Which hand gun should one keep purely for self defense.I know this is a tough one since everyone has his own preference but my personal choice is a 9mm.since it is easy to handle and can be lethal at close range.What do you all think?

In different parts of the world the availablility and price of ammo may influence your choices, rather than a purely theoretical decision based on millions of hours of reading what gun writers say. I prefer larger bores, 40 S&W or 45 ACP, based on the larger holes theory.

Given your location you might be better off with a 9mm. I doubt whether 45 or 40 ammo would be readily available. Remember to practice!
Peter.

For me it would depend on the situation. In a country where you are apt to be attacked by mulitple armed assailants, a high cap. 9mm w/ 3 mags makes alot of sense. For urban/home SD, where you are likely to meet a single attacker, maybe high on drugs, I like the larger 40 & 45. The 40s&w is a good compromise in heavy hitting & lots of firepower. SOmething like the Springfield XD or USP in 45acp offers the best of both.

My personal companion is a Sig 220 in .45 ACP of course. If the need arises, it would be my minimum.

Having shot people with 9mm ball and .41 mag SWC - Don't use 9mm ball! The Winchester "police only" +p+ black talon/Ranger ammo that we get locally in 9mm works well.

What do I carry? usually a Smith 329 in .44 magnum but hyaena are the usual problem

In Harare, very occasionally I cary my Browning High power when we are having riots (but usually carry a shotgun, M1 carbine of F.n. FAL as well- never needed them though)

Glock 26 subcompact 9mm with Trijicon night sights. Very concealable, reliable, accurate, and (10+1) firepower.

Cheers

If money isn't an issue I would go with the HK P7M8. It is extremely accurate because of the fixed barrel, and is also fairly compact. The downside is that I don't think it is as light as some of the others

Because the gun has a fixed barrel, light moving mass of the slide, and it uses the gases ported from the throat to lock the action. The gun has very little perceived recoil and cycles much quicker than any handgun that I have used. I can get three rounds off faster and more accurate than I can get two with most other pistols.

There is nothing wrong with using 9mm as long good ammunition is used. I prefer Speer Gold Dot +P 115 or 124gr, Federal Hydra-Shok 124gr. stay away from the 147gr. It is the hydrastatic shock on the CNS that incapacitates the target instantly. The 147gr just doesn't have enough velocity behind it to do that. As Ganyana said, The Winchester Ranger 115gr Black Talon +P+, is probably the best self-defense 9mm load made. It is that it is next to impossible to find or obtain it.

If you are looking for something bigger. The .357 Sig has proved, as of late, to be the best stopper since the 125gr JHP from the 357 Mag. The .357 Sig comes close to the same velocity of the original 125gr load that has documented so many one shot stops. I would argue that it is the best self-defense round available in a semi-auto self defense handgun as of today.

quote:

I would argue that it is the best self-defense round available in a semi-auto self defense handgun as of today.

Well you "could" argue, but reallity says that all pistol rounds, 9mm & up, are about the same when using good JHP ammo. There is no such thing as energy dump or hydro shock from a handgun bullet, the vel. just isn't high enough. A bigger JHP has the potential for greater expanded diameter w/ good penetration. Bigger bullet, bigger hole, more internal damage. It is the perm. wound cavity that stops the attack. Two holes w/ a 45 or 3 holes w/ a 9mm, doesn't really matter unless you hit vitals.
I like my revolvers, but there is something to be said for going into harms way w/ 15rds & 2 quick reloads of 30 more, one reason LEOs have pretty much moved to semiautos. The current trend is to the 40s&w for firepower (number of rounds) & the ability to defeat hard barriers like auto glass.
Irusto, if you like the 9mm & have access to only ball ammo, it's better than nothing. If you can feed it decent 115gr-124gr JHP, you are well armed. Is there any "real" advantage to other caliber, probably not. If all I could get was ball ammo for any caliber, then the 45acp gets the nod because it is still a 45caliber hole in & out.

Other than a dog, I have no self defence knowledge. I do like a quote I heard about caliber choice one time from a friend in the NY Sherrif's Dept. "A 9mm can expand, but the .45 never gets skinny" He talked me into the .45ACP and it became my favorite pistol round yet.

Just a reminder-

Regardless what logic is used to select a cartridge for self defense, the core consideration is that it be chambered in a firearm of such a size and weight that in your normal daily activities, you ALWAYS have it within reach, whether eating lunch, taking a "wee", even engaging in foreplay in many locales.

A gun you don't have with you when you need it is utterly useless, and in the area where I spend my life, the bad guys don't call ahead to schedule their meetings with me, so I carry pretty much all the time.


If that means accepting a "lesser" cartridge to get a gun small enough & light enough that you ALWAYS have it with you, so be it. Any handgun probably beats the snot out of bare hands.

For me that means an S&W 940 stuffed with Black Talons on my body, and a Glock 20, also filled with 16 Black Talons, in my vehicle.

I carry a S&W 908 becuase of what Canuck said.

9 shots, reasonably light weight very conceable.

Some things to think about it.

1)It is best to only have one self defense gun and you should practice with it a ton.

2) While certainly larger bores have advantages, I am personally less concerned as your protocol should be 2 to the chest and 1 to the head to ensure you stop your assailant from any further hostile activity

3) 9mm 125 grn +P+ is pretty potent stuff

Irusto:

Your opening thread mentions "handgun" but is actually a question about caliber. These are two very different questions.

Canuck and Mike eventually get around to what I think is the most important issue. What type of gun will you be the most competent and comfortable with.

What do you mean by "self defense"? Is this a "home defense" weapon to be kept in a closet or drawer, or is it one you will be carrying? Your answer to this question may eliminate the choice of handgun altogether. But if you intend to carry it as a "personal defense" weapon, then we need to know how you intend to carry it, and into what type of environment. I hate to be picky here, but this question is not as simple as it sounds. This discussion could go on for some time, until you define your needs and intentions.

The bottom line, though, is that you must select a gun that YOU will be comfortable with. If it truly is a gun you intend to defend yourself with, then the most important things to consider are: the reliability of the gun as a mechanical device, your level of manipulation skills, your weapon retention skills, sighting systems, your tactical reloading skills and your ability to put rounds on target consistently---while under stress. After you've come to grips with all that, then we can talk about how you will carry it. The last thing to talk about is caliber.

( Frankly, I don't want to enter the debate on calibers, because we'll NEVER have concensus. For me, it's the 45ACP. And that's a judgment that comes after years of experience seeing humans shot with a variety of so-called handgun calibers fired from handguns, machine pistols such as the MP-5, and other carbine type guns. While all handgun calibers work to some degree, some work better. I'll leave that part of the debate to others.)

I've carried a handgun as a tool for almost 40 years. I've carried both revolvers and autoloaders with all kinds of sighting systems, barrel lengths and calibers. It depends on what I need it for, and what my environment will likely be when I need it.

Interesting discussion, what?

Regards.

TWL,because of the nature of my business I have to deposit cash on a daily basis at the bank.Recently there has been a big increase in cash snatching/mugging etc. and I have started carrying a weapon.I have a charter arms .32mag.2"bbl. with Fed.hollow points ,concealed and a CZ75 in 9mm.in my car within easy reach.So far I have not had any reason to use these weapons but if the need arises I will not hesitate to do so.Regarding practise I fire a 100 rds.every week at the range and am on target most of the time.At home I have a mosberg pump action which I keep close to my bed(no children in the house so it is safe unless my wife decides to use it on me).The other hunting weapons,shotguns,rifles and pistols(sig P226 in 9mm.colt python 357 mag.and Ruger MKII IN .22)I keep in the gun safe.

I carry a Sig Sauer P220 in 45acp with factory ammo per instructions in firearms liability classes that were manditory .One of my favorite loads is from Corbon 165gr JHP +P 1250fps and one no longer made by Speer was the 200gr JHP affectionately nicknamed the Flying Ash Can or Flying Dixie Cup by LE Officers I worked with.Most of my friends carried Colt 1911's cocked & locked.

Small, compact, and reliable Kahr MK40. This a world class product designed as compact from the ground up and available in hard hitting .40S&W caliber.
I use CZ 75 because it cost me less. I use standard Federal Classic 115gr HP. No Guccimo for me.

I just ordered a G23 40S&W for my CCW needs when I am in the States...

I would prefer to carry my G20 but find it just a little to big to conceal properly.

Contrary to the only one gun theory I am going with several different model Glock's 27/23 in 40S&W and 20/29 in 10mm for when I want more power. All are different guns but all of the controls are exactly the same...

It's also an awesome excuse to buy more new guns...

quote:

A gun you don't have with you when you need it is utterly useless, and in the area where I spend my life, the bad guys don't call ahead to schedule their meetings with me, so I carry pretty much all the time.


If that means accepting a "lesser" cartridge to get a gun small enough & light enough that you ALWAYS have it with you, so be it. Any handgun probably beats the snot out of bare hands.

Quite so. I would not be surprized if more people have been killed by sub-9mm calibers purely due to concealability - the .22's, the .32's and .380 ACP's.

What is scary today, is that the damn jigaboos carry 375 Magnums and .45's and they prey on non suspecting people. In SA they actually go better than that, when 3 of them walk into your shop with AK47's.

Recently a shop owner (TV shop) here in my town had this happened to him. They demanded all the money in the till and safe, fastened their hands behind their backs, including a customer that was waiting for his repaired TV. They put the kettle on and poured the boiling water over the 2 men and they stuck a broom stick up the woman. They cleared the shelf of TV and loaded them onto the customer's pick-up and left quitely as if they are about to do some deliveries ... they were never caught.

Warrior

The gun I carry most is a Starfire in 380ACP due to its excellent concealability. Depending on circumstances I sometimes pack a Glock 17 with two spares and laser sights or when more concealable power is needed a Glock 36 in 45ACP.

i like the S&w 1911SC 5" or the Kimber compact II 4" both in 45acp

quote:

Originally posted by Mike_Dettorre:
I carry a S&W 908 becuase of what Canuck said.

9 shots, reasonably light weight very conceable.

Some things to think about it.

1)It is best to only have one self defense gun and you should practice with it a ton.

2) While certainly larger bores have advantages, I am personally less concerned as your protocol should be 2 to the chest and 1 to the head to ensure you stop your assailant from any further hostile activity

3) 9mm 125 grn +P+ is pretty potent stuff

Mozambique Pattern

I may not meet everyone's logical requirements for choice-of-carry pieces because my two regular "carry guns" are a revolver and a semi-auto, one in 9 m/m, and one in 10 m/m. The 9 m/m is the one which goes everywhere on my body and it is the revolver.

Why carry a revolver? Well, it is an S&W 940...that is a stainless steel 2" revolver with no visible hammer, double action only. Its size is such that it fits perfectly in my right hip pocket without attracting attention. It also fits in the right hand pocket of all my various jackets.

Because it does not reciprocate as a semi-auto does when fired and has no hammer to snag on things, I DON'T have to take it out of the jacket pocket to shoot a whole cylinder-full with it. As it loads with full-moon clips, it is quick (for a revolver) to reload. As the local LEO issue weapons are mostly 9 m/m, we can share ammo if the flag goes up. If the firing pin hits one of those very rare but very real factory duds, I don't have to cycle a slide to bring a new round into line, or, again, even take it out of my pocket.

One of the things I really like about the revolver for concealed fire from a pocket is there is never a question of what a witness sees. As I do NOT take the gun out of my pocket, there is no testimony as to some civilian seeing me (a guy not in uniform) "waving a gun around" prior to any shooting occuring. He/she can't say "Well I saw him waving a gun around. The other guy came over and apparently tried to get him to put it away, but then the guy waving the gun shot him." And that is how it could look to an untrained observor who might not realize I had recognized a bona fide threat and had drawn the gun to protect myself and/or others in the vicinity. So with this revolver I don't absolutely HAVE to draw my gun to use it.

My wife carries a similar revolver, which she can fire from within her purse if the need arises. No hammer to hang up on any of the junque all women carry in there too. And, she can keep the gun trained on a perceived threat until it either disappears or proves itself deserving of further action, without getting anyone challenged, excited, threatened, or whatever.

My full-size 10 m/m Glock 20 is my "vehicle carry" weapon. When in the car, I don't need to carry it concealed in a clothing pocket, so it is in a special holder on the right side of my bucket seat. It is loaded with 16 rounds of Black Talon, which is just about like 16 rounds of .41 Magnum...probably more than enough to get the job done, but if not, there are also two 15-round magazines full of the same stuff mounted on the left side of my bucket seat. That's a total of 46 rounds of powerful pistol "whack" available with only two mag changes. As the Glock does not have a visible hammer either, aqain the action is pretty much like double action only in the revolver...just pull the trigger and things start flying around.

May not work for anyone else, but has worked well for me so far.

A 4" M1911 (Cmdr size) in .45ACP, 230gr Win Ranger Ts or Fed HSTs;

A Glock 23 (40 S&W) with 165-180 gr Win Ranger Ts or Fed HSTs.