Defending Your Family

[RAPPY THE DO]

Crime is up. Alot of things in your community going on. Economic problems leading to money shortage. You need to defend your family ico of break in.
What would you choose from the following guns when you are short on funds and cannot afford HK, Sig, Kimber, etc. Lets take it to the polls.


Thank You

Rappy the Do

 

[Thernlund]

Probably that Rock Island .45. .45ACP is common, it's powerful, and 1911 parts are everywhere.

A little TLC would make it a great pistol.


-T.

 

[cslinger]

Lot of good choices up there. I posted for the P95 new, but the Beretta, Smith, Mak etc. would all make just fine choices.

The reality of self defense is about mindset, prevention and in a last resort having a defensive weapon close at hand, the type or caliber usually makes little difference. Learn to shoot, have fun with it and whatever you choose will work out just fine.

Personally I would suggest a Ruger GP100 4inch .357 magnum. Simple, robust, big dawg cartridge, inexpensive, lots of versatility, makes a good club or jack handle in a pinch, hard to be a Ruger GP100 for a good all around do anything gun IMO.

Chris

 

[hags]

Glock 17(L), oh, wait a minute, if I was short on funds........Glock 17.

 

[countryrebel]

Out of what you had I chose beretta, but if I was picking it would be a glock or xd.

 

[gallo]

The choice of a shotgun would have been nice.

 

[Zedicus]

Rock Island 1911.

 

[borntwice]

CZ 75 P-01 - hands down (you forgot to include this option in your poll...)

 

[hags]

Out of what you had I chose beretta, but if I was picking it would be a glock or xd.

Ok, I voted this way too.

 

[Gord]

$400-450 will buy you any number of quality defensive handguns, NIB. You don't have to spend $600 (or $800, or $1200...) on an HK/SIG/Kimber to have a "good" gun.

Used, you have a much broader range of choices for (in some instances) a much lower cost factor.

Police trade-in Glocks and S&W autos are all over the place for $250 on up if you look. Model 10s can be found for under two bills here and there, and there are plenty of dead bad guys felled by .38-caliber slugs to contend with the cries that it's Not Enough Gun. Various and sundry autos and revolvers can be found used for under $400, easily. If you want to go the long gun route, your local gun- or pawnshop is almost guaranteed to have a used 870 or 500 for cheap. Ruger autos are tanks and can be bought new for less than a lot of other makes cost used.

If you've got $200, you can afford a quality handgun or long gun - you'll just need to buy used and perhaps shop around and/or haggle a bit, but it shouldn't be very hard...

 

[Blarelli]

Ruger P-95 is imho one of the most underrated 9mm's on the market. I have stopped keeping track, but I am over 20k rounds with one FTE. I admit they do not fit everybody's hand well, but it does fit most better then more popular weapons. They are totally reliable, quite accurate, have a good single action trigger, and balance decent enough with a loaded 15 round mag in it. Recoil is nothing, even with +p rounds. At the average price of $300 or so it is a bargain. I got mine used for $220.

 

[Spyvie]

If you're just talking about defending you're family in the home, and money is something of a consideration (it always is) then I'd go with the Ruger P95. Absolutely rock solid reliable, reasonably accurate and available new for around $300.

If the the gun is going to be a carry weapon then personally I'd go with none of the above, 'cept maybe the Bersa if you're OK with .380 stopping power.

 

[craig_o]

Considering SHORT ON FUNDS I think a 9mm makes a helluva lot of sense.

The Ruger has capacity, durability, low price and the difference versus the RIA .45 makes up for itself in ammo and mags.

 

[Ridgerunner665]

As bad as I hate to say it (being a 1911 guy in the extreme)

Buy a Glock 17...around $500 and its reliable, pretty accurate, and 9mm ammo is cheap.

 

[briansp82593]

i chose the beretta, mainly because im familiar with the gun, one not on the poll, glock 17.

 

[RONSTAR]

Short on funds. Nothing says dont tread on me like a a loaded ak-47 variant of some sort.

 

[240SX]

If you are trying to defend your family if someone breaks in, and you are using a .45 ACP or a 9mm for that matter, you are going to be busting rounds through the sheet rock. NOT GOOD. I did recommend the Beretta, because it is a darn good 9mm, however, a shotgun loaded with heavy bird shot is going to be able to take down any intruder (then you can get that cover them with that pistol), and you should none to very minimal sheet rock penetration with the shotie. You can get a decent used shotgun for a decent price or get a Mavrick/Mossberg.

BTW: I found rocksalt work really well to...I have personal experience with it, dag nab farmer shot at me & a couple of my buddies when we were just cut'n accross his field. This stuff HURTS...and you can't prick it out, at least with shot you can. LOL I keep a shotgun loaded with rocksalt and heavy bird load, plus I have at least 4 handguns ready and waiting to back me up. SHIBBY.

Hope up find what meets your needs. I was just through out a suggestion there. But I have a Beretta 92 and it is pretty damn skippy (not as good as my CZ 75s thought).

 

[Disaster]

...a shotgun loaded with heavy bird shot is going to be able to take down any intruder...

A shotgun loaded with birdshot is NOT an effective weapon. I'm too lazy to search now but there are several sights that did penetration tests and while it might hurt like heck, it isn't going to get through to vitals and stop a person unless at extremely close range. I do agree with the shotgun recommendation though...just use buckshot.

 

[hags]

If you are trying to defend your family if someone breaks in, and you are using a .45 ACP or a 9mm for that matter, you are going to be busting rounds through the sheet rock. NOT GOOD.

......or you could AIM!

 

[burningsquirrels]

not a lot of great choices other than the 1911 and beretta. between the 1911 and beretta, i'd pick the beretta. why? high capacity, and easier to use for other members of my hypothetical family. 9mm would be easier on the wallet to practice with if the funds were available. if it was a police trade-in, it may also have night sights. plus, the army picked it for a reason.

but being in a gun-literate household and outside the context of the situation presented, i would take the beretta if it had night sights. otherwise, possibly the 1911. my fiance and i are good shots. i would think a $329 NIB RIA 1911 would be cheaper than some of the beretta 92 trade-ins i've seen, and it could allow for some room in the budget for a 10 round magazine in the gun with the 7 on the side, and a triple D cell mag-lite with an LED upgrade.

presenting a firearm to robbers change most of their minds, one in the chest can make them think again before continuing in my direction, two in the chest will stop most. else, a third in the head will end their brief stay on this planet.

 

[The Bushmaster]

No brainer. Rock Island .45 1911...

 

[19-3Ben]

Well, if this is only going to stay at home, I'd say a shotgun. It'll be cheaper than ANY of the guns you mention, and a 12 ga. is just about the most powerful shoulder fired weapon you could use on a person within 10 yards.

That said I voted beretta 92fs trade in. Why? Because i have personal experience and know them to be reliable and accurate. You also didn't say anything about carrying the gun. If you will CCW then the Bersa, Taurus, and Makarov all look like better options.

One thing I might say about the Rock Island, is that 1911s can sometimes be finicky. when they are, it can take a good deal of money to make them work properly.
I would avoid a 1911 as a budget gun for this reason and stick with the Beretta, Ruger, or Smith that are in your choices. Any of those will likely be very very reliable.

 

[jws527]

Sig P6.

If I were looking for a quality handgun on a budget with one of the "standard" defensive calibers, that's what I'd buy.

A bunch of German police surplus guns have been coming into the country lately and they can be had for $250-280 with excellent internals and barrels (the exterior finish will have some holster wear, but trust me - most of these have seldom been shot). Check the various surplus sites. 9 mm is still cheap enough that it won't break the bank to get some regular practice in, which is important.

I would have purchased one without reservation if I didn't already have a P229. I still might.

If this is strictly for home defense, however, you really can't beat a shotgun.

 

[glockman19]

Of your choices I'd pick either the RI 1911 or the Beretta. And...If you're having trouble buying the gun what will you feed it?

For this reason and your budget. I'd go with the less expensive 9mm and the Tried & True Beretta.

 

[hankdatank1362]

Will you be carrying the gun concealed? Or is it just home defense? Maybe in the car? How proficient are you with handguns?

If it's just for the home, skip the handgun and buy a 12GA or a WASR AK. If you are going to carry it in your car, I would go Beretta 92 9mm. If you want to carry it concealed, I'd suggest the 5943 in 9mm.

Notice both suggestions were 9mm double actions... cheaper round to practice with, easier for the untrained to shoot (think other family members), higher capacity...