"I think I need a gun.....", Reviewing the Hardware

I do want to address some of the mental and moral issues one needs to settle before arming themselves. But, since the last entry was a bit of lecture, I thought we'd focus on the hardware today. We want to get our grubby little hands on the goods, right? Ok, so let's look at a few different options in a few different categories, and then you can decide which category you fit in. As always, feel free to contact me with any questions you may have.

The perennial question is, "which gun should I buy?" Without any other information about you, your size, your experience, you needs, and you desired uses for the gun, I'll ante up with what I recommend more often than anything else: the Glock 19.
If you search through this blog, you will find a write up about the Glock 17. The G19 is the exact same gun except that the barrel and grip frame have been shortened a bit. That little bit of length takes away part of the lower swell on the backstrap, making it more friendly to people with smaller hands. And yet, people with big bear claws are still comfortably using the G19.

The Glock has a very simple and consistent manual of arms makes it easy for people to learn how to use, it holds 15 + 1 rounds (15 in the magazine, plus one in the chamber), it's small and light enough to easily carry and yet large enough to be easy to handle, it is very tolerant of user neglect, it is virtually impossible to make rust, it is one of the most reliable gun ever made, it's low bore axis helps tame recoil, the 9mm cartridge is more than adequate for self-defense and yet is easy to shoot, the ammunition is cheap so that a person will practice, and the initial buy-in to the pistol is very low when compared to other tier one fighting handguns.

Phew, that's one heck of a run on sentence, but it's exactly why the Glock 19 is so good - there are so many things that make it a good choice. If anything cab be called a volkspistol, this is it.

Now, the Glock 19 is a semi-automatic pistol. The quick and dirty definition is that it shoots once for each pull of the trigger and feeds ammunition off of a removable magazine (not "clip") that rides in the grip frame.
A double action revolver is often recommended for the beginning shooter. A revolver has a captive (not removable) cylinder which typically holds between five and seven rounds. With each pull of the trigger, the cylinder rotates, bringing a new cartridge into the firing position. Double action simply means the gun does not have to be manually cocked for each shot unlike the revolvers John Wayne used to win the west in so many movies.
The advantage of the revolver is that it's very simple and has a long, heavy trigger pull. In theory, that long, heavy trigger pull will make it more resistant to you working the trigger when you shouldn't. I'm not convinced of that. In reality what it does is make a gun that is difficult to shoot for the average beginner. With the advent of simple and reliable pistols, I think the revolver, with a few exceptions, should be relegated to the status of an advanced weapon.

If you absolutely refuse to train with your gun, then a revolver is a good choice. You can leave it loaded for decades, pick it up, and it will go bang. Now, you shouldn't buy a gun if you aren't going to take the time to learn how to use it, but some people are going to do what they want to do no matter what someone else says. Smith & Wesson and Ruger make the best revolvers, Taurus wheelguns aren't too bad and are cheaper than the Smiths and Rugers.

You say you won't be carrying the gun, that it will only be used for home defense, and you want something that is easy for your wife to use when you aren't there? Easy: buy a shotgun. Long arms - rifles and shotguns - are much easier to hit with than a handgun. Don't believe the old adage of "you can't miss with a shotgun." You most certainly can. When fired, the shot pellets progressively spread once they leave the barrel. But, at room distances, they are only going to have opened up to the size of your fist. What makes them easier to shoot accurately is that the gun is mounted to the shoulder and you are looking right down the barrel.

There's no need to go with the biggest and baddest when it comes to shotguns. A 20 gauge will do everything a 12 gauge will at combat distances. (The smaller the number, the more powerful the shotgun). Buckshot, a loading with a few very large pellets, is the traditional fighting choice for shotguns. But, it's going to go through lots of walls if you miss and, frankly, you don't need that much punch. You aren't in the military hunting down people in a jungle and you aren't a police officer trying to stop a bank robbery. Darn near anything that goes bang in a shotgun will work for the homeowner. The one caveat is if you live in very cold climates, regular birdshot might not make it through a heavy winter coat. In that case, I would recommend some of the smaller buckshot like a size "4" - don't worry the guy in the gun shop will know what you are asking for.
Do not buy one of those mean looking shotguns that only have a pistol grip. You want something with a full stock. Pistol grips are for people who want to look cool or experts who have a specific need for the shortest shotgun they can get. You want a full stock that you can put into your shoulder.

I am a big fan of the youth sized 20 gauge shotgun for home defense. The shorter stocks and barrels make them easier to use inside a home, they are more than powerful enough, and they don't look like something Delta Force carries around Baghdad. If you are pushed to the extreme and forced to shoot someone, you will be spending some time in court no matter how justified you were. That wood stocked, small shotgun is going to look very benign to the judge and jury. Forget the facts, perception counts a great deal in any legal proceeding, and no one spoiling for a fight picks a child's gun, right?
A pump action is the cheapest and has a bone-chilling sound with the action is worked. Everyone knows that sound and countless lives have been saved by the bad guy simply turning and running away when he knows a shotgun has just been added to the equation. I was about 13 when, home alone with my little sister, a man tried to break into our house. Dad's shotgun came out of the closet, a few shells hastily shoved into it, and I went out to confront the home invader (not the best tactics, but I've always been aggressive and I was 13, so give me a break). I waited until the guy saw me, pumped a round into the chamber, and he disappeared like a ghost. Impressive stuff.

A semi-automatic shotgun takes a bit more care to keep lubed and more attention in choosing the ammunition because, like a semi-auto pistol, requires enough recoil to work the action. Semi-auto shotguns are also more expensive. Once up and running, they recoil less and are easier to shoot.

You want to carry concealed, want a full powered gun, but don't want to carry around a boat anchor? For "full powered," the starting point is 9mm. We'll cover calibers and ammunition later, but if you want to search the web and look at stuff, stick with pistols in 9x19mm, .40 S&W, .357 Sig, .45 ACP, or 10mm.

Well, we've already covered the Glock 19, still a great choice, but Glock makes lots of other guns, anyone of which is a good choice, so check out their website.

There is an entire slew of 1911 style pistols to choose from. These are basically updated versions of the pistol used by the US military from 1911 (hence the name) until 1985. 1911's have a cult following because they are usually chambered in the all American cartridge, .45 ACP, and because they are so easy to hit with it's almost magic. Sadly, this cult status has tended to allow manufacturers to not pay as much attention to quality control as is needed to sell other designs. Guns from Smith & Wesson, Les Baer, and Springfield all have solid reputations. Beware, the 1911 is on the expensive side of things. Personally, I wouldn't even consider one with less than a 3.5" barrel, even better, nothing under 4". Less than that and the physics just work against a person and the guns tend to be very finicky about working properly.
Sig Sauer is a personal favorite manufacturer of mine. The US Secret Service, Air Marshals, Texas Rangers, Department of Homeland Security, and Navy SEALs can't all be wrong. A medium sized Sig is the P229 and their small, thin offering is the P239. Either one will serve you well.
This is a good point to address how a lot of manufacturers address the carry gun market. They take a fullsized model and chop a lot off the barrel and a lot off the grip in order to shorten everything up. Done in moderation, as with the Glock 19 or Colt Commander 1911, this can tidy things up and make a nice carry gun. However, some manufacturers go overboard. There is no real point in shortening a barrel other than to shift the balance rearwards. If you carry a gun on your belt as 99.99% of those who carry do, the barrel is riding parallel to your leg. It's not difficult to hide and shortening things up too much can cause a gun to be prone to malfunctions. Shortening the grip frame makes more sense as that is what will "print" or push against your clothing. There is a trade off to be made here. The shorter the grip, the better it hides. The longer the grip, the easier the gun is to draw and shoot quickly and accurately. Beretta and Heckler & Koch are both notorious for shortening things up far too much.
Kahr Arms makes small, thin pistols and has an excellent reputation for quality. They come with either steel frames or plastic frames. The steel recoil less because they are heavier, the plastic is easier to carry because it's lighter. You will have to decide which is more important to you. I'm intrigued by their new line of .45's, but haven't had a chance to get any actual trigger time on them. Hmmmm, do I sense another gun purchase coming on?
Smith & Wesson makes many types of pistols and revolvers. Their 1911's are some of the best of the bread, but they also make series of pistols that are aimed more at police. Their new line is the M&P, which stands for Military and Police. They are a competitor to the Glock and coming in late to the game, they have the advantage of seeing what people wanted and how the design could be improved. They M&P line still has to prove itself in extreme duty situations (think commando teams covered in mud - in other words, not either of us), but they are some of the most comfortable guns around. The "compact" M&P's are slightly smaller than a Glock 19 and all M&P pistols have interchangeable backstraps so they can be tailored to fit anyone's hand. I'd carry one in a heart beat and think they are one of the most interesting new guns on the market.
Springfield Armory, already mentioned as making 1911's, also has a Glock competitor. Theirs are the XD's, made in eastern Europe, but have a sterling reputation for both reliability and durability. Many shooters love the way they fit in the hand. Personally, they don't work for me, but give them a look, they may very well work for you.
There are other guns you can choose from, but those are the main players without going to full-sized service pistols or to tiny pocket guns.

When it comes to hot weather and casual clothes, pocket carry has a lot to offer. You will be going down in power and size, but a .38 in the pocket beats a .44 mag back at home. Being so small, they tend to be much more difficult to shoot, but at halitosis range, you have bit of leeway. I'll be dedicating a column in this series on different aspects of carrying concealed and we'll go into more considerations at that time.

In the pocket gun category, the all time champ and reigning king is the Smith & Wesson J-frame revolver. They are most often found as five shot, .38 Specials, but other cartridges are available. This is the biggest exception to my "don't start with a revolver" rule. The advantage of the revolver for pocket carry is in the arching design of the grip frame. Stick your hands in your pocket and that arch makes it come up to greet your hand and be the first thing you touch.
Taurus makes similar revolvers for those on a tighter budget.

When it comes to small, full power pistols, there are only two worth considering: Kahr and Kel-Tec. The Kahr is a much better made piece of equipment, but the Kel-Tec is much cheaper. You will have to decide how much you want to spend on life-safety in order to protect you and your family. The Kel-Tecs do work. Usually.
That's the gambit for most people concerned with self-defense. Don't worry about all that ammunition jargon, you'll pick it up with time and I'll address it shortly on the blog. If you are worried about how to carry and how to safely store your guns in order to keep the little ones in your home safe, don't worry about it. Think about it, but don't worry about it. You aren't the first person with these concerns and I'll go over some of the most common and effective solutions.

Now, keep reviewing the four rules of gun safety, because they always come first, no matter what gun you pick.