Choosing a Handgun for SD/HD

Everyone needs a decent revolver (a s&w or ruger or comarable), and everyone needs a decent high capacity semi auto like a glock. Whichever you get first is up to you but I think you should eventually get both.

My favorites are 357 magnum Smith and Wesson revolvers and 9mm glocks.

I got into revolvers before I got into semi autos but since I got into glocks they are all I have carried. Much more practical.
 
I wouldn't call the trigger pull on a Glock heavy. Certainly lighter than a DA revolver.

For me, a) higher capacity and b) easier reload under stress. Remember the one-shot stop ratio for handguns of all self-defense calibers (9mm - 45 ACP) is in the low 30's.
 
I plan on finding an instructor and taking some basic 1 on 1 handgun training. But for me, revolvers are just inherently more comfortable because I just feel comfortable with operating them. I do want to get some semi auto training but before I buy a semi auto, I feel I need to rent one and get a feel for it before spending money on one and then not knowing what the hell I'm doing.
 
Lots of good advice offered so far, especially regarding the importance of quality training.

But for me, revolvers are just inherently more comfortable because I just feel comfortable with operating them.
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Absolutely nothing wrong with that. Revolvers are just as effective today as they ever were. Don't allow anyone to tell you that revolvers are 'outdated' or a poor choice for personal defense. Because, when it really comes down to it, its a personal decision. Its about what YOU feel comfortable carrying and are proficient in using.

Buying a Glock will get you:
-A gun with no safety....some people like it, but i seem to recall reading about a lot of ND's with safetyless guns.
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I'm not sure why Glocks are singled out as being particularly dangerous when they are just one of many striker fired safety-less guns on the market. :confused:
 
I plan on finding an instructor and taking some basic 1 on 1 handgun training. But for me, revolvers are just inherently more comfortable because I just feel comfortable with operating them. I do want to get some semi auto training but before I buy a semi auto, I feel I need to rent one and get a feel for it before spending money on one and then not knowing what the hell I'm doing.
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Good idea.

Realize that there is handgun training and there is handgun training. Learning how to handle the gun, how to grip it, and how to press the trigger is step one.

But that won't take you very far at all in preparing for the gravest extreme.

A violent criminal actor will not stand and face you from down range when you have been preparing to shoot him. Think ambush--a completely unexpected attack, from any direction, at close range by someone who is moving fast.

This book will explain what most of us never considered before first strapping on a firearm.

https://www.amazon.com/Combat-Focus-Shooting-Intuitive-Fundamentals/dp/0979150868/ref=pd_sbs_14_t_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=4YCJNQFARWBY1WQB43VA

Grant Cunningham is a disciple of the same philosophies, and for revolver people, he has published this:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/p/defensive-revolver-fundamentals-grant-cunningham/1114185414/2675511214338?st=PLA&sid=BNB_DRS_Marketplace+Shopping+Books_00000000&2sid=Google_&sourceId=PLGoP2246&k_clickid=3x2246

See about getting training along these lines:

http://www.icetraining.us/courses/Combat_Focus_Shooting.html

Lot of money, yes, but one can buy the materials from I.C. E. PDN and if you can get somewhere where you can draw and fire in a safe place, you can conduct the training with one other person.

Right after getting my CCW permit, I bought a five shot snub revolver that would fit in a pocket . It did not take me long to learn that I could not draw it quickly enough from a pocket holster; that capacity was very questionable at best;, and that I could fire rapidly with control because of the heavy DA trigger pull.

I've taken courses, and I learned that I needed something else. I currently carry a 9mm single column Springfield four inch semi auto.

I won't recommend anything for you--you have to decide by yourself. But do make an informed decision.
 
There is absolutely no reason Glocks should be singled out as being potentially more dangerous in comparison with other striker-fired pistols lacking manual safeties, except perhaps for the fact that the Glock requires pulling the trigger to field strip the pistol, and Glock has never offered the option of an external safety unlike a number of other manufacturers of striker-fired pistols.

Yes, no one should ever have a negligent discharge taking down a Glock because they didn't do a chamber check, but it has happened, quite a few times, and sometimes with fatal results.

I think Glock gets a lot of attention for NDs because they were the first, have been around the longest, and are so prevalent in the law enforcement and civilian handgun market.
 
There is absolutely no reason Glocks should be singled out as being potentially more dangerous in comparison with other striker-fired pistols lacking manual safeties, except perhaps for the fact that the Glock requires pulling the trigger to field strip the pistol, and Glock has never offered the option of an external safety unlike a number of other manufacturers of striker-fired pistols.

Yes, no one should ever have a negligent discharge taking down a Glock because they didn't do a chamber check, but it has happened, quite a few times, and sometimes with fatal results.

I think Glock gets a lot of attention for NDs because they were the first, have been around the longest, and are so prevalent in the law enforcement and civilian handgun market.
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Good points.
 
Just a bit of critical thought to interject here:
Books are great for the information they carry and you should read as many as possible BUT until you recognize that you won't be able to think and your fine motor skills completely disappear when a confrontation begins you cannot be prepared for self defense use of a gun.

It takes practice and a lot of it to get to the point where you can function under the stress and shock of an armed confrontation. It takes practice to be aware of your surroundings and present possible threats within them. Night sights are wonderful for shooting in low light conditions but sights of any kind are useless when you can't see them because your body is flooded with adrenaline and you fear for your life. Your fine motor skills don't work so you can't line them up and you are already pulling the trigger before you are ready and more often than not you will shoot higher than you want to.

I practice first using the sights and going slow. As my speed increases I rely more on the grip and muscle memory than on the sights. Then, eventually I don't use the sights at all. I point the gun as if it were an extension of my arm and the bullet goes where I expect it to go.

You need to practice until it is automatic because when you need those skills your body goes on auto-pilot and your mind is left behind. If you practice enough and live the experience in your mind enough then you will find you are less affected by all the chemical and emotional changes that happen.
 
Books are great for the information they carry and you should read as many as possible BUT until you recognize ...
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Absolutely!

The only thing I would expect anyone to gain from the books I listed above is the ability to understand what kind of defensive training would best be pursued, along with an appreciation of the important difference between "good shooting" and the defensive use of a firearm.
 
Just to be contrary...

I shot 22's and shotguns with my dad and hunted a bunch when I was young. I had a Single Six as a teenager and shot many thousands of rounds through it. After college I bought a 4" 357 for HD.

At some point in my early 20's I decided that maybe I should learn about the whole semiautomatic pistol thing. In those ancient times information was often found in magazines such as "Guns and Ammo". I had read that the Hungarian FEG copies of the Browning High Power were pretty good pistols, and they were affordable for a young person such as myself.

I went to a gun show and paid $200 for one. I bought a couple of boxes of ammo and went out to the family farm. 100 rounds of ammo later I pretty much knew what I was doing. It wasn't exactly rocket science. Service pistols such as the BHP were designed so that even the most dimwitted recruit could easily be taught to use and maintain them.

I'm not saying that training is a bad idea at all. I'm just saying that if you can already operate shotguns, rifles, and revolvers properly, learning how to operate a semiautomatic pistol is not a big step at all. That doesn't mean you will be ready for drastic and dangerous situations, but if you are already familiar with The Four Rules, you should be able to read a manual or watch a YouTube video and then operate a semiautomatic pistol without causing harm to yourself or others.

Thus my comment about buying a simple, inexpensive, sturdy surplus pistol to learn with when you feel ready or feel the urge. It's been about 30 years, and I still have the High Power clone, and it still functions perfectly.



FEGHighPower_zps3d293b0c.jpg
 
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Well I decided to go with my preference and get me a CA classic bulldog in 3" 44spl. It's a revolver which I like, my favorite caliber to shoot, and one I've been very accurate and able to handle in the past. Plus, it's a cool historical gun too. I'll use it for my nightstand/home defense and plinking. No doubt about it though I am going to pick up a small pocket pistol for for pocket carry in the very near future.

I'm still very open to semi autos, though I'll need to familiarize more with them before I purchase one. I plan on getting one at some point just because they have more capacity. I've got my AK in case of major SHTF, and nobody will f**k with someone with an AK. That said I felt I really needed a pistol too and I'm very happy with the Bulldog. The 44 spl is a highly underrated round. Ballistically, similar to 45 acp.
 
and nobody will f**k with someone with an AK.
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Don't count on it. A man who can use a lever action 30-30 is just as well armed. And one of the books I have from the British army states that a native in the jungle with a single shot shotgun loaded with buckshot is just as dangerous as a soldier with a subgun in those surroundings. Its the indian, not the arrow.
 
^valid point. It's all about shot placement regardless what the weapon is. I've been practicing with my AK, and I keep it loaded in the corner. I sleep well at night.
 
I will always recommend that new shooters learn on a 9mm. Or better yet, a 22. You'll develop better habits and can practice longer, for less dollars.

Then make the "upgrade" (insert arguments here) to 45 if you want, and at that point you'll have some actual trigger time under your belt and hopefully you'll have a better idea of what you like in a handgun. Every shooter starts out thinking they'll find the "perfect" gun in their first purchase, but it doesn't happen.
 
I enjoy both revolvers and semi autos, for fun and protection. They each have their merits and their drawbacks. Revolvers are down on round count. No doubt, that all things being equal, more ammo on board is better. But the reliability of semi autos can be sensitive to how they are held and what angle they are fired at (such as when injured in a fight). I know, I've tried intentionally "limp arming" various otherwise reliable semi autos and the results were eye opening.

I used to shoot revolvers significantly better (a higher level of accuracy for a given firing rate), but now I shoot both platforms about equally well. Well, I am still more consistent with revolvers, and at this point in time I can definitely do better with a revolver on that first quick shot after drawing from concealment. A S&W K or L frame just points so beautifully for me, and that ability to draw and put a round on target quickly and accurately can't be ignored.

So overall, I still prefer my revolvers like my 3" 686, 2.5" 66, 3" 13 and 642, but lately I have been carrying my S&W SD9VE in place of my classic iron due to lower back pain. And all in all I'm fine with it, I really can go either way these days. As I said, for me each has their merits.

Also, it used to be that a good quality revolver cost less than a good quality semi auto, new or used. Today, it's the opposite, at least where I live. That SD9VE cost $304 out the door and so far it has functioned perfectly. A S&W 386, a light weight gun in it's own right, would probably function just as reliably but it costs a wee bit more than $304 :( .

A S&W M&P9 Shield is about $75 less than a S&W 642. Used Glock 19s can be had for $325, you can't find a used S&W Model 19 for anything less than $500 these days.

The cost difference is hard to ignore, though granted, I put the semi autos that will be used for protection through more extensive ammo testing than I would a revolver, so that may cancel out the up front savings.
 
Yes, proper training and "try before you buy". Only the hits count, and the real question is, are you ready to pull the trigger when the time comes. In semiautomatics I recommend using a 22 conversion unit to learn to shoot and get familiar with the feel of the pistol, in revolvers I am Old School, a .357, learn to shoot with 38 WCs, then when you have developed skill, practice with 357s. Revolvers, especially the Dan Wesson allow greater scope to tailor the grips.
 
Seems a little big and heavy for carry IMO, I'd prefer something compact and polymer for myself but if OP doesn't mind I don't see any reason why a metal framed full size gun can't work. Be better for HD anyways, that being said, don't care how well the PT92 does wouldn't carry a Taurus personally.
 
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