Been thinking of getting a Glock 19 Gen 4. I am a very infrequent shooter.

I'm looking for home defense, but would like to shoot on a range occasionally (obviously, to become more proficient).

12/5/2012 1:44:21 AM

You'll shoot your eye out.

And there's a 182 page gun thread with very knowledgeable people about 1 inch below this one.
http://thewolfweb.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=503107&page=182

Also: http://thewolfweb.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=458612&page=95

[Edited on December 5, 2012 at 2:17 AM. Reason : .]

12/5/2012 2:09:59 AM

get a shotgun

12/5/2012 3:01:55 AM

Find friends, or even certain gun shops, that will let you shoot a variety of pistols until you find one that you like. Some people swear by Glocks, others think they're plastic hunks of Austrian garbage (I think you can guess where I stand on that). At the same time, you should read up one their performance. For instance, Beretta M9s are rather finicky about what ammo you put through them. Others will eat whatever you put in them. Finally, I would say if you're planning on home defense, make sure the caliber you get has cheap ammo to go with it. Because if you're going to use it for home defense, you need to practice until you're proficient. When you're house is getting broken in to in the middle of the night is not the time to figure out how to take the safety off. The other thing about caliber? You're not going to get raided by guys wearing plate carriers and assault rifles. There's always a debate about 'takedown power,' but having actually shot dudes in the face/back/wherever, I can tell you that unless you're getting in firefights with guys behind cover at extended ranges, it's not going to matter. If a 9mm doesn't kill the guy, he ain't gonna be in a condition to do much to you.

12/5/2012 3:20:32 AM

just fyi it will still set off metal detectors

12/5/2012 6:42:38 AM

1) Hawthorne makes some excellent points.
2) Shotgun makes sense for home defense becuase of the thing about people only needing to hear the action...and so on. Plus turkey shoots/skeet shooting/you don't really need great aim.
3) .22 might be a good option because ammo is way cheaper

12/5/2012 7:14:32 AM

12/5/2012 7:46:48 AM

Quote :

"Shotgun makes sense for home defense becuase of the thing about people only needing to hear the action"

Don't rely on the sound of a shotgun being racked to scare away home intruders

12/5/2012 8:18:57 AM

Revolvers are nice for those occasional shooters.

Shotguns as well.

12/5/2012 8:39:31 AM

haha, I like Hawthorne now.

12/5/2012 8:42:45 AM

^^Yep, that is my go to gun as well. Third would be a .22LR rifle, just for target shooting and plinking away.

I will also mention I had a Glock that I liked, but I really like my little S&W revolver now even more. Easier to conceal carry and a lot easier to operate and maintain. Revolvers don't jam, and if it has an internal hammer, it is extremely easy to pocket.

[Edited on December 5, 2012 at 8:52 AM. Reason : ]

12/5/2012 8:51:44 AM

Quote :

"Don't rely on the sound of a shotgun being racked to scare away home intruders"

Actually I agree, my comment was semi-sarcastic only because that "fact" seems to come up in every gun for home defense topic. Personally I wouldn't be too interested in trying to scare away a home intruder, if they're breaking in I have to assume they're prepared for anything and making noise will only give away my position and if they feel threatened they're more likely to try something that doesn't include running. [/sotuff]

12/5/2012 9:19:06 AM

IMO, the Glock 19 is the best all around pistol out there. It was my first pistol and is still my favorite and go to gun.

12/5/2012 9:22:06 AM

^^ agreed

nighthawk what S&W do you carry

[Edited on December 5, 2012 at 9:27 AM. Reason : .]

12/5/2012 9:24:05 AM

I really like my S&W J frame revolver, but for home defense I'd get something bigger since there is no need to carry it in that situation (bigger size wise, not caliber). I haven't shot any of their larger frame revolvers, but in general I would third the idea of a revolver for reliability and ease of use.

[Edited on December 5, 2012 at 9:43 AM. Reason : I also like my S&W M&P]

12/5/2012 9:25:18 AM

Definitely a good choice for a first handgun (or gun in general).

12/5/2012 9:29:07 AM

I disagree with the idea that automatics shouldn't be the first gun purchase. The two main arguments for a revolver are that you don't need a lot of practice to use one, and their reliability. First, if you get a gun, you need to practice with it until you achieve proficiency. I feel like getting you or someone you love a firearm for protection, with the upfront assumption that they don't need to practice, is setting everyone up for failure. Second, automatics nowadays are very reliable, especially when coupled with good, fresh ammunition. Again, by practicing with your weapon and trying a variety of ammunition, you'll know what works best.

And, as a caveat to my previous statement about caliber and takedown power, watching a .50 BMG round turn a dude's dome into mist warm mist is pretty cool.

12/5/2012 11:51:08 AM

The mechanics of shooting a revolver differ from a semi and don't carry over very easily for a novice shooter.

12/5/2012 12:04:23 PM

And? If you start them on an automatic from the get-go, then there's no awkward transition.



[Edited on December 5, 2012 at 12:11 PM. Reason : Awkward sentence]

12/5/2012 12:10:31 PM

I have a 442 Featherweight.

I am approaching this topic more a carry situation and less as a home defense. The only reason the S&W would be HD is the fact that I usually have it on me, whereas the shotgun is stored in the back closet and not right on me. In a night home invasion situation, the S&W is still closer to me, but I would definitely grab it on the way to getting the Mossberg, and then hand off the pistol to my wife, assuming we had time for all of that. If not, well I'll have 5 in the revolver ready to go.

As to the auto vs. revolver debate, I am approaching this for somebody who is new to shooting and maybe more intimidated by the number of parts to clean and maintain. For that, I find my S&W is a LOT easier to maintain than my Glock 23 was. The S&W is basically point and shoot.

[Edited on December 5, 2012 at 12:25 PM. Reason : ]

12/5/2012 12:22:33 PM

To the OP: take that 500 you're planning on spending on your first automatic and spend 250-300 of it on a decent 12ga pump for home protection (Mossberg 500 for example), and the rest on whatever plinker strikes your fancy to take to the range and learn with (e.g. .22 revolver, surplus 9mm auto).

12/5/2012 12:24:25 PM

^Actually not a bad idea at all. I have a Mossberg 500, and it will give you the dual ability of home defense, and got turkey shooting, trap shooting, and even try hunting. If you want to target shoot, as I said earlier, get a little Ruger .22 or something of that nature. You'll come out with twice as many guns and they will be useable in many more situations.

12/5/2012 12:28:41 PM

Truth.

Question about cleaning and maintenance, though. Not including the magazine, most modern automatics field strip down to five parts, all of which are big and simple. Is that really that much of a difference?

[Edited on December 5, 2012 at 12:39 PM. Reason : .]

12/5/2012 12:36:45 PM

real general question, but what's an "average" $ range for a handgun?

12/5/2012 1:00:22 PM

Mmmm...almost like asking the average range of cars. Depends on a few factors.

12/5/2012 1:04:27 PM

yeah, i know. but just your average handgun for home defense, nothing fancy, but not a total piece of shit.

12/5/2012 1:05:48 PM

^^^you can get a good pistol in the $300 range. I think many are well above good/average.

[Edited on December 5, 2012 at 1:17 PM. Reason : \/ wat? an auto? a semi auto can be had in the $300 range; xd-9, for example]

12/5/2012 1:07:23 PM

400-700 bucks for an automatic?

12/5/2012 1:08:00 PM

Quote :

"And? If you start them on an automatic from the get-go, then there's no awkward transition. "

I was agreeing with you.

12/5/2012 1:29:42 PM

if he hardly goes to the range or shoots, a .22LR gun is pointless

get that mossberg persuader $300, mag extension $50, and attach flashlight $50

12/5/2012 4:54:47 PM

Why hasn't this thread been locked yet?

12/5/2012 6:44:52 PM

Because this isn't Sports Talk

12/5/2012 6:57:29 PM

I went to a huge outdoor store here in Silverdale after work and tried out the Glock 19 and the Springfield XD Subcompact.

I liked the weight and grip of the XD better.

12/6/2012 1:40:05 AM

^If you can find one, check out the CZ P01.

fits my hand better than any other pistol I've ever held.

12/6/2012 10:56:34 AM

I've never found a Glock that had good hand feel to me... Sigs seem to fit better.

12/6/2012 11:04:42 AM

yeah i wasn't thrilled with the hand-feel of my glock until I got a hogue wrap for it...now it's delicious, one of the best i've had. but i have pretty big hands.

12/6/2012 11:23:02 AM

12/7/2012 2:37:19 AM

Unless you're going to take the time to really learn the gun you should go with a medium size double action revolver (38 special or 357 magnum loaded with 38 special).
From what I've observed one of the hardest things for very infrequent shooters to learn to do is check the chamber when making the gun safe. A revolver is the easiest to use; you can see if it's loaded, there's no magazine to screw around with, and the trigger pull is heavy enough that you have to make a conscious decision to pull it.

12/7/2012 9:38:54 AM

if only there was a thread about this topic...

12/9/2012 7:06:11 PM

IMO, a revolver is very difficult to learn to shoot accurately.
I almost always recommend a Glock 19/17, M&P, sig to start with.

12/9/2012 8:43:48 PM

So I took the family (my wife, and 7 & 8 y/o sons) with me to the store to let my wife get a feel for the XD-S9, Glock 19, HK P2000, and Ruger LC9CT.

While there, I decided that my family is not ready for a firearm in the home.

I'm a little sad, but it's helpful to see where we need to be before I'm ready to bring on in the home.

12/11/2012 12:02:33 AM

What happened?

[Edited on December 11, 2012 at 1:16 AM. Reason : I mean good job being responsible, I'm just curious]

12/11/2012 1:15:42 AM

Assuming safety is your concern the best thing to do is get a BB gun for the kids and teach them proper safety techniques. Also teach your wife proper techniques at a range that rents guns...

12/11/2012 10:19:49 AM

My wife started talking with the sales lady and was asking her a lot of good questions. She wanted to know if it would be okay for us to take our family to a range to let the boys shoot, but she kept saying that "The people at the range will make sure the boys are taken care of and safe, right." She was asking about where we could keep the gun in the house, car, etc.

My boys were a bit too excited about guns, too.

So, yes, we are thinking about getting an Airsoft or a BB-gun.

12/12/2012 12:17:18 AM

shouldnt be a problem convincing your wife to learn firearm safety and become willing to use a firearm if it really comes down do it, in a vacuum (ie no kids)

how old are your boys though?

12/12/2012 1:19:49 AM

Quote :

"7 & 8 y/o sons"

12/12/2012 3:41:12 AM

^?

12/12/2012 8:38:13 AM

I was about that age when I shot my first sibling and I can assure you that experience is the best teacher.

12/12/2012 8:48:53 AM

Quote :

"sibling"

12/12/2012 10:52:56 AM

Quote :

"first"

12/12/2012 12:54:55 PM