Suggest low cost handgun for home protection.


drat

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I need a low cost handgun to protect from potential home break-in. Any suggestion appreciated
 

I need a low cost handgun to protect from potential home break-in. Any suggestion appreciated
  1. What's your experience with a handgun?
  2. What's your budget?
Those are the things which should steer your choice.

If you have little experience with handguns, I would recommend a used .38 Special/.357 Magnum revolver loaded with .38 Special. It's easy to load and unload and has no safeties or other controls to use before firing. It's either loaded or not, and easy to tell the difference.

If you have more experience, especially with semi-auto handguns, there are a plethora of used guns on the market from places like CDNN, Summit Gun Broker and J&G Sales.
 
I need a low cost handgun to protect from potential home break-in. Any suggestion appreciated

I really love my Keltec P3AT. With Buffalo Bore ammo it has plenty of stopping power. Also, it's super light and compact for concealed carry. It only weighs about half a pound. :)
 
That SCCY CPX2 looks like an amazing value at $250-$300. It's a 10+1, 9mm, polymer frame handgun.

Sent from my HTCONE using Tapatalk
 
The EAA Witness mentioned above is a 6 shot .357 revolver.... very easy to learn to use and almost idiot proof in use... no slides to rack, no worries about jams/malfunctions compared to an auto, just pull the trigger (after aiming it at what needs shot).
 
I second Bersa. Owned a .380 for awhile and it never did me wrong.

RE: the EAA Witness, according to their site it's a semi-auto: Link Removed
 
I second Bersa. Owned a .380 for awhile and it never did me wrong.

RE: the EAA Witness, according to their site it's a semi-auto: Link Removed
Ahhhh, I was describing the Windicator....... ty for pointing out my mistake.... (it is what I carry)
 
Since you stated home protection, size is not an issue so I suggest a Smith & Wesson SD9VE 9mm Pistol. Weighs 22.7 oz. and features a polymer frame with a stainless-steel slide and barrel. The semiautomatic double-action pistol has a Picatinny rail for adding a light and comes with two 16-round magazines. White-dot dovetail front and rear sights can be replaced with M&P night sights if desired. Smith & Wesson SD9 VE Standard Capacity 9mm Pistol 4 Barrel 16 Rd Two-Tone

If you have a hundred more to spend or prefer a Double-Action/Single-Action trigger, get the Sig Sauer SP2022 Two-Tone polymer framed 9mm pistol with Siglite Night Sights. Reatures a durable, lightweight and wear-resistant polymer frame with the added tactical versatility of an integrated accessory rail. The slide is machined from a solid block of stainless steel and protected by SIG’s Nitron® finish. SIG SAUER SP2022 9MM TWO-TONE WITH NIGHT SIGHTS | Sportsman's Outdoor Superstore
 
I believe that a large revolver is the way to go. No jamming risk. Simple to use in a panic situation. Proper storage is essential.
 
Any firearm made by Bersa seams to be reliable and accurate plus they are well within most budgets although it all depends on what type of protection as well. For home protection I personally am all about the shotgun as the low budget protector, for around $200 you can find a Maverick ( made by Mossberg) with an 8 round capacity around me. You can get great deals at pawn shops with FFLs too if you keep your eyes open.
 
If this weapon is only for home defence a 12ga. shotgun is a better choice. A remmington 870 pump can be gotten for under 300.00. If a 12 ga. kicks to much try a 20 ga.
 
As a couple of others here have said, the best choice for home defense is a shotgun, preferably a pump. When you hear a break-in, grab the shotgun, rack the slide to chamber a round (as loud as you can), and yell, loudly, "Honey call the cops!" Even money if it is an actual break-in, you will hear glass shatter as the perp jumps through a window.

I suggest either #6 or #7 1/2 birdshot as the load, for several reasons. Primarily the fact that it won't go through the wall and kill the kid in the next room, or the neighbor in the next apartment. If you aim at the head, it will stop any attacker in his tracks, and a body shot will do some fairly serious damage, especially at in-house ranges. If you add this Link Removed, which is designed for shotguns, it adds a respectable psychological edge for you. The sight will cost a little over $300, about as much as a decent used shotgun.

For the shotgun, the Remington 870 is hard to beat, as is an Ithaca 37. I recommend the shortest barrel you can find and swap out the buttstock for a pistol grip. That will make it far easier to handle in the confines of your home.

Any pistol round, or heavy shot, can easily penetrate several sheetrock walls and have plenty of energy to kill an innocent bystander, even in another building. A single pellet of 00 buck can penetrate a 4x4 and still have enough energy to kill, as can most pistol calibers.

A shotgun, loaded with birdshot, is also much, much easier to defend in court, which is highly likely if you have to defend yourself.
 
If this weapon is only for home defence a 12ga. shotgun is a better choice. A remmington 870 pump can be gotten for under 300.00. If a 12 ga. kicks to much try a 20 ga.
A shotgun MIGHT be a good choice, but without seeing the person's environment, one cannot reasonably so determine.

In my home, any non-NFA long gun is about as useless as a 14' cavalry lance or a naginata.
 
As a couple of others here have said, the best choice for home defense is a shotgun, preferably a pump.
Impossible to determine without actually seeing the OP's home. In MY home it would be the WORST choice.

When you hear a break-in, grab the shotgun, rack the slide to chamber a round (as loud as you can), and yell, loudly, "Honey call the cops!"
An unloaded firearm is a clear indication to an assailant that you're not as serious about the situation as he is.
 
The best thing you can do go to your local gun shop and explain to them what you are attempting to accomplish. Then get advice from someone that is trained in home defense weapons that does not have a vested interest in any weapon you may be interested in. Get trained in the use of your weapon and then you will be at ease with your choice and more able to defend your family and yourself.
 

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