Good beginner's home defense handgun for under $500?

[1/7GRUNT]

There is a great forum you should look to for advice...

pafoa.org

Thats the Pennsylvania Firearms Owners Assoc. I am sure you could get some info on ranges and gun stores near you.

 

[C-grunt]

First thing is to go and try (hold at least, shoot if possible) every handgun you can and find the one that feels nice. My advice would be:

If you end up buying a revolver dont buy one of the little ones. They are hard to master and kick like a mule. Get a full size revolver, Smith and Wesson 686 or Ruger GP100 for example. The bigger revolvers will recoil a lot less and be easier to aim.

If you decide on an auto I would say a Glock as you already have experience with it. But in reality any gun from a reputable company should workout for you.

 

[Guns and more]

I think for a new gun owner, and home defense (not carry) I'd suggest a revolver. My first H/D gun was a Smith & Wesson Model 65 with a 4" barrel. I shot .38 at the range although it could do .357. I still have it and I think it was a good choice. It's a stainless version and I don't think it's ever been cleaned. (shame on me) For a woman, a LadySmith.

 

[strat81]

I would get a remington 870 in 20 gauge with the youth model stock (if that's your size; you made it sound like you're smaller) and a shorter barrel. Then load it with "00" buck. You won't have to worry about shooting your neighbor from penetration if your in an apartment complex and under stress as a new shooter you'll be more likely to hit what you want to with the shotgun vs. the handgun.

Midway doesn't list 20ga 00 buck and neither does Winchester. I'm pretty sure it does not exist.

And yes, neighbors will have to worry if you're using a shotgun loaded with buckshot. According to the Box of Truth, a 12ga shooting "only" #4 buck will penetrate 6 layers of drywall.
http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/bot3.htm

If it will penetrate a human enough to stop them, it'll penetrate many walls. Novices and pump shotguns are a good combo for hurt shoulders and short stroking. A shotgun is not the best choice for a newbie, especially one without training.

 

[givo08]

Well, if you have small hands (like I do) and can't afford a Glock, then I'd suggest a Sig Sauer P6. I know, I know...I've been reccomending this to everyone, but they're just so nice. I have small hands too, and it fits me perfectly. They can be had for around $300. It's in 9mm, which is still relatively inexpensive. And despite what some say, modern hollowpoints in 9mm is plenty of gun for defensive purposes. If you can't find one in stock at your gun shop, they might be able to order one for you if you ask nicely.

I would strongly advise against this. P6's are not designed to feed hollowpoints and usually have a problem with them. Sig 225's (basically the same gun) has a different barrel than the P6 and is designed to feed them. If you do get a P6, I would strongly recommend buying a Sig P225 barrel replacement for it.

 

[Quoheleth]

As a 6'4", 280# man with VERY small hands, I have some thoughts...

Sig P6 - DA length of pull is too long, as are CZs. Good guns...too big.

Taurus PT92 is inexpensive, <$300 used, and trigger may or may not be too far to reach. High cap 9mms give plenty of firepower. Tarurus bashers will even agree this is one model that is reliable.

Smith & Wesson model 10 and (dash)variants in .38 Special can be found for <$200 on auctionarms.com and local pawnshops. Great guns, good prices, good value.

Smith & Wesson Sigma, new @$300. Heavy DA trigger, but in a defensive setting some argue that to be a benefit...help prevent accidental discharge.

Bersa Thunder - 9mm is about $350, .380 @ $270. Good guns...all-steel...reliable if unglamorous.

Ruger Sp101 already mentioned...fits me well.

Couple of thoughts...

Q

 

[BigO01]

If you find a gun you really like and shoot well don't just assume you can't afford it , many good gun shops will let you put it on a Layaway plan but you have to ask , they rarely put up a layaway sign like a Mart store does .

The ones I've dealt with wont even hold you to the time limit as long as you are actually making payments on the gun , just don't plop down X dollars and not make a payment and then call them up when it is suppose to be paid for and ask for more time you have to go in and put down $20 more here and there and they'll usually work with you .

 

[Beagle-zebub]

You might want to look into a pistol-caliber carbine or 20 ga. shotgun. Either of these will greatly increase your hit probability (which is always a good thing) and offer more stopping power with more manageable recoil. Handguns are not the best choice for personal defense, as they are the least powerful and hardest to hit with.

+1

A 20 gauge shotgun would be perfect for this, and even some pretty classy new pump guns fall within your price-range.

Pistol-caliber carbines can be had for cheap, too, if you count lever action ones. (Which I would.)

 

[XDShooter07]

Midway doesn't list 20ga 00 buck and neither does Winchester. I'm pretty sure it does not exist.

yep, sorry, only for 12 ga. The biggest I found from federal for the 20 ga. was #2 buck. But I don't think I'd like to stand in front of that either.

A shotgun is not the best choice for a newbie, especially one without training.

First thing I learned to shoot on. Easier to aim. Sloppy trigger control doesn't affect the gun as much. And the advantage of a spread. Why not?

And yes, neighbors will have to worry if you're using a shotgun loaded with buckshot. According to the Box of Truth, a 12ga shooting "only" #4 buck will penetrate 6 layers of drywall.

Pretty good link. The #1 and #4 penetrated six boards of drywall and stopped. I imagine maybe that #2 out of a 20 ga. wouldn't penetrate quite as much because of less powder? Dunno. But it also said 9mm and .45 penetrated all 12 boards. Six is less than 12, but yeah it's still a fair amount.

 

[Shade00]

As others have said, if the gun fits, shoot it. You need to pick up as many as you can. I like the idea of a Glock 26 - 9mm subcompact. You can definitely find one in that price range.

If, however, you are looking to save as much cash as possible, then I would look no further than a wheelgun. Revolvers are generally super values. My wife, who is a tiny 22-year old with tiny hands, finds that a Smith & Wesson J-frame with the stock grips fits her hands better than any other gun. Her choice is a Model 37. She doesn't like the extra weight of an all-steel gun. If you can tolerate the weight for carry, then you've just opened up a huge number of options. A J-frame snubnose loaded up with .38 Spl +P is nothing to sneer at. Just look around; there are plenty of quality S&W J-frames available.

 

[Defensory]

A pump shotgun is a poor home defense choice for a female beginner of small physical stature and small hands.

Plenty of full sized, experienced male shooters have trouble wielding a shotgun while navigating narrow hallways, doorways etc.---especially when under the extreme stress of a home invasion or similar situation.

A 9mm semi-auto pistol like the Springfield XD9 subcompact is ideal. It does fine in small hands, and the recoil is quite manageable even for beginners. There are multiple videos on Youtube of female beginners firing the XD9sc without any problems.

 

[45crittergitter]

Ma'am, call Tom Gresham on a Sunday afternoon during his GunTalk radio program (guntalk.com, 1-800-TALKGUNS), and ask him to put you in touch with an instructor in your area, who can in turn help you with this most important decision.

 

[woad_yurt]

See if you can check out a Makarov somewhere before you buy anything. The most reliable, user friendly semi-auto I've ever experienced.

 

[John Wayne]

A pump shotgun is a poor home defense choice for a female beginner of small physical stature and small hands.

Plenty of full sized, experienced male shooters have trouble wielding a shotgun while navigating narrow hallways, doorways etc.---especially when under the extreme stress of a home invasion or similar situation.

A shotgun is harder to navigate hallways with. However, unless you have been trained to breach doors and clear buildings, your best course of action in the event of a break-in is to lock yourself in your room and phone the law. For this purpose, a shotgun is almost impossible to beat. It's plenty maneuverable enough to cover the doorway from across the room and affords you the power to shoot through the door, if necessary.

Recoil is quite managable with a semi-auto 20 gauge S/A such as the SAIGA. I would feel confident with a .410. If you are concerned about over-penetration, #4 (turkey) loads should work quite well.

 

[pps]

I've got to say that I agree with the advise for a shotgun, 18-20" barrel 20 or 12ga depending on how much recoil you can handle. As noted above, the shotgun is a great weapon for a situation where you are having to hunker down in one room.

If you still have your heart set on a handgun, then the Glock is a fine weapon. I like the fact that there is no safety. I would still go to the range and try several others. My wife ended up with the Kahr PM9 that she appendix carries.

 

[-v-]

Well, back to the original question of a good home defense handgun for under $500, I would also recommend browsing this site: http://www.best9mm.com/, while it's dedicated to the 9mm flavor, all of the guns featured there can also be had in .40 S&W and some in a .45 flavor. I would say all are good choices, although some models tend to be more...basic (Hi-Point) then others.

In pistols, I am a 9mm man. I think with good JHP ammo, the 9mm is quite sufficient to stop most threats. I personally stoke my 9mm with Federal 115gr +P+ (9BPLE). As far as one-shot-stop's goes, statistically, it seems that ~94% of people hit with it stopped in their tracks.

I think the pro's (excellent stopping power) and con's (shortstroking and hearing a click instead of bang) have both been covered sufficiently. Its up to you to decide if you are comfortable with the Con's enough to justify the Pro's.

 

[Defensory]

Posted by John Wayne:
A shotgun is harder to navigate hallways with. However, unless you have been trained to breach doors and clear buildings, your best course of action in the event of a break-in is to lock yourself in your room and phone the law.

You're making major unfounded assumptions here, John. Who said anything about breaching doors and clearing buildings?!

I'm talking about something along the lines of her sitting in her living room with the shotgun in the corner. Multiple armed assailants bust down her front door and are virtually on top of her almost immediately. There's no time to run to a "safe room". Home invasions go down surprisingly fast, so "grab and shoot" is often your only option.

Being that she's inexperienced with firearms of any type, and a small-framed woman with small hands, a 7.5 pound shotgun that's forty inches long doesn't move as quickly in her hands, as it would in the hands of a grown man who's physically larger, stronger and more experienced with shotguns.

For this purpose, a shotgun is almost impossible to beat. It's plenty maneuverable enough to cover the doorway from across the room and affords you the power to shoot through the door, if necessary.

That's assuming she's lucky enough to make it to her room. Since the thugs aren't going to call ahead and advise her when they intend to forcibly invade the house, she's going to need close-by protection no matter where she's at in the house.

Handguns are much more maneuverable and portable. They can be easily carried on your person around the house, and easily placed on the dinner table, coffee table, bathroom counter and virtually anyplace else.

What if she has small bathrooms in her house, and the perps invade while she's in one of them? I've got small bathrooms in my house, and I wouldn't want to get "caught on the pot", trying to handle a 40" shotgun in a tight space.

Recoil is quite managable with a semi-auto 20 gauge S/A such as the SAIGA. I would feel confident with a .410. If you are concerned about over-penetration, #4 (turkey) loads should work quite well.

Quite manageable for YOU. That doesn't mean it is for a small woman with no experience. She might be scared to death of shotguns to begin with. I've seen women on Youtube who've never fired a shotgun, and I've seen the "deer in the headlights" gripping fear in their eyes when their husbands/boyfriends attempt to goad them into shooting it.

With proper instruction/practice, a woman can become quite skillful at firing a shotgun. But a shotgun is NOT a good beginner's weapon for people who have no experience with firearms of any kind, whether male or female.

Also, many prominent self-defense experts advise that the .410 shotgun and birdshot are poor choices for self-defense. They've both been proven inadequate in many instances, some of which cost the people using them their lives.

A high capacity 9mm semi-auto pistol is her best bet right now. Hopefully she'll get professional instruction and practice regularly for a year. After that, she can start thinking about a shotgun or larger caliber handgun, if she wishes.

 

[memphisjim]

id suggest a medium sized 357 revolver
load it with 38 as a beginner you can always move up to 357's

 

[biggiesmalls]

you should start another thread asking for experienced people in your area for help. i'm sure some nice person on this board will meet with you and help you through the purchase or take you to the range to shoot a variety of guns. and you could post your thoughts again for input before you make a decision too. $500 is a lot to work with btw. let us know what you end up doing!

 

[makarovnik]

You could get a new .357 revolver for that price.

 

[Elvishead]

Good for small hands?

In a revolver, I'd consider the Ruger SP101 .357/.38spl. $425 from Budsgunshop.com and it will retain value.

Not sure if you know, but you can shoot lighter .38 cal loads in a .357, and the SP101 is small but medium in weight, so it soaks up recoil very well.

Also, maybe a S&W 637, 638, or a 642 Airweight revolver. Very light so felt recoil is a little more intense, but easy to carry. $400 buds. Good value too.

One thing nice about a revolver is, you can change to a grip that fit your hand.


In a Semi-auto, Walther makes a nice light and small 9mm called the PPS. Oppp, a little higher than $500, sorry.

Bersa Thunder .380 would work good to, with some good ammo. for less than $300, and they have a pretty good Rep. Not a real power house though. But better than a .25 or .32 by some margin.

Good luck, and I hope this helps.

 

[XDShooter07]

maybe since there's so much debate between a handgun or a shotgun she should just buy a taurus judge and call it a day.

 

[doc2rn]

I would suggest a S&W model 10, you can find alot of these used as they have an excellent track record and is the most copied revolver in history. I would look for a good 3" barrel like a 10-4 or a 10-5. Most can be had for around $200.

 

[LongRider]

I just posted this on another thread but it applies here too

Well as anyone who reads my post knows my first number one choice for an EDC is an XD.45 bar none it is the best carry gun there is 100% reliable, hits what you point it at, eats everything you feed it, no manual controls to slow you down when nano seconds counts. It is not the prettiest gun there is not even the most accurate but when my life is on the line it is the one gun I want to have in my hand. A good solid workhorse that gets the job done.
Now for a bargain gun I do not think there is any better buy than the Stoeger Cougar. The exact same gun made by Beretta at half the price. The gun that the Beretta Storms are based on, except the Cougar is an all steel gun. The rotating barrel makes the gun wickedly accurate and reduces recoil significantly. Beretta moved all of the original machinery, tools and sent all the Cougar supervisors to from Italy to Turkey to assure that the Stoeger Cougar was made to the same exacting standards of the Beretta Cougar. The difference being the cost of labor and production in Turkey makes the Stoeger Cougar cost half as much an almost $800 gun available for about $425. There is no better deal IMO. Beretta USA supports the Stoeger Cougar lifetime warranty. Mags, parts, after market accessories and holsters are readily available. We have one on layaway and a holster on order from K&D for it. I will do a range (backyard shoot) report as soon as I get it in hand. This is definitely a gun worth looking at. My bet is you will be very impressed with it I was, especially when you compare it side by side with $800 guns that it outshines and than realize it is half the cost. No other $400 gun I have ever seen comes even close.
Guns and Ammo article
Hand Guns Magazine article

 

[C/O]

Ruger SP101 loaded with .38 +P, would be perfect for a beginner with smallish hands.