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Home Defense Pistol

4K views 29 replies 19 participants last post by  johnsonabq 
#1 ·
I am looking for a HD Pistol that will accept a Laser/Light Combo in either 40 S&W or 45acp. I would prefer the gun to be stainless frame but would consider an all black. Other important factors are reliability and price. The pistol must accept a light/laser combo like the TLR2.

So far I have considered the Glock 21 or 22 not crazy about Glock's look or feel but it's very reasonable and reliable. I don't know which would be better for HD the 40 or 45. The options so far is a Sig 229 stainless elite. I like the look of Sig much more, however, it's quite a bit more expensive and only available in 40, not 45.

Do you have any other reccomendations. Again, the Light/Laser is a must as I view them as important additions to the HD scenario.

EDIT - Also needs to have Tritium Night Sights.
 
#5 ·
I like the .40 better than .45 myself - My next purchase is going to be a Sig p229 Elite Stainless in .40 cal. If you like how it fits in your hand and you understand the manual of arms that goes with it then I say get that.
 
#6 ·
BTW - Reason I like the .40 better.
1) higher velocity round. IF you have to shoot through a barrier it wll do better. Flatter trajectory. Holds its power out to farther ranges than .45

2) More magazine capacity, smaller potential grips, better fit in the hand.

3) Almost the same Foot Pound Energy as a .45 in every case - more FPE in many cases.

4) Over penetration when you hit your target is very unlikely with good quality SD rounds. Even if your rounds do go through the target do you think they will have enough left in them to hurt anyone seriously on the other side? Missing your target of course with any round is going to cause safety issues for other people in the house.
 
#9 ·
I"m glad you explained - I was going to ask why you preferred the 40.

Question - Can't a lighter 45 load, ie 180ish grain match the performance of the 40?? I guess I am confused as Logic would say that the 45 can shoot up to 230ish but also down to the 180grain, 40 level, & match the speed of the 40. But the 40 can't rise up to match the larger bullet of the 45 @ 230rain??? Is that an accurate assumption?
 
#8 ·
I'm with you. I don't like the feel of a Glock in my hand either. However, if you do like the feel of the SIG, but you feel it's too expensive, I suggest you try the XD45 by Springfield. It has a wider grip similar to that of the SIG, but it's around half the price. It's also very reliable. I haven't bought one yet, but I've put 400 rounds through a rental, and I like it a lot. I plan on buying one soon. The price at my local gun store was ~$500.
 
#16 ·
Not exactly. Even if you have a 185 grain .45 and a 185 grain .40 going at the same velocity, the .45 will have a bigger diameter (larger wound channel) and while the .40 will have a greater sectional density (deeper penetration). Regardless, they're both good rounds and how well you can shoot the gun you choose matters a lot more than whether it's .40 or .45 caliber.
 
#13 ·
Not to make anyone mad or anything, because I used to get caught up in the same thing myself when it comes to ballistics. Do I go with .40 or .45... or 9mm? What bullet? What weight? Bonded bullets or non bonded.... it is absolutely ENDLESS.

There comes a point when all you're doing is splitting hairs.

When you talk to people who have actually survived gun fights, and people like Jim Cirillo has survived something around 14 (God rest his soul) and people like D.C. "Jelly" Brice, another 12-14 gunfights, or Lance Thompson (civilian) 7 or 8 gunfights, and the like will all tell you what it really comes down to is "Can you hit your target when the adrenaline is pumping and you're shaking like a jackhammer?" "When you are in full body alarm mode!" Most of them have used from time to time guns and or ammo that most people "in the know" would absolutely turn their nose up at. Jelly Brice was an FBI agent from the late 1920's through the mid to late 1950's IIRC so you know what ammo they were using. Lead round nose .38 Spl.

I've pondered the ballistics thing until I'm blue in the face, my eyes are crossed and I have a headache. These days, I shoot the guns I handle the best and most accurate, in the calibers that I shoot most accurate and I choose good quality and generally recommended defensive ammo and call it good.

I ensure the ammo works reliably in my guns and then shoot as often as possible and train more in tactics and under stress than anything else.

Speer Gold Dots, Hornady, Ranger.... if it works in my gun and available for purchase that's what I shoot. I'm more worried about being the first one to get hits than anything else. There's an old adage that has a lot of truth to it. He who gets the first hits is usually the winner.

Everything else is just topics of conversation. Just my humble opinion.

YMMV
 
#14 ·
The .40 and .45 are both good rounds. Bigger bullets are better, but more bullets are also better. You have to make a tradeoff between them. But the most important thing, far more important than what caliber you carry, is getting a gun that fits your hand so you can shoot it well.

My standard advice goes something like this:
If you have a big enough hand to comfortably shoot a true double-stack .45 like a Glock 21 or an XD .45, go ahead and get that.
If you don't have hands that big, get a double stack .40 like a Glock 22, an XD .45 or an M&P .40.
If you don't have big enough hands for a double stack .40, look at a single stack .45.
If you don't have big enough hands for a single stack .45, get a single stack .40.

You may want to take a look at the Choosing a Defensive Handgun article.
 
#15 ·
Home defense pistol? If it's going to be dedicated to HD with possible options of carry, why go with anything less than 45acp? Since I happen to own one of the SIG P220 SAO's with rail, this would be my recommendation. Matter of fact, it makes a rather nice HD pistol for me with the Streamlight M6 attached. Many of today's 1911 offerings now also include an integral rail. Suppressor? Order your SIG from the factory with a threaded barrel.
 
#17 ·
For a handgun that will be used exclusively for home defense:

I would suggest not putting "looks good" at the top of your list of priorities, but "to each, his own." Seems like the tactical accommodations are of considerable importance, so, off the top of my head, I'd recommend:
  • Sig Sauer
  • Glock
  • H&K USP
  • Springfield XD
  • 1911 (Colt, Kimber, Springfield, ..., ...)
  • S&W M&P

I know, for sure, that Sig and H&K make "tactical" models with threaded barrels so you can attach a suppressor. Others will have to help you with that one.

The 229 Elite is an expensive pistol ($1500 if I remember correctly). For a home defense gun, you might want to go cheaper, but you get what you pay for, so do it if you can. Personally (I know you didn't ask, but here I go), I'd chose a relatively "affordable" (in the eye of the beholder - depends on how much expendable income you have) model that fits well in my hand, that I can shoot well (here comes caliber selection), and that I can operate easily and effectively (safety, mag release, slide). If it can't do any of those things, then move on.

I suppose that action type could be narrowed down based on your intended use. For home defense, you might want DAO so you don't risk unintended double-taps. This is good if you don't carry it and/or haven't had a chance to take it to the range regularly to practice with.
 
#18 ·
Taurus PT 1911 Stainless with a rail should work. Or the XD, if you don't like the Glock. I'd suggest you actually hold and shoot any guns that hold your interest if at all possible before buying. Looks alone don't give you the real picture. It may look and feel fine, but not perform as you might expect.
 
#19 ·
Bark'n makes a really good point that I failed to address. In modern, good quality ammunition, the performance is so high across the board that you really can use 9mm and above to stop any human threat in your home, and have excellent results (not for the BG). However the point of my post was "everything besides the bullet being equal" I would prefer the round that I think is best suited in a large variety of shooting situations to be the optimal round. For me that happens to be .40 180 grain Remmington Golden Saber or .40 Speer Gold Dot 180 grain.

Back to the topic at hand. Having a functional side arm that is "sexy" just lends itself to being shot more often and maintained more carefully than a functional but "fugly" gun. Sig P229 Elite IS VERY SEXY, and I dont think any one here would say that it is not reliable.
 
#20 ·
Look into a CZ40P. Essentially it's a PO-1 except in 40 S&W and has all the requirements (other than being SS) you mentioned. ALSO, it's a steal for the price, usually in the $300-$350 range. :hand10:

I have one and it's my bedroom gun. The 40P was originally suppose to be a limited production gun (about 1,200) in '04/'05 but they seem to have found a niche and are still being produced, though in a relatively limited number.
 

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#21 ·
Nobody seems to have mentioned the Ruger P345. I modified a Wilson 10-rd "Bureaucrat" to fit along with an M-3 light. Regretfully I let someone buy it from me a few years ago. I'm waiting on my local gunshop to find another one for me right now. I already have a set of Mepro night sights for it and a SigSauer LED/Laser tactical light.
 
#22 ·
I personally prefer the .45 but you may not. You can easily find loads down to 165 gr. and up to 230gr.+P. I use Speer Gold Dot 230 gr.+P in my Sig P220 two tone with a DASA trigger and it shoots great. I added the Hogue rubber grips for a little larger and stickier grip. I personally have never shot a gun as comfortable or accurate as this.
As far as price, the P220 Elite Stainless with a threaded barrel will run you @ 1300.00, I don't know where someone got 1500.00 for the P229 S.E. that's not right.

If you want the best quality, most dependable, and best looking gun you can get......GET A SIG! (IMHO):yup::yup:
 
#24 ·
You may also want to check out the Sig P250. It has 3 frame and 3 grip sizes so it is sure to fit your hand with some combination. It comes in 9mm, .40s+w, .357sig, and .45acp. It has a polymer frame, but fits ALL other criteria.
 
#25 ·
If what you really want is a Home Defense pistol, I wouldn't bother with a silencer. Mainly because it makes you more vulnerable when coming around a corner or doorway. But after that it's just a matter of money and preference.

As for the weapon itself, my Sig P229R is my carry and HD weapon. The advantages of .40 have already been attested to so I won't go into that. Be sure that any weapon you decide on is one you have handled and are comfortable with.
 
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