Handgun Advice Needed.

[MXTitan]

Being recently married, and planning on starting a family in the not-so-distant future - the thought of protecting my household has been on my mind lately. I have been a hunter and outdoorsman my entire life, and I grew up around rifles and shotguns. However, my handgun experience is somewhat limited. Considering how huge the firearms thread got, I thought this would be a good place to ask. What handgun (Manufacturer/Model/Caliber) would you guys recommend for me to purchase. Also, for those of you in California - what permits/certificates to I have to get to legally purchase and own a 'concealable' firearm?
Thanks in advance guys!

P.S. Price is somewhat of a concern, but considering this gun will also be used to accompany me on my backwoods hunting and fishing trips, durability and quality are a must. Try and keep it around $600 - $800.

[Squid]

Being a EXSQUID my personal weapon is a 9mm Berretta Model 92FS.
I used this in the service it can handle any abuse a battlefield can dish out and will never ever let you down. 1 round in the chamber and 15 in the clip.In the civilian world it will be passed down to a lot of generations
Tim

[gizmoii]

I suggest glock or a 1911. If you have a family glock would be my second choice because it doesn't have a safety. 45 caliber is nice for knockdown power and i also suggest using a hollow point of flangable round to keep your family safer if you miss your perp. A hollow point or flangable will break up or expand many times its size on impact slowing down so it doesn't pass through walls so easy. at work (luke AFB cop) we use 9mm hollow points, they don't go through much but will take out a perp.
thats my 2 cents.

[bestitan]

http://www.thegunsource.com/shopping...dproduct=10629

[PHOEBISIS]

MXTitan,you can get a great handgun for $600 or less.I am partial to S&W revolvers.Here is my take
1)S&W-4"stainless steel model 66-6 shots 357-$450 or so new.Powerful(about 500 ftlbs with a 125 gr in a 4").downsides relative to am auto is fewer shots(12 or more for the 40 cals),and it is a bit heavier-about 35 ounces unloaded-and very brisk recoil with full power loads-more brisk than a 40 cal 155 gr with about the same 500 ftlb power.
2)Sig 229 40 cal-12 shots,about 31 ounces~$600 new.I like the double action autos,the long fairly heavy pull makes them less likely to accidently get discharged in the heat of the moment.It has about the same power -with the right loads-as a 357 4",and twice the shots.
3)Glock 23-$500(12-or more shots- in 40 cal) about 25 ounces,or Glock 27-9 shots-$500 if you want a really compact auto- about 22 ounces.The downside to the Glocks is the Trigger pull is kinda soft(5.5 lbs),and maybe a little easier to accidently discharge than a SIG229 WITH A 12 LB pull on the 1st shot.Now I don't mean the gun going off from catching on clothes-the glock has a safety built into the trigger that will prevent that-I mean going off when you grab it it the middle of the night,and just accidently squeeze the trigger.Harder for a kid-12 lbs is a pretty hard pull for a child- to accidently shoot also.The DA revolver also has about a 12 lb pull on DA-maybe 5 lbs if you **** the hammer.
4)S&W makes,or made a 6906 series of 12 shot DA autos(made of stainless steel with aluminum alloy frame-the sig and Beretta also have alum alloy frames-the Glocks have a fancy plastic frame reinforced with steel so you have steel to steel contact).They are 9 mm,fairly light,and reliable.I like them because they are well made,relatively inexpensive$300 lightly used,maybe $450 new,smallish.Most importanly they can't be shot if the clip isn't in the weapon.I like this feature.You can keep a round in the chamber,but keep the mag separate from the weapon,and it can't be accidently discharged by a child..Downside is the 9mm.Some say it doesn't have enough"one shot stop power".I think it is just fine with the right ammo 115 +P,and the recoil is less than the 40's.Other S&W autos have the mag safety feature.(you can also have it ready to go with the mag almost ,but not quite seated in the well-just push it the last 1/4" in and you are ready to go-a kid would have a hard time doing this,but I wouldn't trust to this with kids around-you could keep it this way if you had a small safe by the side of the bed-that way you have to make a couple of deliberate movements before accidently shooting the family dog in the middle of the night).I like 9mm-more shots,less recoil,and you can get great deals on used 9mm's because folks think it isn't potent enough-BS of course-proper ammo and bullet placement take care of that.
I wouldn't fool with the Taurus(QC),Beretta(kinda bulky) Colt-the SA auto is single action,and the revolvers aren't as good as S&W.Well,good luck,Charlie PS Rugers are ok,but kinda clunky(not as elegant as a S$W)-cheaper though,and the revolvers are reliable and strong-nothing wrong with them.

[PHOEBISIS]

Geez,I feel like some kind of porno pusher.I used a word to describe pulling the hammer back,and ended up with ****.Charlie

[Sammy Sandbag]

I also use a Beretta 92F (now the FS) as my home protection weapon, and also carry it on long trips. Being in the Army, I've used this model (M9) for some time and have been very pleased with it's reliability, mine is over 20 years old and still accurate as hell. 15 round magazines are also easy to come by for the 92 models. You can also get it in the .40 cal flavor (model 96FS.) Other semi brands to look at are Kimber, H&K, and Sig. Glocks aren't bad, I'm just not a fan of pistols with internal hammers and the trigger safety. You might consider just getting a auto load or pump 12ga for protection, as shotguns are considered the best weapon for home security. You won't have to worry about a bullet travelling through walls and harming a family member, a wide pattern makes it easier to hit intruders in the dark, plus the sound of a pump action is often deterrence enough.

[MXTitan]

Thanks for the suggestions guys. I was really thinking of something a little bit bigger than the PPK, I would like to have more of a solid feel in my hand. Also, I like the Glocks, but I really want an external hammer. I have heard excellent things about the H&K's, of course, but they get really pricey.

[pagerdaddy]

MX,

My favorite "handgun" for home defense would be the Remington
870 with 20" barrel. The Mossberg 590 is also a good choice.

Any of the Glocks should fit the bill for you. The really small ones
don't offer much of a grip for someone with big hands, so check
them all out. Around here, most places charge around $550 for
most models, but the shop I just purchased from recently had
them for $489. If you don't reload, 9 mm would be the way to
go in caliber. Magtech is a good cheap round that worked well
in the Glock 19 I had. Pick something that your budget will allow
you a lot of practice.

I really like the Para CCW that I bought. Might be a good choice
for you if you don't like the combat tupperware. Carrying on your
person is a pain, and a consideration of how much discomfort and
trouble you are willing to put up with is in order. I like the various
titanium and scandium framed revolvers for carry, but if I were
only going to own one handgun, they would not be a choice.

Springfield and others are making polymer frames also these days,
and are cheaper than Glocks, but from what I have read, they
can't hang with the Glocks when it comes to accuracy. Sig makes
some good (or should I say imports them) choices, but you may
find them a little pricey.

I really feel for you living in a gun hating state. Any good gun shop
should be able to acquaint you with what it takes for a carry permit.
Ask when you go to look. I can't understand why every gun owner
in California isn't a member of the NRA. There is also a California
Rifle and Pistol Association. Here is a link to their site:

http://www.crpa.org/firingline.html

Good Luck!

Steve

[pagerdaddy]

Originally Posted by MXTitan

Thanks for the suggestions guys. I was really thinking of something a little bit bigger than the PPK, I would like to have more of a solid feel in my hand. Also, I like the Glocks, but I really want an external hammer. I have heard excellent things about the H&K's, of course, but they get really pricey.

My Para has an external hammer, but it is not "****able".
When you go look, ask to try the trigger on a Para LDA.
You'll be surprised at how light and smooth it is.

Steve

[FourMoBro]

Personnally, I think Glocks are overrated. I have the springfield XD 4" barrel .40cal. It is much easier to take apart and clean than the glocks ive used.

[Slurppie]

I've owned an H&K USP 9mm for almost 9 years now (was a 21st b-day present). The H&K has all the comfort/feal/reliability of a Glock with the addition of a hammer.

[Russell]

MXTitan I am or should say was in the same situation. Wanted something for protection and something durable. The best suggestion I can give you is goto a local gun dealer with an indoor range and just shoot a few. 50 dollars in rental fee's is better than a 600 dollar hand gun that you dont like and is inpratical.

I ended up going with a glock 23 for a few good reasons. One it was easy to shoot. No Saftey!!! yeah you are all thinking what the hell but I will explain. Your wife wakes up in the middle of the night to someone coming in the window pulls out the hand gun and pulls the trigger and well nothing. She forgot turn off the saftey. I figured if your going to use a weapon like this well there is only one good reason to pull it out and that is to shoot. Cleaning the glock I dont know FourMoBro is talking about I find it a hell of alot easier to clean than a Kimber or H&K or Springfield. The thing Breaks down into 4 peices. A bore snake and rage can easily clean it. No special tools at all.

Well thats My .02 cents

[MXTitan]

Well, so far Slurppie has mentioned the gun I was leaning towards, but I have not been able to find a good dealer in my area. I am relatively new to the area, so I don't know how to find a REPUTABLE H&K dealer. What should I plan on spending for the USP 9?

[Kronos]

I was going to suggest a Steyr M in 357 Sig or 9mm until you said you wanted and external hammer. If you reconsider the hammer thing, take a look at the Steyr. They are reliable, easy to shoot( love the sights) and inexpensive($279.00 at gun shows).

The previous recommendations are good except I would try to avoid a 1911 if you are on a budget. The entry level guns often need a little tweaking and aren't that cheap to start with. Not always the case, but often.

A Beretta 92 is a good choice though are a bit heavier than the Glock type guns but are reliable and very popular.

My actual recommendation given your needs would be a S & W .357 and or .38 special. A model m60 perhaps. Easy to use and conceal and make safe from the kiddies.

By the way, I own several examples of all the above mentioned guns.

Kronos