I hope I am NEVER in the situation that guy was in. He did a good job. I hope he is recovering well.

I agree, and the threat of a self inflicted injury is a real one too. A very good friend just shot himself in the hand about 4 months ago with his XD .45. He is a FEDERAL employee with a ton of training. It happens. He was distracted.

That story about the 1911 is exactly why I decided not to carry a 1911. I have concerns remembering to squeeze the grip, I also have concerns about the light single action trigger and possibly firing by accident. All my carry guns are double action. If you miss fire a double action, you earned it. It takes a while to learn to sqeeze each round and not move the gun, I put a laser on mine and that will show you if you moving or not, Good practice

I play golf with some "boys in blue" --- not sure if you big time gun toters have visited this site or not. They have some very cool stuff...


http://www.safariland.com/

RLS = win the light fight, and win the gun fight. Might be the best and safest home defender option... blind 'em!

+1


There have been great suggestions for choice of weapon but the best answer is the one you feel the most comfortable with. Any type of weapon or firearm isn't going to do you any good unless you are comfortable using it and able to pull the trigger when the time comes. In a situation where someone has entered your home and you brandish a weapon it becomes a liability to you if you can't or aren't willing to properly use it. Should you choose to have a weapon in your home- train with it, have your wife train with it so that you are comfortable with it should the unthinkable happen. Legalities obviously vary depending on state, county, etc and you should always be sure your choice of home defense is legal should you ever have to use it and later get sued by the idiot that got hurt because he broke into your house.

My personal choice is an HK USP40 for general use and I CC a Glock 27 which fires .40 caliber as well.

^ Totally agreed with every part, ......except the Glock.
I love HK's , but hate Glocks. :thumbsup:

Personal preference, but not dinging their reliability.
I think .40S&W is my favorite all around home defense round with Hydra's.
However, assuming you are the only one using it, I voted .45 ACP for obvious reasons.

I pray I never have to defend my home, because it's a legal + civil nightmare
I'm in the Chicago burbs.....

*hijack!*
I debated on buying the Glock for CC. I've avoided them in the past because for years they were always the "cool" gun to have. I just talked to so many people that loved the G27 that either carried for CC or were law enforcment that carried them as backup. Obviously for CC simpler is better, size is an issue, stopping power is a consideration, and reliability is a must. It fit all the bills. I did have to add a pearce extention to have a better hand hold and now that i'm getting used to it I'll probably pick up the +2 extention. I recently picked up a Crossbreed Supertuck to carry with and this thing is amazingly comfortable!! I'm a cargo shorts and Tshirt kind of guy in the summers and this holster works great for CC.

Definately agree with the fact that I pray I never have to draw it. But I choose to be prepared if I am ever in the situation rather than be helpless... Life isn't a spectator sport.

http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/v...C/DSCN0559.jpg

You may now return to your previously scheduled thread! :thumbsup:

No argument there.
IL is one of the last 2 states with NO CCW rights......and it sucks.
At least Chicago won the Handgun Rights SCOTUS case finally.

I moved out of the city awhile ago, but I'm still in the county.....and they banned all assault weapons. :rolleyes:
Which account for next to nothing in the violent crime index.

Your going to get all sorts of OPINIONS. I personally own a Kimber compact 1911 .45 cal, a Kahr PM .40 cal, a ruger P380 .380 cal, a Ruger .257 magnum, a S&W .38 cal snub nose and Im in the process of getting a Taurus Raging Bull .44 mag. All are great guns but server different purposes. My favorite for Home protection, the one ill reach for first is my Kimber .45 It has good knock down power, easy trigger, and comes with night sights. Everyones application is different so you need to find something your comfortable with. If you a semi-auto, go for a .40 or .45 If you want a revolver, go for a .357. And if its for home protection and not concealment, get a 4" - 5" barrel for more accuracy and easier to shoot and handle.

Here's my new home protection handgun...

Springfield Armory XD-M .45
http://i438.photobucket.com/albums/q...R/DSC00285.jpg
(the ball-tip rounds are just there for plinking, it's loaded with Hornady Critical Defense hollow points now...)

OT but still related.....

Went shooting last weekend with the G27 and the HK. First time I've shot them both at the same time as I've only had the G27 for a few months.

I've had my HK USP40 for almost 15 years now and never thought much about how easy it shoots until running rounds through the G27 and then switching back to the HK. I expected the "backup" Glock to be a little harder to control because it is smaller but... man what a difference. Still shot some decent groupings but the full frame HK shoots like a Cadillac compared to the little Glock. I just found a range about 15 min from the house that I'll be spending more time at.