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What type of handgun?

Law abider

Regular Member
Joined
Aug 17, 2011
Messages
1,164
Location
Ellsworth Wisconsin
Now that I have some dough at hand, ( a rare event, ha) I need to do two things. 1) send Donation for MKEgal's defense fund and 2) buy a hand gun. Now I know my leo buddy said that all you need is a 22 caliber, I disgree with him even though it could thwart whatever. So ALL YOU EXPERTS out there I need to know the pro/cons of a revolver and a hand gun with a clip, and what size? Also what is the largest legal one to OC and CC. Thanks

:confused:
 

davegran

Regular Member
Joined
May 1, 2009
Messages
1,563
Location
Cassville Area -Twelve Miles From Anything, Wiscon
Only you can decide....

Now that I have some dough at hand, ( a rare event, ha) I need to do two things. 1) send Donation for MKEgal's defense fund and 2) buy a hand gun. Now I know my leo buddy said that all you need is a 22 caliber, I disgree with him even though it could thwart whatever. So ALL YOU EXPERTS out there I need to know the pro/cons of a revolver and a hand gun with a clip, and what size? Also what is the largest legal one to OC and CC. Thanks

:confused:
It's a good thing you started your own thread 'cause you could get a lot of response on it. My advice is to get the largest caliber you can handle and conceal, if that is your purpose. A gun that fits your hand and points where you want it to with enough practice. Ideally you should try out a variety of makes, models, and calibers before making your decision. Revolvers are simple to operate but don't carry as many rounds and are slower to reload than a semi-automatic. Only you can decide.
 
H

Herr Heckler Koch

Guest
I need to know the pro/cons of a revolver and a hand gun with a clip, and what size? Also what is the largest legal one to OC and CC. Thanks
The pros and cons of a revolver and a semi-automatic pistol are entirely emotional. You should carry the size that suits, the law in Wisconsin does not address that issue.

I OC a .45 Springfield Armory 1911A1. I CC a H&K USPc .40. My dress gun is a beautiful black satin American Eagle Luger Artillery Model in 9 mm. I have CC the H&K since 1996, usually Mexican crossdraw.
 

SovereignAxe

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 29, 2011
Messages
791
Location
Elizabethton, TN
Revolver
pros: simple design makes them easier to use. less moving parts make them nearly impossible to jam. robust build means more powerful cartridges are available to use in them. Interchangeability of cartridges; many larger revolver cartridges are just longer versions of an older round (.357 Magnum will hold .38 Special. .327 Magnum will hold .32 S&W Long and .32 S&W. .22 Magnum will hold .22 LR and 22 Short, etc etc)

cons: low capacity, long reload time (unless you practice practice practice with moon clips, but they're still cumbersome), thicker due to the round cylinder, slow to fire (either a really long trigger pull is required to both bring back the hammer, rotate the cylinder and then release the hammer all at once, or you have to manually pull back the hammer to make firing easier-also slow).

Semi-auto pistol
pros: high capacity, fast reload, trigger pulls are usually much easier/shorter-but this varies from gun to gun, depending on what type of trigger you choose

cons: more moving parts, less user friendly (but you should get to know your handgun inside and out. so this is a weak con), more prone to jam (however semi-autos have gotten exponentially more reliable in the last 30+ years. Arguing reliability in any modern semi-auto is a moot point, but a revolver will always have that slight advantage), generally weaker cartridges available.

Another thing I want to mention is research and training. Judging by your lack of knowledge about revolvers and semi-autos, I think it's safe to assume that the names of all of those calibers are totally over your head except maybe .44 and .357 Magnum. If that's the case, once you decide whether the revolver or the semi-auto is a better fit for you, you need to do research on calibers before you choose your weapon. You need to take into account your budget, availability and power. Handgun cartridges are as varied as the handguns themselves, ranging everywhere between .22 CB, which is barely more than an air rifle, to .500 Smith & Wesson, which will just about break your hand, and ranging in price from 17 cents a round to several dollars per round.

What you need to do is first find out what are the most common cartridges (so you don't have to scour the Earth for ammo), then find which ones you can afford, and which ones you think you can handle. Then, go out and try each one, and see which one you like the most/can handle the most accurately. The general rule is to carry the largest caliber that you can shoot accurately. A hit with a .32 is much more powerful than a miss from a .45.

I'll go ahead and tell you that you'll find out that these are the most common handgun calibers you'll find in stores:

Revolver
.22 LR/.22 Magnum (.22 Mag isn't as common, but there are a lot of revolvers chambered for it, and you can always put .22 LR in them), .32 S&W Long/.327 Magnum (I'll admit that the .32 range is not THAT common, but it seems to be growning in popularity), .38 Special/.357 Magnum, .45 Long Colt, .44 Magnum/.44 Special (a poor carry choice, but a sound HD choice if you don't need to worry about over penetration)

Semi-auto
.22 LR, .32 Automatic Colt Pistol (ACP or Auto), .380 ACP, 9mm Luger/Parabellum, .357 SIG (a bit of a pricy, niche round, but it does have its followers and I do always see it in stores), .40 S&W, .45 ACP

And finally, whatever you choose, practice practice practice. If you're going to use a tool with the intention of trusting your life to it, you need to know how to use it well. This is why caliber choice is so important. If you choose a caliber that's too expensive or too unpleasant to train with, you won't and you won't be good with it.
 
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HandyHamlet

Regular Member
Joined
Nov 17, 2010
Messages
2,772
Location
Terra, Sol
First off look for a firearm. One with a magazine and not a clip.

:D


Second of all no one can answer your question but you.

I can kill a male Bernese Fire Dragon in flight from 3,125 yards with a Phoenix Arms Raven .25. I'm XX level Gunkata. You are not.



You need to try multiple flavors to find the one(s) that suits you, your budget, experience, and how you intend to utilize it. For instance a revolver might be better suited for home defense if you intend to load it and forget it. A semi-auto might be better for CC. And then there is the fact that you will most likely end up with multiple firearms. Some here match pistols with shoes. Some have one for every day of the week. I match mine to my Speedos. That's what I wear when I am on my inter-dimensional Ninja missions.

I digress. Just remember the hunt is half the fun.
 

kemo

Regular Member
Joined
Sep 15, 2011
Messages
92
Location
Antigo,WI
You have to research and find the firearm that fits you. Just don't buy a gun because it's cheap. You probably have a firearm in mind already. The biggest thing you can do is look and if you find one you like, then look on the internet and see if they are a piece of junk. You will find there is a lot of junk out there. Just make sure you do the research.
 

SovereignAxe

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 29, 2011
Messages
791
Location
Elizabethton, TN
yeah, handyhamlet brings up a point I forgot to mention...this is a clip: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clip_(ammunition)

this is a magazine: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magazine_(firearms)

and kemo brings up a very good point. Don't buy a gun because it's cheap. yeah, take price into consideration, but in the world of firearms you usually get what you pay for. Hopefully you'll spend much more on ammo over the course of the life of the weapon than you did on the weapon itself. so the initial cost is going to be small in comparison. If the gun you really like is only about $75 more than the one you're about to settle for, remember that the price difference is only the price of a few boxes of ammo.
 
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PQ36

Regular Member
Joined
Oct 28, 2011
Messages
50
Location
Frozen Tundra, Wisconsin
Many great points made so far. As for my meager .02, give due consideration to ergonomics for YOUR hands. Consistent and reliable shot placement is far more important than mag capacity, total energy, etc. I am not a large guy, so my hands don't wrap so far around big grips that house hi-cap mags. My XDm is great, but my XD fits my hand that much better. Also, magazine release should be doable with the one grip hand without having to torque/twist/adjust grip to do so.

My Security Six revolver fits my hand well, but would be smallish in some hands. My Undercover grips are even a bit smallish in my hands, but overall size/weight/ergo is desirable for me. Yet limited to .38 plain jane ammo. (while Security Six will go .357 +P no prob)

Just keep form/fit/function in mind, and don't get lured by biggest/baddest if it is not a good fit and controllable for YOUR hands.

Keep reading, ask lots of questions, don't be shy.
 

protias

Regular Member
Joined
Dec 18, 2008
Messages
7,308
Location
SE, WI
I would recommend .38 Special, .357 Magnum, .357 Sig, 9mm, .40, or .45ACP.
 
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