Hi everyone,
This is my first post here, so I hope there's nothing wrong with these types of posts.
I'm turning 20 very soon, and I'm considering purchasing a concealable pistol for when I'm 21 and of age to carry for personal self-defense. I intend to take some sort of safety class sometime over the next year so as to gauge whether or not this is something I really want to get in to.
So, I started doing a ton of research online. I don't currently shoot, so this is all I can really do. I looked at different weapon calibers, different pistols, and so forth. I was actually very disappointed after stumbling across a lot of case reports from shootings involved with both town police department officers as well as FBI agents. It would appear that there is no pistol caliber capable of taking down an aggressor if they're determined.
One such case involved an FBI agent emptying his .45 ACP into the chest of his aggressor. It took six shots to even slow down said aggressor, and the subject lived. I always considered the .45 ACP the best round to stop a person with, especially after reading all of the stories from WWI and II where the Colt .45 was credited with saving many lives due to its accuracy and stopping power.
After seeing the video from the Miami shootout between heavily armored bank robbers armed with AK47's and police officers armed with 9mm pistols, I'm honestly not happy with even considering a 9mm. The 9mm rounds barely kicked up any dust on the concrete walls behind said robbers.
So, finding evidence to suggest that no rounds on either end of the power spectrum to be suitable for self-defense, I concluded shot placement is most important (it's so obvious I should have known from the start) in saving your own life.
With that said, I started looking at actual weapons, and stopped focusing so much on weapon calibers, especially after reading that certain pistols perform better with certain rounds, and that there's often overlap in performance between different calibers. For example, I read that there are now 9mm rounds that actually perform better than comparable .40 rounds.
So, I decided on a number of pistols that I intend to look at when the time comes for me to go to a gun store.
My first choice was the Springfield Loaded 1911, in stainless. It's a beautiful pistol, and in a classic cartidge. The only concern I had is that it might be too big to actually carry.
So, my other choices were the Springfield XD 4", the Sig P220 Carry, the Sig P232, the Glock 17/19 and equivalent models in other calibers, Walther PPK/S, and the Walther P99. These are all a bit smaller than the Springfield .45, and so they might be better suited for carry.
Then someone had to go burst my bubble. I live in Massachusetts. So, that means I have to deal with the strictest gun laws in the country. So, I won't be buying any Springfields or Glocks here. I took them off of the list.
Right now I'm leaning more towards the Sig P232 and PPK/S despite the .380 ACP being such a "weak" round (I'm told). I figure the P99 might be better since it's available in stronger rounds, but I'm not sure.
So, I'm left with:
- Sig P220 Carry
- Sig P232
- Walther PPK/S
- Walther P99
Anyways, enough rambling. I'll just get to the point.
1. Are any of the guns I listed suitable for carry? Do any of you carry them?
2. How important is caliber when carrying for self defense? What is the "ideal" round?
3. What other carry pistols have I overlooked?
I hope I don't seem like a crazed gun nut. I don't ever want to shoot someone, but I also don't want to get jumped and killed if I'm in a rough area. I'd prefer to be able to defend myself.
