Opinions on the perfect nightstand handgun.

taurus 856 38sp revolver loaded with six 148gr wadcutters, with six 158gr ball rounds in a speedloader, both secured in a small handgun safe next to my bed. reliable, one-handed operation. if need be my non-gunner wife can pick it up and use it. if it goes into a police evidence locker for awhile i won’t cry hard. k.i.s.s.
 
Show Me said:
Even though I'm into revolvers I always considered the Glock G17 to be a perfict dependable handful of firepower. Many awesome handguns to be had but in an emergency I trust a G17 with a hand held flashlight.
I'm old school and I'll bet there's a lot of better ideas out there. Sure is a lot to pick from.
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I think the G17 is an excellent choice. I'd make sure it's riding in a holster or wearing a trigger cover, as grabbing a gun, while half asleep, could be a problem.

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Show Me said:
Even though I'm into revolvers I always considered the Glock G17 to be a perfict dependable handful of firepower. Many awesome handguns to be had but in an emergency I trust a G17 with a hand held flashlight.
I'm old school and I'll bet there's a lot of better ideas out there. Sure is a lot to pick from.
Click to expand...

Glock 17 or 19 with a rail mounted light would work for me.


WB
 
Me and the wife are the only ones in our home. So I don't have to worry about small children or anyone else for that matter.
My nightstand gun is my carry gun. Springfield Armory Hellcat Pro.
And leaning against the corner wall right by my nightstand is my Maverick 88 security 12 gauge.
And on my wife's side at her nightstand is a 3-in 38 special.
 
My perfect night stand gun would be my Glock 45, BUT my wife has a hard time with the grip on standard framed Glocks and my Glock 48 single stack is too snappy for her. So we went with my very favorite revolver. The S&W 327 Night Guard loaded with .38 Spl Hornady Critical Defense and 2 speed loaders.
Out of all my handguns that one is her favorite and she shoots it accurately. I had her shoot all of my Glocks and revolvers and for some reason her little bitty hands are just fine handling that N frame.
So, the 327 is our bedroom gun.

1714052815177.jpeg
 
Hookeye said:
What is this "half asleep" people talk about? LOL

Am either asleep or awake, no in between.
Click to expand...
Are you indicating your level of functionality is the same at 0300:05 after being woken by a strange sound at 0300, as it is at 0900 after two cups of coffee?
 
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Depending on which parameters on that mental spreadsheet is the most important, I'd say one of these two:
  • A revolver
  • A full sized semi-auto handgun shooting subsonic 9mm or .45ACP with a silencer
While there are many other choices, I haven't found anything that beats those two options.
 
Show Me said:
Even though I'm into revolvers I always considered the Glock G17 to be a perfict dependable handful of firepower. Many awesome handguns to be had but in an emergency I trust a G17 with a hand held flashlight.
I'm old school and I'll bet there's a lot of better ideas out there. Sure is a lot to pick from.
Click to expand...
Yes, a G17, plus a hand-held light, is right up there, with the best of the best. Amen, regarding the hand-held light. Additionally, I like the option of a Surefire X300-series light, being available to use on the accessory rail.

I, too, am “into” revolving pistols, and will, I think, always shoot a Ruger GP100 or S&W K/L-Frame better than I can shoot a G17, but, at the distances involved, with home defense, and most personal defense, a Glock will do. During in-service training, I used Glock “sim” guns, and made some memorable hits, especially one, that I still remember well, left-handed, on a moving role-player.

Plus, just this past week, the arthritis in my right index finger took a turn for the worse, so, I think that my dry-firing routine, with DA revolvers, at least with my right hand, is going to remain seriously curtailed, if not finished. The Glock G17 is a notably “orthopedic” pistol, for me. Plus, the full-sized Glock G17 is quite forgiving of a less-than-firm hold, an opinion held by some highly-experienced firearms instructors, who have trained and “qual’ed” large numbers of police officers and cadets.
 
I use a Glock 19C with a mounted white light and a secondary white light with a wrist lanyard for hand held use staged alongside the Glock. The second light serves as backup to the primary light, as well as an option to illuminate an area without pointing a loaded weapon at everything I am looking at. It's really hard to use your weak hand for anything like making a phone call, closing/locking doors, etc. when you are holding a light (or anything else) in your fist. Target identification is critical in all conditions to both get rounds on target and to make sure they are going into a target that should be shot in the first place. Getting training from a competent instructor on the proper use of a light is extremely important too, as with any piece of equipment you may want to use in a gunfight. Just snapping a light on a weapon and "going for it" isn't a great idea.
 
Speaking generally, a reliable handgun in an established defensive cartridge that you can use well is a good choice for nightstand use.

For me it’s a Glock 19 with night sites and a handheld light. I’ve also used a 1911 in 45 ACP and would be ok with that too as I shoot both well.
 
"...of greater importance is simplicity of mechanism which ought to make no demand on the shooter's attention."
W.W. Greener

My house gun is a Sig Sauer P226 DA/SA for what a British author called "the convulsive response."
Nothing to do but aim, and pull.
 
I think any quality semi would do. The hand held light is a good idea. For me, a G17 and Surefire is a winning combo. I can't see significant advantages to other quality guns. They are all pretty much the same in practical usage. Bearcreek is extremely right on about training over hardware minute nuances. Train with it, shoot matches, wring out the wrinkles to make sure it runs.

I see no advantage of a limited capacity revolver given the good semis out there. Reloading with a speed loader under stress is not trivial. Yes, I shoot them with speed loaders in matches quite a bit and took revolver classes. The Governor/Judge gun = oh, I hate to start that debate again - offer nothing over the quality semis. Stopping power of the 410 - blah, blah - nope.
Shoot a Wheelgun?
It is pretty well known that I do not advocate the revolver as a primary sidearm. I have reasons, such as:
1. Bulky for the number of rounds available;
2. Much too limited ammo capacity. In today’s world 5 or 6 small or medium caliber bullets may not be enough.
3. It is extremely difficult to reload under stress in a survivable time frame with real concealed carry gear, not range gear.
4. Malfunctions require time and tools to fix.
Basically, I don’t carry a revolver for the same reason I don’t ride a horse to work or communicate via telegraph. There are better choices, and my life or the life of a loved one is at stake.
That said, it doesn’t
Click to expand...
We are speaking of fighting for your life as in the Tom Givens' quote again. They might work but why not be optimal?
 
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