Personal weapon selection plan? (long post)

[AJAY]

Been thinking of buying a personal weapon and welcome your advice.

Goals:
1) Experience. I've always been good with a rifle, but never too good with a sidearm. I'm 50 years old and this would be my first weapon not owned by the government.

2) Bonding with my son. He's 15 and has always been attracted to weapons - airsoft, rubber bands, paintball, and anything military at shows or a museum.

3) Personal protection. Actually pretty low on my list, haven't needed one for the last 50 years, but you never know what the future will hold.

4) Constitutional rights. Frankly, I'm a little paranoid with the present crowd in power. Maybe I should do this now before it gets harder.

So I visited a local shop / indoor range and got what I thought was some pretty good advice. Basically, he said he could just take my money, sell me a membership for the range and rent me guns and ammo to try them out until I found something that worked for me> But instead he advised me to learn a little more first - have a plan for what I want to accomplish, which is the purpose of this post.

I went in wanting to look at the Springfield XD which I've read about and find appealing for a number of reasons, safety, design, price, and 1911 grip angle are high among them. I've read a few reviews ando spoken with a number of friends who have praised the XD series as excellent value. Was thinking about the 4".

The fellow at the gun shop advised me to learn more before committing to any weapon. (He also wasn't that hot on the XD although he is a Springfield dealer.) We talked about revolvers - the reliability in a critical situation is a good point, although I think I'd prefer the subdued recoil of the autos.

Caliber is a hard choice. The fellow at the gun shop actually recommended a 22 for getting started. You can shoot a lot of 22 ammo and it's easier to get nowadays. He also made the point that a good grouping with a 22 will still get someone's attention in a self-defense situation. Funny, a 22 never even crossed my mind. I was thinking 9mm or 45, but then I do own a Busa, right?

Some notes about us as shooters:
a) I'm a lefty, so grip is an issue, as are the ejection port and gas from an auto.

b) I'm, umm, solid, My son is 15 and small, but also strong. My wife and daughter are both petite. I don't think either of the girls will really get into this, but I'd like them to at least learn something. This is where I thought the auto might be an advantage.

I'd like develop a plan to go shooting, maybe a few weapons to try and different calibers. What do you folks think?

 

[Mr Bogus]

Heck start with a basic revolver.. my parents bought my first one for my 13th birthday (38 sp). Great fun, ammo is not bad and packs a pretty good punch..

Learning to shoot a DA revolver (starting as a SA) would be first on my handgun list anyway.. Not all women can rack an auto IME..

 

[Lycan]

I think Rev's coming with a post longer than yours...

I think that trying different things to start si the BEST way to do things before making an investment. Certainly are alot of calibers out there depending on what you really want. The XD IS a good weapon I have shot them and know peeps who have bought them after trying alot of MY arsenal out, and I have a various assortment of "toys" and work models..

I dont think you can go wrong with your approach, now I will step aside so Revlis can give you discertation about calibers, ballistics, handling, MOA, target acquistion drills, Trajectory etc etc etc

good Luck bro!

 

[Vonderbach]

I was going to suggest this until I read that you weren't interested in self-defense. Because when it comes to self-defense, nothing says loving like the sounds of racking your PA Shotty.

Mossberg 500 Roadblocker

 

[Acehole]

Start with a 22. either Revolver or a nice Ruger Semi.
Benifits:
Easy and cheap to shoot
Most women/kids love to shoot if the recoil is not servere and the report is not very loud.
You will learn better trigger control and site picture acquisition with a mild shooting weapon.
Fun to "chase" tin cans around the yard!

Graduate to a larger calibur for yourself as you feel more confident.

 

[ibified]

+1 on the .22 Its a good caliber because ammo is ridiculously cheap for it, plus in a self-defense situation, it will definitely get someone's attention. Keep in mind that Ronald Reagan was shot with a .22 in the assassination attempt.

 

[skydivr]

"First weapon not owned by the government" So, what government owned weapon HAVE you shot? Any handguns? How long ago? Sometimes that's a great place to start. I'm not a fan of revolvers (I have a child in the house - and she' s not strong enough to charge - yet). You don't need a huge caliber - a 9MM would be just fine; ammo is cheaper and it doesn't kick/scare so hard. Anything smaller is too small. If he'll let you go shoot a few different guns and find the one you like (Lefty's have different issues because most handguns aren't designed for them) make SURE you shoot the mid sized Glock 9MM. It will shoot just about anything, clean or dirty, easy to clean, parts easy to find not that you'll ever need them, plenty accurate and concealable. Just gotta watch that safety (but I never keep one in the pipe anyway). Good luck.

House defense can't beat a shotgun. Can't shoot thru a wall or two and accidentally kill a family member hiding in another room, and the threat value is pretty immense. Harder to miss with at close range too.

 

[Dino]

XD's are great lefty weapons. I have one and love it.

 

[Pinky Winky]

Glock 32. The .357 sig is a great all around cart.

 

[BlueHaya]

Lefty here as well. Most of my rifles i have are left handed...except my AR. You can get some left handed ones, but not to my liking. I look for pistols that have ambidextrious options to help out comfort.

I have a Glock 19 in 9mm and it shots fine. I also have a ruger P94 although bigger in frame it shoots well also. I am sticking with the 9mm cause ammo is still kind of affordable and I dont have to worry about stocking more calipers of ammo (up to about 10 now). I also have a rifle that shoots the 9mm so I have multi use.

Starting out with a .22 is a good idea if you are going to shoot alot right out of the gate since it is cheap ammo. As you want to move up in size the 9mm is a good choice and I have grown fond of the glock.

 

[NickSully]

It seems like your looking more for a handgun than a shotgun but the shotgun gets my vote also. I have rifles, shotguns, and handguns in multiple calibers. I carry a S&W M&P 40 either compact or full size depending on what I'm wearing but for home defense I keep a shotgun close by.

The reason for this is that a lot of people over look that a rifle or handgun has a lot of power behind it. In an emergency situation your aim may not be 100 percent so you have to ask yourself where are the miss shots are going to go. Most handguns will easily make it through 3 - 4 walls with enough force to kill still. A rifle could have even more power behind it and could break through exterior walls depending on wall construction, etc.

A shotgun on the other hand with the right ammo may make it through a wall or two but it is less likely to do terminal damage if it hits the wrong target after passing through a wall or two. I have a Mossberg 500A and with a good quality ammo I have a spread of about 24 inches from 15 - 20 feet out. Which would be like you standing at one end of the room and shooting a target at the other end of the room. If you're hiding in a bedroom the shotgun spread will easily cover center mass standing in a door frame with deadly results.

I also have a couple other shotguns that I use for hunting and clay skeet shooting. As far as getting your kid interested in shooting sports there is nothing better than shooting moving targets that appear to explode when you get a direct hit. I find it way more rewarding than getting perfect shot groups at the handgun or rifle range. You can even start out with a 20 gauge shotgun that will be very cheap to shoot at the skeet range and still provide good quality home protection.

Most likely the more research you do you will realize that every type of firearm has good points and bad points about them and you will just need to weigh those points and make a decision that works best for your lifestyle.

 

[Vonderbach]

+1 on the .22 Its a good caliber because ammo is ridiculously cheap for it, plus in a self-defense situation, it will definitely get someone's attention. Keep in mind that Ronald Reagan was shot with a .22 in the assassination attempt.

Also keep in mind that he lived. A .22 is just as likely to piss someone off before it stops them. For in home, I want raw stopping power with wide spread. The last thing I want to worry about is my aim.

 

[notright]

I am also a southpaw. I am fond of the 1911's. With the purchase of a 22 conversion kit it can be swaped back and forth, that way you can save the cost of the 45 ammo and still become adept with the same gun. Any quality gun smith can install an ambi safety for you.

 

[showtime]

A lot pf good advice coming in. First let me comment on the original post (goals). Your first two are awesome. Number 3 should be a top priority not out of paranoia but out of good habit. Nothing has ever happened until it happens. Please remember that. Number 4 well...they don't have nearly as much power as you think. No matter what their agenda is on that subject, the Constitution is still the supreme law of the land. There's nothing they can do about it.

I think you're going about the right way. A .22 is a great caliber to fine tune your aim but I would strongly recommend something more powerful. A .38 special is a wonderful caliber for yourself and your family to carry and is high on my list but my official recommendation would be the .40 s&w. The felt recoil is virtually identical to a 9mm but with better ballistics. The ammo is also very reasonably priced.

With the gun choice you can't go wrong with an XD. I own 7 handguns and my favorite by far is my sub-compact (3 in) XD .40. Sub compact 1911's are also high on my list for everything except home defense where a shotgun is the only way to go. Just don't be duped into spending a small fortune on a weapon. The less expensive models perform just as well. I own a $1200 Kimber but if I were to shoot someone, they'd be no less dead than if they'd been hit by my $500 XD.



Top picks for:

Carry

Springfield XD sub-compact (.40s&w or 9mm) ~$500
Taurus M85 Ultralite (.38 sp) ~ $350
Kel-Tec P3AT (.380 acp) ~ $300

Home defense

Mossberg Maverick 88 (12 gauge) ~$200
Mossberg 500 (12 gauge) ~$350
Remington 835 (12 gauge) ~$350

Lerning

Sig Sauer Mosquito (.22) ~$400
Walther P22 (.22) ~$350

Extreme budget brand

Hi-Point (9mm-.45acp)

When you get a little more experience and want a very nice gun Kimber and Para Ordinance are the way to go.

Hope I've been of some help. Good luck with your search and remember to be safe.

 

[dmrowe]

A lot pf good advice coming in. First let me comment on the original post (goals). Your first two are awesome. Number 3 should be a top priority not out of paranoia but out of good habit. Nothing has ever happened until it happens. Please remember that. Number 4 well...they don't have nearly as much power as you think. No matter what their agenda is on that subject, the Constitution is still the supreme law of the land. There's nothing they can do about it.

I think you're going about the right way. A .22 is a great caliber to fine tune your aim but I would strongly recommend something more powerful. A .38 special is a wonderful caliber for yourself and your family to carry and is high on my list but my official recommendation would be the .40 s&w. The felt recoil is virtually identical to a 9mm but with better ballistics. The ammo is also very reasonably priced.

With the gun choice you can't go wrong with an XD. I own 7 handguns and my favorite by far is my sub-compact (3 in) XD .40. Sub compact 1911's are also high on my list for everything except home defense where a shotgun is the only way to go. Just don't be duped into spending a small fortune on a weapon. The less expensive models perform just as well. I own a $1200 Kimber but if I were to shoot someone, they'd be no less dead than if they'd been hit by my $500 XD.



Top picks for:

Carry

Springfield XD sub-compact (.40s&w or 9mm) ~$500
Taurus M85 Ultralite (.38 sp) ~ $350
Kel-Tec P3AT (.380 acp) ~ $300

Home defense

Mossberg Maverick 88 (12 gauge) ~$200
Mossberg 500 (12 gauge) ~$350
Remington 835 (12 gauge) ~$350

Lerning

Sig Sauer Mosquito (.22) ~$400
Walther P22 (.22) ~$350

Extreme budget brand

Hi-Point (9mm-.45acp)

When you get a little more experience and want a very nice gun Kimber and Para Ordinance are the way to go.

Hope I've been of some help. Good luck with your search and remember to be safe.

Very good! .22 Mag/LR is to light as is .25 ACP or .380 Auto, a .38 spl. 2" barrel loaded with Hydra Shocks would be the minimum. Go to a local indoor range where they rent guns and give several a try. The gun store gave you good advice, revolvers never jam and unless you become proficient at clearing jams that would be my choice. Any auto loaders should be ramped and polished by a qualified gunsmith to make sure that they will feed all types of ammo without jamming. The larger the caliber the more stopping power and intimidation factor like a .40/.44 S&W or .45 LC/ACP.

 

[Lycan]

The larger the caliber the more stopping power and intimidation factor like a .40/.44 S&W or .45 LC/ACP. [/QUOTE]

45 ACP brutha!

 

[BIG GUY]

I do own alot of guns myself. I personal like semi-automatic handgun to the revolver. I have a glock 22 in a 40cal size and a springfield XD in a 40cal also. That's the size I like and have found that just anout everyone can hit the target with this caliber. I even tought my friends 7yr old daughter how to shoot with my glock.

 

[Spectre]

I really want a .45 cal Bounty Hunter

 

[NCpanther01]

AJAY, first let me tell you I'm a LEO! So understand my point of view deals with the amount of deaths I hear/read/see over the accidents of guns not secure in the home! Whatever type of weapon you choice will carry a HUGE amount of responsibility. See ever time I go on scene to a shooting the shooter always says I didn't mean to kill him. And GOD forbide you kill a family member by accident. It went through the walls/floor..higher caliber/grain goes further. Remember you have a Busa so you will be trying out hollow points.

Bruh, first I would ask is do you really need a gun after 50 years. And playing ball with the kids is a good bonding tool. I did with my son!! I've owed 2 guns in my life 9mms Glock 17 (work issued) & 19. My dad and I never shoot together and he was a country boy. He owed plenty of guns.

Sir, I respectfully ask you do you live in a high crime area? And if someone came to your home a stole your DVD player do/did they deserve to DIE!! Me I would have one (weapon) to protect my family ...locking them all in a room until I investigate.

I hadn't read the other threads and if I said the same things..please excuse me...very respectfully!!! Maybe your mind have been made already..maybe not! Don't let politics make your decision. JM2C!!!

 

[niso]

A lot of choices out there, .22 are cheap to shot and you can get convertibles to use magnum for more stopping.
I personally prefer the 9mm, not too bad for shell prices and pretty universal. My personal carry is a Taurus Millenium, nice and light, little recoil and my wife, also petite loves to shot it.
Revolvers in . 357 can also shot 38 special, a little more spendy for shells but the .357 has a lot of stopping power.
A lot will be what you want and what you need to do with it, but certainly shop for price and feel.