bit as much, if not more, of a liability as it is an asset. It is a responsibility that you choose to take on
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Good point Ed. I have had guns for about thirty years now. I've had a lot of them but am down to just two now, a 12 gauge pump shotgun and a Glock 17. I keep them both locked up to the point that neither one would be particularly handy if I needed one quickly and I'm ok with that. I sleep better at night knowing nobody else can get to them easily. I also don't conceal carry even though I'm legally allowed to in my state. The reason why I don't is because usually when I'm out I have family members with me and feel they are safer if my first instinct is to get away from trouble rather than confront it head on with a gun. I also have to say I live in a pretty crime free area so I'm not as worried about home invasion or a crazy with a gun at the grocery store.
 
ChuckO said:
I made the mistake of buying Glock handguns, I can’t stand either one
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They definitely aren't the sexiest guns you can buy. I've had three of them, two being.45 cal. I like the way I shoot with them, although not so much the way the gun itself shoots. It's probably all the plastic, but if you look at them like a tool that does a job well they grow on you.
 
Having other guns in the house, instead of buying the gun we had our eye on, we deferred our purchase and bought a gun safe.

I keep them both locked up to the point that neither one would be particularly handy if I needed one quickly and I'm ok with that. I sleep better at night knowing nobody else can get to them easily.

One reason I've leaned against a self-defense weapon is not understanding this.

Don't strong safety measures (locks, safes, storing ammo separately) significantly undercut the home self-defense use case? How do you get quick access without compromising safety/security?
 
Jim C in Denver said:
How do you get quick access without compromising safety/security?
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Enthusiasts usually own more than one. So the safe is where the collection goes for safe keeping. And one is a duty weapon. Usually in an alternate bedside safe or quickly accessible location.
 
Jim C in Denver said:
Don't strong safety measures (locks, safes, storing ammo separately) significantly undercut the home self-defense use case? How do you get quick access without compromising safety/security?
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You bring up an excellent point Jim. I guess everybody's situation is a little different. I know you can buy a handgun safe that allows instant access to the gun, I don't feel like I need one. I like having my guns and even if it takes me a little longer to put one in action I still feel safer.
 
Thanks everyone for your feedback; there is informative detail here for me to consider.

I'll utilize local resources to determine my path for training. When I was a kid and into my teenage years Dad took us to an open range where I shot a pistol for target shooting and various shotguns for clay shooting. A handful of times, we went hunting. But I never took any of those firearms with me when I moved out and had my own family and I've never used one in my adult life. So I view myself as a new user.

I won't engage here on the topic of decisions for and against force but I recognize that life is precious and the thought is definitely on my mind.
 
Brett-EDH said:
Sell the Glocks and buy a Sig. massive improvement.
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I would have sold them long ago except that my wife likes them, the 17 is her favorite, but she also likes the 19. Both of them make my hand numb, especially the 17
 
Interesting thread. But, for someone starting out & needing a home defense weapon. Once again I nominate Henry 410 lever action Axe shotgun.
Why? The hogleg shotgun is very short, weighs only 6lbs. And is easy to hit with what you are aiming at. And is easy to learn to shoot for a beginner.
Plus there are several deadly 410 defense rounds currently on the market. It hardly kicks more than a BB gun. Yet with a 14 inch barrel it will shoot much farther that a 410 pistol. I also own a Smith & Wesson Governor. Which also shoots 410 shotgun shells, 45 long colt or 45 ACP. Also a good choice for home defense. But, it kicks like a Missouri mule & is not pleasant to just shoot around. I would not recommend for someone just starting out. On the other hand the Henry Axe is just a joy to shoot. I could plink rounds all day & never get tired of it. If I can find the shotgun shells. LOL
The Henry & Smith/Wesson guns are not cheap guns. Both are USA built & both are top quality. If it was me I would look for a AXE. Although not legal in all states, so check your state.
Cheers,
Russ
 
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