.44 Special for Home Defense

[LoneRanger]

I did, and I'm coming around to the carbine love and certainly enjoy my Bushmaster, but the HD concept isn't instinctive because I am a handgun guy. It goes back to my initial exposure to pistols vs rifles in the young formative years. Was always told make double sure on backstops and where the round can go because rifle rounds "carry farther" than pistol. I know there are a hundred variables to that but it's a first impression thing from youth, and somewhat reinforced over the years from concentrating on handgun tactics. A shorter barreled "close quarters" carbine would seem more suited *for me* for HD duty, my XM just feels too long and bulky since my concentration for anything inside 15 yards has always been with pistols. Probably has to do with agility and moving in the fight having been a dominant theme in the combat handgun training I've been exposed to. Having said that, I am sure that the same is developed probably just as learnably (is that a word) with a carbine, but again, mostly handgun stuff under my belt.

Perhaps I will look into it sometime.

For my sister though, it will still need to be a handgun. Talked to her the other day and she is set on the Ruger LCRX-3" mainly due to the feather weight aspect. It may not be the perfect solution but it will be better than relying solely on 911.

 

[bunnspecial]

Originally Posted By: LoneRanger
For my sister though, it will still need to be a handgun. Talked to her the other day and she is set on the Ruger LCRX-3" mainly due to the feather weight aspect.


If you can, I'd really suggest trying to find a range with one for rent and have her try it next to a larger steel frame revolver.

Featherweights sound nice in theory, but IMO there are a lot of downside and few upsides for one if it's only going to be used in the home. The recoil can be punishing with 38 special +Ps-especially for someone with arthritis-much less with 357 magnum. The lightweights(airweight, etc) come into their own for carrying, but at best are a compromise. If I'm going to carry a snub, I still grab a model 36 Chief's Special or Colt Detective Special(both steel frame) despite the heavier weight. I give the Colt a nod for its extra capacity.

Her choice of a 3" barrel is good, although again I like a 4" or longer for a non-CCW gun-again they offer you more control and the longer sight radius makes aiming easier. Moving up to a medium frame(S&W K frame as in a model 10 or 66, or a Ruger GP-100) gives you even more control and gets you an extra round in the cylinder.

One last thing is that I have several Ruger single actions and have owned a handful of double actions, but have never had an overwhelming desire to hold onto one of their double actions. I find them quite difficult to shoot in DA mode. S&Ws are know for linear DA pulls and Colts are known to "stack" very badly at the end of the pull. I can handle both well, as with an S&W it's easy to keep on target through the whole course of the pull, and with a Colt you can feel when the hammer is about to drop and pause briefly to realign the sights before pulling it home. I tend to tweak my S&Ws to stack a tiny bit, as I find I can shoot them more accurately. Take a pull gauge to a Ruger trigger and the pull weight is all over the place, with it peaking somewhere around the middle and then falling off until right before the hammer drops-I find shooting them DA very difficult for this reason.

Most DA Rugers do have decent SA triggers, although I don't find them as good as an S&W or Colt(both of which tend to toward the proverbial "breaking a glass rod"). This isn't a huge deal for home use, as walking around with a cocked revolver is a VERY BAD idea. Folks like Massad Ayoob recommend either using a hammerless revolver or bobbing the hammer for a home/self defense revolver. I won't rehash their arguments, but they are sound IMO. The S&W 66 that I keep in my nightstand has a factory bobbed hammer with the SA sear ground off(also factory) and I keep it there for that specific reason.

 

[LoneRanger]

Learned a long time ago that when sis makes up her mind about something there's an uphill battle ahead trying to sway it.

I did research the LCRX-3 quite a bit and it gets compliments on the trigger, actually. I had it down to the Ruger LCRX-3 and Taurus model 65 4" .357 mag (to shoot .38 +P's) but the published weight of the Taurus put her off. The Taurus is actually less money.

 

[bunnspecial]

Originally Posted By: LoneRanger
Learned a long time ago that when sis makes up her mind about something there's an uphill battle ahead trying to sway it.

I did research the LCRX-3 quite a bit and it gets compliments on the trigger, actually. I had it down to the Ruger LCRX-3 and Taurus model 65 4" .357 mag (to shoot .38 +P's) but the published weight of the Taurus put her off. The Taurus is actually less money.



Well, I can certainly understand the "made up her mind" part, but I'd still see if you can find a range with one for rent(along with some possible alternatives).

I'm sure you know this, but many folks who have never handled guns don't seem to grasp that(within reason) heavier guns are easier to shoot.

I'm not a Taurus guy, but I LOVE LOVE LOVE my S&W 19. With a 4" barrel, it's one of the best packing 357s around and shoots really well. It's a pussycat with 38 +Ps. Taurus/Rossis are heavily based on S&Ws, and the 65 is basically a model 19 or 67 with fixed sights(it has the underlug barrel of the 19 as opposed to the heavy barrel of the model 13).

Again, given her stated use I think it's a better choice for use inside than the Ruger, but like you said it's her decision.

 

[hansj3]

There are mods I've seen on glocks that put a t handle on the slide to facilitate racking. However the magazine issue still remains

I'd say a semi auto 20 gauge with a nice, big charging handle and 18" barrel would be easier, and softer on her.

People knock the 20 because its not the 12, but it still lobs a lot of lead downrange, more so than a .44 even

 

[bobbob]

I like the Charter Arms, they back up their Lifetime Warranty. My new gun is a Ruger Security 6
4 inch .357. I shoot 38 LSWCHP in a 158 grain plus P load. Good stopper and lower recoil.

 

[Y_K]

Originally Posted By: Skid
We're talking lottery type odds.


Odds are 14 times higher than in 6/49 lottery. 1 in 13,983,816 for the Lotto.

I am not arguing the case, just your arithmetic.

In this case, no shots fired, but it was a good idea to have a weapon