The best HD caliber is the biggest you can shoot accurately. (just my opinion mind you)

I've always been partial to Ruger MK II Target version in .22 cal.
Surgical precision and cheap to practice with.

Of the 3 calibers you mention, I would go with the 9. Again, just my opinion for me.

BeSafe.

Quote from: makenzie71 on June 11, 2007, 07:12:07 PM
I love the morons who think people get guns because they're scared.

Yeap Me too.  Guns are tools.They are like Pocket knives they Have Purposes.Of course this Issue will be Debated for all Eternity.

I love my Little MKI Ruger.I bought it off of a Friend a few Years Ago and you couldn't buy it from me for any Amount of Money............ Well I might trade it for one with a 10inch Barrel since mine is only a 6 1/2".I can't count how many Rats I've shot with it. Evengot Good enough with it that Could drill a Bullseye at 100ft. It looks like someone Drove Nails with it.It is a Little rough but it's Always Been reliable.Except with Federal Ammo and Most of those are Duds.

Paper makes me very angry...  Shooting paper makes me feel better.   

Quote from: frankieG on June 11, 2007, 07:16:54 PM
other than hunting,  if you are not military or police you don't need one and don't know how to use it safely either.  most likely will be turned on you yourself.  now now no names

im not military nor police ( full time) and i do have a need ( crime rate) and i DO know how to safely use it thank you sir

Quote from: makenzie71 on June 11, 2007, 07:12:07 PM
I love the morons who think people get guns because they're scared.

indeed

Quote from: yamahonkawazuki on June 11, 2007, 11:18:48 PM

Quote from: frankieG on June 11, 2007, 07:16:54 PM
other than hunting,  if you are not military or police you don't need one and don't know how to use it safely either.  most likely will be turned on you yourself.  now now no names

im not military nor police ( full time) and i do have a need ( crime rate) and i DO know how to safely use it thank you sir

The same here Yama, I wasn't going to replycause I thought that it was such a  comment that deserved to be ignored.

QuotePaper makes me very angry...  Shooting paper makes me feel better.   

The same here, it makes me so angry that I shoot the whole piece & not just the centre of the circles. 

You ever notice that when women spring for the "Body" target, they always aim a little lower....

We use the traditional "bullseye" targets at the range I go to & our tradional targets are mostly animal shaped metallic silhouettes.

Shooting clubs aren't allowed to use "human" shaped targets. 

BTW the largest calibre pistol your allowed to have is .38/9mm, unless you have a black powder pistol, then you can have a larger cal.

aye bubba, i replied cause i could not, NOT reply, it seemed as though the post in question was filled with ( insert word here), i am well trained in teh use of firearms, and train, recert 4 times a year, guns still scare teh f%$k out of me, but i do know how to use them, and if need be, can use them

Thats fine yama, I find that comments like that are usually made by people who have NFI and as my pappy always said ' never get into an argument with an idiot cause they'll drag you down to their level & beat you with experience' or something like that. 

Quote from: frankieG on June 11, 2007, 07:16:54 PM
other than hunting,  if you are not military or police you don't need one and don't know how to use it safely either.  most likely will be turned on you yourself.  now now no names

Douchebag

FOR ALL OF US AMERICANS (NO OFFENSE TO ALL YOU OTHER GUYS) WE NEED TO REMEMBER WHY OUR GOVERNMENT LETS US HAVE GUNS, OR THE ORIGNAL INTEND ANY WAY; IT WAS TO KEEP THE GOVERNMENT IN CHECK.  THIS MIGHT SEEM WEIRD, BUT IF YOU LOOK AT NAZI GERMANY, HITLER HAD FORCED GUN REGESTRATION AND THEN TOOK ALL THE GUNS FROM THE PEOPLE.  WITH NO GUNS, THERE WAS LITTLE THE PEOPLE COULD DO.  IM NOT SAYING THAT IM GOING TO HAVE TO FIGHT THE GOVERNMENT ANY TIME SOON, HELL, I WORK FOR 'EM, BUT THATS THE REASON WE HAVE THEM.  I DONT CARY A GUN TO MAKE MYSELF FEEL BETTER, OR BADASS, I HAVE THEM BECAUSE ITS MY RIGHT AND A GOOD ONE AT THAT!  IF SOMEONE ELSE HAS A GUN AND I DONT, IM SCREWED, HAVING ONE EVENS THE ODDS JUST A LITTLE.  I HOPE I NEVER HAVE TO USE ONE FOR SELF DEFENSE OUT SIDE OF THE MILITARY, BUT IF I NEED TO, IVE GOT ONE.  AND AS FOR THE CALIBER OF THE WEAPON, THERE IS A REASON THAT THE COPS USE A .40S&W, ITS GOT DECENT RANGE, DOSNT OVER PENETRATE LIKE A 9MM, AND IS FAIRLY CHEEP.  READ "THE ARMED CITIZEN" IN THE AMERICAN RIFELMAN SOME TIME, THERE ARE DOZENS OF STORYS WHERE SOME ONE HAS SHOT AN INTRUDER MULTIPLE TIMES WITH A 9MM, AND HE RAN A FEW BLLOCKS DOWN THE STREET BEFORE COLAPSING!  I WANT HIM DEAD WHEN I PULL THE TRIGGER.  REMEMBER, AIM FOR CENTER MASS, YOULL HIT SOMTHING IMPORTANT!  HEAD SHOTS LOOK COOL IN MOVIES, BUT IN REALITY, THEY ARENT PRACTICAL.  MY UNCLE IS EX-MARINE AND AN EX-STATE PATROLE, HE NOW TEACHES SWAT TEAMS AND SPECIAL FORCES FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, AND HE SWEARS BY HIS .40, AND SEEING AS HOW HES USED HIS ON SEVERAL OCASIONS , ILL TAKE HIS WORD FOR IT!

I wondered how long it would take a person to say guns are ridiculous.  I do not agree but please keep your anti gun stuff to yourself, everyone has different views and that is why so many random gun question threads have gon to the farm.

Awwww.......that's so cute!!!!!!!  a mechanic would say aim DCM.  reclass. now.  11b.  and ask the first DS you see what he thinks about aiming DCM for close range.  He'll tell you to learn how to shoot.

it would be mostly a plinking round but also home defence.  and i'll jump on the bandwagon by saying screw those who try to fight the 2nd amendment.  i can/have/will use guns.  one i'm an 11b, two my neighborhood has had more breakins than i have fingers since ive been back from iraq 6 months ago.  i just want something better than the .22 and bolt action .410 i have.  my wife will get her own weapon later.  proolly a .38

I figured you were alerbaugh, I was talkin to afi1.
If you want a hell of a defense weapon:  .45lc  Taurus and colt make em.  6 shot.  I don't care who ya are, it'll stop ya.  I've seen highspeed video of a round entering the top of a horses neck and decapitating it.
i dunno I'm partial to H&K or a 1911.  Nothing like the feeling of power when you whip that monster out

Goin back soon???   The way I figure it I should be there november at the latest.  Just depends on what/if i reclass, when I re-enlist.  I'm dense I'm volunteering to go back over.  I had it to easy only goin once in 4 years

What would be wrong with a .357 magnum wheel gun.

I've been doing research into what to buy as well. While I have no direct experience (LEO or military) I have been asking lots of questions. My father (who was a Navy corpsman assigned to a Marine CAP platoon in Vietnam) and his buddies have recommended the basic M1911 .45. I haven't gotten around to renting one to fire yet so I don't know if that's overkill in my situation or not. I know a lot depends on what type of rounds you're using, FMJ vs hollow-point. I have fired a Beretta 92FS that felt comfortable and handled well, put shots right where I was aiming. Even my tiny 5'6" girlfriend was comfortable with it.

For home defense I've heard from a number of people that what you really want is a nice pump action shotgun. Everyone knows that sound, less chance of missing.

-James
/Feel free to disregard anything I say as I really have no idea what I'm talking about.
//But this has been a very useful thread to me.

normal velocity rounds from a full sized Colt or any of the various steel framed clones of the venerable model 1911 are not really hard to control at all plus the single stack Mag of a standard framed colt is easy to get a grip on for smaller hand's. If such a weapon is your choice and your wife has small hands I would suggest a Wilson Combat beavertail grip safety. It does a great job preventing hammer and slide bite and the fatter engagement surface on the backstrap will insure a more postive engagement for a smaller persons hand's.

My personal concealed choice is an officers (3.5" compact version), 1991A1 with a full length recoii spring guide rod, wilsons beavertail grip safety, and extended slide release with a 2.5lb trigger pull on a wilsons comnbat trigger with adjustable over travel and tuned to .032" take.  Oh yeah tritum 3 dot sights as well its had the feed ramp polished and throated and the ejection port enlarged. I have fed it 200 grain cor-bons without a single feed jam or stove pipe in over 35,000 rounds that includes throwing together all sorts of mismatched ammo in the mag. That load on the small frame weapon is a brute to fire all day long so something like that would not be what I recommend if the wife needs to use it since she won't want to practice after the first time she tries a few mags and has sore wrists.