Originally Posted By: Jeff VI hate the whole bigger is better reasoning. i can get 150 9mm rounds for what 50 45 rounds cost. that means 3 times the practice for the $. id much rather shoot a 9mm that is second nature in my hands and that ive put over 1000 rounds through than a 45 that ive shot 200 rounds through and then set it in the nightstand cause its too expensive to shoot it.
if money is no option then sure go for the bigger gun if that makes you feel safer.
just about every handgun caliber is underpowered anyway. A handgun is ment to get you to the best gun for home defense. a 18-1/2" barreled 12 gauge with 4 buck in it.
and as far as what pistol to buy. ive shot xdm's 1911's walthers and glocks, the next one i spend my hard earned money on will be a glock.
Totally agree with everything you wrote.
The fact of the matter is that even a .22 can accomplish what a home defense gun needs to accomplish. If you open up on an intruder, given the bark and flash of even a .22 combined with bullets pounding into him and zipping past him, the last thing he's going to be thinking is, "Golly, since this isn't a .45 that's hammering me, I think I'll get up and charge the guy shooting me."
Also, the "more is always better" crowd should also consider what happens when bullets start flying through walls. My quandry is that I have a wife and kids, so going off like Rambo and spraying shots everywhere is a monumental mistake. You could easily kill or injure what you're trying to protect.
The best defense isn't more firepower. the best defense is superior tactics that result in making it difficult or impossible for the enemy to accomplish his objectives. I just laugh at fools who talk about "knockdown power" and all that bullsh!t when it comes to home defense. If it gets to that point, you've already failed. The goal is to make sure you and your family survive unharmed. If you can do that without firing a shot AND manage to alert the police and get the perp arrested, you have scored the ultimate victory.
The best strategy in home defense is NOT to kill the other guy in a shootout before he kills you. The strategy that is best is to make difficult for the enemy to even get to the point where he could engage you in a shootout. And if he does manage that, you should have placed yourself in a superior defensive position, making it clear to him that it will be an impossible situation for him to win.
Grouse