Posted: 4/17/2007 12:40:56 AM EDT
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So, I have no pistol at all. I do have a single barrel 12 gauge, with lots of #6 shot, a 303 British Enfield with 50 rounds and an M4gery with 7 mags and 210 rounds. So my question is do I need a pistol? If so, should it be a .22 automatic or a larger caliber pistol? I live in FL and the biggest problem here is hurricanes and I suppose a Hurricane Katrina type of situation. I have a GHB that I'm very comfortable with in terms of contents and type of bag. Have a BOB that is fully equipped. Just not sure if a pistol is something I should have. If I get one, I'll need to do the CCW course I'm assuming. Can you all give me some guidance here? Again, hurricane situation is going to be the biggest issue at this point, and I currently have no .22. I do note that Wally World sells a .22 semiauto rifle for $95. Any guidance would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, writerdeluxe2006 |
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I really think that you should get a handgun but something with more stopping power than a 22lr say a 9mm or 45acp or anything that will stop a man quicker than a 22lr will. If you are short on cash, keep the M4 and sell the shotgun and or 303 and pick up a handgun. |
+1 Bias Alert indeed. Personally I dont care for Glock (I said I dont care for them I didnt say I hate them). They just dont feel good in my hand and this distracts me while shooting. Sigs are a much nicer fit for my hand and I do well with them. That being said a Glock is definetly a tough gun to beat for the money. Durable as hell, a high capacity and they always go bang. |
| Unfortunately, my hands are smaller and the double stack magazine pistols don't fit comfortably in my hands. I'm starting to lean towards a revolver though as there's a lot less maintenance, and that's one thing I don't care for with the AR-15. I live in FL now and there's not any big threats like bears like say ID or WA state. I'm into simple and revolvers seem to be that, but not sure how easy they are to carry concealed either. Perhaps on old .38 or .357? |
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In my opinion, yes. You can easily carry and conceal a pistol. For the type and caliber, everyone has their favorite. Mine is the Beretta FS 9mm. Why did I go with that pistol and caliber? Hell for $200 and only had 300 rounds though it why not. The grips are big for my hands but I did learn to like it. Accuracy is good as long as I do my part. Caliber is standard with the military and most local LE departments. My suggestion to you is to rent a handgun at your local range. Try out different models and calibers to see which one is to your liking. As far as .22, whether pistol or rifle you can't go wrong with either. Ammo in that caliber is still cheap. |
| An accurate, reliable handgun is very important. Even in Florida, unless it's a huge event, you can't walk down the street or to the store with a long gun at port arms. Many won't like this, being arfcom and all, but sell the M4, mags, ammo and buy a used Glock 19, some spare parts, spare magazines, a decent kydex holster and as much ammo as you can. Small hands won't make a difference, it's not that big. For long range work use the enfield and short quick encounters, the Glock. Sell the shotgun and buy more ammo for the enfield. Try AIM Surplus or Sportsmen's guide for the .303. Save up money for more ammo and spare parts, and eventually another AR. In most encounters in our present condition or even worse, a good handgun and a good bolt action will keep you out of trouble with proper training. |
| Actually I am the operations manager for a 45000 square foot facility on 3 acres of land in an industrial park. As such, the corridors in my building are in some cases 150 meters long and a pistol won't help if I'm confronted in the middle of the night with an intruder looking to stock his meth lab or trying to acquire a few PC's. That's why the M-4gery. I'm actually thinking about grabbing a Rossi .357 Magnum for a pistol. The Enfield is way to heavy to seriously move around with. I agree, do need some type of handgun and I like a revolver as its simple and 6 rounds with reloaders should do the trick in a pinch I'm thinking. |
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Writer: A long arm of some kind should always be a primary firearm. Just as it is frequently inadviseable to bring a knife to a gunfight, it is similarly not a good idea to rely solely on a handgun for defensive purposes. With that said, a handgun DOES have its uses. There are times when you may need a firearm but cannot carry a rifle. This may be due to 'olitical' considerations or due to other needs> For example you are in hurricane country. The next andrew or katrina wipesout the area. Your M4 can handle all teh defensive stuff, but you cannot always carry your M4. Perhaps you are claeing up, cutting downed trees, shoveling debris etc. A rifle is not rally practical. While you may choose to lay it somewhere nearby when your can get to it, a quality pistol in a holster is adviseable... For defenise purposes I would not select a .22 Choose any 'acceptable' caliber. 9mm, 40, 45, 38, 357. And while we make a great deal of noise about specific weapons, it really is personal choice. What ever works for you. If budgets are tight you can often find very good quality used police trade firearms at decent prices. Glock trades can be had for $340. I've picked up a very nice S&W Model 13 357 3" heavy barrel for $125. We haggle and argue over caliber and gun a lot but it makes damned little difference. Just buy quality, use decent JHP ammo, and practice some. To answer your question, given your situation (florida and hurricanes) I would opt for a decent centerfire handgun AND a quality comfortable holster and belt. This would be of great use, particularly in post -storm situation. A .22 is nice to have, but not nearly as useful in your situation. edit: I just read your last post. I've owned a rossi,(still do) and it is "acceptable". Look seriously at some of the larger local shops. Police trade S&W's frequently show fair holster wear but are mechanically sound. You can get some really decent handguns this way. |
Certainly nothing wrong with picking a revolver. I don't know if i would buy a Rossi though, as others have said police trade in guns can be bought pretty cheap and in any kind of condition probably a better gun then the Rossi is new. ....I think in your situation somthing that isn't to big and could be carried concealed might be the ticket. I've got lots of handguns but I really like a little colt .38 Detective of mine. Maybe not the easiest gun to shoot with extream accuracy but imagine it would get the job done in most siturations that you need a handgun for.. Loaded with plus P ammo it is approaching 357 mag. status probably too. Lots of other colts and S&W guns that will fit this bill too....Small simple gun that always works and you don't have much to think about to shoot it....Todd |
| Well, I'm going after an S&W 686. We'll see what happens. I'm really appreciative of your comments as several were made that I really hadn't considered and which helped me figure out the best direction to go. I love simplicity so going the revolver route. Now for the next dumb question. What type of holster is best for a 4 inch revolver? Leather? Nylon? IWB? Small of back? Under the shoulder? Gosh, this could get worse than BRD. However, I watched what happened in Katrina and don't want to live in hurricane alley without some viable means of protection. |
 S&W 686 will serve you well for the rest of your life. It's not the most "tacti-cool" choice, but it's solid. I'll admit I'm biased--my most beloved handgun is a 686. It's not the gun that I choose to CCW, but it's one of the few guns I own that I'll never, ever part with. I'll offer some comments on your questions. Bear in mind that these responses are just my opinion.
Hard to tell without knowing whether you plan to CCW this gun or are more thinking about carrying it only if SHTF. In either case, one thing you need to factor in here is the purchase of a good gun belt. If you're gonna splurge on anything, spend the $$$ on a gun belt. You need a stiff belt that can carry some weight without deforming.....even beefy looking leather "casual belts" suck as gun belts. Even some of the cheaper leather gun belts out there (from reputable manufacturers) are marginal as gun belts. They just aren't rigid enough to make carrying a heavy handun (the 686 qualifies) comfortable. If you want a relatively inexpensive gun belt that works fairly well, look for a Wilderness Instructor's Belt. It'll do the job for you, though I doubt it'll be the last gun belt you buy. If you want top quality, look at Milt Sparks. There are certainly other options and I'm sure others will chime in with other thoughts.
That would be my preference for a 686. I would carry a 686 in a leather pancake holster before anything else.
Good for going to the range.....not good for anything else, IMO. Not a bad "starter holster" to buy while you wait to get another holster.
Not comfortable for me with a 4" 686 (or 3", for that matter)....YMMV.
The 686 is a hefty chunk of metal.....you get knocked on your butt on top of a 686, you're gonna be hurting. I think the tales of paralysis from this kind of event and SOB carry are overblown, but I still don't care for it.
I've had some expensive shoulder holsters that were halfway comfortable, but I can't get over the fact that you're muzzle sweeping people constantly with the modern horizontal carry shoulder rigs. Just don't like it on principle. __________ Anyway, that's my $0.02.......  Good luck getting your 686. 
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I've owned a 686. Its a big gun. It will certainly suffice as a carry firearm, but the "concealed" part is going to be a stretch unless you wear a jacket. Summer shorts and a tee are going to make concealed carry a bitch. I'm with feral on this one: Big sturdy pancake type leather holster. This is a big heavy chunk of steel. You need a quality holster and belt... On the up side the size and wieght help make the 686 very controllable. I addition, if you are buying new, look at a 686+. It has a seven shot cylinder instead of six. It may be my imagination, but mine was a 686+ and it seemed easier to fire DA than most others. The cylinder only had to roatate 1/7th of the way around instead of 1/6th... Very accurate firearm as well... Fired single action I could make golf balls dance all the way to 75 yards.... One additional suggestion: Think carefully about ammo selection. Hot 125 mag load generate very good numbers but muzzle flash can be amazing! Try two or three types of ammo at dusk or low light to find what works best. I usually ended up carrying .38 special +P+ 158 lead swchp... The revolver also gives you lots of opportunity to practice with cheaper, easier recoiling 38 loads... enjoy it... |
I think that should be a baning offense in the survival forum I'd also sugest going with a leather holster. The 686 is a good pistol i've owned several over the yrs..... but if you see a good deal on a older s&w mdl 19 their also a fine pistol(the only 357 revolver i still own) just throwing another option out their for you. |
Do you carry or bring the M4 to work? Are you the security for this facility? Do you plan on holing up in this facility if SHTF? Could you justify shooting an intruder at 150 M for stealing a PC? I'm not sure I understand your reasoning? This is the Survival Forum, not the industrial security forum, in the event of a major SHTF, how could you justify leaving your family and your home to protect a warehouse? Furthermore, your company should be providing security for a facility that houses sensitive items. |
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Personally the quality control on the Rossi spooks the daylights out of me. My buddy had a .22 and .357 both were fine in appearance but didn't hold up to his regular usage. The timing notches on both wore out due to soft metal/improper hardening. The .22 almost immediately and the .357 within the six months. O and don't hack on me for this "buddy" story, I got a nice cut on my face from his .357 revolver cylinder being waaay out of time (a function of the worn timing notches on the cylinder) when he was shooting next to me on the line. I'd go with a S&W or a Ruger before a Taurus or Rossi. Of course YMMV |
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Taurus are the best....trotline weights! You might want to look at a S&W 66. It is a little smaller than the 686, but not too small. It's the stainless version of the Model 19 that Acman spoke of. I think they have a much better action than the 686 or any other revolver for that matter. I have two and I actually prefer them to the stainless Pythons I have owned. David |
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Try to handle and if possible, shoot both a Smith Model 66 and 686 before you buy one. Both are good guns. Stay away from shoulder holsters, they are a limited purpose type item. Go for the leather pancake holster as recommended. Get some speedloaders for which ever model gun you chose. Practice using them when you practice with your new gun at the range. If you have the ability, get some professional training with your revolver. I would get at least 200 rounds of ammunition for the pistol when you buy it. Not to sound insulting, but if you have to post your original question, then I am assuming you have limited experience with handguns. This is not bad, just a fact. I would STRONGLY recommend you stay away from .357 mag ammunition. Practice with .38 special wadcutters until you feel REALLY comfortable with your gun. Then practice with a .38 +P loading until you get the feel for it. I would load your gun with the .38+P ammunition. Don't get all caught up with the word "Magnum" on the side of your gun. It really is all about shot placement! You can do searches as to what type and brand you should get. You really need more ammunition in all of your calibers. I would get some more .303, alot more 5.56mm/.223 and some more pistol ammunition. Even if you just buy a box of each every payday, it will add up in time. While I would prefer a Glock 9mm (G-19 or G-17) for your needs, The Smith revolvers will seve you well. |
| OK, here's my .02. Unless money is an issue, do not get rid of any of them. It might not be a bad idea to upgrade though. A pump shotgun would be much more usefull than a single shot for defensive purposes. The .303, personally, I would prefer something more modern, but you may like it. If it works for you, great, keep it handy. .22's are great. I have a Marlin model 60. It shoots great, never any issues, about $100. Handgun? I would say you need 1, not a .22 if it's your only handgun. Auto or revolver is personal preference, but as earlier mentioned, 9mm should be the minimum. |
| If you need advice on a good holster, I like the leather Galco vertical holster. It keeps the muzzle pointed down and covered from debris. Cost is about 165 bucks. I have worn mine about 15 hours a day for the last 10 months and the cost was well worth it. Very comfortable, and is easy to conceal under a jacket or sweater. |
| Yes you need a handgun, and if I was going to own only one handgun it would be a 4" .357 mag with adjustable sights, preferably in stainless steel. With full power mag loads, it will kill a deer at short to medium range, small gave with light .38 loads and of course it will get the job done for self defense. |
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All good questions. I don't bring the M4gery to work. I and others on my staff are called upon to provide security to this facility. As for leaving family, etc. for work, I don't have that to worry about so not an issue. Given the kind of work we do at our shop, it does attract some odd attention from time to time, and no, I'd never take issue with an intruder grabbing a PC. It's when they grab that and chemicals, etc. that it becomes more of a concern. Since I'm responsible also for any security provided by the company (as I'm the one that would arrange it), I do have a role in that as well. In a serious SHTF like a hurricane, I have contracted with an outside firm to come in within 48 hours of an event with trailers, SATCOM, servers, computers, generators, etc. necessary to get back in business due to the kind of work we do. Can't really say more than that about it, sorry. Hope you understand. Writerdeluxe2006
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These S&W 66 pistols must be pretty good as one of the leading SF folks (Bull Simons I think) who raided Son Tay in 1972 used one to great effect at close quarters. Unfortunately, I have zero experience on pistols, but plenty on rifles, and I'm now trying to fix that issue. I'm learning a lot from everyone on this, and truly value and appreciate everyone's input here. Thank you very much for your guidance here.
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