Calling gun owners

[tailchaser]

I hate to dissent on the "ease of operation" part... but I think the semi-auto Glocks are just as intuitive to operate - if not more so - than any revolver.

Point. Squeeze. Bang. Repeat.

They tolerate abuse. They tolerate being ignored. They tolerate being dirty. They feed most ammo. If you've got small hands, there may be issues, and then a revolver may well be a better choice.

[Dudley Dawson]

As most will tell you not to keep a loaded firearm accessable you will have to load the magazine, put the magazine in the pistol,rack the slide, remove the safety, in a tense situation you can fumble easily. Also most auto pistols for home protection will need softer ammo to not over penetrate and hurt the neighbors or the child still asleeb in their crib at chest height to rooms over. The softer loads can cause the pistol to not function properly and jam and you then have a small club that requires a closer confrontation.

A couple of points I'd like to make:

If you do indeed keep your weapon unloaded, I think an automatic pistol would be one of the easiest options to load quickly. It's certainly going to be faster than feeding shells into a shotgun, and probably faster than loading a revolver too, unless you're really experienced with speedloaders. Also, if you're keeping it unloaded, there's no need to leave the safety engaged. Just slap in a mag and rack the slide. And realize that an unloaded gun kept in a safe or the top shelf of your closet is not an effective defensive weapon. If your living situation dictates that you store your weapon in such a manner, you might actually be better off spending your money on hand-to-hand self-defense courses.

Regarding ammunition selection's effect on an autoloader's operation, that's going to be mainly dependent on the gun itself. Some are more tolerant of variation than others. My own preference is for plain old 230 gr. hardball. Admittedly, it does have greater penetration than some other choices, but no worse than 00 buckshot.

[creek]

1. Buy a Glock
2. Take lessons from a qualified instructor.
3. Fire at least 500 rounds through the pistol at an informal point and shoot type event. (The steel matches at Dallas Pistol Club are a good example and non members are welcome)
4. Shoot at least 1 match per year after that to keep in practice.

Firearm ownership is more than just a financial investment. "The drivers skills are more important than the car"

My two cents.
NRA firearm safety instructor
NRA personal protection instructor
NRA action pistol expert since 1989.

[miataspeedracer]

Thanks, all, for the great advice. Lots to think about. (Especially this: don't Fu%# with Miata owners!!)

A couple of things. No kids in the house, so no issue with needing a gun safe. And if someone DOES get in the house without an invitation, I'm not too concerned with putting a hole or holes in the wall.

Once I've made a decision (and it sounds like I need to go try a variety of items), both the g/f and me will take appropriate classes to ensure we understand what's involved. Still leaning towards an easy-to-use and uncomplicated handgun. Either way, it will better than the 2-iron under my bed.

And yes, the shooting range it is, NOT the driving range! LOL

[Sharpie]

Is Plano getting bad or something? Why do you feel the need for a gun now? Just curious. I'll shut up now.

[the_don]

I bought a taurus judge 4.10 handgun that shoots shotgun shells

I have a 357,44, x3 38 specials

most my collection will kill anything that moves

[MiataMike]

I've held off long enough now. #4 shot is not buck shot (#0 or #00) nor is it dove shot (#7 or #. It is for hunting Turkey, Ducks, and Geese (Large Fowls).

Anyway, Also if your concerned about putting holes in walls or through your walls into other people’s houses there are "Freedom Rounds" such as those used on airplanes by the air marshals. These rounds will wreck your life, but not your walls. Supossedly you can stand on the other side of a single sheet of dry wall and the round won't go through it; but if it hits organic material it jacks it up.

http://www.extremeshockusa.com/cgist...48&idp=0&his=0

This remarkable round is the terrorists worst nightmare. Under most circumstances, the AFR (Air Freedom Round) will not penetrate the skin of conventional aircraft, causing a decompression. It is also designed to not penetrate the aluminum backs of most airline seats, reducing potential collateral damage in the event of a shootout at 30,000 feet. Unlike rounds made of polymers that can generate lethal ricochet, the Extreme Shock AFR round will turn to harmless powder if it misses its intended target and hits a hard surface. It is the only round in the world with this level of performance and safety. This is also possibly the world's safest home defense round, as in most circumstances, it will fragment in standard 1 half-inch sheet rock wallboard. This bullet runs at plus-P type pressures, and should be used only in firearms of good construction and good working order.

[miataspeedracer]

Is Plano getting bad or something? Why do you feel the need for a gun now? Just curious. I'll shut up now.

Gophers...

[Radio-Active]

Gophers...

Try this:

[Radio-Active]

I would look into a 9mm for using cheap ammo. I would also look at the Kel-tec for an inexpensive consealable gun. They are very light weight and thin.

[jeepinbanditrider]

I've held off long enough now. #4 shot is not buck shot (#0 or #00) nor is it dove shot (#7 or #. It is for hunting Turkey, Ducks, and Geese (Large Fowls).

Anyway, Also if your concerned about putting holes in walls or through your walls into other people’s houses there are "Freedom Rounds" such as those used on airplanes by the air marshals. These rounds will wreck your life, but not your walls. Supossedly you can stand on the other side of a single sheet of dry wall and the round won't go through it; but if it hits organic material it jacks it up.

http://www.extremeshockusa.com/cgist...48&idp=0&his=0

This remarkable round is the terrorists worst nightmare. Under most circumstances, the AFR (Air Freedom Round) will not penetrate the skin of conventional aircraft, causing a decompression. It is also designed to not penetrate the aluminum backs of most airline seats, reducing potential collateral damage in the event of a shootout at 30,000 feet. Unlike rounds made of polymers that can generate lethal ricochet, the Extreme Shock AFR round will turn to harmless powder if it misses its intended target and hits a hard surface. It is the only round in the world with this level of performance and safety. This is also possibly the world's safest home defense round, as in most circumstances, it will fragment in standard 1 half-inch sheet rock wallboard. This bullet runs at plus-P type pressures, and should be used only in firearms of good construction and good working order.

Avoid this gimmick ammo at all costs. It's simple physics anything that will incapacitate a person will penetrate a wall or walls. Simple. Just read their website and they way they put it together and speak is simply astounding. The fact that people even consider this ammo is pretty impressive proof that their marketing department is great at using fancy words that impress people.

http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/bot23.htm

In theory these rounds sound awesome but in practice they are far from a miracle round. In fact if you look at the "Air Freedom" round it looks almost just like the Glaser safety slug.

And as for the Air Marshall thing they no long use any frangible ammo (They used to use Glaser safety slugs) as the threat of an "explosive decompression" is pretty low even if you poke multiple small caliber holes into an aircraft fuselage. It's been overhyped by the movies and people think it will happen. IIRC they now use Speer Gold Dot ammo.

There's a lot more I could go into on this thread but my fingers aren't up to it lol.


Oh if you want to be amazed by more marketing hype take a look at "DRT" ammo. That stuffs about a joke too.


Oh
http://www.google.com/products?q=%23...N&hl=en&tab=wf

#4 buckshot

[MadMonkey]

Give me a ring some Saturday and you're welcome to unload some brass through one or more of my Glocks at Dallas Pistol Club. Perhaps we can round up some of the other nutjobs gun owners and let you try out a bigger variety.

I'll bring my Beretta 96D, let's do it on a Saturday or Sunday!

IIRC they now use Speer Gold Dot ammo.

That's what I've been loaded with lately

[jeepinbanditrider]

I like Speer Gold Dot. My load of choice is a 124grn +p.

Now assuming I HAD to be in a firefight and was able to pick something......I'd grab my AR or MAK-90 anyday of the week. Even in the house.

[tailchaser]

hmmm.... I *also* load 124 gr +P gold dot for social work. Must be a Miata thing.

[flyin94m]

Revolver, 38, so you don't shoot holes in your neighbor's house or kill your kids. Also, you don't have to worry about clip springs and can click right past a bad round. Shotgun's great choice too and can load rock salt in #1 and something more persuasive if not permanent in #2.

I'll second the 38. I don't personally own one, but revolver action is more reliable than semi-auto and the 38 has been around for a long time.

That said, should you choose to go for a CHL in the future, qualify with a semi-auto so you can carry either. If you qualify with a revolver, you can only carry a revolver.