DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Tailgate Forum Gun experts...help me select a gun

I've decided that I want to purchase a hand gun and replace my 40 year old 12 gauge shotgun that I use to hunt with. I know nothing about hand guns, and very little about shotguns.

From my internet research and talking with some of my dad's friends, I believe I've got the brand of hand gun narrowed down to a Sig or Glock; I'm just not sure what caliber/model to get. I'm open to other suggestions as well.

As far as a new shotgun, I'm open to all input.

I've got a new biometric lock box for the hand gun already in my possession and have a safe for the shotgun as well. I'll be taking some shooting/safety classes after purchasing my handgun as I have never shot one before.

Any recommendations for gun shops/shooting ranges in the Columbus area would also be great. I'm on the far east side, but location really doesn't matter all that much.

Thanks for any input.

I have a Glock and like the way it shoots and the fit in my hands. Of course its the only handgun I've ever owned so I can't compare it to anything else, except for my Dad's cannon, I mean Desert Eagle.

I'm glad you're taking a course. I took a defensive shooting course from an ex-Secret Service agent.

I have only target shot out in the boonies when I'm back in West Virginia, so I don't know of any ranges here in C-Bus. I'm interested to see if anybody recommends any. If not, just Google: "your zip code, firing ranges."

.40 is a nice calibre and as far as Glock or Sig either one is a good weapon . What are you looking to do with the Shotgun ? Handgun along with a CCW or just home defense ?

I've been looking at the Sig P250 myself. Just need to "pull the trigger" so to speak.

Are you looking to get a concealed carry permit? If so look into a Springfield Armory XD .40 cal. I think being a rookie to handguns this is one you should seriously consider taking a long look at. Super reliable and super safe. It has the USA trigger safety ( Ultra Safety Awareness), a strike indicator and a raised tab on top when there is a round in the chamber. Taking classes will teach you a lot also. Some classes lean more towards laws and then some towards pistol handling and marksmanship. While in the Marines I became a rifle/pistol range coach and learned quite abit about shooting, so if you need any pointers I will help you out the best I can. Go to Springfield Armorys website to take a look. They wont cost you as much as a Glock or Sig either. Got my .40 for around $450.00.

Whatever brand you buy, you can't beat the .45 caliber. Not the new .45 Glock the old .45 ACP. Ammunition will cost you less because it's so popular. It's also hard to argue with almost 100 years of defending people. Don't let anybody try to tell you recoil is rough either. My wife would shoot a .45 all day long if she had the ammunition to do it, and you've seen how tiny she is. I have fallen in love with my HiPoint .45, I gave $150 brand new for it. They are made in Dayton, and have a lifetime warranty. It's my defense pistol, I have no plans to get anything else for that purpose. I like guns and will have other pistols, but nothing is going to take it's place for defense.

You cant beat a nice 1911 (45 acp) and a 12 gauge for self defense.

If your ever in Roanoke again hit me up. Always looking for a reason to go shoot a few hundred rds.

Home Defense minded folks differ on thier opinions as to what is the best weapon but as for me I have an 870 home defender w/ a pistol grip loaded with Turkey loads All I would have to do is aim in the general direction and it's lights out ( and of course redecoration of whatever room I would be in ). I 've always thought that an intruder may feel like they could scare you enough to make you miss with a pistol but when they are looking down the big dark barrel of a 12 ga. ....well the odds of missing get greatly reduced.

I'm down there every other week still; taking a couple of weeks off but will be back on the 11th or 12th of April. Not sure I'll have my gun by then, but sounds good to me after I get it.

If you are on the east side you must check out the New Albany shooting range. Its awesome. It even has a little shop there and the gun selection is great. The price is resonable. And i THINK...they have training classes there as well? i'm not 100% sure on that but they might. The best part i guess is u can shoot bunch of different guns and find out which one you like.
Last time i went i shot a sig saure 9mm. It was awesome. I'm not sure if it's ideal for hunting. But then agian i don't know a lot.

10299 Johnstown Rd, New Albany, OH 43054

Ive been to a few gun stores in the past couple of days, the main thing their running low on is assualt rifles(ar15s,aks,etc..) i dont think your going to have a problem getting shotguns and pistols for awhile. As long as the stores can stay in buisness anyway...

If you dont have it by then no biggy. Between my father and I we have quite a few firearms. You could get some practice in atleast.

Columbus dawg...you might want to base your decision on just how "comfortable" the gun feels in your hand and how it feels to shoot.

Weight, grip, caliber and recoil all play a role in your "personal" comfort level with your gun and they can play a role in your accuracy shooting the gun.

Go hold the guns and shoot the guns before you make up your mind, would be the best advice I can give you. Find a gun shop with an indoor range and people who are professional in the way they approach your needs.

One of the reasons many choose a shotgun for home protection is how easy it is to point and shoot with the confidence that your likely to hit what your aiming at.

Handguns can be very inaccurate in emergency situations...thus the need for instruction and practice shooting to help make you as accurate as possible, shooting your gun. The gun itself is accurate, but the individual holding the gun may not be. Emotions in an emergency situation can be a difficult hurdle to overcome.

In the end, it's what makes you sleep better at night...jmho...mac

Why replace the shotgun?
I've never given much thought to using a shotgun in a self defense mode,but i guess hunting is hunting.
I would imagine the most important thing would be a short barrel for maneuverability.Secondly,rate of fire.A semi-auto pump is nice,but a full auto would be ideal.
If your old gun is a pump-action,you could save a lot of dough by just replacing the barrel.
Telling a guy what kind of pistol to buy is like telling him ehat kind of girl to date,it does no good.
In close quarters accuracy isn't an issue,dependibilty and stopping power is.I've owned a Colt Service .45 for many,many years.When I pull the trigger I know something 's coming out the other end.
I've got friends who love thier Glock 9's and they are beautiful weapons.You couldn't go wrong with that chioce either.
Whatever you decide to buy,just keep the damned thing clean and well maintained and you'll be well protected.

If you are going to have only one handgun it's difficult for me to advocate any other than the military version of the Beretta 92. I believe the military puts the guns they are considering thru quite a bit of testing. Check out the 9mm Beretta M9, The standard pistol of the U.S. Armed Forces. The military version of the Beretta 92SB-F.

It's lightweight, easy to handle, easy to get the 2nd shot off without having to bring the gun back down so much to the aiming point like you do a .45

For home defense, I just layout landmines in the living room before going to bed.

I prefer Claymores.

Well IMO for home pretection.
Like everyone here has mentioned you cannot go wrong with a shotgun.
Also alot of fancy handguns listed here.
I would get a large framed revolver .357 or bigger
Also "The Judge" They make an Ultra light version as well.
If you can call it ultra light
Yes ,handgun acurracy is an issue.
But a revolver will not jam in a tense situation either.
That being said.
I like a lighter gun.
A "Baby Eagle" 9mm shoots like butter.
Springfield Armory makes superb handguns.
I have not been to a shooting range in a long time.
I have a friend that has property that we shoot on.
Powwell has a nice shooting range.
And I think Someone mentioned New Albany?
That range is nice as well.
Just my 2 cents.

i second the advice of finding the gun that feels comfortable in your hands. If you can shoot it prior to purchase, all the better. I have a Beretta 92, nice gun, good safety mechanism- it would be hard to pull a plaxico burress with that one My brother-in-law has a glock, also a nice gun but it just doesn't fit my grip the same way. I like the .40

and buy some extra clips, high capacity, while you're at it. Not to get political- but those are going to start to disappear.

Found this review of The Judge; thought some of you might want to comment on it:
http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/bot41.htm

And thanks for all of the advice so far!

I've shot the Judge, it isn't all that and is somewhat overkill. I would not recommend this gun since it is over priced and I think it is more of a show piece.

I didn't read the whole thread, but when it comes to guns get something you are comfortable with. When purchasing a gun it boils down to comfort, so though I would recommend a .40 to just about everyone I know, that doesn't mean that it is good for them. I have a customized .40 Smith an Wesson and love it, but thats me and I was trained to operate this style piece so it fits me, but again that doesn't mean it is right for everyone.

Good luck.

Just a minor HiJack here!

I have been looking for a .22 LR to teach my daughters safety and precision. I would really like to go with one of the big american companies, but I'm having a tough time choosing. Any input would be appreciated. I have a bonus check coming (no, I'm not in a bail out industry) so I may pick something up next week.

Just look at the last page. That'll tell you what you need to know. Bird shot in ANY guage isn't good for stopping bad guys.

The .45 was effective. (see where this is going?)

Amazingly, the Judge offers the ability to fire not only the .45, but also the .410 shell. Here's a hint.....load the gun with a .410 shell first (first to fire, that is), and not birdshot - I mean, the name gives it away - birdshot.

Now, imagine the scenario.....you're sitting at home, or in bed sleeping. Someone breaks in the house. You can go grab your regular handgun, and, while shaking beyond belief, you can try to aim it and hit the bad guy. OR, you can grab the Judge - first shot is the .410 remember. You pull the trigger while shaking......first shot hits (because, well, you'd have to try to miss at 15 or 20 feet). Now you have the intruders attention, so to speak. Plus, he's wounded. Your second shot is able to be placed more easily, as the bad guy is either not moving, or, if he is moving, he's moving out of the house.

A shotgun, 12 guage with buckshot is a great home defense weapon. The long barrel poses some problems though. A "regular" hand gun is a great home defense weapon. The short barrel is a plus, but the downside is you're firing 1 piece of lead at a time. If the intruder is armed, your shooting and missing may be just what he needs in order to decide to fire back at you.. Now, a head shot with a .45, a .40, a 9, a .38, a .380, heck even a .22......well, that would end the encounter immediately.

But you have to have a kill shot. Otherwise, all you've done is wound the intruder. (or miss him completely) Remember the nerves thing as well.

Not that I'm right, or wrong - just giving my opinion here......the Judge gives the benefit of the shotgun (less need to aim), gives the benefit of a handgun (easier and quicker to shoot), but it also gives the ability to hit on the first shot while being very capable of stopping on the second shot.

People that critique have to do just that - be a critic, and I don't mean that in a bad way. The way he's talking about penetration makes me wonder what he'd say about shooting a 7.62 X 39 round, full metal jacket.....in a home defense situation, that would go clear through a person, probably even 2 people. Does that make it better? (no).

Again, this is just my opinion, and I'm no expert. I don't have a judge, and I don't work for Taurus. I have a Beretta 92FS, with hollow points, beside my bed, and my Rem 1187 is a few steps away (albeit, locked up) with #2 shells and slugs just waiting.

With 1 judge, I could forget the other 2 guns.

One of the best on the market:

Link

My son has that one

Just wondering why you would think it is overkill? I really like the idea of the shotgun shell/.45 combo for home protection. I am concerned about the size, as I am a novice - I'm certainly going to go to a shop as has been suggested and hold a bunch of different ones prior to purchasing.

And the price, to me, seems pretty reasonable at $400-$500.

I think the new albany shootring range has one...you should go shoot at some targets to see if you like it.

Should have been more specific. Rifle, bolt action with a magazine. Good info about the ammo though.

The best advice I can give is to do a little research and then go to a local range and try as many as you can. There really is no "best" handgun for what you're looking for because it's largely dependent on how you comfortable (and comforting) it is for you.

I would also recommend you stick with quality manufacturers-- Sig, Glock, S&W revolvers, etc.

I have only shot a few handguns, so I can't give much advice, but I do have a Taurus .38 special ultra lite, and I love it. Feels great in my hand, and I can group my shots pretty well. Great for conceal and carry as well.

It also has a built in lock, which is nice.

I'm partial to my revolvers over semi-auto handguns, for one simple reason, revolvers don't jam, and are easier to maintain. I'm glad to see you have the safe/lock box for you guns too. You cant be to cautious with gun safety.