I’m sure this has been asked 1,000,000 times but here we go…

Im 18 years old, and I think it’s about time we get pistols for the house. One upstairs in my room, one downstairs in my parents room. Is 9mm the way to go? I reload for my .308 so I’m not too picky on caliber. Just want something that will shoot smooth and not jump up like crazy. I am not very familiar with the different offerings, I’ve only shot a few including a sig p365 and a Ruger lcf. I definitely prefer larger. Open to suggestions of any sort.

So far I’m thinking the generic g17/19

Thanks in advance.

Just pick a decent quality piece, the bullet doesn't care which pistol it comes out of. Shop around, the Glock is a good choice, but so is the Smith and Wesson M&P, and all the other ones.

If you do NOT like recoil, buy a pistol with a steel frame. Simple as that. Shop around, but go to an indoor range and try some rentals, let that help you pick what will work best for you. What I like might not suit you at all, so I won't suggest anything in particular, but shop around, try all the types you can, and pick what you like best. If you're only 18, better take a parent,or uncle, or other adult, with you and seek their assistance.

Will do, me and my dad will be getting one together. I have seen that going to a range and testing several is the best and that’s what we will likely end up doing.

Take your parents to a well stocked gun store and try out several brands/models/sizes and see what you like.
If you are set on a semi auto, offerings from Glock, Sig, S&W, or Springfield Armory are reliable. You could also throw in FN, Beretta and HK.
If you mother will be using the pistol make sure she can rack the slide; if she struggles with this there are models made for easy racking, or a revolver may be a better choice.
9mm is never a bad choice.

Sounds good, I don’t think racking will be an issue at all.

It is for many women and even some men without good hand/arm strength, especially with hammer fired pistols.

Gotcha, my mom is a pretty strong woman, I would be very surprised if she struggles. I’ll keep it in mind for sure.

Glock 17 is always a solid choice for a house gun. It's long enough to mount a light that doesn't extend way past the muzzle.

There are many other solid options out there. I've been a Glock fan since around 1994. Glock 17 was my first, and still one of the most practical in my small collection.

If concealment is not part of the decision, I prefer the full-size grip of the 17, over the shortened grip on the 19. Yes, I have both.

Nothing wrong with the Glock 19x

I like full size pistols for home defense where concealibility isn't an issue. I like the Canik TP9SFX 9mm for home defense. I also have a red dot sight on it

Consider Glock or S&W M&P line. Both are good quality for the money and available in several different frame sizes

G19 with night sights, cheaper to get the gun set up from factory (with Glock logo or Ameriglo). The only other add on are light and Glock lanyard loop. There is factory threaded barrel version if you intend to use sound supressor.

For house guns to be stored at the site of use, weight / carry is not an issue. I find steel guns to be more reliable than polymer. I've only owned two glocks, shot a couple others. I've had problems with jamming and feeding with the 9mms .. no hitches with my 10mm, at least so far. These are almost certainly "user" issues, compatibility with my magnum revolver shooting style and a semi-auto handgun that is light weight and uses the shooter's body weight for cycling. However, a jam is a jam and when the chips are down a jam can kill you. For me, it was worth spending a little bit more to get a heavier steel gun that does not jam at all on me. I went with a CZ-75 compact decocker model. Just a thought.

If possible, whatever you get, if you are getting two, get the same. There will only be one set of controls to learn and any spare parts, magazines, holsters, accessories, etc you accumulate will work in both.

If you can manage it, arrange for hands-on training with a certified instructor. Costs a bit but it might well save $$ in the long run over having to make all the mistakes and expend all the ammo to do so yourself. And if possible, have your parents go through the same training. Having guns is not enough, knowing how to operate them is not enough. Work with your parents to formulate a family plan for who does what if the [bleep] hits the fan because if it does, it will happen very quickly and there won't be time for planning in the moment.

You answered your own question. Super reliable. Amazing aftermarket support. Stupid simple to operate and maintain. Easy to learn to shoot well. High capacity mags (to include Glock-made 33 rounders). Track record up the wazoo. No external safety.

I suggest a 4" double action revolver. Not what you asked but a good choice for simplicity and safety.

I hear this a lot, i.e., that the M&P is the same in all respects as the Glock for a novice. Not true. A Glock is monkey simple to field strip and reassemble. With an M&P I've had weird things happen on reassembly that took some time to figure out how to fix, and then there's that goofy little lever inside the gun you have to mess with.

Can't go wrong with that, but mastering a double action trigger takes more range time than does the trigger pull on a Glock. Once mastered, however, it's like learning to ride a bike. You really never forget.

Another issue is which double action revolver? A pre-lock S&W K-Frame would be a great choice, but I don't know that I'd trust one of their modern offerings. Recommending a Glock 19/17 is a much simpler matter, since they are all pretty much good to go, no matter when they were made.

How do you like the cz? That is another option I am really considering. I found a great deal on grabagun, it’s 499 right now.

Unfortunately the simplicity goes away after last round in the cylinder is fired. I find efficient, quick reload much more difficult than with with typical pistol.

I found 33 round magazines to be less reliable.

I mean real Glocks, not AirSoft.

Another vote for a CZ something. A few years back one of the guys started a thread about what was the best hammer fired 9mm? The Browning High Power got the most votes, but the CZ 75's came in next. I like hammer fired and my CZ 75D PCR has been perfect and has never jammed even once. You won't find CZ's at a lot of places, but they are worth looking for imo.

Are Glock 33 round mags reliable?

I agree. My nightstand gun is a 19X with a Surefire X300 light.

Another vote for CZ. Mine is a CZ 75 P01 that has been gone over by CZ Custom.

If you shoot a lot using them you will find more stoppages than with standard 15 or 17 round magazines.
Another issue is Glock factory mag extensions in fully loaded magazines are not fall proof like standard mag plates. I had complete mag dump after one mag hit hard floor. The mag extension came off, spring came out and cartridges dispersed on the floor.
You could probably solve both issues by putting standard mag plate on 33 round magazine.

See what fits your hands and feels good..... Pick a decent name.... Glock, Sig, S&W, Etc. Avoid going cheap..... practice.

IMO a striker fired pistol without a manual safety is like a S/A pistol with a little lever in the trigger face and not all have the "safety lever".

A brave 👻 might be fine with <$400 TS9, 🤷.

My choice for full sized, hammer-fired, steel, home-defense 9mm is CZ 75. I have an SP 01. You have a lot of options and directions you can go though. I like revolvers too.

LMAO ! Beat me to it, TRH.

Slavek / Maser’s an Eggspurt on AirSoft “guns” and DIAPERS.

To the OP / ApolloF7 : Ignore any posts by Slavek. He’s a known dipschitt dumbass troll who’s real handle is Maser.
He’s been banned from this forum many MANY times.

👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

Same rests on my nightstand.

You can now buy metal-framed striker fired pistols from S&W and Walther.😱
-

Any good reliable 9MM is going to be fine, so owner preference is what's will be important down the road. Buy what you like and you'll enjoy it more.

However, not to be a nay-sayer here----------- but the whole question and foundation for that question is misguided.

Asking what 9MM is BEST for home defense is like asking what pickup truck is BEST for road racing.
For road racing the BEST vehicle is not ANY pickup truck

The entire purpose for a handgun is carry. To be armed at all times. For home defense you need not carry and the idea that having a gun in the home in case of violent attack; it is BY FAR a better option to have a a shotgun or rifle. Ask yourself why 100% of all military's on earth issue rifles instead of handguns for infantry use.

BECAUSE RIFLES DO EVERYTHING BETTER THEN HANDGUNS OTHER THEN BEING CARRIED!

In a deployment Soldiers and Marines carry openly so rifles are the tool that works best. Handguns are only used when you can't have a rifle. And the argument that a handgun "works better" inside a room is the kind of thing you hear from those that have never been in life of death fights in their lives. It's 100%BS. The ONLY use in combat I know of where handguns were chosen over rifles was the days of tunnel-rats in Vietnam, and even then some of them preferred shotguns as their #1 weapon with the 45 pistol being #2.

I am totally in approval of having guns and I'd never talk someone out of getting the guns they like, but get them because you like them and because you enjoy shooting them. Keep in mind that any gun will do if you can do the job with that gun. But doing that specified job of defending yourself inside your own home is going to be MUCH easier to do and much more effective with a rifle over a handgun.

A dedicated military type rifle or carbine being the best tool. (ammo selection is important with rifles for such use, especially if you have neighboring homes around you) That said, if I could choose a lever action 30-30 or the finest most reliable 9MM on earth with the very best dot sight and 3 extra mags full of the best HP ammo made, I'd take the 30-30 without 1 second of time to think it over.

Inside a room a man with a rifle is about 20X more likely to make a killing hit with that rifle then a handgun and the effects of a 130 gr HP 30-30 against a human (or sub-human) enemy is so much more effective than the best 9MM Luger ammo ever made as to be like comparing a Go-Cart to a Ferrari in a speed test. If you and your loves ones lives are on the line, only hits and kills count ---and forget all about the cool factor.

When coming in 2nd place means your death or the death of a loved one, always cheat and always win. Use a rifle (or shotgun) And one more factor that's important to know ----- the idea that rifles over-pernitrate as compared to handguns is simply untrue. It's all about bullets and ammo. As an example the Vietnam issue 5.56 ball rounds do not pernitrate standard interior walls and exterior walls as deeply let alone deeper then 9MM NATO rounds. Same with many types of HP 9MM ammo. A frangible high velocity rifle round will be LESS of a problem then most pistol rounds.
To defend your life at home, use a long arm.

As we said in the Marine Corps: If you find yourself in a fair fight it's because your tactics suck!

Grandpops, I have never been banned from this forum.

We currently have a 12 gauge, a 30-06 and a .308, both bolt actions. The pistol will be for defense at the home really if something were to go on downstairs and I need to do something as me and my sisters are up stairs (if that makes sense). The pistol will also be taken with me for when I go hunting.

Relax Boomer, that just G19 slide on G17 frame.🤣 Granddaddy, newest and koolest model is G47, keep up ole' boy!

But they weren’t my choice. Not that they couldn’t be someone else’s.

I simply stated what was mine.

F.uck off Troll. Better go change your Diaper and swindle some more folks with your fake ass Online “Church” scam.

I always suggest G19 because it is the largest gun I want to carry. It is large enough to shoot well with.

Nobody with a modicum of common sense fools with "that goofy little lever" when disassembling their M&P. It is not necessary to use that little lever and the gun can be separated as easily as a Glock or any other semi-auto pistol. Putting the M&P back together is no different than with any other striker-fired gun. Any struggles you had were self-induced. Your Glock Kool-Aid bias is strong.

REALLY? You sure you wanna go there ???

Here ya go, Troll boy:

Here’s the REAL Slavek / Maser

Maser/ Slavek actually tries to claim to be a preacher, or minister. https://jasoncardenas.org/

This is Maser / Slavek: His own photos)





This is Maser / Slavek also. Jason Cardenas.





😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

🤣🤣🤣🤣...., I am not Hispanic and those are not pictures of me. Shot, I do not even have Photobucket account, because I can post pics directly from my device to site I post pics on.

Damn... that is disturbing.

That is not disturbing probably just some fat fúck boomer who does not like Hispanics.
One of the hardest guns to assemble was 3.5" 1911 with bull ramped barrel. Replacing those 24 lb springs was truly pain in the ăss.
I recommended Glock because it is easy to service and maintain. For example, Glock lanyard loop part #33769 cost $3.54.

Really 🤪🤪🤪 😂😂😂

Lying and DENIAL has worked out so well for you in the past, hasn’t it, Jason Cardenas! 😂😂😂

I can go on for days listening all of your SockPuppets:
Maser, CopperSolid, RoyalNavy, RoyalMarine, Happy Camper, ElkSlayer91, ect ect ect. just to name a few

However, This would be a lot more fun if the Campfire’s Top SockPuppet Slayer would just weigh in :

3……….. 2………. 1……… Calling Renegade50 !!! 🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️

Yes.

You've indicated that your priorities are for shootability over carryability, so get a full sized grip, 4.25" barreled striker fired pistol aka the standard issue for most police forces across the country. Or a 5" barrel if you like. The standard issue cop type pistol - and now the standard military issue - combines shootability with ample capacity and a dirt simple manual of arms. Lots and lots and lots of people of all skill levels find them to hit the sweet spot for their needs at this point in the 21st Century.

There are a whole bunch of brands out there that will all work for your needs, just choose the one that floats your family's boat the most. Almost all of them offer one or more versions with the ability to add a flashlight or red dot sight if you want.


Definitely try to shoot a few different ones before buying. They all work the same but there are subtle differences between them in grip shape, where they put your trigger finger and so forth. One or two will most likely feel better than the others when you fire them. E.g., Glocks are great pistols but a S&W M&P feels better in my hand, with someone else it might be just the opposite.

Holmes, just give up, Mr. 👻 is not going to help you.

It’s always hilarious when your lame ass a responses finally reveal everything I said about you is TRUE. 😂😂😂

“Pour Soul. I guess the strain was more than he could bare”

Slavek, what happened to your old, fake, eastern European, way of using the English language?

I am trying to improve.

CZ 75. S/A and D/A. I keep one in the table next to my chair. Loaded mag, one in the chamber, hammer down. All I need to do is pick it up and pull the trigger. About as idiot proof as a pistol can get. 15 rounds of 9mm will get someone’s attention real fast.

I’m getting flash backs to when renegade thought I was a sock puppet. I don’t want to relive that 😅

Yeah I think that might be the one. I’ll likely go to a range here soon and try both the CZ75 and a g17/19 depending on what fits the hand better.

Get a couple of S&W SD9VEs

This was one of the first guns I used. I had trouble with comfortable trigger reach even at half-cock. This caused problems with DA trigger pulls. The CZ75 will work of hand fits the grip.

Try stepping off the roof of a tall building.

I'll throw in another vote for a CZ75 variant and also say the P09/P07 series are worth a look.

I have a CZ 75 D in 40 S & W i highly recomend or a
S& W 5946 DAO in 9mm,both would work for your purposes.

LOL !

Sig Sauer P226/229 for the win, accurate and reliable.

NVhntr, regarding semi-autos easier to rack than others, do you have a couple suggestions for same? My neighbor, a single woman, would like a semi-auto for self defense, but she has arthritis in her hand and can't rack a standard 9mm or .380. She's been shooting lots of ammo, training with a smaller .22 LR revolver, but would like a semi-auto with a bit more power.

Thanks.

L.W.

I like it. Probably the only other 9mm I've shot that I liked better was a .. I'm going to guess 1970s vintage .. high power. My hands are shaped a little funny I guess 'cause a lot of pretty popular semi-autos just don't fit me. This CZ does .. if you imagine the grip is like a 2x4 held vertically, the squarer the corners, the more trouble I have, the rounder the corners, the better. That's why I don't shoot glocks real well .. especially the earlier ones. My Gen 4 seems good, just a little bulky. Anyway, regarding the CZ, it fits me, it points well, accuracy is good, and it hasn't jammed yet. Trigger is pretty nice. It is heavy for its size .. and as "compact" goes, it's not all that small, just small-er.

I've been wanting one for a long time, held out, waited .. and I'm very glad I went forward.

Hey, here's something relevant. I was at the local gun store the other day when an elderly woman with obvious hand issues came in (bandages and such) and told the guy behind the counter that her hands had become too weak to pull the trigger on her double action S&W revolver, and she wanted a semi-automatic 9mm. I hung around to see how this situation unfolded, and the guy behind the counter showed her one 9mm semiauto after another, and each one she had extreme trouble racking the slides on.

Finally, I suggested she try the Ruger Security .380. She asked to try it, and a big smile came over her face the instant she racked the slide and realized she had no problem doing it. I explained that it's a .380, and not a 9mm like she was looking for, but that I thought she'd be happier with the weight on the slide spring, and assured her that .380 is a capable self-defense round. She agreed about the slide, thanked me for helping her, and bought it.

Here's Hickok45's review of it:

https://sinterfire.com/

This stuff looks interesting.

I got some in several different calibers.

More personalities than Sally Field in Sybil. It is no wonder he forgets which one he is posting under occasionally.

To the OP,
I will not claim knowledge I do not have. I have tried many Glocks, and I can not shoot them due to arthritis in my thumbs. Nor have I laid eyes on the Dagger yet. But the reviews sound good. We have read glowing reports here. And at $370, the price sure as heck is right. It is reported as pretty much a Glock clone.

https://palmettostatearmory.com/psa...rmr-slide-threaded-barrel-black-dlc.html

S&W makes a few different EZ model pistols made specially for easy racking; Walther and Ruger also have models that work for people with arthritis or weak hands.
As TRH states above, a .380 will generally be be easier to rack than a 9mm of comparative size simply because it doesn’t require as heavy a recoil spring.
I’d look at full or compact size model rather than a subcompact or micro as the shorter the action the heavier the recoil spring will be.
i.e.. recoil must be managed either with a softer 5” spring or a heavy 2-1/2”

A google search for easy to rack pistols will bring up several suitable models to check out.

don't have not read this entire thread. but I'm sure the way it goes here there's been many recommendations in many of them are correct. there are so many good semi-automatic pistols out there these days pick something you like with a good reputation and roll.
but in my opinion person's only going to have one handgun or even two I would absolutely make it 9mm over 380 each and every time..
if for no other reason than anything for ammo availability..

No racking..........Beretta 86.
Is .380 though.

Turk copies now being made.

https://www.springfield-armory.com/saint-series/saint-victor-ar-15-rifles/saint-victor-9mm-carbine/

I must lead a charmed life. I have fired thousands of rounds in over 2 dozen Glock plastic pistols in 380, 9mm, 40SW, 10mm, and 45ACP and have not once in 30 years experienced a single jam. Get a 17 or 19.

Handgun is 3rd on my list for the home, behind rifle and shotgun, but if I had to pick a handgun it would be a Glock17

Beretta M9.

Never a bad choice.

Why would anyone pick a handgun for home defense? The only advantage a handgun has is concealability, and that is not an issue at home.

I haven’t read all of the responses, but I’ll suggest a S&W 986……a revolver.

Pretty much foolproof, even for the least experienced shooter! Accurate, reliable, and foolproof…..what’s more to ask of a home defense firearm?


Edit: I failed to mention, that for the inexperienced or for someone of weak hand/wrist strength…..you can’t “limp wrist” a revolver! memtb

I tried placing my Winchester Defender under my pillow. Uncomfortable, slow to get into service, and the wife complained! Handguns have a niche that a longgun can’t fill! 😉 memtb

Yes, concealability. Keeping a gun under your pillow is just this side of stupid.

Maybe you can explain why?

Why the hell not pick a handgun.

I’d kinda like a response/answer to that as well! memtb

Maybe she could check out the S&W EZ's.

Because it's a lot easier to open doors and hold a light with one hand unhindered. Also easier to hold the phone. Those aren't the only reasons, but they're enough.

Now, why didn't you think of that?

Remember when your teacher told you there's no such thing as a stupid question?

She was just being nice.


LOL

When I was married with a wife and son in the house a 3” Mod 60 revolver was the gun at hand for home defense. They had both been introduced to shooting handguns with it and shot and handled it well enough.’

The issue with my Glock 19 was that my Ex would leave it chamber-empty because it was “safer”, with the revolver there was no confusion in that regard.

Fifty+ years ago when I was a young teenager in NY State a friend found where his dad kept hidden a loaded .357 S&W revolver. In the NYC suburbs handgun ownership was unusual, my friend had never fired it I had never even handled a firearm. The revolver was stainless with a 2” barrel. What stands out in memory is that it was obviously loaded, you could see the cartridges. I dunno that we even knew how to unlatch the cylinder to unload it, but the fact that it was visibly loaded definitely inhibited us from doing stupid teenage things like pointing it and pulling the trigger.

So another factor in going with a revolver was what if one of my son’s friends somehow got ahold of it.

The closest I have come to needing a firearm for home defense was when some miscreant-looking guy suddenly appeared in my darkened open front doorway one morning at 4am. Fortunately, in that moment I was able to access the j-frame Smith habitually carried in the front pocket of my shorts. I didn’t point it at the guy but he saw it and that knowledge plus my furiously barking little dog did result in him deciding not to enter if such had been his intent.

If I had kept a longarm for home defense, I doubt it woulda been right there where needed at that instant.

Your door was unlocked?

Accessibility of potent firearms is one of the core principles of my home defense strategy.

Another one is to make sure that any bad guy(s) trying to enter have to make a lot of noise and take a bit of time to enter--i.e., lock the doors and windows. Don't let them just walk in.

Probably to have one hand free to use a phone…..

….and wide open, front porch light out.

I was sitting out front early morning drinking coffee, had stepped inside for a few moments to pour another cup. The guy’s story was he had been out driving around and partying with friends and gotten left off in the dark. Didn’t know where he was. Plausible.

The dog saved the day by giving him pause, else the guy coulda walked right on in, a crime of opportunity. It could have gotten ugly.

For those of you that sleep alone, I understand it's not an issue.

So you'd pick a handgun over a longarm? You are correct, my teacher was very nice to me, she said her son was an idiot. What does your mom look like?

I haven’t slept alone, always with my wife, since I was 16 years old!

Don’t rush out and buy any lottery tickets…..you ain’t hitting home runs with your guesses! memtb

Hey genius, the handgun in “Very” close proximity provides the opportunity to get to the long gun…..that’s “not” under your pillow or extremely close to your sleeping body! memtb

Bingo! And there's a few seconds after being suddenly awakened where you can be too much in a sleep fog to operate an AR while still perfectly capable of operating your Glock.

Flippibg safety off is not difficult. Sound signature and blast can be controlled through caliber selection (.300 whisper/.300 Blackout, 9x39,..
), ammo selection and use of a silencer. Good electronic hearing protection is also available.

Nobody even implied that. The dumbest arguments begin with "So...".

Your teacher obviously knew you were special.

A very special dumb azz

None of which you’ve ever owned, Cardenas.

Stick to Airsoft and Diapers Dipschitt. That’s more your area of Eggspurtise.

I think one of those Canik pistols with a 20 round capacity would be the shizzle... put a light, red dot and suppressor on it...

Why would you recommend a pistol you have never shot to a new shooter?

Glock 17 is a very good answer for a new handgun shooter and the choice of very many very experienced shooters. Skip the latest fad someone read about on the internet for your first defensive pistol and stick to something tried and proven for self defense.

While you're not wrong about a G17, Glock is not the only tried and proven self-defense pistol. There are excellent choices in today's market that are equally as good, possibly better than Glock. It's not 1990, things have evolved since the Glock pistols hit the streets here in the States.

Just pick up your plain jane Glock 19/17, a weapons light, plus a good flashlight. Load it up with whatever you feel is appropriate and go from there.






Glock makes factory 24 round 9mm mags that are ultra reliable and substantially less cumbersome than the 33 rd mags. Having the G19/17 ready to go with one of those (for a dedicated HD gun) makes it pretty easy, as the chances of needing a reload are about 1 in never.

The reason for having a flashlight as well as a weapon mounted light may seem strange, but people will just point the gun mounted light at whatever they see/hear while investigating sounds or whatever. They should be using a flashlight to do that. Lack of training and common sense has them pointing their handgun (with light) and usually with finger on the trigger at things that they should not. Things like kids or whatever.

Anyways, the handgun is a very small part of the whole picture.

Go with what feels good in your hands. Then do little research on it before you buy. But you really can’t go wrong with any major brands.
9mm is simply the best all around. Affordable ammo to get lots of trigger time and doesn’t really kick more than a 380 auto. Which is basically a 9 Short.
If you get a revolver/wheel gun. 357 mag. Shoot 38 special at the range for cheaper and less recoil trigger time. Full house load for home defense.
I have XD9 which has been flawless and Glock 43 for CC. If I was in the market for a new home defense in 9, I’d be looking at the Cz P07

Many handguns are suitable. A better but already beat to death topic is batter ammo eh?

Glock 19. 17 if you want something a little bigger. I like the frame of the 17, personally. You might get the best of both worlds with the 19X. I had one and it was a great shooter. Got into 1911s and sold all my glocks. Made of plastic, but if I had to pull a pistol blindly out of a factory box and defend myself, I would want it to be a glock..

I was in a similar boat as the OP not too long ago. I was thinking I'd be buying a G19. After handling a bunch, I ended up with a G45 for my first centerfire handgun. Just felt better in the hand. So, I suggest the same to the OP, don't decide until you put your hands on them and to keep an open mind. That said, I cannot see where you are thinking you are going as being a bad place.

Wait a little and get G49 MOS. This model can be used for HD and CCW. Kind of best of both G19 and G17.

I think you're on the right track.
G17 or G19 would be fine.

This is Home Defense, so you don't need a little P365.