Handgun advice?

[Steelrat]

You are the one who keeps saying 00 Buck, which is over-kill for home protection. I would never advise that.

00 Buck is the common law enforcement round for shotguns (along with slug). 00 buck has about 9 .32 pellets. I wouldn't recommend anything else for a home-defense situation, due to lack of penetration (clothing, etc) and lack of stopping power.

In both my line of work and my hobby of shooting I have been through more firearm training courses than I want to think about. Overwhelmingly, the experts all agree that the best choice for home defense, ESPECIALLY if you are worried about penetrating the walls, is a shotgun with the appropriate shot.

Well, I won't ramble on about my qualifications, but I've been around the block a few times too. No one I talk to (and certainly I wouldn't) recommend anything for home defense. I would just recommend that whatever you choose, you train like hell with it. I would say that a shotgun is a wise choice, if only for the psychological intimidation factor.

And yes, I do personally believe that the "fudge factor" is important. If you don't, let's go skeet shooting and I'll allow you to use your pistol of choice (other than a Taurus judge) and I'll use my shotgun and let's see how it turns out. Plain and simply, if using an appropriate load that will not go through a wall, the pattern is going to help you and not hurt you.

Again, in personal defense situations, the shotgun is not an area effect weapon. That is purely for hunting and recreation, like your skeet shooting. I would never PLAN on having rounds go off target, that flies in the face of every single shooting instruction I have ever seen. A shotgun needs to be accurately aimed, just like a pistol. Again, the advantages are firepower and psychological intimidation, that's it.

I'd much rather have a new/novice shooter with a shotgun & appropriate load than a pistol, because in the excitement / fear of the moment when their adrenaline is flowing and heartbeat is up, that shot with the pistol is 100 times harder, and that's from a guy that's been there. All of this is practically out of the FBI reference for personal defense. I'm not talking out of my butt here. This is years of training and actual experience, as I don't want to mislead anyone. A pistol can be a fine home protection firearm, IF you spend the time at the range getting competent with it and I mean thousands and thousands of rounds.

Yes, shooting becomes more difficult under stress, as the first thing to go is the fine motor control. But that works for shotguns too. A shot with ANYTHING under stress is harder.

Most police agencies use #4 shot when having to enter a dwelling place. They actually make special shot designed for personal protection that will not penetrate the walls.. and I believe TAP makes a good line of it if I remember correctly.

I don't know where they are doing this, but every agency or department I've seen uses 00 buck, usually reduced recoil, along with a modified choke. What would be the point of switching out tha ammo? It's not like anyone is using different rounds in their pistols, carbines, or submachine guns.

Civic, no offense intended. It's awesome that you are going to take Kevin out and have him shoot the stuff, that's the best way to figure out what suits you best.