Need opinions on a new sidearm

[Pine Donkey]

My daughter carries the judge and loves it.

[dse]

Unless your a really good pistol shot I would say governor, or judge loaded with #4s and pdx1 every other round. Apply that to a bear or booger mans face and they aren't going to pick on ya anymore.

[MULEPACKHUNTER]

Forget about the bears if its for az. Unless you plan on hunting around griz no need to worry about bears. Pepper spray is better for bears anyway. The likelihood of fending off a bear with anything less than say 44 mag is low odds given the lucky chance that one was to attack and you actually hit it when shooting. Go with whatever gun is most comfortable for you and what you shoot the best in a defense situation. I myself have a few I like but 40 sw is what I carry daily. I highly recemend a good 2 day concealed course with scenario live fire. Amazing how bad you shoot when rushed or when you are in even mocked real life situations. I can drill holes at 25 yards at the range but when tackled by a 200 lb male and forced to escape then asked to shoot the same in the next 3 seconds I missed 5 shots. Many many trained cops have fired 10 foot shots in real life and never hit the attacker. Practice training makes whatever one you choose the right choice.

[Guest wdenike]

I would go with the 500 smith.

 

 

Take care, Willie

[Guest wdenike]

With a custom two gun rig!!!

 

 

 

Take care, Willie

[cw4192]

S/W M&P .40 shield

[MULEPACKHUNTER]

500 smith rocks. My son has 460 sw its saaaweeet

[sjvcon]

If you are going to look at a Judge, look at the Governor from S&W. Better manufacturer (just my opinion and that of several buddies who have owned both brands) and shoots .410/.45LC/.45ACP. If you want to stop a man (or a bear), throw a lot of lead ... and a .45 is definitely that. Only thing I would be concerned about is the aluminum frame ... won't handle the +P loads for .45 LC I don't think.

 

.357 is a great round if you can handle the snap. My mom carries a .357 LCR ... she's 70 and can handle it without too much issue for short stints of shooting. I have a Ruger Service Six .357 w/ 2.75" barrel I bought off of BigBrowns that is a nice piece. You can pick them up pretty reasonable, and they will shoot .38 and .357. They also have a Speed Six and Security Six that are similar. It is a really reliable piece (SA/DA), and shoots pretty darn accurate for me and my sons. A good trigger job on it will make it all the better. Also, any of the S&W revolvers are great weapons.

 

There is a lot of good stuff out there ... and some junk.

 

Not so sure about the "forget bears if you live in AZ" ... I have seen some pretty big ones out there. I am no wimp ... can pretty much handle my own in most situations ... but something with fur, sharp teeth and claws that weighs more than about 85 lbs deserves all the respect you can give it.

[Hunterjohnny]

Ruger SP101 hands down. Small frame, double action, 38/357 whichever you are feeling. Nothing like a revolver they just feel right to me. Wish I still had it to loan, dang it.

And I dont have much experience, probably less than a lot of you, but a 22 seems like bad advice. I actually saw someone shot in the chest with one and it did not make it past the rib. I'd hate to see someone using that as their defense round for man or critter.

[452b264]

I would recommend a revolver platform for self defense. Main reason is if you want it for self defense and actually have to use it, all you have to remember is pull the trigger. I agree on the Ruger SP101. I have the 4 inch barrel. I am 5'6 and it's very comfortable for me to shoot. I shoot 38's when I am plinking and carry 357's in it when I am out and about.

+++1

[MRL1984]

The thing to remember about any gun you intend to carry and shoot is practice. I carry a Glock and don't have any concerns with contact shots, class 2 or 3 malfunctions. Mainly as I got lots of practice clearing them in Gen 3. As much as I hated Glock the Gen 4 works for me.

 

I agree that less practice makes the revolver a better choice. You're apparently not recoil sensitive so the possibilities are pretty endless.

[cactusjack]

Your 357mag is plenty. Get some buffalo bore ammo 180gr hard cast. Those will do what you are looking for. I carry a glock 29 10mm with them in it. Nasty stuff.

[ruffcountry]

I carry a glock , I would buy it again .

[naturegirl]

Thanks all for the great advice!

 

My next question is do you know any good instructors on the east side? This is for myself who knows some and female family members who know nothing, but want to learn.

 

This is something I'm asked often and have no recommendations for.

[MULEPACKHUNTER]

I have some on the west side but not the east sorry, I know I handle fire arms quite a bit and carry daily but I recently went through concealed carry and it was an eye opener. There was alot I was not aware of in the rules. I also learned a few new things on handleing. One thing for sure was that half of the class was so green and uncomfortable with firearms that it took 5 instructors to keep them straight. Half the class looked like it was their first time.

I would think that Usery gun range would have some classes, I know Ben Avery does.