Thread: Best Home Defense HandGun Cartridge

Yeah -- I know this one is a tough question -- but what the piss ----keep it to handguns
taking into account the specific needs of a home environment.

Feel free to suggest specific handguns as well ---- just something to talk about.

If you want to stick strictly to handguns you need to take into account the structure and whats inside, here is where I would start:

• What are your walls made out of
• where are the bedroom positioned in relation to the front door or other possible entry areas
• how close are the neighbors
• what type of cover might an intruder be able to use in your house
• what caliber can you control effectively

I guess you need to consider flash and loudness of the round/gun? Or are these things really important in a life or death situation?

This is just a general discussion for me ---I'm not really in the position to buy a handgun --but maybe in the future. I'm not unfamiliar with guns as I've shot shotguns and rifles most of my life but never really had a need for or liked handguns ---- so I'm just trying to absorb some info.

I shot a Taurus 38 special snubby -- my sisters --when I visited her in Texas awhile back ---nice little gun --but loud ---couldn't imagine shooting that thing inside a closed space without ear protection ---- unless absolutely necessary. I'm not terribly recoil sensitive but maybe a little noise sensitive ? Don't know.

Anyway, any info is welcome.

Originally Posted by jaegerhund

I guess you need to consider flash and loudness of the round/gun? Or are these things really important in a life or death situation?

This is just a general discussion for me ---I'm not really in the position to buy a handgun --but maybe in the future. I'm not unfamiliar with guns as I've shot shotguns and rifles most of my life but never really had a need for or liked handguns ---- so I'm just trying to absorb some info.

I shot a Taurus 38 special snubby -- my sisters --when I visited her in Texas awhile back ---nice little gun --but loud ---couldn't imagine shooting that thing inside a closed space without ear protection ---- unless absolutely necessary. I'm not terribly recoil sensitive but maybe a little noise sensitive ? Don't know.

Anyway, any info is welcome.

Muzzle flash is going to effect you no matter which gun if its in the middle of the night. You will probably have a real nasty ringing in you ears or temporarily go deaf, but hopefully thats the worst that will happen, it all depends on the gun and more importantly the sq ft of empty space as well as how well the house absorbs sound. Either way, like you said in life and death situations your loss of hearing isnt an issue, and muzzle flash happens, it is a lot better with a sound suppressor, but its still a factor.

whoa.....

right,
what can you control?
what are your walls made of?
how close are the neighbors is almost the same as the walls, field of fire stuff.



forget muzzle flash, there is ammo loaded that is designed to be low flash, or shoot a few brands ad take the one which has the least (at night)

I have found speer gold dots and remington golden sabers to be high flash.

forget the sound, there is a phenomenon known as "auditory exclusion" that should keep you operating

lots of people talk bad about the 9mm but in reality it's almost identical to a 38spl ballistically

I have a few pistols dispersed about the house, 9mm, 357 mag, 9mm Makarov (different caliber)
in the car I prefer a faster, flatter round like the 7.62X25 "Tok", it makes short work of car doors but would go though several walls.

the real answer is anything from a 380 up to a 45
in the larger claibers I would stay away from heavy rounds, ie. a 180 gr in the 45 instead of a 230, 125 in 357 instead of 158, 180 ect

among the rounds in between that I would leave out unless you had concrete inner walls or were the only one there are
10MM, 357- 158gr @1450, 357 MAX, 44 Mag, 41 mag (maybe)

I've got shot shells for my S&W .357 Mag...


...as I've said before, I'm not much of a gun guy, and I figure that if things degenerate to the point where I feel I need to pull that trigger, well, I ain't gonna be doin' a whole lot of aimin'!





- scary, isn't it?


-whatever

-Lou

also, the shorter the barrel, the louder the muzzle blast in any given caliber
that's part of why the snubbie was so loud
plus the end of the barrel is much closer to your ears

if you are used to rifles and shotguns then handguns are going to be really loud for a while, maybe forever depending on how much you shoot.

I have become immune (or maybe just deaf) to the noise over time.
Of course I wouldn't expect you to shoot nearly as much as me, so the chances of you "just not hearing the guns anymore" is quite slim.

What??

sorry, I got kinda off topic, kinda

What?? speak up dammit !!

Personally I am a fan of the .40cal in handguns.

I like 12guage 000buck for home defense.

I also keep a 9mm around though.

I miss having a .357 sometimes too.

Of course there's nothing wrong with a good .45

I guess whatever gun you have and are comfortable with, not to mention shoot well, is what is best.

I don't know squat about guns. (well, not much anway) but Lou's suggestion sounds good. With shot, you don't have to worry as much about aim, and there is less chance of penetrating interior walls.

Over here, houses all have exterior walls of 2 layers of bricks, so I would not worry too much about the neighbours, But interior walls are usually 9 cm wide hollow bricks, and a slug or 357 bullet would probably go through that like through paper, and bedrooms are virtualy always clustered together either on the 2nd floor or the back of the house.

Originally Posted by scarface

I've got shot shells for my S&W .357 Mag...


...as I've said before, I'm not much of a gun guy, and I figure that if things degenerate to the point where I feel I need to pull that trigger, well, I ain't gonna be doin' a whole lot of aimin'!





- scary, isn't it?


-whatever

-Lou

Jesus Lou!
Did you paint them pink for good measure??
Would you like me to send you some real ammo?

My god man buy some real bullets, then remember, front sight....squeeze