Do you have CHL and if so, what ya packin?

[Tim the Teacher]

Suzan and I have signed up for a CHL class. We already have decided on a Walther PPK .380 for her but I am still researching. She has fired the .380 several times and feels comfortable with being able to finish some scumbag's life on this planet with it if she needs too. I didn't like the .380 but I don't want a .357 or 9mm, just something with enough power to complete the job so to speak......

[tailchaser]

I'm a big fan of glocks... A .380 is better than nothing at all, but 9mm is much more effective, and not much harder to handle.

[black roadster]

I'd be interested in going with someone to a shooting range as I have never fired a gun at all. I grew up in a family that just didn't own guns.

I've considered get a CHL as there are way to many nuts out there. The Virginia Tech atrocity makes you think....

[channelmaniac]

Not yet, but contemplating it.

I'm considering the Kahr Arms .40 S&W - very compact, easy to conceil and has good stopping power without going through as many walls as the higher velocity 9mm.

RJ

[tailchaser]

... has good stopping power without going through as many walls as the higher velocity 9mm.

Kahr is a great gun. .40 is a great round. But... don't buy in to the hype...

The best stopping record for 9mm in law enforcement use is the 124 gr +P at around 1200 fps... The best stopping record in .40 is the 165 gr at around 1165 fps... Not much difference in speed. Practice ammo for the .40 is about twice the cost as the 9mm.

[Magma]

I will be going with the glock 9mm, when I get the funds mainly for the reason that if you are accurate in placement 9mm will stop someone and that the practice ammo is dirt cheap

[Tim the Teacher]

How about a Hi Point Compact 9mm.....are they okay?

[tailchaser]

How about a Hi Point Compact 9mm.....are they okay?

No. If you want a really small, easy to conceal 9, Kahr is probably your best choice (although I broke the only one I've ever fired... covered, of course, by the manufacturers warranty, but I'm not sure that makes me feel better, even though it was a demo gun with no telling how many rounds through it). A Kel-tec PF9 is an excellent, and affordable choice. Highly concealable. Possibly a nicer trigger than the more expensive Kahr. Good reliability once you've run a few hundred rounds through it and sent it back to Kel-tec for a tune up (no charge, just inconvenient).

The biggest problem with the little guns is that you won't want to practice. They're not pleasant to shoot. And without practice... well... bad things could come your way.

When considering a weapon for personal protection, you have to look at the balance between effectiveness and praticality. Considering that concealment is required, the biggest thing you can cart around on a daily basis would be a full size "service" handgun. More practical for most people is a compact or sub-compact - shorter barrel, shorter grip.

For home defense in suburbia, a pump action shotgun is arguably the best choice. With an 18" barrel and some practice, it's easy enough to handle within the confines of the average home. Adding the weight of a quality flashlight to the barrel doesn't make it feel much different. And on the list of universally recognizeable sounds? Take a guess what #2 is... (#1 is laughter). With the shotgun, you can choose a round that isn't likely to penetrate the exterior walls of your home - possibly even dividing walls in an apartment, although even #9 shot will have some penetration if there are only 2 layers of 1/2 inch sheetrock.

[Treibenschnell]

And on the list of universally recognizeable sounds? Take a guess what #2 is... (#1 is laughter). With the shotgun, you can choose a round that isn't likely to penetrate the exterior walls of your home - possibly even dividing walls in an apartment, although even #9 shot will have some penetration if there are only 2 layers of 1/2 inch sheetrock.

And damnit if it ain't fun shooting the shotgun on a tactical range too!

[tailchaser]

And damnit if it ain't fun shooting the shotgun on a tactical range too!

Heh... true... We should get the whole Team CB crew together and go shoot the Tactical Shotgun course using my shotgun... I wonder how warm it would get???

[Titus]

Heh... true... We should get the whole Team CB crew together and go shoot the Tactical Shotgun course using my shotgun... I wonder how warm it would get???

Shouldn't be any hotter than a flywheel straight out of the oven. You can handle that Bean, can't you?

[channelmaniac]

OMG!

I love the sound of racking a round in a pump shotgun! Nothin' like that to make a bad guy his britches.

It's a universally understood sound, no matter what the language the thief speaks.

I'd be up for a skeet shooting day or a pistol/rifle shooting day at the Elm Fork shooting range. It's just South of Luna/Royal and is run by the Dallas Parks & Recreation Dept.

RJ

[tailchaser]

Shouldn't be any hotter than a flywheel straight out of the oven. You can handle that Bean, can't you?

"... just doesn't take me very long to look at a flywheel"

[MiataMike]

You should look at the Alaskan.

Its a .50 revolver (Very accurate)

and its compact enough to conceal easily.

[tailchaser]

You should look at the Alaskan.

Its a .50 revolver

and its compact enough to conceal easily.

pssst... see on the side of the "barrel" where it says .454??? Ya might get your .50 stuck in there... Oh yeah... and make sure I'm nearby when you fire 50 rounds through one. I'll buy you some aspirin afterwards.

[cone-cerned]

I, too, have been thinking of getting a CHL, but haven't yet. I have a Walther PPKS 380.

[channelmaniac]

A .50 or even a .454 that small???

I can see why they call that an Alaskan. That's a last ditch way to protect yourself when the grizzly bear has you on the ground, munching away.

[cone-cerned]

You should look at the Alaskan.

Its a .50 revolver (Very accurate)

and its compact enough to conceal easily.

I'm not so sure 2" barrel and "Very accurate" could fit in the same handgun.

[tailchaser]

A .50 or even a .454 that small???

I can see why they call that an Alaskan. That's a last ditch way to protect yourself when the grizzly bear has you on the ground, munching away.

That's pretty much what the brochure says...

[MiataMike]

Bah, I was going off memory. I read about it a couple of years ago. I thought that they said it was a .50
After I looked it up it has a brother that is a .50

Manufacturer: Smith & Wesson
Model: 500
Operation: Double-action revolver
Caliber: .500 S&W Magnum
Barrel length: 8.38 inches
Overall length: 15.0 inches
Weight, empty: 72.5 ounces
Safety: Internal self-engaging hammerblock; safety hammer keylock
Sights: Adjustable rear; interchangeable post front
Sight radius: 10.75 inches
Rifling: 6 grooves, 1:18.75 LH twist
Stocks: Hogue rubber Monogrips
Cylinder capacity: 5 rounds
Finish: Brushed stainless steel