Choosing a Home Defense Handgun

Choosing a home defense handgun may seem simple on the surface. In many cases, it starts out as little more than a beauty contest, with a person being drawn to a “good-looking” gun. While I won’t deny that is indeed a factor you can consider, we must remember that even with guns, beauty is only skin deep or high-tech environment-resistant finish deep. There are a few key points I would suggest you consider when choosing a home defense handgun.

Choosing a Home Defense Handgun – Points to Consider

First up is the fit of the handgun. The handgun market is flush with options of every size, from micro pocket pistols to Dirty Harry hand cannons. What is important is that you find a gun that fits you well. Ensure it feels good in your hands and that you can easily operate it. Smaller is not always better. While small guns are easy to conceal, they can provide significant recoil and be difficult to control when shot. A side issue to consider is how you will store the gun. The principle of concealability goes out the window when the gun takes on the single duty of home protection. If this is a dual-duty gun, then you can factor that back in. For now, however, let’s just focus on guns for the home. Take your time and find the gun that fits both your hands and your needs.

Argument Fuel – What is the Best Caliber?

Caliber is our next consideration. Few questions on earth are more capable of starting an argument than “What is the best pistol caliber?” First, We must understand that the handgun round is severely underpowered in personal defense. What it is, however, is a compromise. We simply can’t carry a rifle with us everywhere we go. We must choose the best round for the job since we chose a handgun for its portability and concealability. Many in the “old school” community cling to the .45 ACP-like gospel. While the clichés surrounding the .45ACP are fun to spout off, there is little scientific support for it. While they make large holes in wood, the human body is much more complicated to shoot into and reacts differently than wood.

F.B.I. goes 9mm

Recently, the F.B.I. completed extensive testing on various handgun calibers. “Most of what is ‘common knowledge’ with ammunition and its effects on the human target are rooted in myth and folklore…Handgun stopping power is simply a myth,” the F.B.I. said in its report. “There is little to no noticeable difference in the wound tracks between premium line law enforcement projectiles from 9mm Luger and .45 Auto.” In short, the .45ACP does not leave a massive wound channel, as some aficionados believe. Surgeons are hard-pressed to guess what round a subject has been shot with because they are similar.

This, coupled with the advances in modern bullet design, has driven a change in the F.B.I. as well as thousands of agencies around the country. They are opting for what I believe is the best pistol caliber for personal defense: the 9mm. In their testing, the F.B.I. even went so far as to endorse a specific bullet that performed the best: the 147-grain Speer Gold Dot G2 personal defense round. The 9mm round offers two very important highlights. First is its ability to effectively penetrate a target and inflict damage. Secondly, it allows people a higher magazine capacity with which to fight. These two items make 9mm the preferred choice for a defensive handgun round.

Many to Choose From

A side bonus is that 9mm handguns are easier to shoot and allow the shooter to be more accurate. “The Ballistic Research Facility has conducted a test which compares similarly sized Glock pistols in both .40 S&W and 9mm calibers to determine if more accurate and faster hits are achievable with one versus the other,” the F.B.I. says. “To date, most of the study participants have shot more quickly and accurately with 9mm caliber pistols. The 9mm provides struggling shooters the best chance of success while improving the speed and accuracy of the most skilled shooters.” In the end, it is always a personal preference. I believe that 9mm is the best pistol caliber for personal defense. It is easy to shoot, which, in turn, makes training easier. That is a major consideration, as the defensive use of a handgun is a challenging task.

Choosing a Home Defense Handgun – Points to Consider

The last item I suggest you consider is the type of handgun you want. As with caliber, opinions are all over the board. Some claim the revolver is king because it is easy to run, while others cling to 1911 because of “two world wars,” I believe the answer is in the middle. I am a fan of striker-fired handguns for personal defense because of two major factors: their ease of use and reliability. As a general rule, they have no external safety to deal with and have proven over decades to be a reliable design. Throw into this that they are easy to maintain, and their benefits begin to expand even more.

Choosing a home defense handgun should be a thoughtful and well-considered decision. Hit the local range and test drive some options to better educate yourself on what works and possibly what doesn’t work for you. The more you know, the better you will be prepared to get a handgun that best serves your needs.