Interesting links http://www.pointshooting.com/1asop9.htm http://www.pointshooting.com/1nosight.htm http://www.pointshooting.com/1astasch.htm http://www.pointshooting.com/1acar.htm http://www.pointshooting.com/1afast.htm http://www.pointshooting.com/1awhycar.htm
There is so much bad advice here that I couldn't bring myself to read every post. So excuse me if someone had said it already. I am a gun nut and have so fucking many in so many calibres that I couldn't tell you how many I have without taking inventory. Been a shooter since I was eight. Know pretty much all non-full auto weapons capabilities. Some observations: 1. If Barron doesn't live in a REALLY gun friendly state, he shouldn't buy one. Fucking liberals will crucify him if he ever uses it. 2. Barron probably has no fucking business with a gun if he didn't grow up with guns (I'm guessing he's late 30's?) 3. Owning a gun is a commitment to competence, somewhat like owning a car. You don't leave it in the garage and drive once a year. 4. For defense in the middle of the night, out of over 20 handguns to choose from, I keep a Bersa .380 ACP Thunder Plus pistol in my nightstand. 15 rounds plus one in the pipe, won't deafen you permanently if you have to use it inside, light recoil for fast accurate shooting. Latest study shows shot placement is everything, be it .22 LR to .44 magnum, equally effective. One to the head or two to the torso. Sometimes I even carry it in lieu of my Springfield Armory XD(m) 13+1 .45. 5. If he lives in a concealed carry state, she should get a CHL and pack all day every day. 6. Or he could just fucking move to Texas. P.S.: What about the wife? Mine stole my first Bersa after test firing everything I have. It's in HER nightstand.
Without any foul language on my part : 1. Would you rather be tried by twelve or carried by six? 2. He can't learn? Oh wow! I am a former Police Officer, former NRA Firearms Instructor, etc., while paying my way through college a few lol years ago. I've taught people in their 60's how to clear their house in a break in situation with great results. It's about tactics, trigger control, and sight alignment under stress. He can train to deal with the stress if he's serious. The Marine Corps told us, "when the shit hits the fan, you'll snap in, and your training will take over." They were right... 3. They say "practice makes perfect." That's wrong! PERFECT practice makes perfect. 4. As for weapon of choice, that's just like trading: find what works for your personality. People will argue all day about which rounds, which handgun, rifle, shotgun, are the best. It really gets down to finding what fits you. 5. Depends. I recommend carrying a ccw being comfortable with it. However, if he needs to go in a bamk, school, or any place that has a sign prohibiting weapons carried in, he needs a place in the car to put the pistol, knowing it's safe there, and accessable when needed. 6. Texas is the last REAL part of America. Miss living there. Where I live now, you come up behind someone on the interstate, and they want to hit the brakes. In the better parts of Texas, you come up behind someone, and the pull over in the gravel to let you pass so both parties can be on their way. Last, I recommend Glock as I've used one as a Police Officer, and it did what it was meant to do with no malfunction worries on my part. Kimber is top notch, Les Baer, etc., all top notch. For someone who's just entering the semi-auto home/self defense market, I'd say go with Glock for the reliability, practicality, ammuntion capacity, and pricing.
Thanks for sharing your opinions and experiences. Good reading! And thank you for the compliment. But it wasn't profanity, it was amateurfanity.
Kimber is decent, but you don't want a stock 1911. Pick up a modern polymer .45. The H&K USP is really all you need. Get a 9MM USP for the wife.
Anyone gonna be in Vegas later this week? I'll be driving out to the desert to bust some caps Friday and or Saturday.
A really good article on selection of self defense ammunition. http://www.chuckhawks.com/ammo_by_anonymous.htm
When I was a Police Officer paying my way through College, I was involved in a shooting. "Back then," we were issued Winchester Black Talons for our Glock 21 .45 The Author says that hollow point rounds stay in the person, and that wasn't the case in this incident, but I do agree with what he's trying to say. I certainly agree with: "Save the 230 grain ball (FMJ) loads for practice; carry FMJ ammo only if you must because your gun jams with hollowpoints. The Llama, Federal Ordnance, AMT, and Auto-Ordnance M1911A1 copies often jam with anything except 230 grain ball. Never compromise when it comes to reliability: if your gun only feeds ball, then ball is what you carry." These days, I carry Winchester Ranger 230 grain in my Kimber as they're the "Black Talon" rounds without the black paint. I've seen what they can do, and they do work... One thing the Author really needs to point out imo is SHOT PLACEMENT. That's THE single most important factor for stopping the fight quickly. The .45 is the absolute best combat round imo that has ever been produced for CQB, I've actually used it, and is about all I carry. I'll have to laugh a little though as every police department in my area is carrying either .40S&W or .45ACP with up to four magazines vs. two spares when I did the job. When I went through the State Police Academy, and for the first eight months out, we still carried the .357 Magnum before transitioning over to the .45. At that time, we had six rounds ready, and two hks speedloaders on duty belt (12rounds) that was it. That was all we had... Guess I'm giving away my age? lol There's a small town officer in my area who likes a wheelgun, and still carries a S&W 4" 686 .357 Magnum and two speed loaders. He's the unlucky guy who over the last 21 years has shot three people. All three died on the scene. The last time I spoke with him at the range, we talked about shot placement, and both agree that it's 100% about where you put the rounds vs. what you're carrying. We both fight over the .45 and .357 mag to a degree, but we at least agree on the above. Last, I hope none of you EVER have to be put in the situation where you have full tunnel vision, are looking at a sight picture of a human being, and squeezing the trigger into a deadly force incident. It is NOT anything tv makes it out to be, and will stick with you forever. It's best to have it and not need it vs. needing it and not having it though, so being prepared will get you home safely. i.e., practice, practice, practice. If ever in a bad spot, your training literally takes over.