Outstanding! I think you'll like the Kimber. I have one, and love it. I'm REALLY wanting this Les Baer next: http://www.lesbaer.com/Prowler.html
I know the Ruger mini-14 cannot match up to an Ar-platform in accuracy, but their new mini-30 caught my attention as an excellent home defense weapon. It's a 16 inch barrel, garand action, 20 or 30 round mag. They don't seem to offer it in a true tac version with a folding stock, pistol grip and rails, but they have that in the 5.56 version, so it should only be a matter of time before it's available on the big piece. You can argue all you want about various handguns, but no one will dispute that 20 rounds of 7.62 in a carbine is vastly superior. Plus, if you don't want to shoot them, a buttstroke to the head will get their attention. The beauty of a 7.62 is it will totally defeat body armor up to ceramic plate armor. It will also shoot through a car body, windshield etc, a thick door or a wall. http://www.ruger.com/products/miniThirty/models.html This weapon is <$1000. I can buy this and the Stoeger double shotgun for what the kimber costs. You would pay this much for an Arsenal AK, and while an AK looks cool, it's inaccurate and shoots an inferior load.
Exactly, which is why I would never have that as a home defense weapon. The last thing I want is to fire at an intruder only to find that I've not only hit him, but also my kid in the next room.
That's very true, but you have a .45, which will shoot through multiple layers of drywall, etc., so you haven't exactly avoided that problem. If you want something that won't overpenetrate, you'll need a frangible bullet or something like 5.56, ie AR-15/M4. Granted, your kimber is not likely to take out the neighbor two blocks over, which could happen with a 7.62, but it will definitely go through your entire house or apartment. I'm not sure what is the best combination of stopping power versus overpenetration. Maybe a big limp load like a .44 special. What do the experts out there say?
If its strickly for home use just get a 12 gauge and use slugs. For one, as soon as the asshole hears you pump the shotgun he is going to get out as quickly as possible. If he sticks around, good luck to him because 12 gauge slugs are nasty. The one downside to the slugs are if you shoot him in the head, you are going to have one hell of a mess to clean up. <iframe width="560" height="345" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ihPEvtPuc30" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Excellent weapon, Kimbers always feel good in the hand and are extremely well made with good support. Nice choice! I'd strongly recommend against a .380 for a number of reasons. Sure, it's shot placement that is of utmost consequence, and a well/lucky placed .22 can even cause a lot of damage. But you never see proponents of that theory carry a .22 or a .25 or a .32. And the reality is in the moment of adrenalin-pumping panic you will be lucky to hit your armed and moving opponent anywhere, much less the central nervous system, so you want to cause serious pain and damage no matter where your shots end up on their body. Bottom line, what do people whose lives are at risk (police, military, security) use for primary or backup weapons? Not .380 ACP. And there's a reason for that, even though they also know that shot-placement is of paramount importance. In short, you want a defense round that has some teeth and is proven time and again in combat. These days the hottest area of development is the small, light, single-stack magazine 9mm guns designed specifically for carry/concealment. There are many excellent choices that you should consider, most of which also have laser sights available: Ruger LC9, Kel-Tec PF9, Kahr PM9/CM9/MK9, Sig P290/P239, Diamondback DB9, Kimber Solo, Taurus 709 Slim, Walther PPS, etc.
"3. Beretta 92FS (M9): Haggle Price $560-$590 Great performance on the range. This is a man's pistol. A true warrior that replaced the 45 ACP 1911 service pistol. The Beretta M9 (or 92FS) is the most tested pistol since the M1911-A1. Used by the U.S. Military and thousands of poilce officers. Beretta 92 pistols with over 75,000 rounds have been reported. This solid designed pistol is what replaced so many police revolvers. Nothing shoots better than a well used Beretta 92FS. Allow about 300 rounds for break-in. Good long range pistol. I can hit the 50 yard gong over and over again. Easy to find magazines and holsters for this popular gun. The Italian made ones are tight! See the new 92-A1 with 1913 Picatinny rail. " I would go with the hollow point silver tip bullets since they will break up in the body and cause stopping power. You don't need a bullet to travel through the bad guy and pass out the window and hit some kid. A long time ago someone broke into my place and broke my hand with a weapon. I was living in a 2 story building, and my gun was upstairs. So you really need to make sure that you have it close at hand where you can get to it, or buy more than one gun since it does no good if its not at hand. If it was at hand, I would not have had a broken hand trust me. By the way, the police never caught them. For the car, I would recommend just some pepper spray that you can keep with you. Also, if you plan on walking somewhere dangerous, pepper spay can be kept in your pocket, and is better than a knife since you don't need to get close to someone to use it.