HydroFlame
The Vanishing Act
I am home alone maybe 80 percent of the time, so learning to handle a firearm might not be a bad idea. Better to have one and never need it, than to not have one and need it. Lots of crazies in the backwoods.
The Guns and Ammo Thread
- Thread starter Kalessin
- Start date
WillisPDunlevey
Mildly Dipped
IMO A glock is a good choice (I carry a Glock 21). You may also consider a CZ P-07 if you are not super familiar with striker fired no safety pistols for concealed carry.
TheGM
The voice of reason
you could if you are willing to pay $10k.
valcik
So Old I'm Losing Radiation Signs
I'd like to draw your attention to relatively young Slovak 9mm handgun K-100 by Grand Power, being manufactured and sold as STI GP6 in U.S. Both barrel finish and grip utilize the same top of the line materials as Glock, trigger moves really smooth with very short reset, and has good accuracy thanks to rotating barrel. Fun fact: there's one K-100 at shooting range here in Slovakia, borrowed to public on a daily basis for couple of years, and according to the record more than 130000 shots have been fired with it to this day.
WillisPDunlevey
Mildly Dipped
I’m familiar with the grand power- I usually carry something used- preferably without a 100% finish so I don’t have to feel bad about what ends up happening to it via wear and scratches + drawing and holstering. BTW- an X-Trim and X-caliber are on my list to buyI'd like to draw your attention to relatively young Slovak 9mm handgun K-100 by Grand Power, being manufactured and sold as STI GP6 in U.S. Both barrel finish and grip utilize the same top of the line materials as Glock, trigger moves really smooth with very short reset, and has good accuracy thanks to rotating barrel. Fun fact: there's one K-100 at shooting range here in Slovakia, borrowed to public on a daily basis for couple of years, and according to the record more than 130000 shots have been fired with it to this day.
I'm sure that wherever you're from, there's plenty of ways to get yourself introduced to firearms.
That said, take any recommendation (including those on this forum) with a grain of salt. Firearms are a very personal thing, what works for someone else might not work for you. The gun community is also infested with fanboys who will stick to a certain brand and prefer it over all else but have no rational reason for doing such.
WillisPDunlevey
Mildly Dipped
SuAside is 100% correct about fanboys etc. try lots, choose what works the best. If you lived close to me, I would gladly help you. I’m sure you can find someone close.
How much experience do you have with firearms and what do you expect to get from owning a firearm? Are you purely looking at home defense, or are you going for something more than that?
HydroFlame
The Vanishing Act
Aside from loading them? Pretty much nothing, ha. I'm really just looking for home defense. I had someone attempt to break into my old apartment a few years ago. Turns out this guy was just wasted and had the wrong one, but it's really scary being woken up by someone attempting to beat your door down. Difference is, I had neighbors then and lived close to a dispatch office. Here I'm in the middle of nowhere and alone. I'd sleep better at night having a decent gun.
From previous comments, I take it you're in Kentucky? Various ranges near you & the NRA should be offering classes to get you acquainted with the safe handling of guns and will explain what to keep in mind when selecting a weapon for home defense.
If you narrow down where you are, we can probably get some recommendations for you.
If you narrow down where you are, we can probably get some recommendations for you.
HydroFlame
The Vanishing Act
Yep, I live in KY. There is a new shooting range not far from me that I think offers basic gun training as a free service. I'm sure there is a catch. The place is always freaking full though. And I guess it can't hurt to give my general location. I live about an hour and a half or so from Lexington.
I'll ask around for recommendations.
Do note that a lot of the "self-defense" classes will be oriented towards concealed carry. This is somewhat at odds with your goal of home defense. CCW requires a weapon which is small & light enough to carry without too much hassle. The most important part is that the grip is not too long, as that hampers concealment. As a result, you get a firearm with slightly lower capacity, often lower caliber as well.
If your goal is home defense, there's really no reason not to go with a full sized firearm, which is entirely steel. The weight will help control the recoil and the fullsize grip means you can use higher capacity magazines by default.
That's assuming you're interesting in a pistol, and not a shotgun or carbine. The latter two work fine for home defense, but probably take a bit more training to master their respective downsides (while generally being more effective at their job).
Do note that a lot of the "self-defense" classes will be oriented towards concealed carry. This is somewhat at odds with your goal of home defense. CCW requires a weapon which is small & light enough to carry without too much hassle. The most important part is that the grip is not too long, as that hampers concealment. As a result, you get a firearm with slightly lower capacity, often lower caliber as well.
If your goal is home defense, there's really no reason not to go with a full sized firearm, which is entirely steel. The weight will help control the recoil and the fullsize grip means you can use higher capacity magazines by default.
That's assuming you're interesting in a pistol, and not a shotgun or carbine. The latter two work fine for home defense, but probably take a bit more training to master their respective downsides (while generally being more effective at their job).
@Black Rose:
Seems like the consensus is Bud's Gun Shop & Range has quite good classes in the Lexington area.
Seems like the consensus is Bud's Gun Shop & Range has quite good classes in the Lexington area.
HydroFlame
The Vanishing Act
Hey, thanks! I went to a gun store right before Christmas, mostly just to get a feel for the weight of different ones. There was a Ruger 9mm that I liked the weight of, but it was pricey. I think I'll put aside a day to actually fire a couple before making a decision. I'm only going to be keeping one for home defense, which hopefully I'll never be in a situation to need to defend myself.
The comfort of holding a pistol in your hand is generally not a good indicator of how well it'll shoot for you. While it's not always possible, I would strongly suggest actually shooting a few handguns before making a choice of what works for you & what doesn't.
Some guns that have felt great have shot very poorly for me. I guess the most extreme examples for me were:
Some guns that have felt great have shot very poorly for me. I guess the most extreme examples for me were:
- The Walther P99, which felt great in the hand, but the ergonomics fought against me when I tried to shoot it. Shot placement was horrendous.
- The HK Mk23 on the other hand is a friggin' humongous pistol which feels too large to my medium sized hands. However it shot like a dream. Very natural point of aim and easy to control.
Carib FMJ
Nuka-Cola Chaser
My Glock Model 45 - The most ironic named firearm I own. I like it. I also have the Lipsey Vicker's edition of the Glock 19 Gen 3 with RTF2 grip... a bit like holding sand paper, but my hands have done work so, meh.
Aside from being ironically named, probably one of the first times Glock actually listened to their fanbase.
I may not be a Glock fan in general, but the Glock 45 fits perfectly in its niche. Certainly one I'd consider if I were to buy a Glock.
I may not be a Glock fan in general, but the Glock 45 fits perfectly in its niche. Certainly one I'd consider if I were to buy a Glock.
And people that wear them at air ports are terrorist that get killed by John McClaine.
That's only the porcelain Glock 7.
You know, when I watched the movie as a kid, I actually believed that.
I am curious how many myths people still believe about guns, simply because they get repeated by movies. Like this idea, that a gun knocks people away when they get hit by the bullet.
I am curious how many myths people still believe about guns, simply because they get repeated by movies. Like this idea, that a gun knocks people away when they get hit by the bullet.