Help me pick a gun to buy!

[osan]

This is my first gun purchase. I've decided that I want to get a small hand gun. I'm going to get a revolver. I want it for protection/defense for those just in case situations. Is there a big difference in brands besides price? I went to the local gun shop. I'm leaning towards getting a 38 spl. Is that a good decision? I asked if there was a big difference in the 38 and the 357 and the guy said yes. I think he was talking about recoil. I imagine using this gun when I'm getting mugged. So is there a big difference when a guy is less than 5-10 feet away from you. I also plan on shooting either knee caps or shoulders. I saw an episode of NCIS where a guy was shot in the shoulder. He said he did it because there are some arteries/veins there that are unrepairable. I think that'd be pretty nice for someone that tries to mug someone else.

A few things. First, you may be "planning" on shooting knees and shoulders, but when the ability to take your next breath is in immediate and serious question you will not be planning anything. You will be reacting. If you do not have training to react properly, you may be gravely injured or killed. You must, therefore, dispense with these naive notions of planning. That said, the reasonable tactic is to shoot center of mass as this is the largest area into which to place bullets.

Another point regarding shooting another human being whose apparent intentions toward you include grave bodily injury at the least: you never shoot to wound You shoot to remove your assailant's ability to continue the prosecution of his attack. This often involves shot placement that results in death for the attacker. Shooting someone in self defense will do you no good if, after having shot him, he gets really pissed with you for having killed him and returns the favor with his last breaths, aided by a whole lot of adrenalin and utterly focused, single-minded determination.

Next, and always do as you please of course, I might nevertheless recommend you not take your information on such issues from the idiot box.

So what are your suggestions? He had some rugers and some tauruses. I guess first off 38 or 357? I'm set on a revolver. I'm looking for something small. Then I guess brand. Does it matter? I assume the more expensive the gun the better quality. I'm want something dependable. This is my first gun so I don't plan on breaking the bank. I'd go up to 750 at the max. What do you guys think?

I am not sure about the Rugers - I have never shot one - but they seem a little pricey for what they are, just my perception. Taurus has reputation problems regarding the quality of the steels they use in their pistols. This has been confirmed to me by several gunsmiths in whose opinions I trust on such questions.

For my money, Smith & Wesson is the better choice where wheel guns are concerned. They make several small frame revolvers from which to choose. IMO, one ought not go with anything less than the very best that can be afforded when one's life may depend on the quality of the instrument. I also greatly prefer .357 magnum to .38 special. It is a lot more powerful, and this goes back to the point about the virtues of actually stopping an attack without equivocation.

 

[Anti Federalist]

This is my first gun purchase. I've decided that I want to get a small hand gun. I'm going to get a revolver. I want it for protection/defense for those just in case situations. Is there a big difference in brands besides price? I went to the local gun shop. I'm leaning towards getting a 38 spl. Is that a good decision? I asked if there was a big difference in the 38 and the 357 and the guy said yes. I think he was talking about recoil. I imagine using this gun when I'm getting mugged. So is there a big difference when a guy is less than 5-10 feet away from you. I also plan on shooting either knee caps or shoulders. I saw an episode of NCIS where a guy was shot in the shoulder. He said he did it because there are some arteries/veins there that are unrepairable. I think that'd be pretty nice for someone that tries to mug someone else.

Get the bolded out of your head right away, for the reasons already mentioned.

So what are your suggestions? He had some rugers and some tauruses. I guess first off 38 or 357? I'm set on a revolver. I'm looking for something small. Then I guess brand. Does it matter? I assume the more expensive the gun the better quality. I'm want something dependable. This is my first gun so I don't plan on breaking the bank. I'd go up to 750 at the max. What do you guys think?

A 4 inch barrel Taurus or SW .357 revolver will do just fine. I own both and they are "bulletproof".

You should be able to get in under that $750 as well.

 

[dejavu22]

Seeing as it is your first gun it is probably better to go with something run of the mill to cut down on ammo cost when you take it out to get used to shooting it regularly. IMO you cant go wrong with a Glock. I have actually been thinking about getting a new toy myself and was considering an SW-500 mag but money is a little tight for toys like that.

As for the other issue... i own several but do not carry regularly. I know how, and if i feel its necessary i can, for now i do not.

 

[bwlibertyman]

I'd like to add that I would rather disarm and assailant than to kill one but I understand those choices aren't always clear.

 

[osan]

I'd like to add that I would rather disarm and assailant than to kill one but I understand those choices aren't always clear.

Your mindset is dangerously out of tune here. Practically speaking, you should want no such thing.

In the martial arts there is the concept of "mai ai", or "combat interval". In any fight you always want to operate at the largest interval (space) between you and your opponent. Disarming an assailant necessitates closing the interval to well within arm's reach. Anyone willfully allowing this to occur is not operating in a sound manner. Armies use guns and other similar weaponry because they allow for action at distance.

I will respectfully recommend you dispense with such notions as disarming potentially dangerous opponents. Disarming them after having completely incapacitated them may be OK, but anything prior is rankly crazy. All else equal, the best thing to do after plugging an attacker is to hoof it the hell out of the area immediately, if not sooner. You cannot always be certain of the effectiveness of your counter and a cardinal rule of martial combat is to never give an enemy the opportunity to hit you again. You may also not know whether he has friends in the area. Shoot him, see him drop, and evacuate instantly. Worry about police and the law after securing your safety.

 

[psi2941]

BRO I LEARNED THE HARD WAY! GET A .22LR AS UR FIRST GUN. OR GET A SIG P229 AND GET THE CONVERSION KIT. so you can change your gun to .22lr to (what ever cal you choose 9mm, .40sw, and .357).
my first gun was a .40 SW springfield XDm, great gun but its just collecting dust because it cost an arm and a leg to take it too the range. Long story short, then i bought these guns in order, PX4 Storm, AK-47, AR-15, Mossberg 500 (Shotgun), Sig 522. that last gun, is a .22LR and i shot more bullets on that gun then all other guns combined.
A .22LR bullets may cost 20-30 dollars per 500 bullets
.40 SW bullets cost 16-25 dollars per 50 bullets
.223 (rifle round) cost around 8-12 dollars per 20 bullets

 

[Acala]

I'd like to add that I would rather disarm and assailant than to kill one but I understand those choices aren't always clear.

Nobody in their right mind wants to kill another person. So here is what you do to avoid it:

1. avoid as much as possible any situation that seems to increase the probability that you will have an altercation.

2. learn to be mindful of what is going on around you. What is happening down the street? What is that noise? Why is the door that I locked now open? Etc.

3. Master your own emotional responses so anger does not lead you into danger

4. Put the value of your property into perspective - are you ready to kill to stop a thief from taking your crummy car?

5. Secure your perimeter in a way that lets potential assailants know they will not be catching you off guard.

6. Get comfortable with the idea of running away.

If all the above fails, and you are attacked and have no way to escape, use whatever force is available to you to STOP the attack without any concern for the consequences to your attacker. You have done everything you could to avoid it. The consequences to the attacker are HIS fault, not yours. When the attack is on, your restraints are off.

 

[bwlibertyman]

I assumed that to stop an attacker you didn't need to kill him but I guess to be 100% sure it's the only way.

Next question. How important is it to register the gun? How likely is it that the government would round up all registered gun owners and take their guns or throw them in jail or torture them until they give up all other likely gun owners that haven't registered? Is this a big deal or not?

 

[AFPVet]

I assumed that to stop an attacker you didn't need to kill him but I guess to be 100% sure it's the only way.

Next question. How important is it to register the gun? How likely is it that the government would round up all registered gun owners and take their guns or throw them in jail or torture them until they give up all other likely gun owners that haven't registered? Is this a big deal or not?

You're in my state man... we don't register firearms lol.

 

[bwlibertyman]

I'm a n00b. I assumed when you bought a gun at a gun shop that you had to register it. Stated differently I assume when they do the background check they keep records notify someone that so and so has just bought a gun from me.

Now I do know that you don't have to have a registered gun to get the concealed carry permit. So is that accurate?

 

[oyarde]

You're in my state man... we don't register firearms lol.

You do not need to Hoosier !

 

[oyarde]

I'm a n00b. I assumed when you bought a gun at a gun shop that you had to register it. Stated differently I assume when they do the background check they keep records notify someone that so and so has just bought a gun from me.

Now I do know that you don't have to have a registered gun to get the concealed carry permit. So is that accurate?

No , you just apply for the permit . THat BS is just about getting the money from you .

 

[AFPVet]

I'm a n00b. I assumed when you bought a gun at a gun shop that you had to register it. Stated differently I assume when they do the background check they keep records notify someone that so and so has just bought a gun from me.

Now I do know that you don't have to have a registered gun to get the concealed carry permit. So is that accurate?

In Indiana, private sales are cool. Also, we do not have concealed licenses, we have "License to Carry Handgun". You can carry open or concealed with a LTCH. If your not a felon or anything, you can walk out the door with one. For the permit, just go to a police station or sheriff's department and it takes just a few minutes.

The weird thing was that even though I was a law enforcement officer, I still needed a gun permit lol... department policy.

 

[oyarde]

You only need the permit for handguns . It is expensive .

 

[AFPVet]

You only need the permit for handguns . It is expensive .

I got the lifetime... freaking $100.

 

[oyarde]

I got the lifetime... freaking $100.

I know , and if you exclude property taxes and gasoline a hundred dollars still buys quite a bit . That is alot of groceries.

 

[oyarde]

BWLibertyman , I am not a revolver guy , I only own one and do not use it. It is a pre ww1 .32 and I do not even have any ammo for it . Belonged to my Great Uncle . Anytime after 4th of July weekend , I will be at home in Southern Indiana , if your interested , some Sunday afternoon I will get out my Belgian Browning 12 guage and teach you how to shoot some clay pidgeons in the back yard . When I was in high school I had a nine shot .22 revolver and a .38 revolver , If I had kept them , would have been perfect for you to give it a try .

 

[Acala]

I assumed that to stop an attacker you didn't need to kill him but I guess to be 100% sure it's the only way.

You DON'T shoot to KILL!!!!! You shoot to STOP the ATTACK! That means you aim at center of mass (because that is what you are most likely to hit and you must hit to stop) and you shoot until the person stops attacking. then you stop shooting. At that point you have achieved your goal of stopping the attack. Whether the attacker lives or dies is between him, the EMTs, and God.

 

[rp4prez]

This is on my list of things I need to do. First go to the range and try out several different guns. Buy one then take the training class with it. I'm really interested in have a few guns for the SHTF like Katrina scenarios. As a result I'll need a safe place to store the gun and the ammo. Question is do I buy a safe or what? How to store the gun(s) after you buy them is my question.

 

[AFPVet]

This is on my list of things I need to do. First go to the range and try out several different guns. Buy one then take the training class with it. I'm really interested in have a few guns for the SHTF like Katrina scenarios. As a result I'll need a safe place to store the gun and the ammo. Question is do I buy a safe or what? How to store the gun(s) after you buy them is my question.

Get a safe for all of the stuff you don't care about. Thieves go for vaults first. Store them in good cases... sometimes hiding them in plain sight is best. Making the weapons look like they are something they are not is a good idea. Not to get too specific, but storing the weapon case inside of a guitar case or something may give you an idea