Of All of Your Hanguns, Which Is Your Minimal Level of Comfort for SD?

Tallball · Jun 25, 2016

So here is the deal, you are sitting around the house cleaning guns and you hear a door or window right near you being smashed open. Or you receive an urgent phone call and have to rush out of the house right that second to go help a close friend or family member in serious distress.

Of all of your handguns, which is the last on the list of ones you would feel fairly comfortable with, and why? Keep in mind, long guns are in a totally different category. I personally do not feel comfortable with 22lr, 22mag, 32 S&W short and long, or 32acp (I don't own a 25 and would not be comfortable with that, either).

I am not talking about crazy terrorists with semiautomatic rifles. I am just talking about the (MUCH more likely) one or two guys who want to mug you or carjack you or sexually assault you or burgle your home.

I am not trying to do a scenario here, I am just curious about what everyone's "lowest common denominator" would be.

For me, it would be my NEF 32 H&R magnum. When I got it, it had been barely fired. I have only shot it about 300-500 rounds. It goes bang every time. There are a lot of handguns I would prefer, but it goes bang every time and fires an effective cartridge. I personally would prefer it over any kind of 22, or a 32 acp, or a 32 S&W long or short.

It is not in any way shape or form my preferred HD/SD firearm, but versus a typical BG or two I would not feel underarmed. Here is a gratuitous picture:

Sergei Mosin · Jun 25, 2016

For me it's the two pocket guns in the house - my .357 LCR or my wife's P238. Just not enough horsepower in the .32 cartridges for my taste - even the .380 is marginal, but it works for her.

AZAndy · Jun 25, 2016

I guess it's .38 Special, although I will sometimes drop an LCP in my pocket if circumstances demand.

200Apples · Jun 25, 2016

.
I own 7 hanguns:

3 semi automatics

.45ACP Springfield Loaded parkerized
.45ACP Kimber Ultra CDP II
.22LR Browning 1911-22 <---------------- least potent. Used only as a plinker. Besides the anemic chambering, the sights are garbage.

4 wheelguns

.44 Magnum Ruger Super Blackhawk
.41 Magnum Ruger Blackhawk
.357 Magnum S&W Model 60-15
.22WMR S&W Model 351PD <--------------- Bill Jordan's idea in 1965. He thought the then-new .22WMR a "wicked little cartridge" and that such a chambering in an Airweight Chief's Special would be the hot ticket as a backup/hide out gun.

Interesting topic.

To answer your question, I'd have to say that although many people all over the world have placed great faith in .22LR and have used it to necessary effect I would choose the .22WMR 351PD for my Minimal Level of Comfort for SD.

lpsharp88 · Jun 25, 2016

For me it would be my Glock 43. It's been 100% reliable, I'm just not familiar enough with it yet.

Devonai · Jun 25, 2016

In the unlikely scenario that I am at home and all I have in my hand is a small caliber pistol, then I would use it to fight my way to one of my preferred firearms.

I also find the premise of being in too much of a hurry going out the door to grab one of my preferred pistols to be a stretch. If someone needs help that badly, they should have called 911, not me.

beag_nut · Jun 25, 2016

For me, it's either the SP101 snubbie (.357) or the LC9sPro 9mm. Either one will drop the intruder.

MutinousDoug · Jun 25, 2016

I keep a couple of K frame 38's by the bed for my wife and me. Not my 1st preference but the wife is not comfortable with an automatic manual of arms or 45acp caliber so I handicap myself a little bit so that she will not be. She is quite comfortable with 38 Spl revolvers.
In the summer I carry an easily concealed 380 most of the time but I'm seriously looking at the Sig 938.

DeepSouth · Jun 25, 2016

NAA Mini revolver

MIL-DOT · Jun 25, 2016

That's an easy one. For me it'd be my .22 Ruger Single Six.
Weakest round, and non-repeating action.
But even then, I wouldn't complain, it's a hella lot better than a wiffle-ball bat !!

MaterDei · Jun 25, 2016

Keltec P32.

Truthfully though, if the only gun I had access to was my pellet pistol then it beats nothing. Shoot it and then either throw it or use it as a club, it does have quite a bit of heft.

Deaf Smith · Jun 25, 2016

S&W 642 and Glock 43.

Got 'em both and for 'minimal' they are excellent.

Deaf

cfullgraf · Jun 25, 2016

Tallball said:
Of all of your handguns, which is the last on the list of ones you would feel fairly comfortable with, and why?

Thompson Center Contender unless the bad guy is equipped with a muzzle loader.

dragon813gt · Jun 25, 2016

It would have to be one of my Single 7s. Not because the 327 Federal is a slouch. More because it's a single action. Outside of 22lr pistols I don't own any handguns that couldn't pull self defense duty. While a 7.5" single action revolver isn't very handy or quick shooting the 327 Federal packs a lot of power in a small cartridge.

Manny · Jun 25, 2016

KLCR loaded w/ .38+p's or my newly acquired Glock 43. Both are similarly sized and were acquired to be as unobtrusive as possible to carry at all times while still being large enough to shoot well and chambered in an effective round. To my way of thinking, each represents "best of breed" for my needs.

badkarmamib · Jun 25, 2016

Honestly, and this is just my personal opinion and comfort level; I am invested in only 2 calibers for handguns (not including my C&B revolver), .40S&W and .45ACP. I started with 9mm, went through a lot of 'em, and discovered the .40. After holding one of each cartridge in my hands, and knowing what the energy and magazine capacities were, I feel more comfortable with the abilities of .40S&W. So, my minimum would be my XD-S in .40.

longknife12 · Jun 25, 2016

I've got a bunch......guess the Sig 9mm in my min.....I feed it Carbon Hp's
Dan

ColeK · Jun 25, 2016

38 Spl is as small as I go.

jmr40 · Jun 25, 2016

I prefer 9mm/357mag/40/10mm/45ACP in no particular order. Of those all of the 9mm's are the smallest options and hold the most rounds, so I'd say it is my go-to cartridge. The 9mm G43 actually gets carried the most. But depending on the situation I also have a Kel-Tec 380 and Smith J frame in 38. I'd RATHER have one of the more powerful rounds, but sometimes they just aren't practical.

dbmjr1 · Jun 25, 2016

I have a NAA .22 revolver, in the folding holster/handle. I OC it when I don't feel like carrying a gun.

The one time I thought I might need it, I was glad I had it, buy wished the bore was X2.

tcj · Jun 25, 2016

Desert eagle 44 - doesn't hold enough rounds.

MedWheeler · Jun 25, 2016

So here is the deal, you are sitting around the house cleaning guns and you hear a door or window right near you being smashed open. Or you receive an urgent phone call and have to rush out of the house right that second to go help a close friend or family member in serious distress.

If I "hear a door or window.. being smashed" while I'm sitting around cleaning guns, I'm grabbing the largest loaded gun, not the "smallest I feel comfortable with."

In the second scenario, I might not be so inclined. I've gone out armed with a Taurus PT-25 or PT-22, and much more frequently with my P32. Usually, though, it's a PF-9.

I do have a NAA mini-revolver in .22LR, but have only carried it alone once, and that was today while cutting a neighbor's lawn down the street.

I guess you could say I draw the line between a trio of guns made up of that mini-revolver, a Bauer .25, and my Jennings J22, and place everything else above that line as at least "minimally acceptable" for "general out-and-about carry." The NAA and the Bauer do BUG duty, but never primary.

MedWheeler · Jun 25, 2016

Dragon813gt writes:

Outside of 22lr pistols I don't own any handguns that couldn't pull self defense duty.

Even my .22LR handguns could pull self-defense duty. Countless others have for other citizens. Mine would probably be even better suited than most of theirs were when my training is taken into consideration.

They're just not my first choice.

dragon813gt · Jun 25, 2016

MedWheeler said:
They're just not my first choice.

Which was the point of this thread. I would not hesitate to grab the Beretta U22 Neos if it was all that's available. But I'm not about to carry it for self defense which was my point.

ArchAngelCD · Jun 25, 2016

I think it would be a 500 S&W Magnum because indoors it would make my ears bleed!

Of All of Your Hanguns, Which Is Your Minimal Level of Comfort for SD?

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