Suggestions for Home Firearm

^ Pretty!

I believe that the 9mm will be insufficient defense against 4-legged threats.

Your minimum should be a .40, preferable a .45 or .357 Magnum.

I think a .357 Magnum has been the absolute best suggestion - there's a reason it's been so popular in this thread. I think a lot of posters are forgetting about the animal threats and suggesting the 9mm round.

A Smith & Wesson 686 or Ruger GP100 chambered in .357 are both amazing pistol - tough as nails, sweet-shooting, and reliable. Most importantly, they meet all of your original criteria.

I think the Smith is prettier :D
 
glock19/23.





Sig Sauer P210
As an amateur photographer, I'll tell you it is the Hasselblad or Leica of auto pistols.

9mm, super accurate. Formerly the Swiss Army sidearm. The moved to the P226 because they're cheaper to make. But less accurate.
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for home defense & possible carry? seriously? :eek:
 
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I think the issue you're running into with the $2k-$3k mark is that you very rapidly ht diminishing returns. No, you can't put a dollar amount on personal safety, but you can on the price of a gun. The fact is, a gun in that price range is going to be, most likely, a decorative or target model. Most combat pistols max out at $1000, and the vast majority of them are no more than $650. The extra cash will not necessarily get you a gun that is more accurate or reliable.
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Exactly. I might, however, add that your extra cash will get you more accuracy in some cases.

For example, a Glock is not the most accurate weapon out of the box; yes, it is combat accurate (close quarters), but you aren't as likely to win a competition and if for some reason you had to hit something at longer ranges, it'd be much more difficult. That is of course assuming you don't consider yourself the greatest shot in the entire world! :cool:

The same goes for an XD; you can pay a bit more and get the upgraded XDm.

Obviously I am a bit biased, :D but it still stands that a firearm built to the highest quality such as HKs, Sigs built in West Germany, etc., are going to be nearly as accurate as pistols designed for match yet still be super reliable. They also won't require any upgrades out of the box to do pretty much whatever you want to do with them.

Just wanted to throw that in there! Have a great day! :)

P.S. Any gun worth $2000 or $3000 is likely a match/competition only weapon. My instructor in Arizona always jokes about the guys that show up for group lessons with $2500 Les Baer (or similar) 1911s because they can be rendered inoperative by being dropped in the sand or getting caught in heavy wind or inclement weather, etc., and he's seen it happen a few times. They are fine tuned for match, and they are d**n good at it. They aren't, however, the most reliable because of this, and I'd never carry one for SD!
 
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If your budget is pretty flexible as you said, I'd go straight for either HK or Sig. You can't go wrong with those two.

If you just want a decent starting pistol that serves you well while being rather inexpensive, Smith & Wesson M&P's, Glocks, and Springfield XD/m's are perfect for home defense and conceal carry.

Seeing you have a couple of thousand to play with, I'd get 2 pistols; a higher end HK or Sig, then a reliable Smith or Glock. The caliber is up to you, but anything 9mm or higher should suffice.
 
Everyone has their own preference. I used to be a huge glock fan. I didn't want to have another semi auto unless it was a glock. Then I came to my senses. I picked up a Springfield XDm .40 tactical. It opened my eyes. Now I shoot most anything I can rent locally. Point is not to be so close minded and to try alot of firearms before you make a definite decision. Maybe ill find something I like better than the XDm. Doubt it tho.

Whatever firearms you choose, make sure you have 100% confidence in the gun and your ability with that gun. With the Sigma, you didn't like the trigger (very understandable) and had a hard time with the sights. That is not a good self defense gun because it isn't perfect for you. I kinda like the sigma. It makes a perfect truck gun. Cheap and reliable. Who cares if it gets banged up?

My suggestion would be to try many different pistols before deciding on a certain one. If you like the feel of the sigma in hand and grip then I would suggest a m&p, XDm or a s&w SD. The s&w SD is designed specifically for self defense (SD=self defense). It comes with lots of goodies. If you don't like those ergonomics then try a glock. Its a 50/50 with a glock. U love it or hate it. And it's probably the most reliable semi auto made (by reputation).

I have yet to shoot a sr9, Hk45, or any Beretta. I just don't like the feel. And I personally, don't like the Sig either. Just me I guess. Something about how it weights out in my hand. But try these also. They might be your flavor kool-aid.

Or you could just go buy a Springfield XDm. Tactical or 3.8 are great. Both ends of the spectrum. ;) Hey this is just my take on everything. I really hope this helps you. Have fun and shoot alot. Know your gun. Spend lots of time dry firing so you can learn trigger break and pull weight. Plenty of proper practice will make any firearm just an extension of your body.

Thanks for a great topic of discussion.

P.s. Also, any firearm you choose will generally be more accurate than that of the user. I've never heard of a self defense situation where someone has defended themselves from an attacker with their gun in a bench rest. There is no time. Its a basic muscle memory point and shoot with a little aiming thrown in the mix. Your instincts will overcome with thorough training. Practice practice practice. And learn your gun. Even the cheapest gun can be accurate in the hands of a person who knows exactly how it works and shoots. Of course a high end 1911 is more accurate than a $550 glock off a bench rest but would you have faith in that $1200 1911 if dropped on the mud or sand? I wouldn't. Just food for thought.
 
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JC- thanks for the reference and clarification on residency. That's interesting.

I would recommend that you go through the procedures to obtain firearms carry permits in both states, which should ease your purchasing efforts.
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This will be less straightforward, at least for Vermont- they don't issue any permits whatsoever, even for residents. Constitutional carry only. I think this is a big drawback personally. I'm sure you know FL has res and non-res permits.
 
Yeah, I wasn't sure if VT actually had an optional permit for their residents or not, to cover them when traveling to states with reciprocity agreements.

That's the downside to a living in a state that doesn't require or provide permits, I guess.
 
if you want to spend alot of money on a gun that others dream about get a CZ czechmate "race gun" it's going to be fun as hell to shoot. for the bedside table get a Taurus Judge with a rail and a light (.45 long colt or .410 shot shells) 5 rounds of .410 000 buck is 25 .36caliber pellets. for carry i'll say Rohrbaugh R9. i think it's about $1200. it's a subcompact 9mm known as the cream of the crop for carry. not sure why it hasnt been mentioned. the kimber solo is a good carry option that hasn't been suggested yet either. myself, i carry a fullsized double stack .45 acp (taurus 24/7 pro, 5000+ trouble free rounds) but cant yet afford the smaller 9 i want. so, what i'm saying is if it has to be just one gun i'd get a quality .45 acp. big bullets and in the right gun plenty of them. i think the commander size m1911's are very popular for carry but they're heavy and only hold 8 rounds. the XDm is great like many have said. for a pocket/ mini gun i want a taurus 738 TCP .380 for the features. i'll get a lot of crap for suggesting taurus guns but i've shot 11 of them in different calibers, semi auto and revolvers and all were great. if you're looking at revolvers for carry the ruger lcr can be had in .38 special +P and i think it's now offered in .357mag as well. hammerless with a unique trigger mechanism and a polymer frame for weight reduction. at least pick one up and pull the trigger (if the owner doesnt mind) my personal opinion is that revolvers are too wide to carry but they are simple and reliable for SD
 
If youre looking for a great handgun, the XD or Glock is the best choice, Why? BEcause the only safety on the glock is your finger, literally. The XD has the same action as the glock but there is added protection on the grip with a safety grip. I own an XDm 40 and i love it. But honestly, its hard to hit something you cant see, and since home invasions and burglaries occur at night, you need a firearm that has the ability to hit a target with a spread pattern, such as a shotgun or a handgun that shoots shotgun shells. A great shotgun, and my favorite of all time, would be the Remington 870 with an 18inch barrel, and sure fire light hand guard attachment. You cannot go wrong with this as your home defense weapon. You could also go another route, you can a shotgun in a handgun sized weapon if your buy the Judge by Taurus which comes in a full sized frame and it shoots 410 shells and 45 LC rounds. This weapon is a perfect carry weapon for close quarters fighting as well. Taurus also makes a smaller version of the Judge, its called the Public Defender. The Public Defender is a smaller version of the Judge and its meant for concealed carry. It shoots 410/45LC as well. I hope this helps you. Also, I Wouldnt recommend a Sig, HK or Beretta, they are over priced and in no way are they remarkably better than an XD or Glock. Dont waste your time on a S&W Sigma either, I have a S&W bodyguard I carry, and its a great little gun. Thats my opinion.
 
You listed some great options. I won all of them and my experience has been good with all, flawless with some.

Smith and Wesson M&P (I have 4 models), Glock (I have 7 models) and FNX/P (I have 3 models) have all been flawless. 100% reliable with thousands of rounds through them and they are all accurate with good to great triggers.


The SR9 and XD (I own 3) are both good guns. Accuracy and quality seem good, but I have had failures in all. Not many (less than 1 per 100 rounds) but for home/personal defense I want to know my guns will go bang everytime. That's just my experience, I'm sure others have had other results but I can only go with my experience...
 
Don Glock, I don't see where a P210 would be any harder to carry than a 1911, and plenty of people carry those. Seriously.

That said, until I run across reviews from people who have the new ones, I wouldn't be eager to spend the money.

And, smaller and lighter is easier to carry, obviously. (Said the guy who used to carry a CZ-75B, and sometimes carries a CBOB 1911 or an N-frame, but generally prefers something a bit more carry-friendly.)
 
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