I've got two H&K .40's. One compact I use as a conceal / carry, and the other, a full size, LE model (trigger mod, tritium nightsites) that I keep for home security. I also have a small gun safe with digital push-button access by the bed, as I have a 3 year old, and a wife who is afraid of guns.

I'd like it to be a bit more accessible, just in case something happens at 3am, but I haven't found another way of securing it in the house.
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Lots of good advice and good guns mentioned, so I'll throw in my 2 cents.

I have been through lots of handguns and finally settled on a Smith and Wesson Airweight 38 special as my every day carry. I finally settled on it after my brother, who is a Sgt of a police dept up north told me about his everyday carry and he can chose anything he wants off duty.

I like the simplicity of a revolver as well as knowing it's always gonna go bang if I unfortunately need it to.

Very easy to operate, relatively safe, easy to clean, etc.

I also put the Crimson Trace laser grips on mine which might have been a waste of money, but I love them and my eyesight is going bad.

I keep mine in the front pocket of my cargo shorts all the time and usually don't even notice it's there.

In Florida's heat and my normal attire, I can't imagine carrying something like a Glock inside my waistband all day long.

The most common complaint I hear about revolvers is that they only carry 5 or 6 rounds, but if I need more than that, I feel I am in a gunfight I will probably be losing anyway.

As far as stopping power goes, I keep Speer Gold Dot 135 grain hollowpoints in it and feel very confident of them as well as my ability to make all 5 shots count.

As far as gun safes go, I feel that if I am being invaded, the chances of me getting in a safe in time to save my family wouldn't be good.

With kids, I think educating them as well as taking away the curiosity and not leaving the gun around is key, but might be wrong.
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No one ever said "I had too much ammo." A simple solution and a slight behavior modification for EDC is far better, IMHO, than a defeatist attitude. :-)
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VERY true. Had the 357. Junk made in Brazil from inferior parts, especially the metal.

Also NEVER EVER buy anything that says Kel Tec, no matter how easy the salesman says it is to carry.

Replicant, I have the speed strips loaded in my glove box just in case.
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You have a glove box on your scooter? :-) Cool, Pete.... :-):-) Some people don't think they have a good option for reloads with revolvers, and think they need a "bulky" speed loader they would either have to put on a belt, (really? I don't think I would) or stuff in a pocket, (Golf ball in your pants, anyone?) Just throwing it out there, speed strips are a pretty elegant solution. If I was carrying a revolver, I would definitely do strips in something like this:
http://www.sideguardholsters.com/hol...RoughPouch.htm
(local guy, makes nice stuff and is very affordable, gratuitous plug)
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I'd also recommend a Glock 19. It was recommended three times in this thread alone by other BOTLs. My G19 has had all sorts of different "quality level" ammo thrown through it and has always been reliable. It has never jammed up and is very forgiving on the maintenance side.

If you are going concealed frequently I'd take a look at the G26, which Starchild mentioned. It's slightl smaller & the pinky extender for the clip is must IMO. I've debated about switching over to one but don't want to spend $ on another sidearm right now.

You could also do what elderboy02 rec'd, snag a .40 glock and buy the 9mm barrel for range use. :-)

IMO, a lot of it is personal preference. Set a budget. Then you need to decide a primary caliber choice and go a local range and try shooting their rentals to see what sidearm works best for you. If you are going to carry concealed that's another aspect to take into consideration. I'm only 5'9" and 140lbs, so for me to try and rock out even a Walther P99 and have it hidden is going to be a challenge depending on what I'm wearing.

Sigs are awesome too, very accurate. Still, for all around use and reliability, my vote is with any Glock. :-)
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If your talking home protection I would go with a Thompson Center Contender with a 410ga barrel loaded with #9 shot. Unless your a seasoned shooter you will want the "wider" coverage a shotgun gives you in that millisecond you have to respond to an intruder. :-) Then add another barrel of whatever caliber you want for fun target shooting as this gun can accommodate both. Some used ones will not break the bank.

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Glock, Sig, and SA make the best handguns. Choose which caliber you want/need and shoot all three different guns. I think that would be a good way to do it. You know your getting an outstanding firearm. :-)

(For those of you who don't live in the land of Lincoln, you are lucky and don't have a constitutional right taken away.)
http://www.illinoiscarry.com/
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I used to have a glock 23 .40 cal for my personal carry. I sold it. For duty carry they issued me a glock 23 so I was very familiar with this gun. Ahh the memories. It is a reliable gun IMO and I have never had any problems with it (misfires, stovepipes, ect.). It's fairly lightweight and concealable. I'd rather have a .40 than a 9mm and if I could afford it I'd rather have a .45 :-)
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We Marylanders feel your pain :-)
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Dave, I didn't know you guys couldn't carry either. I thought it was just Illinois and Wisconsin. That sucks:-)
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I dont want to start a banter about which is better, but please reconsider Taurus if you are looking at 45 autos, I have been very pleased with my PT1911 and have well over 3K of rounds through it, Dependable rides every where I go. Yes I have owned several diferent makes of autos and revolvers, I reload to satisfy my habits and there is a slew of good high quality guns out there. Take what you receive from here and try to get your hands on some that intrigue you.
Other makes I would trust my life to

Kahr
Ruger
Springfield Armory XD or 1911
Taurus
Glock
S&W
Sig Sauer

The list is longer but there is a lot of reading ahead for you.
There are some that lend better to carry/ defense than they do to targets and vice versa.

Pick the one that will satisfy your primary goal.
Just my opinion,
YMMV
-David
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My carry gun is a Colt M1991A1 45. I have used it a few times to protect my dog from coyotes. :-)
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You really should get to a range and rent some.. for ex. I know Glocks are pretty reliable (except the ka-boom .40s :-)) but I shoot them horribly. The grip angle just doesnt work for me.

On the other hand my buddy is very accurate with his.

Personally, I'm a Sig guy. P229,9mm vintage P220 and a P250 have all been perfect for me. Cant got wrong w/ a 229 and you can find CPO's for significantly less than brand new.
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You can't go wrong with any of the recommended firearms here. Just remember the most important thing here is that it fits you, and you can shoot it well. Like others have mentioned try a few out before you buy. I use a Sig Sauer P220 while working at the range, but at home i use a S&W 686 loaded with golddot +p 38spcl.

The reason for the revolver at home is my gf does not shoot as much as i'd like her too and has trouble manipulating a semi-auto; last thing i want is jam that she cannot clear. I showed her how to use it and refresh her every so often, and it seems like she has it down.

now I'm not saying that a revolver NEVER jams/malfunctions, but it seems that a revolver is less prone to user error. :-)
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and if it does misfire, pull the trigger again.

I'm beyond convincing otherwise that a revolver is the way to go.

Heck those old cowboys left em in the dust and they still fired at high noon.
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You can do the same thing with a glock :-) :-)

Glocks are like crowbars, ugly and just as reliable
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Glock 19. Not a better handgun in the world for all around use. I prefer 9mm as well thanks to modern bullet/powder technology. Yeah it is only a .3 inch hole, but when the HP expands you can get some pretty wicked wound cavities. And with that 19 I can put 15+1 downrange pretty quickly (and accurately). Now, thats just my 2 cents, but you really need to try a bunch of different weapons for yourself. I love 1911s (Kimber, SA, etc) and I'm a Sig and HK fan. I hear good things about M&Ps as well. So, try them all, for me though, gotta stick with my Glock.
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Hand guns are real person preference type of things. Is there a range nearby where you can rent some hand guns to see what fits your hand and eye? I was very accurate with my Glock 19 but sold it last year when I found I wasn't shooting much anymore.

For home defense, I have an aluminum baseball bat. I figure that all I need is time enough to get everyone safely out of the house. They can have everything in the house as things aren't important.

But if I wanted something for home defense, it would be a 20 gauge shotgun. Excellent stopping power, very accurate with practice and the pellets won't travel across the street and kill a neighbor.
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I have been very, very happy with my Glock 23.

-Mark.
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