chaim
Member
So, like my title says, it is time for an upgrade. In the past couple weeks there have been over 14 burglaries and home invasions in the middle of the day where the attackers kick down doors, with 12 alone in the 8 days since Dec 21 (all within about a half mile of my apartment). Apparently, they may be targeting the Jewish community (and at least, it has been within the community). When I first started hearing about it about a month ago (as rumors around the community) I thought it was just rumors, but a local news channel did a report of a spate of daytime burglaries in the area (the neighborhood straddles the Baltimore City/County line, 4 have been in the county, 12+ in the city, I'm on the city side of the line). So far, most of the homes were unoccupied and no one has been hurt, but it is a matter of time. Meanwhile, a separate group (or tactic) has apparently been targeting my apartment complex to the point where they put letters on our doors warning us not to open our doors to people posing as postmen or utility workers and several people in our complex have fallen victim to these tactics.
For a while my main HD gun has been my 5-shot Taurus 85CH and/or my S&W 442. They fit best in my quick access safe, and keeping them ready is convenient (when I get home I can easily drop the 442 in my pocket). However, a 5 shot snub (especially the lightweight) does not give me very warm and fuzzy feelings when the likelihood of needing it has seemed to have increased given the burglaries and home invasions in the area of late.
Other than buying a new shotgun (I sold my Benelli a couple years ago), which I'll probably be doing soon, which gun that I have should I use:
-S&W 625MG. Upgrading my HD gun is part of why I bought it. However, it doesn't fit in my quick access safe, so I'll either need to keep it unlocked (when I'm home), in a holster (I do sometimes carry it at home), or buy a new bedside safe. Of course, other than when I go to bed and put it in the bedside safe my HD gun is not in a safe and is usually on my person, so it isn't quite as big a deal as it seems. However, I like to holster it and carry it occasionally, but it is a bit big and heavy to be my main choice (and while .45LC is a capable caliber, it does only hold 6 rounds).
-SIG P250c. The Compact is about the size of a Glock 19 (just a tad bigger in most measurements) and holds 9+1 rounds of .45. I can keep it in my quick access safe overnight, and carry it around the apartment pretty easily in my IWB hybrid holster.
-CZ 75B. Full size, but 15+1 rounds of 9mm. 16 rounds (15 in the mag, 1 in the pipe) plus a 15 round reload is reassuring, but during the winter I do prefer a bigger bore than 9mm though (layers of clothing can clog a JHP keeping it from expanding).
-SIG P290RS. I love this gun, 100% reliable, my main CCW when visiting a state where I can carry, and very accurate. For home defense, I'd load it with the 8 round mag (for 9 rounds of 9mm) with the 6 rounder for reloads. Less capacity than the CZ or P250, 9mm instead of .45 with the P250, but I can carry it IWB all day and barely notice it (hence it being my main CCW when I can carry) and I can pop it in a pocket when I want to.
-S&W 65LS. I do love this gun, I've had it longer than the rest and I'm good with it. However, I would download it with .38+P (too much overpenatration to trust .357mag in an apartment), and there seems to be a complete inverse relationship between how much I think I may actually need to use my HD gun and how much I trust .38spl to do the job. Also, if these home invasions involve more than one criminal I'd rather have more than 6 rounds.
-Rossi 461. Same disadvantages of the 65LS plus a 2" barrel instead of a 3" barrel (a definite ballistics disadvantage), but it is much smaller so I can carry it around all day (when at home) more comfortably than the 65. It is a 6-shot so it is a little more comforting than a 5-shot snub.
I have other guns I could use, but these best meet my HD and CCW requirements (I like a DA or DAO for a defensive gun so I don't want to use my 1911 for instance) and aren't too small to want to use for HD (my LCP or the J-frames). I really am leaning towards the .45s, though 15+1 rounds of 9mm and another 15 in the reload would be nice (CZ), the small size of the P290 would be nice (I could pocket it for maximum concealment, it would be comfortable to carry around the longest), and my familiarity with the 65LS would be nice (and I usually do like revolvers for HD). I've always said that I trust 9mm and .38spl, and I long said that I trusted a 5-shot or 6-shot revolver, yet the more the chances I may need them seem to go up the less comfortable I am with them.
So, if it seemed that the chances of needing your home defense gun may have gone way up, which would you choose if it was you on the line? I'm leaning towards the P250c and, given the increased crime in the area, backing it up with the P290 or one of the snubs.
Anyway, off to the range to put some rounds through my P250, 625MG and Rossi 461.
For a while my main HD gun has been my 5-shot Taurus 85CH and/or my S&W 442. They fit best in my quick access safe, and keeping them ready is convenient (when I get home I can easily drop the 442 in my pocket). However, a 5 shot snub (especially the lightweight) does not give me very warm and fuzzy feelings when the likelihood of needing it has seemed to have increased given the burglaries and home invasions in the area of late.
Other than buying a new shotgun (I sold my Benelli a couple years ago), which I'll probably be doing soon, which gun that I have should I use:
-S&W 625MG. Upgrading my HD gun is part of why I bought it. However, it doesn't fit in my quick access safe, so I'll either need to keep it unlocked (when I'm home), in a holster (I do sometimes carry it at home), or buy a new bedside safe. Of course, other than when I go to bed and put it in the bedside safe my HD gun is not in a safe and is usually on my person, so it isn't quite as big a deal as it seems. However, I like to holster it and carry it occasionally, but it is a bit big and heavy to be my main choice (and while .45LC is a capable caliber, it does only hold 6 rounds).
-SIG P250c. The Compact is about the size of a Glock 19 (just a tad bigger in most measurements) and holds 9+1 rounds of .45. I can keep it in my quick access safe overnight, and carry it around the apartment pretty easily in my IWB hybrid holster.
-CZ 75B. Full size, but 15+1 rounds of 9mm. 16 rounds (15 in the mag, 1 in the pipe) plus a 15 round reload is reassuring, but during the winter I do prefer a bigger bore than 9mm though (layers of clothing can clog a JHP keeping it from expanding).
-SIG P290RS. I love this gun, 100% reliable, my main CCW when visiting a state where I can carry, and very accurate. For home defense, I'd load it with the 8 round mag (for 9 rounds of 9mm) with the 6 rounder for reloads. Less capacity than the CZ or P250, 9mm instead of .45 with the P250, but I can carry it IWB all day and barely notice it (hence it being my main CCW when I can carry) and I can pop it in a pocket when I want to.
-S&W 65LS. I do love this gun, I've had it longer than the rest and I'm good with it. However, I would download it with .38+P (too much overpenatration to trust .357mag in an apartment), and there seems to be a complete inverse relationship between how much I think I may actually need to use my HD gun and how much I trust .38spl to do the job. Also, if these home invasions involve more than one criminal I'd rather have more than 6 rounds.
-Rossi 461. Same disadvantages of the 65LS plus a 2" barrel instead of a 3" barrel (a definite ballistics disadvantage), but it is much smaller so I can carry it around all day (when at home) more comfortably than the 65. It is a 6-shot so it is a little more comforting than a 5-shot snub.
I have other guns I could use, but these best meet my HD and CCW requirements (I like a DA or DAO for a defensive gun so I don't want to use my 1911 for instance) and aren't too small to want to use for HD (my LCP or the J-frames). I really am leaning towards the .45s, though 15+1 rounds of 9mm and another 15 in the reload would be nice (CZ), the small size of the P290 would be nice (I could pocket it for maximum concealment, it would be comfortable to carry around the longest), and my familiarity with the 65LS would be nice (and I usually do like revolvers for HD). I've always said that I trust 9mm and .38spl, and I long said that I trusted a 5-shot or 6-shot revolver, yet the more the chances I may need them seem to go up the less comfortable I am with them.
So, if it seemed that the chances of needing your home defense gun may have gone way up, which would you choose if it was you on the line? I'm leaning towards the P250c and, given the increased crime in the area, backing it up with the P290 or one of the snubs.
Anyway, off to the range to put some rounds through my P250, 625MG and Rossi 461.