.357 vs .44 for home defence?

IM_Lugger said:
I mean have you ever fired a .44mag (or .357) indoors without hearing protection?

Yes I have. To all who read this...DON'T DO IT. Unless you won the fight in that first shot, your in sorry shape to continue fighting or make a follow up.

and remember the first casualty of any engagement is the plan. Even with you piece of choice you might end up on the kitchen flore headbunting the s**tbag to death.
 
If you have concrete walls like me and no kids, then it doesnt really matter. I have a G29 with 115gr Glaser safety slug, that would be my home defence tool.
 
Gasanwu said:
The easist home defence weapon is still a short barrel (18 or 20") shotgun, you don't even have to aim well.

oh yes you do...at home defense ranges - 15 feet or less- there is no spread- it's the same as dealing with a single projectile.

take it to the range & try it - you'll be surprised at how little spread there is

The following is drawn from

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shotgun

"It should be kept in mind that the vaunted "wide pattern" of a cylinder/improved cylinder choked shotgun is often much overstated. The typical home defense shot is seldom over ten or fifteen feet. At these relatively short ranges, the shot charge never expands to more than a few inches. The shooter should be within twenty to thirty yards of the target to take advantage of an expanded pattern. At fifteen feet, one must have the gun pointed accurately if he intends to hit his target."

FWIW
 
My gunsafe is in my bedroom with an electronic lock, as far as I know you dont need trigger locks on em if they are stored in the safe. I can access that safe very quickley and I will be reaching for my SIG 220 and a maglite if I ever need to deal with an armed threat.
 
pirate said:
Yes I have. To all who read this...DON'T DO IT. Unless you won the fight in that first shot, your in sorry shape to continue fighting or make a follow up.

Its a dang good thing you wrote that, cause I'd be hard pressed to hear you.

A firearm is just a tool.

That said, if someone is dumb enough to enter my home without proper notifacation, I feel compelled to use the appropriate tool for the job, whether that tool is a framing hammer, my 48" crowbar(scratch that, I switched over to 36" by the bed. Easier follow-up and the girlfriend was giving me "the look")or a .45.

If you decide to use the last tool or simular, you will have to prepare for the s#@t storm to ensue.
 
I'd have to personally say .357 Magnum, of the two.

After a day @ the range and a good 150-200 rounds through a S&W Perfomance Center 627, I could empty the 8 round cylinder quickly & fairly accurately.

Being able to load .38 Specials in it is just a bonus.
 
Big Mike , I could be wrong but I believe "safe storage " reg's require resticted firearms to be stored with trigger ( or cable ) locks and locked in your gun safe . I do believe you can store a loaded magazine with it but not in it as I recall .
 
IMG_0006.jpg


Taken DIRECTLY from the CRFSC Student Handbook.

From my own interpretation, Storage in a locked safe without a trigger lock is legally allowed.
 
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thanks for posting that coon I was trying to find my old manual to look it up. My interpretation is if it is stored in a gun safe or vault there is no need for a trigger lock. However if you store them in a lockable gun case you would need the trigger lock.
 
No problem at all. I'd have a handgun, whenever I get it, stored in the exact same fashion. Secure but readily available. Because my life is far more important then the little bastard thats threatening it.
 
I have this model Sentry Safe sitting about four inches from my bed. Its covered with a table cloth to make it look like a night stand and I have my alarm clock on it.

Would be it legal to store a handgun in it without a trigger lock and with a few loaded clips of ammo on another shelf within the safe?

The safe requires a 5 digit combination to be opened and automatically locks itself for 5 minutes if the wrong code is entered three times. Weight is 99 pounds (44 kg) so its not easy to move around.
 
You guys talking about storage REALLY ought to read up on some of the documented case laws that the NFA defended successfully.

Yes a gun has to be stored properly.

Unless it is NOT being stored. They you can't be charged with "improper storage" (well maybe some half-wit pompous a** crown attorney will charge you, but the NFA have proven how to get the case tossed).

As for the thread title, IMHO nothing can beat the .38 spl +P "FBI load", that being 158 grn LSWCHP.
 
So tell me then, I can store the handgun away into my safe when not at home but I could have it sitting on my night table with a clip beside it while I'm at home?
 
Coon said:
IMG_0006.jpg


Taken DIRECTLY from the CRFSC Student Handbook.

From my own interpretation, Storage in a locked safe without a trigger lock is legally allowed.


Quote that book for me, after some bad guy makes your wife's bum look like a Japanese flag.
 
It's not how big of a gun or how fast of a bullet you have at hand when a situation turns sour that saves your day.It's about your mindset that wins a fight (gunfight or fistfight).If you think that a gunnysack full of rounds is what you need then you already lost the fight.If you can't do it with the first two rounds,who says you can do it with the next 2,4,6 or 20.Do deal with an intruder puts you in a high stress situation,therefor it is more important do deal with your nerves than fretting which gun and bullet you should use.-rainer
 
red baron, I almost pissed my pants lol
A bunch of years back studies in stopping power were conducted in Strasburg on goats. They measured incapacitation time up to 30 seconds at which time the goat was put down,to make a long story short the winner was the .357 125 jhp at 3 point something seconds. Ball and lrn did not perform well.
The .38 spl with a 158gr lswchp +p+ does not have to overcome a jacket to begin it's expansion and at @1000 fps the bullet balls up like nasty wad o hurt. It's also the load that fills my 66 when I am at home and it's NOT being STORED.
 
Kind of off topic but going back to the shotguns....has anyone ever heard of loading them with a stack of dimes instead of lead for home defence?
 
There was an old western that they did that on. I think it was clint eastwood but I'm not sure. Shot the bad guy then told the town undertaker that he wouldn't pay to bury him, but there was two bucks in his guts if he wanted to dig for it. Me, I think I'll stick to #4's.
 
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