Well I have been wanting a pistol for a while, and am now starting to shop for one a little. Still probabally gonna be a little while, but I have to research things to no end before I can buy stuff...

I am wanting one primarially for protection in the woods, self/home defense is a seccondary use. Also pistiols are fun to shoot. There is a place we go that does have mountian lions, so I want more than a .22 mag (I have had a few reccomendations for them) I know I want a semi-auto. I think I want a 9mm, because the ammo tends to be a little cheaper, and still plenty of power.

My main question is what would yall reccoment as far as the gun itself? Any models to particullary look for/stay away from in your experience? I am not set on a new or used pistol either at this point, any suggestions there, except not to buy one from a guy on the street downtown at 3am?

FWIW, I have shot pistols, just never owned one... Thanks.

 

44 mag 10" barrel

 

If you're dead set on getting an SA then, since you're wanting it primarily for protection in the woods, I'd get the Glock 29 and load it with Double Tap ammo. It's a 10mm, which is about the closest thing to a hunting cartridge you're going to get in a pistol.

If you're open to a revolver, which is what I would probably choose for protection in the woods, I'd get a .44 Magnum.

You mentioned a 9mm. While 9mm ammo is relatively cheap to practice with, it's not known for it's power. I have a 9mm pistol that I use for practice because it's cheaper to shoot, but I carry a .40 caliber. If you go up against, say, a bear, then you won't stand a chance. For people it would do fine as long as your shot placement is good.

If you don't want the 10mm then I'd probably go with .45 ACP in any one of the Glock models that shoot that round (yes, I like Glocks).

 

I love my Kimber

 

I would have to agreed, a 10mm or larger is better for protection. Just need to find one at fit your hand.

 

Are you a mind reader, my next two preferred calibers would be .40 and then 10mm. About the only thing pushing me towards the 9mm are ammo cost, and more importantly, I want my wife to shoot it at least a little, and I know a .45 would scare the crap out of her the first time she pulled the trigger. She had never even held a gun before I bought my 870. Her dad had several guns when she was born, but had not hunted in years, so he sold them all because he needed the money, and never replaced them. And now he just bowhunts.

There aren't bears here, and I won't be going elk hunting, or realistically even travelling to bear country

Now I am thinking .40, as that is what I want, and I know I would be better off with what I want and paying more to shoot, and the extra power would be nice as well.

As far as the semi-auto vs revolver, I have a feeling that this gun will wind up seeing a good bit of target shooting, and semi-autos are more fun for playing, IMHO.

Thanks for the input so far guys.

 

i vote for glock. i got the model 22 which is the fullsize .40. i love it. try to find a range that has guns to rent so you can try before you buy. i really wanted a .45, but after shooting it, i realized it was to big for my hand to grip. just my .02

brett

 

I think a SigArms P229 would be right up your alley. You can get it in .40, it has a smaller frame than most handguns, so you wife will be able to hold it comfortably. Its a very good handgun. Heck the U.S. Coast Guard now carries these as the standard issue sidearm, instead of the Beretta M9.

http://www.sigarms.com/Products/Show...8&productid=63

 

If you are looking for highly durable, inexpensive, very light, fairly cheap ammo and very accurate then I suggest Taurus compact 40 cal. I found one at Bass Pro Shop something like $300.00. Great shooting gun, very accurate and you can't beat the price. 40 cal has a little better knockdown power than a 9mm and is still a very fast round. Great entry level pistol, cheaper than a Kimber or Glock but still very reliable, I love that little pistol. But that is just my opinion.

 

My personal favorite is my Kimber Super Match. As just mentioned, we are carrying the Sig p229 DAK Rail in the Coast Guard, we just made the transition from the Beretta 92-F. It was an odd feeling going from a full size .45 frame to a subcompact gun. I do like the Sig after shooting it a few times and the .40 is a hot round. Now for protection in the woods, I would not go smaller then a .357 Mag. because if you are worried about bears, lions, and tigers (oh my) you don't want to tick one off. For overall power and plinking, a .40 is good. PM me if you have any questions. Don't try to shoot a mountain lion with a .22 mag unless you are very sure of your ability.

 

I think the best choice for you is a medium frame .357 mag revolver with a 4" barrel. Plenty of power for mountain lions or home defense, but not too big and heavy. You can use .38 spl ammo for practice. A S&W 686 plus would be a great choice, 7 shots of .357 should be plenty to deal with any nasty kitty you might encounter.

 

SIG or GLOCK-----can't go wrong with either

 

Any 1911 45. My wifes first shot with a hand gun was with mine and she reached out, took aim and nailed her target, one armed. She loves it and she is very girly when it comes to those type things. She loves the 45 round.

 

I just recently purchased a sig P226 Blackwater. It is a 9mm and a tremendous weapon. I love target shooting with it and the ammo is cheaper than the larger caliber. If you are going thru a box of 100 a week,, it can get very expensive. It also has great nite sites.

Whatever you get have fun with it and be safe!

 

I know I'll probably get alot of flack for this... But the Baretta 92 series is about as reliable of a semi automatic as you can get.. They go bang every time you pull the trigger and for a semi automatic you can under maintence them and they still work... (although I would never sugest or condon not maintaining your gun)...

Gerry