Pistol I Can Handle

I had a Ruger 357 SP101, which is a double action revolver. Shot some 357 rounds through it and also shot 38s through it. The 38s were much less recoil. Then I got a Ruger 44 mag Redhawk. I feel less recoil than the 357 because the 44 mag is much heavier and absorbs the recoil better. So don't be afraid to try a 44 mag, you might be suprised.

Let me re-phrase that a little. The 357 loads made it feel like the gun might jump out of my hand and I could feel the blowback on the 6 hairs on my head. The 44 mag stays in my hand and gives me confidence. Just another man's opinion and experience.

No, a .38 Special has far less recoil than a .45 ACP. Here's some figures for you to compare.

A 2.25 lb. .45 ACP pistol, shooting a 185 grain bullet at 1,000 feet per second has a felt recoil of 7.7 ft. lbs.

A 2.25 lb .38 Special handgun, shooting a 140 grain bullet at 825 feet per second has a felt recoil of only 2.7 ft. lbs.

Now many will say that a .38 Special doesn't have the "knockdown power" of a .45 ACP, and they're right. But I also feel that it's far better to hit something with a little less power than to miss it with a more powerful round!

Now, bullet drop? How far away are you planning on shooting something? Most self-defense ranges are measured in feet, not yards, so bullet drop isn't really a factor. And you're shooting an easily carried handgun, not a rifle...

Formerly Steve @ G & S

The only hand gun I ever shot was a military .45 As I remember the bullet drop was similar to a sling shot. A 38 isn't like that is it?

I don't like hard kicking guns either. I like shooting my dad's .38 special. My 12 year old son likes shooting it too- more power than the .22LR revolver he started shooting, but not too much kick. For many years, .38 special was the standard round for many police departments and should have enough power for you. My friend just got his concealed carry permit a couple of months ago and went through 3 different pistols (all harder kicking) and kept coming back to the .38 special.

If you want a pistol, Ruger makes a fairly inexpensive one in .38 special. Lots of revolvers, especially Smith & Wesson, in that caliber too. .38 special ammo is available just about anywhere handgun ammo is sold.

You really owe it to yourself to go to a range and shoot a few handgunds before diving in and buying one. No way to know if recoil from any round is too much without shooting. I regularly shoot hot reloads in .44 mag and .357 mag and don't have any problem with them. My father recently bought a Ruger SP101 and decided that .357 was too much and sticks with .38 special.

First decision you need to make is revolver or pistol. Based on the fact that this is your first handgun and for what you are describing you want it for I would suggest a revolver. Less moving parts, easier to learn, more reliable.

Based on your posts so far a 4" double action revolver in .38 sounds like a good choice. If you are anywhere near Lomira it would be worth your time to go the Midwest Shooters Supply. Look over a bunch of guns, handle them and ask questions. Rent a gun and take it to the range right there to see how you like it. A really good way to check out a few guns and get real experience on what you like. Not sure if there are any other shops in the state that rent with a range on site, but if there are that is a great way to go.

A 4" barrel will give you the accuracy you need.

As stated earlier, start with the .22 to learn how to shoot. I have one myself and still find I need improvement. My gun I use to what you are talking about is a S&W .38. Easy to shoot, low recoil and I like the idea of double action revolver. This works for me, but go to a gun shop to see what you like. Very little kick, but loud.

No a longer barrel does not equal better accuracy technically. Actually a shorter barrel should be more accurate because the bullet is in the barrel longer and gives the gun a longer time to possible move while the bullet is traveling down the barrel. That's the technical response, in the real world yes a longer barrel will help YOU be more accurate because of the longer sight radius. In pistols a 4.5" to 6" barrel generally is the best in terms of carrying and sight radius.

A 9mm will be managable by most all shooters as long as they have a basic knowledge of handgun shooting.

Ok, lets talk barrel length. Am I correct to assume the longer the barrel the more accurate the pistol will be? Is a 9mm a gun that the average Joe can handle without flinching a lot?

Nobody likes .40 S&W? Personally, I only have one handgun and it's a Stoeger Cougar SA/DA semi auto in 9mm. I was going to get the .40 S&W in the same gun but ammo was a little pricier. I'm happy with the 9mm, and would trust my life with this gun. Like others have said, any gun is better than no gun. Unless it's one of those cheap junk guns.

Do you have any pistol experience? I would suggest a short barrelled 20ga single shot with a sling.

Don't underestimate the "lowly" .22 LR. Believe it or not, the .22 lR and the .380 have stopped more crimes than the .45 ACP!

I feel that it's better to be able to hit what you're aiming at with a small caliber than to miss with a more powerful caliber!

The thing is, with a self-defense gun, you need something that is easily used. A double action revolver is probably the safest and easiest to use quickly in a self-defense situation. Carry it on an empty chamber, then when it's needed simply draw, aim and pull the trigger! With a semi-auto, you must draw, flick off the safety, make sure the grip safety is engaged (if equipped), aim and fire. To do this with either requires practice, with a semi-auto, even more.

I think you need to decide what action pistol you want, then see what's available. A 9mm would be a good choice for a semi-auto and a .38 Special/.357 would be a fine choice for a revolver.

Formerly Steve @ G & S

I second ditto's comments. Since you're apparently new to shooting, your best bet is to get learned up on something that will be affoordable to shoot, and that, hands down, would be a .22.

Don't let the naysayers who denigrate .22s steer your toward something you are not ready to manage; while a .22 is a relatively light rimfire load, it's still a firearm, and is your best bet for honing your skills to hit targets @ 20-30 yds. (ever try hitting a target @ 30 yards with a handgun? 'Taint easy, IMO!).

Once you get a feel for what it takes to shoot a hangun accurately, you should have a beter sense of what would work best for you while out berry-pickin'. My first thought is that a long (6") barrel .357 would be kinda awkward to carry, so personally, I'd be more inclined to go with a .45ACP to keep wolves at bay, but that's just one guy's opinion.

Maybe the term "All around" was not the right word to say what I wanted convey. Wolf's to some degree have me concerned when I'm out scouting for deer or berry picking. Hunting with a pistol is not in the plan at all. Something with a long enough barrel to hit something at 20 or 30 yards

"All around" is a hard thing to get with a handgun. THere isn't a round that's really good for self defense that's good for deer hunting. Handguns are pretty much a specialty thing. If all you want is one to go to the range and blast off some rounds with I would go with a 9mm if you want an auto or a 357 if you want a revolver. For range play in the 357 use light 38 Specials and the recoil will not be much.

IF you've never shot a handgun much I would still recomend a .22 as any centerfire ammo is to expensive to shoot a lot of and to really learn how to shoot with.