4 Home defense pistol options

MTMilitiman:

We will agree to disagree. I understand you point of view, sir.

Have a good evening.

Nice video. Thanks for sharing.

I think when it comes to weapon mounted lights vs light in hand, I think people ignore the obvious solution of having both. I have an Olight M1X Striker on my nightstand and a Streamlight TLR1 HL on my CZ P07. If a situation arises where I need my other hand, I have the WML available. Up until that point, I have my Olight in my off hand. Best of both worlds.

Either is a good choice. Make sure you keep the same operating system on most guns you shoot on a regular basis.

Don't need confusion of trying to remember the mag release, safety slide release under pressure

I am a CZ fan. I have several CZ 75's but my go to handgun is the P-09 in 9mm set up with the decocker.

My first line of defense in my home is a 12 gauge with 00 Buckshot. The handgun is backup.

TheDomFather said:

To all the proponents of a Shotgun or a rifle have you ever shot one indoors with no ears on? Or do expect to put your ears on before you go searching for an intruder. The pistol is loud enough to ring your bell. I cannot imagine a rifle or a shotgun going off inside my house with no ears on.

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Well, if you're going purely off of a measure of loudness, then a shotgun is actually your better option regarding noise at least according to this chart from M1911.org.

http://www.m1911.org/loudness.htm

That being said, my AR seems a heck of a lot louder than my 9mm or my 12 gauge, so I'm curious if there are more factors at play.

For bump in the night, a full-size pistol is preferable.
And I like DAO, don't need a "target" trigger when half awake with adrenaline pumping.
My Sig P250 fills the bill.
And, the lanyard allows me to use both hands if needed.

Question for expat_alaska. Can you see Russia from your house? LOL. Just askin'.

I'm in your boat age-wise. Add a little arthritis, nearsightedness, and a dog (Basenji) and cat that do not bark. We may have to change that. We don't live rural, but on the outskirts of a small town with neighbors fairly close. Not too much goes down around here noise-wise that we are not aware of and the Sheriffs dept. is prompt to respond to calls, since property crime is the biggest complaint.

Handguns, a 20 gauge shotgun, and a 10-22 with Velocitors will have to suit us, at least until the zombie apocalypse is upon us. My G17 handgun carries a light, the wife's does not because it's just something else she's not too familiar with.

I've witnessed countless arguments over various web forums on the tactical light issue, night sights, etc. and as an instructor I say these accessories are highly useful under the right circumstances. The light at least gives you an option if you need to identify your target and would likely add to your defense in the courtroom. If you are concerned about being seen, don't use it (except maybe momentarily). A point that is lost in most arguments.

I could expound a bit further but I won't waste anyone's time.

M

^ mine wears a Streamlite TLR-1, if you want to know.

M

TheDomFather said:

Nice how is that Sig light you have hanging off the front of it. I have a cheapo NC Star hanging off of it right now but it needs to go. Any thoughts?
Thanks,
Dom

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Can't comment on the NcStar light.
The Sig unit is nice in that its a light/laser combo.
I've done a couple night shooting courses and learned quickly the the laser alone isn't much good in real darkness. The coaxial light is what makes it work.
I also use a handheld light, not the weapon light. That works well along with the Sig's very bright night sights.

For home defense I would take a Sig P220, P226 or P229 over a Glock. I had all kinds of issues with my Glock 23 when I had a flashlight mounted to it. I have had no such issues with my P226 with the same light on it. For what it's worth, the Glock 23 was flawless without the flashlight mounted on it. I'm no expert, but I think the Glock issues may have been the result of the frame not flexing right with the flashlight mounted.

MTMillitiaman wrote:
...all those police and military guys put white lights on their guns...

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Actually, none of the police I know around here - including my son - have a light (white or otherwise) attached to their gun. They all have a very powerful flashlight but it's not attached to their gun.

Correct Mr. Winkman. Drop a 357 Sig barrel in your 23 and you should have no problems. That is the main reason I choose 9 or 357 or 45 ACP or newer model with upgraded frame for the TLR-1 light.

M

Interesting idea with the lanyard.

hdwhit said:

Actually, none of the police I know around here - including my son - have a light (white or otherwise) attached to their gun. They all have a very powerful flashlight but it's not attached to their gun.

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All of the SWAT guys have weapon mounted lights, without exception, here. And a good deal of the patrol officers that are qualified or approved for SWAT duty will carry a SIG or Glock with a light attached in a Safariland retention rig. I used to work graves at a truck stop and there were five or six officers that would stop in and have a cup of coffee together in the mornings. I had ample opportunity to discuss sidearms and issued gear with them.

Also, every single M16A4 issued to a 0311 has a 3-battery Surefire issued with it. Every. Single. One. And while it is true that the use of multiple lights increases their effectiveness, the same could be said of the M16s they are attached to. Saying that white lights are useless unless you have multiple lights is just as wrong as saying the M16 is useless unless you have multiple rifles. The fact that all of these things are more effective when you have multiples doesn't mean they can't be utilized effectively individually.

My brother was in the 101st Airborne--also issued a white light on his M4 carbine. Notice a trend here?