guns, guns and more guns . . .

[Gilligan]

if you are getting a Judge, look into the Winchester PDX1 rounds.  They are friggin' awesome.  I bought some for my long gun.  They are actually more deadly from a shotgun than the judge since the speed is higher and the grouping is a little tighter.

of course with a .410, a blank is damn effective as well.  I sweat that thing will shatter windows if fired indoors.

Yeah, the .410 shells being put in first are mainly for scare purposes as well as in case she shoots the wrong person by accident.  I'd rather be shot with the .410 round vs the PDX1 round.  But following a .410 (or maybe two) I'll probably load her up with the PDX1's.  If she's fired twice and still shooting chances are whatever is being shot needs to go down.

[Prosperi-Tees]

Geez the more I look into guns the more confusing it gets. I'm gonna try and make it to a gun show that's happening this Saturday to confuse me even more. The only thing for certain that I want is a 9mm due to the fact the ammo is much cheaper than 40 or 45 and I know im gonna want to shoot the hell out of it at the range.

[blue moon]

Geez the more I look into guns the more confusing it gets. I'm gonna try and make it to a gun show that's happening this Saturday to confuse me even more. The only thing for certain that I want is a 9mm due to the fact the ammo is much cheaper than 40 or 45 and I know im gonna want to shoot the hell out of it at the range.

I generally suggest a revolver to get started. They are much simpler device and are less likely to jam (which does not say much as a good semi will very rarely jam, but it does happen). It will be easier to clean too and easier to learn to use it.
A medium frame 357 is a great option. You can get .38 specials for the range (cheap!) and once comfortable get some 357's for the defense. It packs a ton of punch!

pierre

[Zelko-4-EVA]

Geez the more I look into guns the more confusing it gets. I'm gonna try and make it to a gun show that's happening this Saturday to confuse me even more. The only thing for certain that I want is a 9mm due to the fact the ammo is much cheaper than 40 or 45 and I know im gonna want to shoot the hell out of it at the range.

I generally suggest a revolver to get started. They are much simpler device and are less likely to jam (which does not say much as a good semi will very rarely jam, but it does happen). It will be easier to clean too and easier to learn to use it.
A medium frame 357 is a great option. You can get .38 specials for the range (cheap!) and once comfortable get some 357's for the defense. It packs a ton of punch!

pierre

I love my Smith & Wesson Model 19 - perfect size - i rarely put .357s in it.  i looked up the serial number in a S&W book - says its from the early 60s

after shooting the S&W for a few years, i bought a Beretta 92FS.   still love the S&W though

[Prosperi-Tees]

I think I didn't mention that this isn't my first gun. In my younger before kids and marriage I had a 22 revolver. Fun little thing. Im trying to talk the wife into a revolver for herself and the 9 for me.

[Prosperi-Tees]

OK gun pros. Went to a "gun" show this weekend and was very dissapointed. A "gun" show with only 1 vendor that actually had guns to "show"!!! The 1 vendor at least had one gun that I was interested in and was able to hold although he did not have much to tell me about it and that was the Ruger SR9.

Well I got a question for the gun pros here. Striker fired or hammer fired semi auto pistols. Whats the difference and would one be better than other? What about for concealed carry? Is one preferred over the other?

[Gilligan]

The sr series is nice, I like them. Looked at the compact long and hard at one point, but you can realistically only buy so many guns at one given time.

Not sure what your questions are about hammer vs striker, sr and glock is striker 1911's and fnx40 is hammer. Obviously many others in both variations.  I like both... Most "modern" strikers have pretty decent indicators, but hammer is always more visible. Not many striker can decock and go into double action mode, Taurus has a couple. I like this feature, as I have said before, due to making it harder for a child to pull the trigger in a worse case scenario.

[Prosperi-Tees]

What I thought I read and of course I may be wrong is that a striker fired pistol is more "dangerous" with one in the chamber carrying concealed versus a hammer fired pistol with one in the chamber carrying concealed.

[Gilligan]

Umm... Depends on the gun. Basically reasons I just gave. My glock for example doesn't decock and only has the two piece trigger for "safety" purposes... This could get snagged on something and cause it to fire. On the other hand not much different in overall function/design, the xdm that I used to have and Alan has, has a handle safety as well as the split trigger so they both have to be engaged. That is less likely to happen.

Now if you carry a hammer cocked then its not much different, but in double action mode it is as ten lbs is less likely to happen plus they usually have manual safeties. But you can get that in striker fire as well... The wife's Taurus 24/7 was one... Striker fire, decocker and manual safety...but no split trigger or grip safety tricks.

[Itsa Little CrOoked]

Gerry, properly holstered and properly carried, either type of weapon is reasonably safe. At first you may be nervous carrying "cocked and locked" 1911 style. I was nervous at first pocket carrying my chambered, holstered Kahr PM9 which is a striker fired subcompact. You will get used to it, and a weapon not ready to fire when needed is waaaaay less safe for you (and those you love) in an armed encounter, than a properly holstered live weapon of any type.  Truth is, you probably ought NEVER be carrying without some....um....elevated awareness of the fires of hades you are ready to unleash.  Not sweaty nervousness.  Just....circumspectly aware....

Training and practice is the key to confidence and safety.  Always practice safe holstering, and practice more.

I got over the nerves by carrying for a few weeks with a dummy round in the pipe.  Every time I needed reassurance that the weapon had not "dummy" fired, I would take it out in a safe place and check.  Of course, it was still cocked and the jitters soon went away.  I'm not really recommending the practice....it's just how I got over it.  If I hadn't succeeded, I would have begun carrying my 357 revolver.  An unintentional discharge with that weapon, a Ruger SP101 just seems physically impossible to my tiny brain.  Keep in mind that with a dummy round, your weapon is little better than grabbing your shoe and trying to club your attacker into submission, since he ALWAYS knows what he's up to before you do.

Having said all that, nothing and I MEAN NO-THING on the planet is 100% safe, including eating carrots, or drinking water.  A 1911 "cocked and locked" carry by a trained and current shooter, is probably statistically safer than printing shirts with a 700+ degree flash over dry cotton tinder, with hundreds more ready to ignite.  Would that principals in our schools and other interested teachers with appropriate training would be allowed to carry.  It would cost tax payers nothing.

I wouldn't choose what to carry based solely on striker fired or not. That would be way down on the list. It has to fit your hand, be carryable with your size and frame, and be 100% reliable.

My 2 cents....

[Prosperi-Tees]

Awesome info, thanks guys. Me and my wife are planning a couple trips to the range to rent some guns to get her comfortable with a gun in her hand and actually shooting it and me to be able to get my hands on a number of different brands/models to see what fits best for her and I.

[Printhouse]

There is some great advice in the above posts.  You are doing the right thing taking the opportunity to handle and fire different firearms before you make a final choice.  The bottom line is that you have to feel both comfortable and confident with your chosen weapon.  I see so many people, friends and family included, that get there CCW license and throw a gun in there purse or in a holster and feel appropriate with that.  You need to know that weapon back and forth, top to bottom and inside and out.  Your chosen firearm should feel like an extension of your body.  The movements to load, chamber, etc. should be second nature.  I am lucky enough to live in an area where I have a range and can shoot anytime I wish too.  We have a great group of people we shoot with here and are always pushing each other to better are handling and shooting skills.  There are so many handguns on the market today that make great carry weapons.  I personally rotate weapons depending on mood or what I am doing that day.  My primary rotation includes a Taurus TCP .380, a Kahr .40, Springfield Ultra Compact 1911, M&P .40 and now my new favorite...  the M&P .40 Shield. 

[mk162]

training, training, training.  If you ever need to use your gun it is in the best interest of you and everybody around you to be well trained.  It turns out there was a guy that "confronted" the Clackamas mall shooter.  He has his gun out, but never fired a shot because if he missed he would have hit the folks behind his target.  The shooter saw he was being followed and went into a store a killed himself.  Problem solved, no additional shots fired.

Also, a guy was going to try and take down Jared Loughner, he never even removed his gun from the holster.

I was looking at stats of how many people have used a gun to protect themselves and most of the time they never fire a shot.

I would recommend some good training courses.  I took a great hunters course when I was 14 or 15, my dad is smart about gun safety...and I learned which eye was my dominant one.

[alan802]

I'm going to be taking a tactical gun training course in February.  I've handled guns all my life but I think the additional training will benefit me and my family if the need ever arises. 

[3Deep]

Gun saftey goes out the window for most people when in a panic or danger, just like driving a car and you do that every day, but still people panic or just blank out on what to do, but I will agree its good to have the traning then not.

Darryl