Suggestions for Home Firearm

C

CraigW

Inactive
I have just moved to Vermont from England. While we feel perfectly safe here, our home is remote and surrounded by woodlands.

We visited our local gun shop and they recommended a Smith & Wesson SW9VE -- which I purchased. Before firing it I happily paid an NRA instructor to give me the basic firearms course -- the full 8 hours. (Perhaps I should have done that first, but . . . ) We have a part of our land that is perfect for our own shooting range, complete with tall soil-covered cliff.

In shooting the S&W I had a difficult time seeing the front sight in the gloom of the forest, and I wasn't overly fond of the movement of the trigger. I had the opportunity to shoot a Springfield XDm and an S&W M&P and the trigger felt better on both.

I was fairly proficient with a .22 rifle back in ROTC in the 1960's, so would like to become more proficient with my pistol -- particularly since I can practice on my own property, and don't even need to get in the car.

But I would like a "better" pistol. I think I purchased more of a Ford Focus, and would like to buy more of a Cadillac. I am fortunate in that I don't have any budget limitations.

I asked the instructor for his recommendations. I'd found several $2,000 - $3,000 pistols on the internet and in magazines that looked very attractive. The instructor cautioned me that the lovely stainless steel pistols I saw were notorious for mechanical problems: I gather that they look nice, but perhaps don't work as well as others.

He suggested:

  • Springfield XDm in 4.5 or 5 inch barrel
  • Smith and Wesson M&P pistols (he said he'd been checking out a model himself that adds a thumb safety)
  • Ruger SR9 - Several of his students bought this pistol and all like it
  • FNH's FNX 9mm pistol
  • Glock
Another twist is that I am able, as a Vermont resident, to carry a concealed weapon. I don't have a burning desire to do so in Vermont, but it might make sense to have a pistol where I could do so. (I'm going to Florida next week, and perhaps a concealed weapon in Florida makes more sense. I believe I now meet the necessary requirements to get a CCW permit in Florida.)

I am a photographer, and (by nature) I don't have many cameras -- just a couple that I use all the time, and really know how they perform. They become, in effect, an extension of me -- I "see" through them. When I use an unfamiliar camera I don't have the same integrated experience.

While I understand that pistols are not cameras, I think the same principle may hold true. I would like to become very familiar with my pistol so that it also becomes an extension of me. And I don't feel that the current pistol -- the SW9VE -- is worthy of that much of my time.

I would be most appreciative of any suggestions and comments.
 
I dont care for the SW Sigma line at all. The Mand P series is great as are the others your intructor mentioned. While my preference is for Sigs and HK's everybody will have a different opinion.

Go and handle all the guns you can, shoot the ones that feel the best in your hand then select one that has a good reputation, and then practice, practice, practice.
 
NO budget limitations is great.....however, a perfectly suitable defensive gun can be had for 500 or less........if you want somethng more "refined" I high end 1911 is hard to beat. Me, even if I had no budget, you'd still find a Sig 220,226 or 229 in my hand. Send it off to Bruce Gray for a little cleanup and call it a day.
 
Woah!!! Slow down there bunky.... A Sigma?. Welll you could have done a tad better. A two or three thousand dollar gun for home defense?... did I read that right?

First off hit some of this forum's archives. This subject has been covered many times, and from every angle imaginable.

Having said that... I see your in a rural to deep woods location?... yes?... and you want protection from?.... Predators two, and four legged yes?...
I'd recomend you find a reputable training institute, and aquire some good legal, and tactical training to suit your needs.

As far as firearm selection I can only state my opinion... And my opinion is you get two firearms. A shotgun of the 12 ga pump variety, and handgun. My choice for a handgun would be a revolver chambered for .357 magnum.

The combination of both guns is totally capable of dealing with any home security situation that may come along...

Again I'd suggest that any firearms you get be of high quality, from manufactures with very good reputation.

These firearms can be purchased new, or used. I STRONGLY!!! suggest that you review the sticky on this forum regarding buying used revolvers. In my neck of the woods... well maybe more my neck of the swamp... A used Remington 870 shotgun in good condition, and a used S&W model 19, or 66 could probably both be had for around $600.00.

I'd also hang on to the sigma. Just in case ya know?

Good luck, and welcome home...

Glenn D.
 
When I think 2 and 4 legged predator defense, my brain automatically says "10mm",,,,I dont care for Glocks but he Glock 20 screams versatility in the 10mm platform.
 
I personally like the HK45CT. I prefer the .45ACP to other calibers, and I like the quality of the HK. I also have the Meprolight night sights on it with a Crimson Trace LG-645 Laserguard laser on it. The sights work great in daylight and the laser works great at night or in low light conditions.

Another benefit of the pistol is that it's easy to conceal. It's my EDC pistol, and I use the Raven Concealment Systems Phantom holster to carry it in.

Good luck with your decision.

As a side note, what camera system do you use? I carry a Nikon D700 personally.
 
I'd look into:

Glock 17,19,22,23,30,36
1911's
Springer XD's

Pick the one that feels and fit's your needs the best. :)
 
CraigW,

Welcome to the forum.

I am a NRA Training Counselor and teach pistol classes (as well as train NRA Instructors). All the pistols you listed are good choices. Handle them and find out which one fits your hand the best. If you have a gun shop/range locally that rents handguns, try out as many as possible before buying.

You might also consider a SIG SP2022. It is a well made, reliable, accurate pistol and can be had for around $400.
Palmeto has them for $360 shipped to your local FFL.
http://www.palmettostatearmory.com/2208.php

CZ pistols should also be looked at.

As far as the Sigma goes, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that pistol. I have two of them I use as "loaners" (as well as other makes and models) for my classes. The Sigmas have been used by a wide variety of students with a range of experience levels. We have never had a malfunction of any type with the Sigmas. Not a single one.

All that being said, with a wide range of handguns to choose from, the one on my nightstand is a S&W Model 625 revolver.
And I only need that if the bad guy gets past the dogs.
 
Last edited:
Thank you for all of the helpful replies. Much appreciated.

I did read the various postings on this site (and others) before posting my question. In many cases folks were looking for the optimum choice but within a fixed budget. In my case, it's optimum choice -- but without a fixed budget.

A few questions:
Slow down there bunky.... A Sigma?. Welll you could have done a tad better. A two or three thousand dollar gun for home defense?... did I read that right?
Click to expand...
The pistol I purchased wasn't a $2,000 - $3,000 gun -- more like $350.

I personally like the HK45CT.
Click to expand...
What's the difference between an HK45 (on the H&K website) and an HK45CT?

As a side note, what camera system do you use?
Click to expand...
Canon EOS 1D Mk III, Hasselblad 503CX for medium format (I still like the "feel" of 120 film). Thinking of switching all to a Hasselblad HD4.

I guess I need to find a bigger gun shop with a larger choice. Any thoughts in either Vermont (where I'm located) or in Florida (there next week)?

Thanks again for all of the help.
 
I think you need lots of ammo and range time. That is the only way to get to know your gun.

If you buy another pistol you might have the same issues. There is nothing wrong with what you have, learn to use it.
 
Another reasonably priced option would be the Beretta PX4 series; new pistols sell for $489 at my friend's LGS, but that's in GA, not VT. Pistols are available in sub-compact 9mm and .40, compact 9mm, and full-size 9mm, .40, and .45acp.

I bought 3 of the pistols, one .40 full-size, one 9mm compact, and one 9mm sub-compact, all with the F type trigger (traditional DA/SA).

Surprisingly smooth DA pulls, and crisp SA breaks without too much take-up. May have the nicest grips out there in a polymer pistol; I'd compare it to the S&W M&P series grip, as far as comfort goes, and that is saying a lot.
 
In shooting the S&W I had a difficult time seeing the front sight in the gloom of the forest,
Click to expand...

Sounds like you need a Williams Fire Sight (or equivalent fiber optic sight from another manufacturer).

But I would like a "better" pistol. I think I purchased more of a Ford Focus, and would like to buy more of a Cadillac. I am fortunate in that I don't have any budget limitations.
Click to expand...

Bwa-ha-ha!

He suggested:

Springfield XDm in 4.5 or 5 inch barrel
Smith and Wesson M&P pistols (he said he'd been checking out a model himself that adds a thumb safety)
Ruger SR9 - Several of his students bought this pistol and all like it
FNH's FNX 9mm pistol
Glock
Click to expand...

Sounds good. Get up over $350-$400, and there are a lot of good options.

Pick on, and buy it. Then start accessorizing. Extra magazines, a good belt and holster. And instruction.
 
There are many other things to consider about home defense before you select the gun.

Do you have a family in the home with you? If you do, do they know how to handle weapons and do you need to secure your weapon form younger children? What's your "plan" in a home defense situation? Do you need to secure your children or family across the hallway or across the home? Have you considered your home's layout and do you know where a bullet will end up if you miss or it passes through your target?

As for equipment, what pistol you choose is up to you, because feel is so subjective. I like having a home defense pistol with a rail, because I use a mounted light. I use a CZ SP-01 9mm with a TLR-1 light and it's a great set up for me. It's full size, has a high capacity, it's heavy and easy to keep on target when fire quickly. I picked a 9mm because of the fact that my neighbors are well within handgun range if a round passes through my house. I wanted something that was less likely to pass through 2 house walls and seriously injure or kill a neighbor.

If you're willing or wanting to have a shotgun, definitely seek out proper training with it. Shotguns are not magic weapons that hit anything you point them in the general direction of. I see way too many people post not so good advice about using a shotgun for home defense. Shotguns seem very simple on the surface, but when you send 9 pellets out of that barrel you have to account for everyone of them. Remember this with a shotgun, you have 1 sight picture and 9 projectiles that spread out in a semi-random pattern. This means you can't know where each and every pellet will land.
 
Guys, shotguns are great, but the OP specifically asked for pistol inputs as he wants a dual-use HD/CCW option.
 
Thanks again for the suggestions. As observed, I don't want a shotgun. At least not yet.

As I mentioned in my original posting, I am by nature the type to have training -- and more training. I am not likely to cut corners with something that fires bullets . . . When we learned how to SCUBA dive we didn't stop the classes until we reached the PADI Master Diver level. (Then we moved on to Nitrox and re-breathers.)

Nothing wrong with the Sigma, which is why the shop recommended it and why I purchaed it. After practicising with the Sigma I just felt I wanted something that was "better."

I guess I think it's a bit like software. I want to learn how to edit videos. I could start with some easy-to-use, inexpensive consumer video editing software and end up with a decent edit. But when I outgrow this, I'd need to learn everything all over again when I switched to more advanced software. So I'm trying to learn how to use Avid Media Composer. It's gnarly and nasty, but will I be pleased when I finally master it.
 
Of the handguns you listed, I like the Glock and the Smith and Wesson M&P, though I'd get an M&P without the thumb safety. I don't have any experience with the XD, the Ruger SR9, or the FN.

Shotguns are great, especially if the home intruder is a bear instead of a human.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top