Originally Posted by
semi
Did u think about a 357 revolver? You could shoot cheap .38 spl ammo for target. Not gonna find a more reliable gun and certainly has the stopping power.
I agree 100%. A revolver is idiot proof. It is reliable and in the fog of night you don't have to think about how to use it. There are no issues with magazine failures if the gun is left loaded for a a few years.
Ask yourself what you want to have at 2:00 AM if you are wakened from a sound sleep. The only downside is that you can only load 5 - 8 rounds at a time depending on the make and model, though you can get speed loaders. Remember almost all gun fights are over in seconds and are done at very close range (say the hallway of your house - check out the NRA armed citizen column). If you are shooting at longer ranges than that, forget the hand gun and get a shotgun or an AR.
An above all else whatever you get, practice. Lots of folks buy a pistol and put a magazine or two through it, and never fire it again (this observation from a friend of mine who has a gun shop - most of the used hand guns he sells are in great shape).