Gun owners?

[Grumpy]

Rob,

I found that a .32 mag was the perfect home defense weapon for either my exwife and I. It was very easy to teach her to to shoot using .32 longs which pack little recoil and loading it with 95 to 100 grain hollow points for self defense. Problem was the guns themselves can be hard to find and so is the ammo.

Sorry to help hijack this thread

[Charles]

Originally Posted by merrylander

The funny thing is that I would rather have a tazer but they are illegal for private ownership, guess they would rather have me kill an intruder.

I was looking at maybe a .38 or even a .22 long rifle automatic that lookes like a .45 - $500. It needs to be something that would not knock my wife on her fanny if she needs to use it.


It has gotten to be an outdoor sport around these parts to break in on older people and rough them up.


BTW if you were to read Madison's Notes on the Philadelphia Convention you might conclude that "A well regulated militia" was in reference to the fact that because they did not want a standing army, the federal government was to take over the militias. The states did not really want this, but the problem was that they all used different arms and in a time of need they might find that they had the wrong size shot, etc.

This sort of became moot after 1812 when Madison foolishly got involved in a war he need not have and it was an Irish regiment that burned the White House. I used to pass the historic house in Brookevville, MD where Madison brought the government during that event, on my daily commute. That was when they discovered that a militia was no match for regulars.

If I were you, I'd look at a Ruger GP100 with a 4" barrel. You can load it with .38's or .357's, with the best defense round being a 125 gr JHP in .357. You can't wear out a Ruger, so a used gun would be fine. The recoil isn't bad, but the muzzle blast and flash is horrific. Might be a little much for your wife.

My wife has a S&W M60 Chief's Special, loaded with Remington P+ Golden Sabres, with Hogue grips. Your wife might like something like this better, the GP100 is a large handgun. A Ruger SP101 is about the same size as the Chiefs Special, and is chambered in .357 to boot. This might be the ideal weapon for you.

Never have been a fan of .22 automatics for defense. Some women have trouble retracting the slide, and leaving one with a round chambered is kind of dangerous...as far as I'm concerned. And if your magazine is a little deformed they will jamb.

A good DA wheel gun is best for someone who isn't going to spend a lot of time on the range.

Chas

[JJIII]

"A good DA wheel gun is best for someone who isn't going to spend a lot of time on the range. "

QFT

[Sandy G]

Ayup. A 38/357 revolver loaded w/Glaser Safety Slugs is about "Das Ultimat" in stopping Mr Bad Guy, only equalled by a .45 ACP loaded w/"Flying Ashtrays"...But autos are hard for most people to master, a good quality revolver is almost foolproof...

[Charles]

Originally Posted by Sandy G

Ayup. A 38/357 revolver loaded w/Glaser Safety Slugs is about "Das Ultimat" in stopping Mr Bad Guy, only equalled by a .45 ACP loaded w/"Flying Ashtrays"...But autos are hard for most people to master, a good quality revolver is almost foolproof...

Probably, the ol' "squaw gun" in 12 ga with a open choke is the best...but a little slow in confined spaces.

Handguns have their place. And one of the best things a feller can do is get some snap caps and do a considerable amount of dry firing. You'll immediately pick up on your bad habits, dropping the muzzle, closing your eyes, etc. You need some range time with live ammo, but dry firing may be about as good. Least with a revolver.

Chas

[Grumpy]

Forgot to mention the .32 mag I suggested was a Ruger Single six. They stopped production and can be a bit hard to find but well worth looking. Should fall easily in your price range and last yours, your kids and their kids lifetimes.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by Grumpy

Forgot to mention the .32 mag I suggested was a Ruger Single six. They stopped production and can be a bit hard to find but well worth looking. Should fall easily in your price range and last yours, your kids and their kids lifetimes.

Got to admit, the Single Six is one fine firearm. I've got one in .22/.22 mag, and it is probably the most accurate handgun I own. Had to do a major trigger job on it, now it breaks 13-15 ozs. When I first bought it, when you pulled the trigger, it cammed the hammer back.

Buddy of mine just bought a new one, 4 5/8" barrel in stainless. Has a good trigger out of the box. Ruger finally started putting a decent trigger on their products.

I'm a big Ruger fan. Even my old model R77V in .243 will shoot 3/4 MOA at 200 yds, using my bargain basement reloads. It's my dog gun (prairie dog, know I"ve just opened up a bad can of worms). And the stock has bedding problems. I've even got a few 1.5 inch groups @ 200 with my old model R77 in .25-06.

And you can't hardly wear a Ruger out. And they're relatively cheap.

Chas

[Sandy G]

Single-actions are GREAT "Fun guns"....I managed to locate a stainless Bearcat during the 6 weeks they made 'em...But the one I shoot is the 1973 vintage "blued" one. I'd load 'er up w/ CB caps, & "fan" the sumbich like crazy. Can't really hit anything that way, but it sure makes a lot of racket, & is great, cheesy fun.

[merrylander]

Shows you how much I remember about guns, last time I fired one was nearly 60 years ago. So, what is the difference between an automatic with a round chambered with the safety on and a revolver with the safety on. Take the safety off and won't both be capable of firing?

BTW we definitely plan on some firing range time should we go this route.

[Sandy G]

Typically, revolvers DON'T have safeties-You pick one up, it's ready for business. That's why you should ALWAYS check any gun to see if it's loaded-they ALWAYS are until YOU have proven to yrself otherwise...