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1) A compact size firearm. There is no universal definition for "compact" but I am speaking of things in the realm of the Glock 19, SIG 229/228 and so forth.
2) Chambered in 9mm. With modern ammo technology, I see very little reason to go with anything else. The 45ACP and 40 S&W are legacy rounds now.
3) Name brand. Glock, SIG, H&K, Smith & Wesson...etc.
Get your hands on and shoot as many guns as you can that fit that criteria and then decide which one you like best.
What does modern ammo technology have to do with 9mm and 45ACP and 40 being the same?
1) A compact size firearm. There is no universal definition for "compact" but I am speaking of things in the realm of the Glock 19, SIG 229/228 and so forth.
2) Chambered in 9mm. With modern ammo technology, I see very little reason to go with anything else. The 45ACP and 40 S&W are legacy rounds now.
3) Name brand. Glock, SIG, H&K, Smith & Wesson...etc.
Get your hands on and shoot as many guns as you can that fit that criteria and then decide which one you like best.
The only one of these that falls under General Good Advice is #3. The other two are opinion. OP said “small handgun” but some of the small ones I’ve seen look like even my smallish hand would not get a good grip on them.
I am planning to purchase a small handgun for personal protection.
What is a good one to start with, take some instructional lessons and start learning how to fire a gun at a supervised gun range.
TIA
Look for a "Basic Firearms Safety Course" in your area. They will teach you safe gun handling as well as basic shooting skills.
Then go rent various guns at a local shooting range. Don't buy a gun you haven't rented if you can help it. You don't want to guess a gun is good and then find out you either hate shooting it or can't shoot it well because it doesn't fit your hand or it has too much recoil.
Ignore people who demand you buy a certain caliber like .357 magnum or .45 auto. Anything bigger than a .22 is acceptable for self-defense as long as you shoot it well and aren't afraid to shoot it. You can also start with a less powerful gun and move up as you practice more and more.
There are tons of "best gun for new shooters" lists on the web. I guess too many and can be confusing, but you will figure it out. There is not a bad choice, so rent guns at a shooting range and buy the one you like.
Simply stated, as much as it will take on all the points mentioned.
I am partly disabled from the waist down but have total strength still in my upper body...
I move around in a lightweight foldable electric wheelchair.
On point one -- What is the use of keeping it at home when I feel the need to use it for personal protection.
Sadly I have had some run-ins with certain groups of people and now feel that I need some kind of protection...
I have spoken to friends who do have small handguns, and a few of them carry theirs on them at all times.
All of them have told me the same thing... If you point your gun at some danger, you'd better be ready to use it to kill...
I did serve in the Armed Forces a long time ago and was trained to use weapons, both rifles and small handguns. Became proficient and was rated rifle expert.
Does anybody have some favoured make of gun? Reliability and ease of use? I have heard people talk about Glock and SIG... (I am not quite sure about these since I have not owned a gun since the early 60s when I retired from the Armed Forces. Never found a need for it until recent situations...
Just a question...
Does carrying a gun make you feel a bit more comfortable since I then should know I have something to defend myself?
The current gold standard of small guns for concealed carry is the Sig 365. The Sig 365XL has a longer handle and fits most people better than the smaller original 365.
There is just a proliferation of good small guns for concealed carry these days. There are no bad ones, just ones you prefer. You can bury yourself in the list of them.
It's a balance between what you can afford, what you're comfortable using and are proficient with, what are the identified dangers, and now, what kind of ammo you can get.
In my area, the primary threat is big, hairy, and on 4 legs so I usually carry a lever action rifle. But on me it's a Taurus Judge loaded with 45 long Colt and 00 410 shot shells.
I'm always armed, but humans are few and far between here.
I carry for the greatest threat, and my state is Constitutional Carry, so even on infrequent runs to town, if there was a human threat, I could handle it.
In your case, you need to do your own research and evaluation.
Personally, I prefer revolvers. Less to go wrong, more powerful chamberings.
I just want to point out to the OP and anyone else "new to guns" that one is no more armed because he possesses a firearm, than he is a musician because he possesses a violin. Uncle Jeff said that and I think he is right. But training is key to learning to use a gat properly
The OP being in a wheelchair just means he will need some more specialized training. But starting with a good basic class in firearms safety would make sense to me. Mastering the obvious, in a wheelchair you can't take advantage of cover and concealment as well as an able bodied person would. There are other considerations that I have not thought about as well, see if you can't find a course that has taught people with disabilities defensive shooting.
Ideally one would take a course like Gunsite and really learn to shoot. A separate but equally important topic would be a "deadly force" training that talks about when it's legal to use deadly force, *in your state* and possibly in other states you anticipate carrying in.
What does modern ammo technology have to do with 9mm and 45ACP and 40 being the same?
Modern ammo technology has seen the 9mm become ballistically comparable to the 40 and 45.
Quote:
Originally Posted by pikabike
The only one of these that falls under General Good Advice is #3. The other two are opinion. OP said “small handgun” but some of the small ones I’ve seen look like even my smallish hand would not get a good grip on them.
Modern ammo technology has seen the 9mm become ballistically comparable to the 40 and 45.
That's why I took caution to explain that.
Well. The best modern loads for the 9mm rival more ordinary loads for the 40 and 45. At the end of the day the bigger bores have an advantage, given equal bullet technology. Physics is physics.
The 9mm excels in being a light recoiling round that's small enough to accommodate rather large magazine capacities. Considerable attention from law enforcement has concentrated R&D on it. But it's not magic.
I mean, for the ultimate in stopping power, a light JHP in a full house .44 Magnum is hard to beat. Just don't miss the first shot, you will be effectively blind and deaf for a while after touching off such.
I may just start carrying with me some pepper spray..., just to "feel" safe...?
In the meantime I will visit some Gun Stores and do some checking and trying out.
They will probably also be able to point me to gun safety courses.
Another legal, nonlethal weapon you can buy (and for little money) is a stun gun. NOT a Taser. The advantage of a stun gun is that which way the wind blows won’t make any difference. You could carry both and use what’s best for the conditions.
There are other devices for self-defense, especially since your upper body is strong. Baton?
If you don’t feel safe without something, it’d be a good idea to take a self-defense class for those in wheelchairs, if there is such a thing. Also useful would be the standard class about use of deadly force; it might be a prerequisite for owning a gun in your state, too. It likely will go over the subject of who looks like an easy victim to an attacker. If you are fearful, a predator might pick up on that just by looking at your face.
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