Changing my home defense pistol

[chaim]

For 10 years, plus or minus a year or two, my .45ACP SIG P250c has always been loaded as one of my home defense guns. I also have a snub always ready, and I've sometimes had other guns loaded up and ready as well (all in quick access safes), but the snub and P250 have always been ready. That said, I don't shoot it all that much, and I probably hadn't shot it for a good 5 years or more until I took it to the range last week. I really don't like it anymore. I used to think the long and heavy (but smooth) DAO trigger pull (that most people hated on the P250) was fine. However, I noticed how it made accurate shots at any distance so much harder (unless I really slowed down and concentrated on my trigger pull) than any of the other guns I brought, including my brand new micro-9 SIG P365. So, now I want to trade it (even though I won't get much for it) and replace it.

So, there are a few considerations:

• For years I preferred .45ACP for home defense. I love 9mm and .40 for the range and CCW, but for HD I like that .45 gets its "stopping power" from size and weight and not velocity, thus (at least in theory) making it less likely to over penetrate (all else being equal). However, one can control for penetration in 9mm and .40 with a well chosen defensive round. The rounds I pick for CCW are all within the FBI 12-18" window, and thus this is really a non-issue in practice. However (and this is a big "however"), sticking with my 15-20 year preference for .45 gives me an excuse to buy a new gun .
• I prefer 9mm and .40 outside home defense situations. With modern defensive ammo, any difference in effectiveness between the three is pretty marginal in real-world scenarios. Meanwhile, you can get more rounds, a smaller size, and often both, in the same guns in .40 and 9mm vs. .45. Given what I already said above under the .45 considerations, I will certainly consider all three.
  
• I like DAO, DA/SA or striker fired pistols for my defensive guns. I know with training I most likely wouldn't forget to disengage a safety, but in a life or death situation, I just like reducing all potentially detrimental variables that I can.
• For home defense, I like either a full sized or "compact" service pistol (I currently use a P250c, and I sometimes use my CZ PCR or P01).
• I'm getting older. The ability to use a RMR red dot, laser, and/or light may be a plus. I didn't use to care for adding any bulk or weight to my guns, but my solidly middle aged (and diabetic) eyesight has seen better days and will likely continue to decline through the coming years.

My thoughts:

• Glock 21, probably the 21SF (I have thick hands and fingers, but they are a little shorter than the rest of my size would suggest). I just bought my 1st Glock (taking it to the range for the first time in a few hours), but I know they have a solid reputation for reliability
• S&W M&P (full sized or compact) in .45. Again, good rep for reliability, and I love my 1st gen S&W M&P40c.
• Maybe ignore my DA/SA, DAO or striker requirement and get another 1911. I will be getting a full sized steel 1911 anyway, and I love these guns. While I generally don't like a safety on a defensive gun, on a gun I'll be pulling out of a quick access safe or holster at 2-3am when freshly woken up from a deep sleep, a safety may be a good thing to delay me a moment while I get fully acclimated to what is going on.
• SIG P220. I love the classic P-series SIGs. While this (and the 1911) will be no more than 8 rounds, at least for HD (as opposed to CCW) it is easy to have many mags available for reloads.
• Forget the .45ACP and go 9mm or .40. There are a few full sized 9mms I want that I don't yet have, one of which I'm probably buying soon anyway (a Beretta 92), that could do this duty well. I also have a couple guns now that would fit this role (Glock 22, CZ P01, CZ PCR, CZ 75B, SIG P229 in .40). My 75B is not a decocker model though. The PCR has no accessory rail. The P01 will probably be sold soon (traded on something else- I don't really need the PCR and P01 and would rather have the PCR), so this role would save it. I don't plan on the P229 going anywhere and it does have the rail. The 22 has both an accessory rail and the MOS mount for a RMR. For the ones I already have, an advantage is that I wouldn't have to buy a new gun and I could use that money for a totally different gun, ammo or range time. A disadvantage is, I wouldn't have to buy another gun.

 

[5-SHOTS]

The choice of a home defense pistol is very personal. What I can suggest is definitely to forget about compact or subcompact grip size pistols and to orient yourself on full size pistols or in any case on pistols that have a full size grip. As for the choice of the caliber, since you seem to prefer the .45ACP for home defense, it's correct that you orient yourself on a pistol in this caliber. As for the choice of trigger type, that too is a personal choice. For home defense I personally prefer DA/SA pistols or pistols with second strike capability (at the moment I use a Taurus G3 with Olight Valkyrie flashlight but I have used my Walther P99 AS for years and I could use my SIG-Sauer P226) but obviously the striker fired pistols you mentioned are great too. Being a home defense pistol, the other recommendation I would like to give you is not to give up on high capacity: the 1911s and the P220 are beautiful pistols but the capacity is low. All these things said, I would try to make a small list of the pistols that come to mind, regardless of the type of trigger:
Glock 21;
S&W M&P45;
Walther PPQ .45;
HK USP .45;
HK HK45;
FN FNX-45;
Ruger American .45;
Grand Power P45;
a polymer or steel .45 Tanfoglio;
a used CZ 97B;
a used S&W SW99 .45;
a used .45 Ruger P series;
a used Beretta Px4 .45;
a used Stoeger Cougar .45.
More .45 pistols may come to my mind in the next few days.

 

[JTQ]

The only reason to get a G21SF is if you live in California.

The Gen 4 G21 gives you the smaller grip of the SF model.

 

[Japle]

Normally, I keep my carry gun - a 9mm S&W Shield-Plus - handy.
But if things start to look hairy, I'll dig this one out of the safe. XD45 with a suppressor. 14 rounds of Gold Dot goodness with a dot sight.

 

[chaim]

What I can suggest is definitely to forget about compact or subcompact grip size pistols

When I say a compact, I mean the original terminology. This size gun is often used as a service pistol, and they are only a hair smaller than a true full-sized pistol. Guns like the CZ PCR/P01, Glock 19/23, SIG P229 and P228, Commander sized 1911s, etc. What many call compacts today are actual subcompacts using the original terminology (Glock 26/27, CZ RAMI,Officer sized 1911s, etc.), and what many people call subcompacts are probably better termed micro compacts (like the micro-9s). So, both the compact and full sized give a full grip and decent sight radius.

Walther PPQ .45;
HK USP .45...
Ruger American .45...
a polymer or steel .45 Tanfoglio;
a used CZ 97B;
a used S&W SW99 .45;
a used .45 Ruger P series;
a used Beretta Px4 .45;
a used Stoeger Cougar .45.

On your list, I'm not really interested in the Walther, S&W SW99, or the Px4. Well, I might be talked into a Px4 (the training class I took for my MD carry permit gave me a 9mm Px4 Compact to use for the qualification shoot even though I asked for a S&W M&P, and even though I had never so much as handled a Px4 at the store before, I shot it pretty well considering I never touched one before). I love CZ, but the 97 is just a bit too big in the grip for me (I have thick fingers and meaty hands and fingers, but my hands and fingers are a bit short for the rest of my size). I don't fully trust Ruger automatics, other than my LCP, the other two I've owned were both problem-children. The P89 wasn't accurate, I could shoot a rental gun I had never shot before, any rental gun, better than the P89, and when I had other people shoot it it was the same. The P345 was unreliable (I really wanted to like that one), and they are only 8 round mags if I remember right. A buddy had a P90 which was great, but it is quite large for only a 7 or 8 round capacity.

I'm glad you reminded me to check out the USP. Of the HKs, that is the one I'd be most likely to consider, I've shot some before that I liked but never bought one. I would definitely be interested in a Tanfoglio/EAA since they are based on the CZs I love (when I get a 10mm it will probably be an EAA). The Stoeger/Beretta Cougar is definitely an interesting gun, I forgot that they had made it in .45.

Now that I shot my new Glock, the Glock 21 is higher on the list. I did have two failures to feed when I staggered the mag with cheap practice ammo and some OLD JHPs, I suppose the cheap practice ammo didn't have enough "oomph" to properly feed the old design Remington Express JHPs (I got a ton of them on clearance about 15 years ago, I have a few boxes left). But when the mag had all the same ammo (or a mix of similar quality ammo), it did fine in the other 138 rounds I shot. I was pretty accurate with it (considering it was the first time I shot it, and the first time I've shot any Glock in 10-15 years). I was also surprised at how good it felt when I shot it considering how much I've been unimpressed with the feel of a Glock in my hand when at a gun store.

 

[chaim]

The only reason to get a G21SF is if you live in California.

The Gen 4 G21 gives you the smaller grip of the SF model.

Good to know. I never got into Glocks (until basically now) so my info isn't exactly up to date on them (I didn't realize that the .40 cal Gen 5s have larger slides than previous generations and thus couldn't use holsters for previous gens, until I started shopping holsters ).

 

[Tallball]

If you like 1911's but want more capacity, see how a double-stack version fits your hand.

My 45acp S&W M&P is a nice pistol. I like it a little better than my Glocks. It comes with different-sized pieces for the back of the grip so you can make it larger or smaller.

If you have the $, anything in the Sig P series is hard to beat.

Smith and Wesson M&P 45acp

• Tallball
• Dec 10, 2018

 

[jar]

In 9mm I find I keep returning to my very first factory compact Wonder Nine, my S&W 469.

If you've held a recent S&W Shield the 469 would be immediately familiar. It's a DA/SA double stack with 10, 13 or 15 round magazines available. Here is my Shield 2.0 sitting on top of the 469 with the top of the slides and rear of the grips aligned.

And here is the 469 in the kydex IWB holster for my Shield 2.0 45acp.

And weight comparisons:

The ergonomics of the 469 would be familiar, there are lots of them still out there in the wild, you can even change the grip panels and you get a classic S&W trigger with 15 + 1 rounds.

 

[5-SHOTS]

When I say a compact, I mean the original terminology. This size gun is often used as a service pistol, and they are only a hair smaller than a true full-sized pistol. Guns like the CZ PCR/P01, Glock 19/23, SIG P229 and P228, Commander sized 1911s, etc. What many call compacts today are actual subcompacts using the original terminology (Glock 26/27, CZ RAMI,Officer sized 1911s, etc.), and what many people call subcompacts are probably better termed micro compacts (like the micro-9s). So, both the compact and full sized give a full grip and decent sight radius.



On your list, I'm not really interested in the Walther, S&W SW99, or the Px4. Well, I might be talked into a Px4 (the training class I took for my MD carry permit gave me a 9mm Px4 Compact to use for the qualification shoot even though I asked for a S&W M&P, and even though I had never so much as handled a Px4 at the store before, I shot it pretty well considering I never touched one before). I love CZ, but the 97 is just a bit too big in the grip for me (I have thick fingers and meaty hands and fingers, but my hands and fingers are a bit short for the rest of my size). I don't fully trust Ruger automatics, other than my LCP, the other two I've owned were both problem-children. The P89 wasn't accurate, I could shoot a rental gun I had never shot before, any rental gun, better than the P89, and when I had other people shoot it it was the same. The P345 was unreliable (I really wanted to like that one), and they are only 8 round mags if I remember right. A buddy had a P90 which was great, but it is quite large for only a 7 or 8 round capacity.

I'm glad you reminded me to check out the USP. Of the HKs, that is the one I'd be most likely to consider, I've shot some before that I liked but never bought one. I would definitely be interested in a Tanfoglio/EAA since they are based on the CZs I love (when I get a 10mm it will probably be an EAA). The Stoeger/Beretta Cougar is definitely an interesting gun, I forgot that they had made it in .45.

Now that I shot my new Glock, the Glock 21 is higher on the list. I did have two failures to feed when I staggered the mag with cheap practice ammo and some OLD JHPs, I suppose the cheap practice ammo didn't have enough "oomph" to properly feed the old design Remington Express JHPs (I got a ton of them on clearance about 15 years ago, I have a few boxes left). But when the mag had all the same ammo (or a mix of similar quality ammo), it did fine in the other 138 rounds I shot. I was pretty accurate with it (considering it was the first time I shot it, and the first time I've shot any Glock in 10-15 years). I was also surprised at how good it felt when I shot it considering how much I've been unimpressed with the feel of a Glock in my hand when at a gun store.

Yes, I got confused with the Ruger P series pistols as they are single stack. Other guns to recommend are the .45ACP Springfield Armory XD and XDM and, as mentioned, the double stack 1911s. If you are willing to spend a lot of money you can also consider the Pardini GT45. The Heckler & Koch USP .45 would certainly be an excellent choice but I would choose the most modern and ergonomic evolution of the USP and that is the HK45.

 

[CNobbe]

The FNX 45 Tactical has been our nightstand pistol for a long time, but have started using a Sig M17 recently. Much love from me for the FNX, the capacity for a .45 along with the control of recoil and fitting my wife's smaller hands has made it a great option.

 

[JTQ]

The FNX 45 Tactical has been our nightstand pistol for a long time, ...

You can't mention the FNX 45 without including this fun video.

I'm sure it's probably a one time occurrence and if it ever was a problem, I'm sure FN fixed the issue, but it sure is fun to watch.

 

[Atavar]

I rather like a long trigger pull for a defense gun. When the adrenaline starts pumping you wouldn’t even notice even a half inch pull where you could easily have an AD with a glass break hair trigger.
I also prefer no external safety on my carry guns. I don’t want that oops moment in a hairy situation. Trigger control (and a proper holster) is the best safety. Keep your finger off the trigger until you want it to go bang.
When I do carry my 1911 it is in condition 1.

 

[JeeperCreeper]

I have a SIG 250 that I love for training, which is why I bought it (practice trigger control and a steady hand with the DAO).

My recommendations (especially in 9mm) will be to look at the:
S&W M&P 2.0
CZ P10
Walther PPQ/PDP

For .45, I also have had great luck with the imported XD45 even though I love to hate Springfield and their politics, marketing, business practices

 

[chaim]

In 9mm I find I keep returning to my very first factory compact Wonder Nine, my S&W 469.

If you've held a recent S&W Shield the 469 would be immediately familiar. It's a DA/SA double stack with 10, 13 or 15 round magazines available. Here is my Shield 2.0 sitting on top of the 469 with the top of the slides and rear of the grips aligned.

I have always liked the 3rd gen S&W pistols. Unfortunately, they were a bit out of my price range when I first started shooting and they were still available new (I could have done the 908 or 910 economy versions and almost did). I'd love the single stack 3913 or 908 and the double stacks could be fun as well. Though, with them out of production and S&W not really supporting them anymore, they would be range guns only that I would shoot only occasionally. I don't think I'd want to use one for a home defense or carry gun.

Yes, I got confused with the Ruger P series pistols as they are single stack. Other guns to recommend are the .45ACP Springfield Armory XD and XDM and, as mentioned, the double stack 1911s. If you are willing to spend a lot of money you can also consider the Pardini GT45. The Heckler & Koch USP .45 would certainly be an excellent choice but I would choose the most modern and ergonomic evolution of the USP and that is the HK45.

I like the SA XD series, but never enough to be wiling to buy one. However, that was always the case with Glock for me as well, and I really like my G22 now that I've shot it. So, I'm not ruling it out (and if I remember right, doesn't the full-sized XD .45 have a 13 round capacity, not bad for .45ACP).

As for money, I'm not rich. I'm a teacher. But at 52, I never met the right woman, so I have no kids (and likely never will), so I have more disposable income to spend on myself than most of my friends who don't make substantially more than me. So, I can get what I want (within reason), and I am selling off a bit of my collection that I don't like or don't shoot anymore. However, for home defense or carry, I don't like to go too expensive since there is a chance the police will (at least temporarily) confiscate it. A used SIG P220 is pushing it, and really a bit over what I usually feel comfortable using for defense.

I do like the 1911 platform a lot. The biggest drawback is the manual safety, which is what relegated them to range only use for me about 6 or 7 years ago (maybe it was a little less than that). Though, for home defense (as opposed to carry), I can see an advantage (forcing me to take an extra moment to be sure I'm fully awake before engaging a threat, on the other hand, when that tired I may be more likely to not disengage the safety than in CCW situation...).

 

[chicharrones]

You can't mention the FNX 45 without including this fun video.

I'm sure it's probably a one time occurrence and if it ever was a problem, I'm sure FN fixed the issue, but it sure is fun to watch.

That's the recoil absorbing properties of that gun being shown off there.

 

[jstert]

chaim, may i respectfully suggest that “getting older” may be key to your search? the same applies to me, more than i care to honestly admit…

i am a revolver guy but recently got a s&w shield ez 9mm. the ez model is truly easy, and sooner i will need much easier stuff. 9mm ammo is the cheapest centerfire ammo around. i will practice more if ammo is cheap. 9mm certainly covers all my humble security needs wherever i might roam or bed down.

i still prefer, and suggest, 38sp revolvers for suburban civilian protection. all kinds of ammo can be reliably run, from mild wadcutters to wild +p. grips can be readily swapped for concealed carry ease or recoil mitigation. not everyone is a revolver guy though.

 

[chicharrones]

I'm interested in how this thread develops. For the last few decades, I've always prefered DA/SA, DAO, or striker fired pistols (or DA/DAO revolvers) for defense. Whether for home or for carry.

At 57, my hands haven't lost strength but joint pain hits hard on occasion. Which effectively makes me lose grip strength when that happens.

So, I've been entertaining the idea of the 1911 platform for its large easy to grip slide and single action trigger with manual safety lever. Except, I'd prefer 9mm in a double stack magazine layout since I'm not restricted on capacity.

I too have a CZ PCR, and even though the slide grip area is small, I can cycle the slide easier than a big grip area of a Glock slide. I probably ought to add grip tape to the Glock slide to aid that problem of mine.

Anyway, due to my vision being what it is I really like a laser for a home defense pistol. Adding a laser to a CZ PCR isn't going to happen. There are plenty of laser grips for single stack 1911s, though. However, due to polymer guns being so common, laser grips appear to be on the way out of mass production. Which means a laser mounted to a rail on a full size pistol is probably the better way to go into the future.

Dilemma, dilemma, dilemma.

 

[WheelGunMan]

I have a smorgasbord to choose from depending where in the house I'm at. Central to everything is my my preferred weapon of choice, my 12 GA Stevens Model 320 Security Shotgun.. everything thing else is so I can fight my way to it.

 

[DDDWho]

A $200 Mossberg Maverick 88 is always leaning in the corner next to the nightstand. It’s only been to the porch in it’s entire life. A trusty RIA 1911 GI is on that nightstand. I’m partial to the 1911.

 

[chaim]

chaim, may i respectfully suggest that “getting older” may be key to your search? the same applies to me, more than i care to honestly admit…

i am a revolver guy but recently got a s&w shield ez 9mm. the ez model is truly easy, and sooner i will need much easier stuff. 9mm ammo is the cheapest centerfire ammo around. i will practice more if ammo is cheap. 9mm certainly covers all my humble security needs wherever i might roam or bed down.

i still prefer, and suggest, 38sp revolvers for suburban civilian protection. all kinds of ammo can be reliably run, from mild wadcutters to wild +p. grips can be readily swapped for concealed carry ease or recoil mitigation. not everyone is a revolver guy though.

For me I'm having no hand strength or arthritis issues (though the joints sometimes get stiff and my fine dexterity, never my strong suit, isn't what it was). The only hand issue (probably diabetes related) is "trigger finger" (has nothing to do with shooting), but once my fingers start working in the morning it doesn't give me any trouble until the next day.

My eyes are definitely becoming a problem. I'm fine to about 8 yards, I'm OK at 10, I'm mostly on my target (but my groups suck) at 15 (on target = 7 ring on a B27). Beyond that, I'm mostly on paper, but I can't say much else. I will definitely need a laser or red dot sight on many of my guns soon. I am trying to adjust and experiment (should I look through the bottom reading part of my progressive lenses, the top, the middle, or is it different at different ranges), plus it is made worse by how little shooting I've done over the last several years when ammo started to get expensive (about 10 years ago). I will almost definitely buy a .22 pistol (haven't had one in about 12-15 years) so I can experiment and practice without spending as much money. But, most likely, I will need to put the RMR or laser on most of my home defense and range guns.

As for revolvers, I love them, and when most of my friends (who shot) were buying only autos, 2 of my first 3 handguns were revolvers. I've wanted a 3" 686+ for a while (I love a 3" medium framed revolver, and the extra round is a bonus). I may eventually get an 8 round N-frame S&W or Taurus 608 to compliment my snubs and home defense auto, but even at 8 rounds, I'd rather have more capacity (and unlike the 1911 or P220 which could be reloaded quickly with a new mag, I've never been able to get very fast with revolver speed loaders or speed strips). So, a revolver would never be more than a secondary home defense pistol for me.

I'm interested in how this thread develops. For the last few decades, I've always prefered DA/SA, DAO, or striker fired pistols (or DA/DAO revolvers) for defense. Whether for home or for carry.

At 57, my hands haven't lost strength but joint pain hits hard on occasion. Which effectively makes me lose grip strength when that happens.

So, I've been entertaining the idea of the 1911 platform for its large easy to grip slide and single action trigger with manual safety lever. Except, I'd prefer 9mm in a double stack magazine layout since I'm not restricted on capacity.

I too have a CZ PCR, and even though the slide grip area is small, I can cycle the slide easier than a big grip area of a Glock slide. I probably ought to add grip tape to the Glock slide to aid that problem of mine.

Anyway, due to my vision being what it is I really like a laser for a home defense pistol. Adding a laser to a CZ PCR isn't going to happen. There are plenty of laser grips for single stack 1911s, though. However, due to polymer guns being so common, laser grips appear to be on the way out of mass production. Which means a laser grip mounted to a rail on a full size pistol is probably the better way to go into the future.

Dilemma, dilemma, dilemma.

I do love a 1911, and if you have hand strength issues, it could be a good way to go. I find them easy to rack, and easy to take down (with a GI guide rod), and they are so easy to shoot accurately. My only thing is that I'd prefer not to have a manual safety on a gun I use for self defense, but that is me and YMMV.

If I go with a laser instead of an RMR (and I decide soon since I plan to sell in the next few weeks when I trade on one of the many guns currently on my list), I can see using my P01 to save it for me. I like the gun, but I like the PCR better, and it doesn't make sense for me to have both... unless, the PCR is one of my carry guns, and the P01 becomes my home defense gun and I use the accessory rail by mounting a laser or a laser/light combo.

A $200 Mossberg Maverick 88 is always leaning in the corner next to the nightstand. It’s only been to the porch in it’s entire life.
A trusty RIA 1911 GI is on that nightstand. I’m partial to the 1911.

I prefer the lower recoil and higher capacity of a .223/5.56 semi-auto as my home defense long-gun. I use a Mini-14 for that, though I could use my AR if I preferred that. I've never really liked shotguns much. That said, the one I've had or shot that I honestly liked is my Mossberg 500 Persuader. Not for now, but at some point, I can see myself buying another, or going with an 18" or 20" Mossberg 590.

 

[chaim]

There has been a lot of discussion of both my original ideas and new options. Its too early to say, but here's some of what I'm now thinking...

At least for now (for now could be days, months, or last a few years), I'm leaning towards pushing something I have for HD and make sure I use a loading less likely to over penetrate.

• My new Glock 22 has both the MOS system so I could use an RMR and it has an accessory rail so I could also add a light. It is a full sized Glock, so controllable at the range, it has a good sight radius and I'm already reasonably accurate with it (I'm sure it will only get better with practice, and with the RMR), and I'm starting to like it. It needs some more rounds to ensure it is reliable enough (it did have a couple bobbles, but I'm pretty sure it was ammo related... I was staggering left over really old Remington Express JHPs with some much cheaper range ammo, I'm not sure the practice rounds had the "oomph" to cycle the JHPs, and it was only the two old JHPs loaded mixed into a mag of the cheap practice ammo that had an issue- the other 138 rounds I shot were fine). So, picking up about 100 rounds of two different carry/HD loads to test may be in the near future.
• My P01 is tested (several hundred rounds of several different JHPs, a couple hundred Gold Dots and 50 SIG V-Crown without a hiccup) and CZs are some of my most accurate guns in my hands. With my favorite Speer Gold Dots in 115 or 124gr, or similar SIG Elite V-Crown, and adding a laser or a light/laser combo, it could make a good HD gun.

Now that I'm soon to have my MD permit and will be carrying a lot more than I did in the past on a UT non-resident permit, I'm revamping my carry guns a bit (I'm replacing a few and adding one or two). I'm about to trade my Officer sized 1911 (RIA) and Commander sized S&W 1911Sc since I don't carry 1911s, and get a full sized steel 1911 for the range (probably a Kimber which can be somewhat hit or miss on reliability so it wouldn't be a HD gun). I'm also now thinking that it is finally time to add a .22lr again, so waiting a bit on the .45 home defense gun might be good. Then again, some of the CCW changes will be at least partially funded by some of the sales I'm making (and I'm partially through those additions so it won't take additional money), most .22lr pistols aren't too expensive, and selling two 1911s for one new one will possibly leave me with some extra money, and at worst, I should be at break even (or close to it). So, buying one more in that context shouldn't break the bank. Plus, when I decided it was time to get my P250 to the range more, I bought a bunch of new .45ACP defensive rounds to test out in it (it was time to change out my defensive ammo), while I could just shoot those up in one of my 1911s, it is an excuse for a new .45 home defense gun.

If I do go with the new gun for home defense, I'm leaning toward the M&P 2.0 (either full size or compact, probably the compact since they have the same capacity and it would be easier to occasionally carry if I choose to) or the Glock 21. I will look into the Stoeger Cougar and XD. I'd love a EAA Witness .45ACP since I love CZ, but while they are DA/SA, like the original CZ design you either carry in Condition 1 (cocked and locked, hammer cocked with safety engaged) or you have to manually lower the hammer over a live round. I wish they made the BD version with decocker as well. The HK is probably more money than I really want to spend on a home defense pistol, as is the P220, but if I see them used at a good price I may go for it (especially the P220 since I just love the classic P-series).


So for immediate use, I'm loading up my P01 with some ammo I know it likes (I'll switch it with my PCR if I decide to sell it) while I make up my mind. I'll shoot some different choices of defensive ammo through my Glock 22 to be sure whether it is even an option. But, I won't spend the money on an RMR for now in case I decide to buy the new gun. I'll also wait on the laser or laser/light combo since what I need there does depend on which gun I pick (if I go with a gun with an RMR mount, I only need a light, if I go with a gun without, I'll need a laser or light/laser combo, and do I need one for a Glock mount or a picatinny rail).

 

[tarosean]

However, I noticed how it made accurate shots at any distance so much harder

Just how big is the mansion? What is our longest shot possible inside your home? You have intimate knowledge of your home, others will not.

I really don't like it anymore.

Definitely cannot discount that aspect. I have send a many down river for far less.

 

[chaim]

Just how big is the mansion? What is our longest shot possible inside your home? You have intimate knowledge of your home, others will not.

I'm in a townhouse. On my main level, the distance from my rear door, through the living room and dining room, down the hall to the front door is probably about 40 feet. If I'm on my rear deck and someone breaks through my front door, add about 10 feet or so. While I'm not likely to be against the rear door or wall, or even on the deck when someone breaks in (though the deck especially is certainly possible), if I'm at an angle (such as on my sofa), the angle would add some distance as well. So, with my eyes and normal sights, I should be fine (it is unlikely I'll need the full distance, and at 10 yards I can hit "minute of bad guy"), but having some wiggle room is always nice, especially when you have to get a hit (life and death situation, suburban townhouse where a miss could be dangerous to neighbors).

 

[CNobbe]

You can't mention the FNX 45 without including this fun video.

I'm sure it's probably a one time occurrence and if it ever was a problem, I'm sure FN fixed the issue, but it sure is fun to watch.

I've seen that, can't say mine does that but it's never been left outside in the sun..haha. The thickness of the polymer grip between the FNX and my 2011s isn't much different. Perhaps that helps with the recoil control a bit.

 

[C0untZer0]

Is an HK Mark 23 out of the question ?