chaim
Member
For 10 years, plus or minus a year or two, my .45ACP SIG P250c has always been loaded as one of my home defense guns. I also have a snub always ready, and I've sometimes had other guns loaded up and ready as well (all in quick access safes), but the snub and P250 have always been ready. That said, I don't shoot it all that much, and I probably hadn't shot it for a good 5 years or more until I took it to the range last week. I really don't like it anymore. I used to think the long and heavy (but smooth) DAO trigger pull (that most people hated on the P250) was fine. However, I noticed how it made accurate shots at any distance so much harder (unless I really slowed down and concentrated on my trigger pull) than any of the other guns I brought, including my brand new micro-9 SIG P365. So, now I want to trade it (even though I won't get much for it) and replace it.
So, there are a few considerations:
My thoughts:
So, there are a few considerations:
- For years I preferred .45ACP for home defense. I love 9mm and .40 for the range and CCW, but for HD I like that .45 gets its "stopping power" from size and weight and not velocity, thus (at least in theory) making it less likely to over penetrate (all else being equal). However, one can control for penetration in 9mm and .40 with a well chosen defensive round. The rounds I pick for CCW are all within the FBI 12-18" window, and thus this is really a non-issue in practice. However (and this is a big "however"), sticking with my 15-20 year preference for .45 gives me an excuse to buy a new gun .
- I prefer 9mm and .40 outside home defense situations. With modern defensive ammo, any difference in effectiveness between the three is pretty marginal in real-world scenarios. Meanwhile, you can get more rounds, a smaller size, and often both, in the same guns in .40 and 9mm vs. .45. Given what I already said above under the .45 considerations, I will certainly consider all three.
- I like DAO, DA/SA or striker fired pistols for my defensive guns. I know with training I most likely wouldn't forget to disengage a safety, but in a life or death situation, I just like reducing all potentially detrimental variables that I can.
- For home defense, I like either a full sized or "compact" service pistol (I currently use a P250c, and I sometimes use my CZ PCR or P01).
- I'm getting older. The ability to use a RMR red dot, laser, and/or light may be a plus. I didn't use to care for adding any bulk or weight to my guns, but my solidly middle aged (and diabetic) eyesight has seen better days and will likely continue to decline through the coming years.
My thoughts:
- Glock 21, probably the 21SF (I have thick hands and fingers, but they are a little shorter than the rest of my size would suggest). I just bought my 1st Glock (taking it to the range for the first time in a few hours), but I know they have a solid reputation for reliability
- S&W M&P (full sized or compact) in .45. Again, good rep for reliability, and I love my 1st gen S&W M&P40c.
- Maybe ignore my DA/SA, DAO or striker requirement and get another 1911. I will be getting a full sized steel 1911 anyway, and I love these guns. While I generally don't like a safety on a defensive gun, on a gun I'll be pulling out of a quick access safe or holster at 2-3am when freshly woken up from a deep sleep, a safety may be a good thing to delay me a moment while I get fully acclimated to what is going on.
- SIG P220. I love the classic P-series SIGs. While this (and the 1911) will be no more than 8 rounds, at least for HD (as opposed to CCW) it is easy to have many mags available for reloads.
- Forget the .45ACP and go 9mm or .40. There are a few full sized 9mms I want that I don't yet have, one of which I'm probably buying soon anyway (a Beretta 92), that could do this duty well. I also have a couple guns now that would fit this role (Glock 22, CZ P01, CZ PCR, CZ 75B, SIG P229 in .40). My 75B is not a decocker model though. The PCR has no accessory rail. The P01 will probably be sold soon (traded on something else- I don't really need the PCR and P01 and would rather have the PCR), so this role would save it. I don't plan on the P229 going anywhere and it does have the rail. The 22 has both an accessory rail and the MOS mount for a RMR. For the ones I already have, an advantage is that I wouldn't have to buy a new gun and I could use that money for a totally different gun, ammo or range time. A disadvantage is, I wouldn't have to buy another gun.
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