Home defense handgun?

[philthephlier]

What is your first choice for a home defense handgun and what is your favorite cast bullet for it?

[Shiloh]

Currently it is a .40 S&W with factory hollow points. I have used others.

Shiloh

[jhrosier]

I keep a .40S&W Sig with a couple of 14 rounders full of factory hardball handy.
I shoot it well enough but am not particulary interested in it for plinking so it gets shot, cleaned, and loaded with fresh factory ammo annually.
If I were to cast for it, the 170gr TC would be my first choice.

Jack

[dk17hmr]

Depends on who is doing the defending here. If it is me, my 1911 with night sites is by the bedside. If the Girlfriend is defending, she has a Colt Detective 6 shot 38 spl.....dont have cast bullets loaded in either though. 200gr Gold Dots in my 1911 and 125gr XTP's in her Colt.

We practice with cast though.

There is also a short barreled 12 gauge handy if needed.

[beagle]

The ideal home defense handgun is probably whatever you feel the most comfortable with.

There are many pros and cons about which is best but again, it comes down to what you are familiar with handling and shooting accurately in a stressful situation.

This may vary dependent on whether it's just you or is there a wife involved. I know I prefer my Browning High Power 9mm but her preference is the Model 15 S & W .38 Special because automatics are not familiar to her and the revolver is as it's hers and she shoots it often and feels comfortable with it.

IMO, caliber is immaterial. Many would be thugs have been discouraged, injured or even killed with the lowly .22 LR. I know that if I was thinking about breaking into a home and knew there was a .22 present, I'd think twice about it and pass it up.

There are those that will argue for more firepower but I'll still stick with what is familiar to me and trust in my skills and the cowardice of those attempting a break in./beagle

[RobS]

I personally look at the 45 auto for self defense and with that I have a 45 ACP Springfield XD. As for a bullet if it were to be cast then I would either use a bullet with a large meplat such as the Lee 200 grain round nose flat point or the Lyman Devastator 185g hollow point.

[jnovotny]

Ditch the handgun and get a 12 ga shotgun. Pump, autoloader,or side by side. Load the thing with 6,7 or 8 shot, that way you won't penatrate your walls and your nieghbors walls, He'll thank you for that. Trust me bird shot at 10 to 12 feet will be all you ever need.

[Down South]

I use my carry piece, a S&W 642. It rests on my night stand by my bed at night. If I were to buy something strictly for home defense then I would choose a different piece. I would probably go with a .45 auto, several brands would work.
Some like the Taurus Judge. I have one that I use for my rat killin gun when I’m bush hogging. I think the Judge would work well loaded with buckshot but I would still prefer a semi auto with an extra mag or two.
Oh, I don’t have neighbors so some of the above suggestions may apply. And I load with factory +P most of the time.

[Ole]

4" Ruger GP100 and 135 grain Gold Dot short barrel factory ammo.

[RobS]

The ideal home defense handgun is probably whatever you feel the most comfortable with.

Good advise.............+1

[mpmarty]

My bedside gun is a 1911 loaded with 185gr solid copper with HUGE hollow points. They feed and function. Wife has her 9X18 PPK clone on her bedside table with CorBon 90gr hollow points and my Saiga 12 is in the corner with a twelve round mag full of #4 3" magnums. To hell with over penetration it's over 5 miles to my nearest neighbor.

[wistlepig1]

I have a Colt commander loaded with Black Talons in 45acp for a handgun but an 870 with a 18 1/2" barrel is also handy, if needed. I am comfortable with both.

[Jim]

Ruger P345 with 230 FMJ hard balls.

[fredj338]

Ditch the handgun and get a 12 ga shotgun. Pump, autoloader,or side by side. Load the thing with 6,7 or 8 shot, that way you won't penatrate your walls and your nieghbors walls, He'll thank you for that. Trust me bird shot at 10 to 12 feet will be all you ever need.

Depends on the SG. Open or cyl bore riot guns spread shot very quickly, on the order of 1" per yard. So across "average" rooms fo 15f, that's a 5" pattern. Birdshot will NOT penetrate very deeply nor cause much mor ethan surface wounding w/ a 5" spread. Any other choke will do better, but a SG is a siege weapon IMO. Lock the door, call 911 & hunker down w/ the SG.
The problem comes in moving through your house, checking that noies, gathering a small child or older person, may require the use of the weak hand. Long guns are much more easily taken away in a close range confrontation. So IMO, any handgun of 9mm & up w/ good JHP, that you are comfortable w/ is a suitable HD choice. For years, mine was a 4" 357mag loaded w/ 158grLSWCHP+P 38sp. The wife was comfortable w/ that. TOday it's mu USP w/ weapon light, but that could change next month too. I don't load my own HD/SD ammo, I prefer high end factory stuff.

[Recluse]

Any gun I happen to have around at the time is fine with me. I'm comfortable and confident with all of them.

I keep my Mossberg 500 bedside and a Model 19 .357 Magnum in my nightstand drawer.

I alternate carrying between a Colt Gov't Series 70, a Taurus 92, a Star .380ACP and a Model 686 in town.

When I'm at the country property or small towns/very rural areas, it's either the hogleg Model 29 or hogleg Model 686.

I shoot 'em all a great deal and stay very proficient with all of them. So it doesn't really matter to me which gun I happen to have around at the time.

Don't keep cast boolits in too many of them, though. Not sure why, I just don't.

[randyrat]

I have a baseball bat, actually a number of them stationed around the house and a shot gun for back up. Poor feller will be in jail with a spliting headace and many broken bones or dead. Depends on what is brought to the fight.
I have to be very carefull at this juncture, there are a number of children that are in my house often, so a loaded gun has to be gaurded 24/7.
I need one of those quick access pistol safes.

[scrapcan]

I too am a fan of the shotgun. get one setup for home defense and load it with OO buck. And practice with it. Buy a pumpkin or three and use the SG with the target at across the room distances. And make sure all of those in teh house can operate it for more than one shot.

a handgun is also good to have around, whatever you are comfortable and proficient with. And if you have others in the house what they are comfortable and proficient with. For a house gun make sure it is always in the same location and ready to go. That includes if you need to keep it out of unauthorized hands, i.e. small children.

as worded this is a house gun not a carry gun so everyone who lives in the house should know where it is and how to use it. Best to get the routine through to them on where the go and where safe room is also. Good to have a phone and flashlight in close proximity. depengin on what your house/apartment/tent looks like you can deal with the general nature of where over penetration could occur. When they fill up the door after being told not to, a door frame/hall way etc will also help to keep tunnel vision from creating huge issues with effectiveness.

Your carry gun and being outside or your home is a whole different story.

[9.3X62AL]

870 in 12 gauge is primary. #4 buckshot on board. CZ-75 in 40 S&W is at hand also, but that is kinda gilding the lily. Get The Gauge. I had a fool try some nonsense in my front yard about 2 years ago. He smartened right up when the action on the 870 got worked--from meth-cranked trailer trash to Rhodes Scholar in an elapsed 2.4 seconds. A highly educational device, on many levels--one that instills wisdom and teaches respect like few other mechanisms.

[bbs70]

40 cal Glock with Black Talons.
Practice with 170g tc cast boolits.

[chboats]

I too am in favor of the 12 gauge pump loaded with anything even a trap or skeet load. I don't keep a round in the chamber. There is no mistaking the sound of loading that pump with as much force as possible. If the intruder is still coming, shoot and shoot to kill because he either means real harm or is serious stupid.
Carl