Home defense revolver (first bought gun)

Thanks so much for all the responses! Knew I would get some great input here after reading a lot of other threads.

@MonsterB - funny you should ask. My family (cousins) who own the gun shop/range think I should go for an automatic, even though I'm more comfortable with a wheel gun. They said I could "learn", but screw that right? I'm gonna go for what I trust and know. Plus I never said that family is that smart!

To those who suggested a 686, I have shot a few of those and boy were those a pleasure to sling some lead with (look at me with the lingo). Shot both a 6 and 7 shot 686 and just fit like a glove. I only brought up the 627 in my original post because it was a bit heftier and the sights on the one I was using were really working for me and could see very clearly.

Been playing around with some other revolvers this week and will update on what I pick. Thanks again!
 
I have a S&W 627 5" and a 327 R8 M&P both 8 shot .357s.

I also have a S&W 638 alminum snub, and a Ruger SP101 3" .357 that I prefer over my bigger ones for close incounters in small spaces.
 
I don't believe that there is any such thing as Accidently shooting a gun in your room, doing so is -in my eyes- is irresponsibility at is greatest . You may want to rethink owning a firearm until you are more mature and better schooled in safety. Please take this is the spirit of relief that you and your girlfriend are still alive.
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Even the most experienced shooters can have accidents. Unless you're willing to go and sell off all of your firearms immediately should you ever have an unintentional discharge, perhaps you should contemplate the meaning of the phrase "those who live in glass houses should not throw stones."
 
I have to disagree with the idea of purchasing a recent production S&W. Their build quality has slipped for some reason.

Example: http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=482125

I looked at the same gun at my local store and the barrel was canted. The lock is poorly designed. Lock failures are repeatable with light guns and heavy bullets. Current S&W internal parts are of lower quality too, though I think any problems encountered are likely due to poor assembly.

I think the most production revolvers come from Ruger. I do not know about Chiappa. They may be very good. Taurus is improving their revolver internals, but Grant Cunningham thinks the quality is improving.

http://www.grantcunningham.com/blog_files/9327c0de843e9141d5f799a1f763031c-887.html

http://www.grantcunningham.com/blog_files/no_taurus_work.html

Take a look at the Ruger GP100 (357 Magnum) and Ruger Alaskan (44 Magnum). The GP100 is a very good revolver and has good support from holster and accessory manufacturers. You can even get a Safariland SLS holster for it. The Ruger Alaskan really shines with the 44 Special cartridge. You'll like it.
 
I've got a number of handguns I use for home defense. two are 9mm and one is a S&W 686. One thing I would check, and this is more of a nice to know factor, but are the walls between the units concrete block or just 2x4s and sheet rock? At the very least if they are concrete block you have a little more security.

Also, Rule #3 is to know your target AND WHAT'S BEHIND IT. Doesn't matter if it's a miss or over penetration you need to make sure you're not shooting into another room or worse, another home. I have a bit of a break here as due to hurricanes our homes are all built with concrete block walls, however we still have windows and doors (although the manufacture claims these are bulletproof up to a 9mm, I'm not testing it) that I need to be sure of.

There is a web site, maybe someone here can help out, called the truth about guns, or box of truth. Something like that where the guy does actual tests. If I remember correctly, a 12ga with bird shot gave the best chance of NOT penetrating more than 1 or 2 sheets of sheet rock. Keep in mine each wall has two sheets.
 
The whole overpenetration argument is tiresome. It's popular because it's based upon liability for government agencies.

If it won't go through drywall, it won't penetrate flesh and bone adequately. It's simply a fact of life until they invent the energy pistol.

The best you can do is focus upon marksmanship and tactics.
 
@tomrkba "It's popular because it's based upon liability for government agencies." I don't know what you meant by this, but it's "popular" because I don't want to hurt anyone else if I have to discharge a firearm that is not invading my home.
 
Well, then put the gun down and call 911 because you're not preparing yourself for the realities of fighting. You're not going to find effective ammunition that will stop an attacker as quickly as possible that will not penetrate drywall. Missing shots is a reality and it's going to happen unless you are very, very lucky. As a fencing instructor told me: "Don't think, fight!" All you're doing is piling on garbage that will hurt your performance.

The only action you can take is to attempt to direct the fire by changing the angle at which you are shooting. Bad guys, unfortunately, don't stand still. They run around and shoot back. So you'll have to deal with all that. In the end, you won't be thinking about liability but will be concentrating on killing the goblin. What do you do if the goblin moves such that the backstop is possibly an unsafe direction (from the bystander's point of view)? Bullets are coming at you, so you better be moving, shooting, and/or behind cover. Are you going to wait or take the shot? If you think too much, you're likely to take a bullet.

You will find that your accuracy drops by a stunningly high percentage when both you and the target move. This happens in training; I expect the hit rate to drop when under the influence of adrenaline. Find a range that will allow you to move and shoot. You can setup a simple moving target with 100 feet of rope, two pins, a four wheel stand, 2 1x2" sticks and an IDPA target. Have a friend pull the rope to make the target move left and right randomly. The ground will cause the target to sway back and forth. Move while you are shooting. Try it from different angles and positions. Hitting is very difficult. However, you will improve as you do it.

Go read Guns, Bullets and Gunfights by Jim Cirillo to find out what happens to the brain and mind during a fight. He discusses the actual thought process, at least in his experience. Search out Jack Leuba (Failure2Stop) on m4carbine.net. Attend his classes and ask him about fights and what he did. Attend Craig Douglas' ECQC course. The reality of this will hit you in the gut like you wouldn't believe (Craig will make it happen--physically and emotionally). You'll feel like barfing long after some guy puts a knee into your stomach, knocks you to the ground, and starts smashing your Simunitions pistol into your bubble helmet. You'll find these guys have a very different mentality than the one frequently seen on gun forums.
 
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I'm still a little confused by your posts, but that's ok, it's early.


I will say, that not every encounter is going to result in a gun fight. BG breaks into your house at 2:00am, you are in your bedroom. You grab your .357 magnum, get down on the opposite side of the bed as the door to your room and get on the phone with 911. We'll assume that sometime in the next 5 minutes the cops actually do show up, but in the mean time you have the gun on that entrance to the room in case the BG comes through it. IF he even does have a gun, what are the chances of a gun fight?


There have been quite a few shootings down here in FL of people breaking into homes and the owners shooting them. I haven't seen one yet in the last 6-12 months that was a gun fight. just simply the owner shooting the intruder.


One nice thing about down here is we don't have winter, so you can choose something like a .38 special or 380 and not have to worry about it going through 5 inches of thick winter clothing. most intruders will be in shorts and a tank top even if it's January, which means less chance of over penetration, and more control of the weapon.
 
what are the chances of a gun fight?
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That is impossible to know from the perspective of the bad guy. What you will know is:

- Someone is in your house
- You can see a gun in their hand
- You didn't let them in or you heard and/or saw them break in
- You do not know their mindset or intent to engage in a fight.

You do know they have illegally entered your home with a weapon. Why have they entered your home with a weapon? Do they intend to use it? They brought it, so it's likely they'll use it. What are the odds you'll shoot? I know what my response would be, but the thread is not about me.

According to Analysis of Five Years of Armed Encounters (With Data Tables), 52% of encounters occurred in the home. What I talked about before is about the skills you'll need to cover 95% of situations you'll encounter (the other 5% are unknowns, so you'll just have to fight through it).

If you're still confused, then put the gun away and go get some training on mindset.
 
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A revolver is a great choice, a 357 /38 spl. is a great choice ,a Ruger is the top choice.....
 
That is impossible to know from the perspective of the bad guy. What you will know is:

- Someone is in your house
- You can see a gun in their hand
- You didn't let them in or you heard and/or saw them break in
- You do not know their mindset or intent to engage in a fight.

You do know they have illegally entered your home with a weapon. Why have they entered your home with a weapon? Do they intend to use it? They brought it, so it's likely they'll use it. What are the odds you'll shoot? I know what my response would be, but the thread is not about me.

According to Analysis of Five Years of Armed Encounters (With Data Tables) [gunssavelives.net] , 52% of encounters occurred in the home. What I talked about before is about the skills you'll need to cover 95% of situations you'll encounter (the other 5% are unknowns, so you'll just have to fight through it).

If you're still confused, then put the gun away and go get some training on mindset.
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your posts are random at best, that's why they are confusing.

Also, you know what that link doesn't show. How many of the intruders were armed. Interesting is that the average number of shots fired was 2.2 which seems pretty low for a "gun fight". A gun fight to me is two people fighting it out with guns, not one person shooting an unarmed intruder. 2.2 shots fired seems more like a "shooting" than a "gun fight".

So, as everyone here has said:

Have a plan.
Stick to it.
If you can hold up in a room (with your weapon) and call 911.
Know your target.


You may see the guy with the gun, but if you go out there to confront him, is there anther guy you DIDN'T see with a gun with him? That would depend on the design of your home obviously. In my home there could easily be someone behind a wall that I can't see. If you live in a studio apartment I guess it would be a little easier to see.


Oh, and btw, birdshot will easily penetrate flesh but not easily go through a wall. depends of course on distance but inside a normal house it typically will only go through one sheet of drywall.
 
your posts are random at best, that's why they are confusing.
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That's because you're entirely focused upon part of the equation. The overpenetration issue is just a small part and understanding requires a wider discussion of the topic. It's blown out of proportion to the point that people get wrapped up in liability issues when they need to take action.

Oh, and btw, birdshot will easily penetrate flesh but not easily go through a wall.
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Not to the depth necessary for quick incapacitation. I'm not saying it won't stop the fight (talk about a bad hospital visit), but it's not going to have the penetration required to get to organs through the torso or bone. If you want to use birdshot, great. I'll stick to buckshot and slugs.

I prefer to think about effective practice rather than get all wrapped up with liability. I have a lawyer who is paid to do that for me. You cannot win in court if you don't win the fight. Misses are going to happen; it's a fact that bad guys aren't going to stand around and allow good guys to shoot them. Newbies have enough trouble with trigger control, balancing pressure in the hands, lining up sights and managing recoil. They need to master these while learning tactics. I guess it's easier to talk about liability than it is to go into a detailed tactics discussion.
 
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#2 shot drops coyotes so I dont see a reason it wouldnt do the same to a person, with proper shot placement. Neck, leg, near the armpit. These are places with HUGE ammounts of arteries/veins. All it takes is one.
 
I would go with a 45 Colt. A 44 special may be a good choice too (from a 44 magnum revolver)

plenty effective and not as loud as a 44 mag or a 357 magnum.

This is coming from a 357 magnum fan boy.


but for me I would go with a shot gun. I like 00buck but there are several options. I load my 870 with Winchester PDX1 12. It is a slug with a bit of buck shot. But out here we are just as likely to have a 4 legged predator break in as the two legged type. Closest neighbors are about 3.5 miles away. The police are 20 min away on a good day. :(
 
IMHO forget a pistol as your first option, go with a nice 12 gauge 18in pump with birdshot ammo, it the best bet for cqc/hd option with neighbors being so close.
 
IMHO forget a pistol as your first option, go with a nice 12 gauge 18in pump with birdshot ammo, it the best bet for cqc/hd option with neighbors being so close.
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This is terrible advice.

1) Birdshot does not penetrate deeply enough to get to most internal organs unless you hit the eyes. The goal is to stop the attack as quickly as possible. The only way to do that is to cause severe damage, not superficial wounds.

2) Shotguns require training just as handguns do. Running the gun involves more than loading and working the action. It's a skill that requires constant practice.

3) Shotguns are not easily carried around the house and yard. A handgun can be on the belt at all times (openly or concealed). Home invasions typically go very quickly and what you have on your belt is likely all you have to solve the problem. You may be able to make your way to a long gun or safe room, but do not count upon luck.

4) This response demonstrates incorrect mindset. Placing overpenetration over survival is typical poor "group think" based upon law enforcement objectives (keep the officers working and avoid lawsuits). You should be thinking about winning the fight, not about what the lawyers are going to do. Don't catch a bullet or two because thinking about court caused you to hesitate. Instead, good tactics will win the battle and avoid hitting the neighbors. Again, training is required to learn these skills.

By all means keep a shotgun loaded with defensive loads. "Defense in depth" is more effective. However, a handgun on the belt allows you to respond immediately to a lethal force situation.
 
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I'm always dismayed at the number of people who honestly think that birdshot is a suitable home defense round. Sure, it may work some of the time, kinda. Would you hunt deer with birdshot? Birdshot will hurt a bad guy. It may scare the bad guy. It will not reliably stop a bad guy, especially one who is determined and/or high. You might have reasonable results at very close range - close enough to, say, grab a barrel from someone. Buckshot will slow considerably after two layers of drywall, which is the best you can hope for in any effective defensive round.

From Box O' Truth:

Birdshot as a Defense Load
I have had a lot of questions, summed up as follows: How effective is birdshot (#4, #6, #8, etc.) as a defense load?

We have done tests with various birdshot loads. Birdshot penetrated through two pieces of drywall (representing one wall) and was stopped in the paper on the front of the second wall. The problem with birdshot is that it does not penetrate enough to be effective as a defense round. Birdshot is designed to bring down little birds.

...

In fact, tests have shown that even #4 Buckshot lacks the necessary penetration to reach the vital organs. Only 0 Buck, 00 Buck, and 000 Buck penetrate enough to reach the vital organs.

...

More here: http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/bot3.htm
 
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