Gun Question

[MattyIceGfunk]

To make a long story short, the father of my girlfriends son has recently started to cause problems with her. He comes off as a murder/suicide case so I want to purchase a gun to be safe.

Can anyone give me an idea on a good gun for a good price? I appreciate the help. I will definitely let you all know if I have to use it.

[Hoagie]

I'm thinking about getting either s Sig Sauer P229 or a Colt model 1911.

[Dr. Hoffman]

If you have money to burn nothing on the market beats the H&K USP series. My preference is to the .45, but give all of the versions a try to see what you like best.

[d0uche_n0zzle]

Figure out how much you want to spend, go to the shop and see which one feels the best for you. Ask to test fire several different ones and calibers. I'd recommend at least a .40 caliber or a .45 for semi auto. After you get it practice, practice, practice. Put at least two-hundred fifty rounds through it to test its accuracy and performance.

[CougarHunter]

Get yourself a Ruger GP-100. It's a .357, comes in 3 or 4 inch barrel, I prefer stainless finish. Put some Hogue or Pachmyer grips on it and it will have a nice meaty feel to it. They are very user friendly, have a good trigger pull to them and they won't break the bank (relatively inexpensive).

In short, a good first pistol for someone who has limited handgun experience.

Oh, my department has us use them to quailfy on revolvers every year, so I know this one well.

[stevethrower]

Yep a double action revolver would be the way to go... and go 357 as you can shoot 38 special (cheaper ammo) for practice... my chick usually carries this...

http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=11101&storeId=10001&productId=14755&langId=-1&parent_category_rn=15704&isFirearm=Y

[MattyIceGfunk]

Well I don't want to spend to much on it only because it wont be used to fun or recreational use. Just good old fashion home safety.

[d0uche_n0zzle]

Then a snub nose .357 would be your best choice, maybe see if they have one lightly used.

[Hoagie]

Well I don't want to spend to much on it only because it wont be used to fun or recreational use. Just good old fashion home safety.There's nothing safe about a gun in the hands of someone who doesn't know how to use it or use it with any kind of efficiency. So any gun you buy you need to be prepared to take it to a shooting range and spend time handling it and shooting it and working on your accuracy. Otherwise, if the time comes to use it in a real situation, you won't be able to hit anything.

[Than McNally]

Well I don't want to spend to much on it only because it wont be used to fun or recreational use. Just good old fashion home safety.

a personal choice for off duty cops as a secondary carry weapon and home defense is the Beretta 84f with a 13 round mag. just picked one up for $350. best semi auto i have ever fired. no stove piping or jamming due to open slide design. sweet ass gun.

[BCH]

Yep. Revolvers are the way to go for a gun that needs to sit around for days/weeks and be ready to go with one trigger pull. Buy a .357 and fill it with .38 special +p hollow points. This way the recoil won't shock you the first time you need to fire it.

[Voss's Tumor]

There's nothing safe about a gun in the hands of someone who doesn't know how to use it or use it with any kind of efficiency. So any gun you buy you need to be prepared to take it to a shooting range and spend time handling it and shooting it and working on your accuracy. Otherwise, if the time comes to use it in a real situation, you won't be able to hit anything.

That's the reason I'd suggest going to a pawn shop and picking up a good, old fashioned 12 gauge pump shot gun. Everyone knows how to use one, and you can usually pick one up for $2-300 or so in a pawn shop.

[Hoagie]

a personal choice for off duty cops as a secondary carry weapon and home defense is the Beretta 84f with a 13 round mag. just picked one up for $350. best semi auto i have ever fired. no stove piping or jamming due to open slide design. sweet ass gun.
I have a Beretta 8040 mini-cougar. It's a fantastic gun to carry (and I do regularly). Good accuracy, easy to handle, and never fails. It's got a bit of an awkward trigger pull but once you work with it enough, it doesn't effect you.

[boardsofcanada]

I've heard the best way to go for self defense is a revolver. They're cheap, reliable, will knock anyone on their ass and ur not gonna shoot them 20 times and go to jail for 300 years

[BCH]

a personal choice for off duty cops as a secondary carry weapon and home defense is the Beretta 84f with a 13 round mag. just picked one up for $350. best semi auto i have ever fired. no stove piping or jamming due to open slide design. sweet ass gun.

I have a Beretta 8040 mini-cougar. It's a fantastic gun to carry (and I do regularly). Good accuracy, easy to handle, and never fails. It's got a bit of an awkward trigger pull but once you work with it enough, it doesn't effect you.


Really, Beretta makes nice handguns huh? heh. :)

[WonkaVision]

I'm all about the 12 gauge for home protection. Plus, you can buy a Bed-Gun holder like Ant has.

[stevethrower]

I agree with stevethrower 100% - if you aren't a gun fanboy, go with a simple, proven to be reliable revolver.

The smith 38 special/357's that steve mentions can be found in good/used in almost every gunshop in the country, and are inexpensive compared "more complicated" semi auto handguns. It is what I recommend for anyone looking for a "first gun" that wants function over flare (although my 357 is pimpin) :)

edit: and see my disclaimer, below.

Tanks... I am thinking of adding some Crimson Trace grips for it... as I have a set on my P226r... very ummm user friendly...

[MattyIceGfunk]

All good suggestions thanks all. What is the best place to look for gun classes? I'm sure there are a bunch in WV.

[Hoagie]

That's the reason I'd suggest going to a pawn shop and picking up a good, old fashioned 12 gauge pump shot gun. Everyone knows how to use one, and you can usually pick one up for $2-300 or so in a pawn shop.
I agree. If you aren't going to go to the range and work with your handgun then I wouldn't go with any handgun. Maybe a 9mm semi-auto with an extended clip so you have a chance of actually landing a shot (even though it won't have alot of stopping power). But the chance of landing a shot, even at 10 yards, with a 6 shot revolver under the pressure of a life or death situation with no practice is not good at all. Shooting hand guns isn't as easy as it seems. And under the kind of pressure that a situation that warrants using it will bring, muscle memory will be key. If you don't have it, you're depending on pure luck.

[Voss's Tumor]

Finally! We have "Gun owners and their pics" volume 2

[stevethrower]

Luckily I have access to law enforcement loads...

[Hoagie]

All good suggestions thanks all. What is the best place to look for gun classes? I'm sure there are a bunch in WV.It's probably harder to find places that don't offer gun classes in WV. Find any shooting range and most likely they will offer gun classes. As will most sportsman clubs. Go to the class and, they will tell you as well, practice is key. It's going to take several trips to get good with it. It will take several more trips to develop the muscle memory you need so you're body will take over when your mind is overwhelmed with adrenaline.

[distortion9]

The BEST gun is the gun that fits you and you can shoot comfortably.

Having said that, I would agree with everyone else that said .357 Revolver. Especially if this is your first handgun and/or have limited experience with firearms.

I would be quick to suggest that you look at the Smith & Wesson 686 or 586. Personally, I would go with a 4" barrel for better concealment than a 6" and easier recoil than a 2".


If you have deeper pockets, look for a used Colt Python...it's the sexiest gun ever made IMHO.

[stevethrower]

Well that and the size of your hands... my chick has small hands and haaaates shooting my Sig... even tried putting hoague grips on it... meh

[MattyIceGfunk]

I'm having a hard time finding a range around here which I find very odd. I guess I will have to ask around. I live in Charles Town WV if anyone knows where that is and knows of a place within a short distance. Thanks again.

[Hoagie]

even tried putting hoague grips on itHey...I didn't even try to touch your gun.

[stevethrower]

Hey...I didn't even try to touch your gun.

Well now have the Crimson Trace ones on it... and now have two extra sets of grips... the factory ones and the Hogues...

[Hoagie]

I'm having a hard time finding a range around here which I find very odd. I guess I will have to ask around. I live in Charles Town WV if anyone knows where that is and knows of a place within a short distance. Thanks again.http://www.nrahq.org/shootingrange/findlocal.asp?State=WV

[distortion9]

I'm having a hard time finding a range around here which I find very odd. I guess I will have to ask around. I live in Charles Town WV if anyone knows where that is and knows of a place within a short distance. Thanks again.

Can't ya just open your front door and start a'shootin in W. Virginia?

[d0uche_n0zzle]

Can't ya just open your front door and start a'shootin in W. Virginia?

They even keep fucking their sister while they do. :action-sm

[distortion9]

They even keep fucking their sister while they do. :action-sm

....while brushing their tooth.:)

[BCH]

I'd suggest a different approach. Go to the range and put a few boxes of 38 special through it (it's cheap) to get the feel of it, then shoot half a box of 357 magnum ammo (it's expensive, and produces a big bang that will eventually start to hurt your hand) so you know what to expect. Go home, wait a few weeks and repeat, and repeat, and repeat. Thinking that you've fired it a few times and never going back to practice or train is how people shoot themselves or innocent people by accident, and it gives us responsible gun owners a bad name.

For carry I would suggest 357 magnum hydra shok's instead of 38's as BCH pointed out (with only six shots, I would want to be shooting magnum not 38 special), but it's personal preference on carry ammo... everybody is going to have a different favorite...

The set up was, he wanted a cheap gun to get him out of a jam on the off chance that this kid goes all muder/suicide on him. If he wants to own a gun for home defense, my advice would be different.

[d0uche_n0zzle]

A cheaply built weapon is one to avoid. A nice used Ruger, S&W, Taurus revolver .38/.357 is almost always a sound investment in self defense.

Some no name piece of crap could end up costing your life. Buyer beware.

[Sam_Adams]

To make a long story short, the father of my girlfriends son has recently started to cause problems with her. He comes off as a murder/suicide case so I want to purchase a gun to be safe.

Can anyone give me an idea on a good gun for a good price? I appreciate the help. I will definitely let you all know if I have to use it.

If you're only going to use it for home defense and don;t give a fuck about shooting firearms for fun then just buy a .357MAG revolver snubby with a 2'' barrel.

.357MAGs have killed many a people and they will always fire.

The good thing is that they are also inexpensive. You can find a Taurus snubby .357 for around $250 or a S&W Airweight for around $280ish to $300 depending on where you buy it.

[THE FEZ MAN]

There's nothing safe about a gun in the hands of someone who doesn't know how to use it or use it with any kind of efficiency. So any gun you buy you need to be prepared to take it to a shooting range and spend time handling it and shooting it and working on your accuracy. Otherwise, if the time comes to use it in a real situation, you won't be able to hit anything.

damn beat me too it.

owning a fire arm for personal protection carries a heavy responsibility, unless your willing, ready and able to use the weapon, to end the life of another human being, maybe you should think along another path, if this guy is really that nuts maybe the police should be informed (yes i know, the police are only minutes away when seconds count) instead of arming your self you should put some time in home security, install new locks or stouter doors, maybe get a tazer or pepper spray, and have it at the ready, if she has a child running around a fire arm "at the ready" is a border line criminal offense, unless your going to have it strapped to your hip at all times and sleep with it under your pillow, its going to be locked up most of the time. if this guy is a clear and present danger to your girl you are not going to have the time to become proficient with a hand gun to be able to do anything but wave it around and make noise with it, that and if this dude really has it in for your old lady, chances are he's going to walk up to her in a parking lot un announced put one in her head then do him self, if he's really, really dedicated to killing her.

that being said, get a mossburg model 500, 12 gauge used at a pawn shop for home protection, if your going to carry you cant go wrong with a .357 snubby revolver

also keep in mind that a lot of the people that post here about guns are in to the sport of shooting, i have owned my carry weapon since 1993, and have run thousands of rounds thew it, yet even then some days im "off" with my shooting

[Budyzir]

Shit, I miss my Colt 1911 and my days living in FL when my roommates and I would just go out into the backyard and crank out rounds. We were all military and had a freaking armory in the house. Woe to any savage who might have intended an unannounced late night visit.

[Voss's Tumor]

You really should just read the "Gun Owners and Their Pics" thread. I know a ton about guns and I learn something new every time I read through that thread.

[Sam_Adams]

damn beat me too it.

owning a fire arm for personal protection carries a heavy responsibility, unless your willing, ready and able to use the weapon, to end the life of another human being, maybe you should think along another path,

Well it's better for him to go ahead and buy the pistol so he will at least have it as a last resort. I have the feeling that once he takes it to the range he'll be more attracted to it than he initially thinks.

He does need to learn safe handling of his pistol but it's better to have the option.

If the firearm isn't going to leave the home then definitely, like Fez recommended, pick up the Mossberg 500 12guage shotty. I have the 18'' cruiser with pistol grips and NOTHING can live after being hit by it.

Just load it up with 00Buckshot and you're not someone to fuck with. You can also pick up that shotty for about $300-345.

[Sinn Fein]

Ruger SP101 .357 snubby is my recommendation.

If you want something with some more firepower (magazine capacity). Get a Glock .45 auto.

Everyone else has already addressed the other issues, so I'll refrain from getting on the soapbox.

[THE FEZ MAN]

im all for him buying a gun its just that some times i don't feel comfortable telling people to buy a gun that doesn't really want one or someone that i don't know, ive been having a weird feeling lately that im being "watched"

[Chin nuts]

Another vote for the Mossburg 12 ga. Put some 00 buck in it and they'll pick his ass up with sponges.

[d0uche_n0zzle]

ive been having a weird feeling lately that im being "watched"

We're all being watched, maaan.

[THE FEZ MAN]

We're all being watched, maaan.

well i know that mannnnnnnnn.:icon_roll

this feels different, more dirty and dark

[d0uche_n0zzle]

It's the meds fuckin' with ya.

[distortion9]

I'm surprised by the snubbie suggestions. Even for experienced shooters, they're kinda harsh and not that pleasant to shoot to get serious trigger time in on....could turn a newbie off to handguns? I ran a couple of boxes through a buddies 642 and was like, "Fuck this shit".

I still stand by my suggestion of a 4" medium frame .357 revolver. You're gonna have a hard enough time mastering follow up shots with the long pull of a double action trigger to worry about the additional muzzle rise of a snubbie. The extra couple of inches in barrel length will help you out with the muzzle rise and allow you to get back on target faster. Regardless, you're getting plenty of great advice in this thread.

Also, just because we are all leaning towards revolvers, don't rule out a nice semi auto. The learning curve is a little higher but, chances are they will fit your hand better and/or just feel more comfortable.

I'm sure it was mentioned but, see if a range/shop near you rents guns...pick what your comfortable shooting then get lots and lots of trigger time and a class or two in safety and CQC.

[Zona992006]

Well I don't want to spend to much on it only because it wont be used to fun or recreational use. Just good old fashion home safety.

I just went with a shotgun (I got a pistol grip) as my first gun. You wont miss with that.

Then get the pistol and like all the gun owners said in here, practice, practice, practice...

[maz]

Well it's better for him to go ahead and buy the pistol so he will at least have it as a last resort. I have the feeling that once he takes it to the range he'll be more attracted to it than he initially thinks.

He does need to learn safe handling of his pistol but it's better to have the option.

If the firearm isn't going to leave the home then definitely, like Fez recommended, pick up the Mossberg 500 12guage shotty. I have the 18'' cruiser with pistol grips and NOTHING can live after being hit by it.

Just load it up with 00Buckshot and you're not someone to fuck with. You can also pick up that shotty for about $300-345.

shit
that what they're goin for now

got mine for a little over $200
about 10 years ago

it was at a gun show though

[THE FEZ MAN]

i always suggest a snubby for a weapon that is most likely going to be used inside, the 4' of flame that shoots out of the end is enough to scare the hell out of any one

[seeinred]

I'd recommend the MK 15 Phalanx CIWS. Guaranteed to stop 'em dead in their tracks. You may need to fill out a little bit of extra paperwork to get one though...

[Sinn Fein]

I'm surprised by the snubbie suggestions. Even for experienced shooters, they're kinda harsh and not that pleasant to shoot to get serious trigger time in on....could turn a newbie off to handguns? I ran a couple of boxes through a buddies 642 and was like, "Fuck this shit".

He's not going on a murdering spree. We're talking 5-shots (max). A snub-nose is easier to conceal. It's better if he can just have it in his pocket whenever the troublemaker is around. He doesn't need to put in hours of range time to get comfortable with it. Anyone can shoot a revolver well enough for close-range self-defense. He has more to gain from the concealability of a snub-nose.

He an run light target-load 38's through at the range to make it a little more pleasant to deal with.

I ran 200 rounds of .357 through an SP101 at a range one day. It was old (like 20 years) and I wanted to get rid of it. I will freely admit that I was quite sore afterwards.

[stevethrower]

Snub noses are fine... but a little more barrel length more gooder... and yes we get it swinging a shotgun more gooder then a pistol... but kinda hard to keep in a night table... as for air weight pistols my chick drove to Springfield (to pick out her gun.. you do have to love that) and shot a few of their "chick guns" Lady Smith etc and even one of the Scandium pistols and found them a little whippy... she picked a Model 60 (stainless) with a 3" barrel as she found it very user friendly, easy to clean and she can keep the rounds in the center of mass...

[Hey_Asshole]

If you are not wanting to spend a lot of money, look for a used Taurus. I came across a nice Mil-Pro PT-111 for $250. Plus all Taurus firearms come with a transferable lifetime warranty.

Now if money is not an issue: http://www.springfield-armory.com/xd.php?model=1