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Looking for some advice because I am not very knowledgeable about handguns. My son and my future son-in-law are and they have been giving me some advice. But, I trust some of you guys, too.

Situation: I have been a proponent of working together and uniting as a country. That doesn't look to be happening. The Civil unrest is very high and demands backed by threats of "...by whatever means necessary" leads me to believe the threat is real.

Current status: I have three shotguns. One by the bed. One in a closet by the door that leads from the garage to the house. And a third in a closet by the front entrance way. I have a Smith and Wesson 629 V-Comp in a nightstand next to the bed.

What I am looking for: A gun that both my wife and I can use. Thus, I am looking at purchasing a 9 mm.

The problem: As many of you know, a lot of guns are out of stock right now.

Three guns I like: I can get a Beretta 92X 4.7" on sale for $650. A Beretta 92FS on sale for $600, and a CZ 75B for $600. I know the Berettas are a bit heavy, but I like their accuracy. My daughter's fiance really likes the CZ-75s.

Questions: Which of those three guns is the best bang for my buck? Are there any others that you consider a better value and just as reliable? I know Glocks have a great rep, but the ones I liked were out of stock.

I'm all ears, dawgs.

Btw: Since I already have three shotguns and expensive SW 629, I really don't want to spend any more than the $600 to $650 costs of the guns I listed. I wouldn't mind spending less, but I want a reliable and accurate gun w/good sights.

Aww this ought to go well, (now let me read what you wrote)

I like your taste in guns. Beretta is a good choice because they are made of metal and so heavier and less recoil. Which is good for a woman shooter.

I'm looking at getting a Beretta 92 compact for myself. Its a medium sized 9mm, still can be concealed.

You didnt mention if you want to conceal carry. Or if its for home defense.

I recommend you and your wife try your choice in guns at the range before you buy it.

JMO - if your guns aren't near you, but by the door.....maybe move them.

Shotguns are best..............with the right ammo. If you load them with buckshot, great. If they are loaded with skeet loads - bad.

I have a berretta 92 fs. Great gun. Big though, but for home defense, size doesn't matter. It's not a concealed carry gun, away from your house.

I love that gun, but I'm partial to a SW 9c. I also have a SW 40c. (c means compact).

As has been discussed ad nauseum, the shot gun is the best. I sleep with a ..........well, doesn't matter. A sheriff might be 20 minutes, or more away if I need them.

Whatever you choose, be familiar with it.

Thanks Eve and arch.

I do want it for home defense. I'm not interested in carrying at this point in time.

arch, I can get to my shotguns. One by the bed for when I am sleeping and two by entrance-ways. That was the idea.

arch, can you give me more info on the Beretta 92 FS? I can pick that one up at a place that is about 5 minutes from my house and they have an indoor range.

Glock 19. They don't get much better. I have one. The action is very smooth, and it's not a hard pull to load the chamber. My wife loves this gun. It's simple, light, easy to take apart and put back together. Some people will have an issue as it has no safety, but the wielder is the ultimate safety anyway. If you can't find new, check pawn shops.

I love the 92 fs. Love it. It accepts all ammo I've put in it. But, my 92 fs is not a concealed carry. It's a large gun. My SM c's are just smaller, without losing capacity.

Home defense? Shot gun, every time. If you need a handgun, be familiar with it.

But, personal info in the FS - steady gun, due to its size. Reliable as all get out. Easy to get a second, third, etc shot on target. It's a 9, so keep that in mind.

I have friends that swear by a 45. Bigger bullet. Much harder to rapid fire.

I live in an area where cops could be 20 minutes away.

Good info. Thanks.

Do you guys think I should purchase a laser sight for the handgun? Again, this is for home defense as a back-up gun that my wife could also use.

Get a pair of those, I hear they are popular with cartoon characters.

I own a Taurus snubnose 38 for home defense, but my buddy Jim swears by his SIG Sauer P226. I think that might be more than you want to spend, like $900 or more. He's also a big fan of his Glock 19, which I have fired - its light as a feather, maybe good for a woman not used to handling guns.

Yeah, $900 is more than I want to spend. The SW 629 was about $1500.00 I have the three shotguns. I'm looking for a back-up gun in case there is a prolonged attack.

If you and your wife practice with the gun, you shouldn't need a laser site. Realistically, you'll probably never have to fire it at anything other than a paper target.

I actually think, for home defense, a Laser sight??? For home defense it's most probably a bang bang bang thing as opposed to "laser sighting in" someone 5-10-15-20 feet away.

.02

Agreed on the Beretta 92FS Centurion.

First gun I ever bought. Bought it right after getting my CCW permit. I have larger hands/longer fingers and could easily palm a basketball(with the emphasis on "could"). The 92FS fits like a glove but I think it'd also fit smaller hands.

When you go to purchase, try on a few different "gloves" so to speak.

No doubt you'll spend what you need to. With all things being equal, I'd spend more so on "the feel good" side.

Also, cartridge capacity(6rd vs 8rd, vs, vs, vs) I'd lean moreso to a 9mm 15-16 rd capacity.

If it's earmarked for "home defense", how few rds capacity do you feel safe with? When seconds count I'd personally want 1 16rd mag loaded and 3 full 16 rd 9mm mags ready.

Just a .02.

Thanks bro.

My wife isn't very big. She won't go w/me to purchase the gun. She doesn't like them. But, she is a fighter and if we are invaded, she might change her mind. Do you think that gun is too big for a woman who is not heavy and is around 5'6?"

The Beretta 92 is a big, heavy gun. It absorbs recoil well, but if your wife has smallish or weak feminine hands, you should look for something smaller/lighter. The PX4 or the new APX series might be a better fit.

https://www.beretta.com/en-us/win-the-fight/#The-APX-Pistols

I'm a scrawny female and I favor big heavy guns.

BUT, I also practice with them at the range.

Your wife will need to practice with the gun. Learn how to use it and be safe with it.

Its not something that is a no brainer.

I’m going to give you a different option. A 9mm, pistol caliber carbine. It folds in half, can fit and be easily carried in a backpack, can hold a 33 round glock magazine, is easy to shoot for anyone with no kick to speak of, accurate, can be wielded in a hallway of a home as easily as a pistol. If you can’t take them down with 33 9mm rounds, run.


Keltec Sub 2000


It’s generally around $400

I have a .22 with 2 speedloaders.

If it takes more than 18 rapid shots .....

My son bought this firearm, Tulsa...he's very pleased with it.

For emergency protection, and if you don't practice and train regularly, I would recommend a revolver.

A semi-auto can jam, and in the heat of panic with adrenaline, one needs to prepared to deal with it. A revolver just moves on to the next chamber and bang.

Interesting thought Tulsa

I don't think you could go wrong with either option. If this were 1 year ago, I'd suggest shooting each and then going with the one you shoot better, but I'm not sure if you have time and range access to test them out thoroughly. When I purchase a handgun, I shoot the heck out of it before buying. I'd lean towards the 92FS.

There is one thing to consider with a 9mm handgun right now, there's almost no ammo available and it's doubled in price. And I don't expect the 9mm ammo demand to drop any time too.

The online ammo site I've been using for a long time has been completely dry for the past 2 weeks (self defense ammo trickles in here and there, but target ammo is very hard to find). They may still be getting some stuff, I'm not a premium member and won't be getting the pre-sale warnings.


I'm a Glock, S&W and H&K guy. I've always wanted a Beretta handgun but there always seem to be other items higher on the wish list (a Beretta 1301 shotgun is within 3 purchases, if I ever get to buy another).

Just curious... why do you put your guns near the entrances? Wouldn't that give your would-be intruder/attacker easy access? Are you thinking the confrontation would happen in your yard, and you would want to retreat back to your house and be armed quickly?

I've also been thinking about this a lot, and a big part of owning a gun is doing so responsibly. So through that lens, where you put it is very important. Not at all trying to get on your case, just curious why you chose those locations.

Also, as Florida mentioned, revolver might be more your speed. Simpler == better, usually.

Yes, 9mm seems to be very hard to come by right now, even target ammo.
Around here you have to be a range member for them to even sell it to you most places, and that is restricted to 100 or 200 rounds per day.

We live in a neighborhood that has only one way in or out. We don't get a lot of traffic. We also have two dogs that go nuts whenever someone approaches the house. I typically go and look out to see what they're barking at. The two closets are closest to my viewing sights. I don't want the guns just sitting out in the open. My main thinking is having the shotgun and handgun close to our bed. I have to put the other two shotguns somewhere and I thought those two locations made sense for me.

Hey Verse....I am actually looking as well...My brother's firearms instructor recommended the Gen 4 Glock 19. With the Gen 5's out. you can get a good price on the Gen 4.

But there is another I am looking at. it is the Canik TP9 series. If you are looking for bang for buck, this is it. Many say it out-Glock's the Glock. One of the best, if not the best, triggers in the class. Several different models from the compact SC (3"6" barrel) to 5.25" Competition ready SFX. Reliability is a hallmark from all that I have read and seen. Another great part its the sights. They come standard with 4 adapter plates for mounting different red dots and sights. It has a dovetail for aftermarket hard sights as well. As far as what I am looking at.... I am looking at the TP9 SFX (can find for $460) or the $360 SF ELITE(about 4"-4.25").

I have not yet shot them. so when the time comes I will want to try several including the Glocks the M&P by Smith and Wesson...and several others. But from what I have been reading. It will probably be the Canik...Don't be fooled by the price...and look at reviews...

Sorry for sounding like a commercial....like I said. I am in the market as well and so have been getting a bit of info on these...LOL

No need to be sorry. I am clearly seeking advice and I love reading all the opinions that you guys are providing. I like to garner as much information as I can before making a decision. So, I thank you.

Claiming you didn't want a political crap storm yet starting the thread out this way is simply false, to put it mildly. If that's not what you wanted, you didn't have to post this. You could have simply left this part out. You knew what you were doing.

But anyway....

Erik mentioned a Glock 19. Some people prefer a very light gun. So if that's your preference this is a good way to go. On a personal level, I like a heavier handgun. I also think a heavier handgun would be best for your wife.

The reason being, the recoil is less from a heavier handgun. A lot of people refer tho that as "kick or kick back". The lighter gun doesn't have the weight to prevent it from kicking back as much as a heavier gun would.

For someone proficient with hand guns that really doesn't matter all that much. It's just a matter of preference. But for someone not proficient with hand guns it makes firing multiple round with greater accuracy easier. Less kick back means you don't have as far to to move the gun back to a position of getting off your next accurate shot. Meaning you can get off multiple accurate shots quicker.

I think everyone has the right to protect their home. I do however find falling for all of the fear mongering as motivation means people are being fooled by rhetoric.

Ah......dogs. Best home alarm system (provided they do what you said they do). Our dog knows our schedule. When my wife worked nights, he wouldn't make a peep when she came home. Someone just shows up at a time that he doesn't expect me, wife, or Sooga to be coming home? He barks his fool head off. Most ferocious 20 lb dog bark ever. He wouldn't stop an intruder, but he'd certainly give us (me) a heads up. And, he'd do his best to help.

(plus, like when my brother lived in DC, the police met in neighborhoods with neighborhood watch groups, and told them a dog is one of the best crime deterrents there is. The bigger the dog, the better.Why? Because common criminals aren't looking for a tough score, they want an easy score. Dog/s barking generally tend to make a criminal go to the next house. Although, oddly funny story. A couple I know got broken into in the middle of the day. They had video cameras. Their dogs, 3 of them, were super friendly. And on the video, you could see the dogs walking around the 3 guys that broke in, just wanting to be petted. Obviously not watch dogs. And that's ok, because a violent dog is a bad thing if it's violent at the wrong time.)

Anyway............1 thing I didn't mention.

9 mm is a fast round. Especially compared to a .45, or even a .40. It's also smaller. Combine speed with smaller, and you get more penetration. If you're pulling the trigger, you are responsible for what you hit obviously. A 9 is more prone to, in an intruder situation where you miss, a 9 is more prone to go through your wall, and possibly into someone else's home if you have close neighbors.

Now, any gun can do that of course, even more so with rifles. And like I said, if you pull the trigger, you are responsible for what you hit, regardless.

Shotguns with buck shot, or even #2, or #4 shot, are much less prone to doing that.

I don't know if you've fired a glock 19, but the action is very smooth with very little kick. I've fired .357 snub and long barrel, .50 desert eagle, .40 taurus, .22, .308 kal tec, and a couple other 9mils, and I've never fired a gun as smooth as my glock.

I actually owned one for a short time. It was the 9mm Glock. It had a lazer sight and I got a very good deal on it. It was a situation where if I liked it I would keep it but if I didn't, worse case scenario I could make $100 on it.

It felt cheap in my hand. It simply didn't have the weight I was used to. A 9mm is a 9mm. The less weight the more recoil. I sold it a few days later.

As I said, I guess a lot of it depends on what you're used to and comfortable with. I prefer a heavier handgun as it is easier for me to steady. My favorite 9mm is an older Ruger P-89. The newer model Security 9 is pretty nice. Although S&W makes a pretty good one.

As to the handguns Vers is speaking of, Beretta makes a pretty quality weapon. I just don't care for a Glock of any kind. But to each their own.

Yeah, our dogs are cool. They bark like crazy when someone other than us comes on the property or even in front of the house. Like I say, we don't get much traffic. They have deep barks and sound mean, but they would never hurt a flea. Friendly as friendly can be. But, we do appreciate the "heads-up." They are doing their job. LOL

I hear you about being responsible. Our house is all brick and the lots are big here. This new gun will be a last resort in case things get crazy.

I keep a Keltec KSG Keltec Shotgun as my home protection, it can hold and cycle 24 of the mini shot shells, and that’s some fire power to protect my home and family. My wife however is afraid of it, too much kick, too much noise. While she has her own Springfield 9mm pistol, I keep the sub 2000 for her, she can grab it and accurately use it without the kick, without the fear.

That was the justification for the purchase, the fact is, this carbine is simply fun to shoot and very accurate from 100 yards, much more so than any 9mm pistols I own, from any manufacturer. A pistol is what I carry if I feel a need, but for home protection, the pistols stay in the safe. I have better options.

Interesting. Thanks for the knowledge.

Verse.....

Not a sales pitch.

I have 2 of these. One in a front "livingroom" of the house and one in a back "greatroom" of the house. Look terrific. Work well Kids don't even have to know.

Much better/more safe with the youngins/kids around. Worth the $197.

Just a thought.

https://www3.tacticaltraps.com/

Thanks TTT. I actually made one of those out of cherry for my son.

I don't have the need for one at this time. I want grandchildren in the worst way because I love kids, but my son got divorced after he had Testicular cancer and my daughter isn't getting married until May of 2021. She wasn't going to have children out of wedlock.

BTW, weren't Beretta FS 92's the sidearm of the military for quite awhile until they went with.........Glocks?

I remember hearing that.

Anyone?

I’d love to buy a Glock 9mm, we wear them at work. Such an easy handgun to use. I’ve read 9mm ammo is hard to find right now, along with the gun.