What is your bedside mag?

Status
Not open for further replies.
G

GasX

Member
Joined
Dec 28, 2009
Messages
37
My new and first gun arrives on Wednesday and I am looking forward to getting it out to the range and perforating a few silhouettes. On a more serious note, this baby is going to spend most of his time in a gunvault by my bed "just in case". Does anyone have a recommendation for what to keep in the mag?

The gun is a S&W 3913 single stack 9mm. 8+1. My house is a typical Florida floor plan - a one story home with the master on one side and the kids (3 ages 3,2 & 1) on the other side of the house, so I have serious over-penetration concerns.

I was thinking something along the lines of a 3-4 of rounds of Glasers followed by some as yet to be determined self defense round. Anyone have any specific recommendations?

Also, what would you recommend for CCW for general out in public SD?

Thx,

Gasx
 
For a bedside gun or CCW, the 3913 would be an excellent choice. I would not bother with the Glasers, just stick with a decent hollowpoint.
 
Glasers do nothing to stop overpenetration through walls.

Anything that can do appropriate harm to a human body will utterly ignore drywall. Don't sweat it, just make sure of your line of fire.

If you're that worried about it, your best compromise would be a shotgun loaded with #4 shot. It looses energy quickly enough that it's not likely to do any damage to something on the opposite end of the house.

That said, just use your favorite hollowpoints. I carry Federal HST's above all else (I can't find any more!), and my second choice is Gold Dots. Below that, Golden Sabers, Hydrashok, Cor-Bon DPX, any other premium round.

The same will work perfectly for CCW. I'm a fan of those S&W autos for that, too. I still own a 469 (second-gen double-stack) and wouldn't mind a 6906.
 
Last edited:
Pick a well-known jacketed hollowpoint with a good reputation, buy as much of it as you can afford, and shoot it. If it feeds well in your gun, stick with it. If it does not feed well in your gun, try a second brand. Continue this process until you find a brand that feeds, or you decide the gun is defective and needs to be send back to Smith for work (not very likely).
 
Based on what was in stock, it'll be Golden Sabres for now...
 
Based on what was in stock, it'll be Golden Sabres for now...
Click to expand...

Those are fine. That's what I keep in my .380's, 9mm's, .40 and 10mm. They'd be in my .45, too, except that I really liked the performance of Sierra 240 gr. SJHC's at the +P+ levels I load to.

They're not gonna be any better or worse with sheetrock than other JHP's. If you're that concerned about it, pull down the drywall and put 16 gauge sheetmetal up, then redo the drywall. Otherwise, just watch your field of fire in the unlikely even of a home invasion. Most likely, the shots would be out of your room at the doorway or down the hallway. Stay low and shoot the BG high COM, and stray rounds will go over the beds if they happen to miss and enter the kiddo's room.

Just my $0.02
 
There are 1,702 threads on the topic of overpenetration on THR.
Click to expand...

And always 1 person that makes some such stupid comment on damn near every thread started here.
 
i as well use corbon only as my carry ammo.

i say get something that has a good rep, and that more than anything is reliable in your gun, and something that you can accuratly shoot/ control.
 
Glasers do nothing to stop overpenetration through walls.

Anything that can do appropriate harm to a human body will utterly ignore drywall. Don't sweat it, just make sure of your line of fire.
Click to expand...

Deus Machine hit it right on the head. I'll go further: Don't use Glasers. They don't reliably penetrate deep enough to stop an attacker. They also don't always feed well through some pistols. Any modern JHP is a better choice.

Here are some 9mm ammo reviews I wrote recently. Read through for more info on each load to help you decide.

Winchester Ranger SXT 9mm 127 gr +P+

Federal C9BP 9mm 115 gr JHP is an excellent standard pressure defense load

Winchester 9mm Silvertip is a standard pressure defense load

Winchester 9mm 147 gr Silvertip - A subsonic load for personal defense
 
Hd load

Please since you said you are new, practice practice practiCE!!!! Get as familar with weapon as possible!!! Practice with cheap wad cutters or as some of us call them hole punchers, then as stated by above post make da--- sure they will feed reliably in your weapon. You will be better off with ball ammo that will feed than hollow points that do not!!! Pick up cheap shottie and number 4's will fit bill if you are afraid 00 will be too much in your home.{not making fun of you but agreeing as to your concern for liitle ones} good luck and god bless
 
Last edited:
Besides the good suggestions to practice and use a quality hollowpoint, make sure you know the angles in your house. That is, know the angles where you can shoot a bad guy and a miss won't send a round through the room where your loved ones are sleeping.
 
I keep 124 grain gold dot hollow points in my bedside Glock 17. I wouldn't bother with glasers or any other pre-fragmented bs, stick with premium hollow points.
 
Magazine I have right now next to my bed is Maxim.

I don't keep anything in my night stand. If I hear something that makes me wake up... I'm not immediately going to reach for my gun in a semi-conscious state. Not advised at all. Getting out of bed and walking across the room for a firearm is a much better way to go about it. In the night stand is just way too common.
 
I don't keep anything in my night stand. If I hear something that makes me wake up... I'm not immediately going to reach for my gun in a semi-conscious state. Not advised at all. Getting out of bed and walking across the room for a firearm is a much better way to go about it. In the night stand is just way too common.
Click to expand...

That's a reasonable observation. I'm thinking of mounting the shotgun under the bedframe so it's an easy grab, but gun on the nightstand has some minuses - like the old joke about the phone ringing and the guy picks up his gun and answers it: "hello?" Bang. By the time I can rack the slide, I'll be awake enough.
 
Beside my bed, on the floor and not on the nightstand, is Glock containing a magazine full of 125g Speer Gold Dot .357Sig rounds.
 
I don't keep anything in my night stand. If I hear something that makes me wake up... I'm not immediately going to reach for my gun in a semi-conscious state. Not advised at all. Getting out of bed and walking across the room for a firearm is a much better way to go about it. In the night stand is just way too common.
Click to expand...

I hope no one gets to your bedroom before you wake up.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

Redcoat3340
  • Locked
What's Your Bedside Gun? Why?
2 3 4
Replies
83
Views
4K
I6turbo
I
A
  • Locked
prevent door kick-in & secure shotgun
2 3
Replies
68
Views
5K
mbt2001
M
M
  • Locked
What have you done in your home to give you a tactical advantage?
2 3
Replies
60
Views
2K
Glamdring
G
C
  • Locked
Which Winchester 94?
Replies
21
Views
1K
mustanger98
M
jjones45
  • Locked
Purge time has come around again, what's your gear?
Replies
2
Views
543
Robert
Robert
Back
Top