March 26, 2025, 11:30 AM
raggedholeTop 10 handguns if you had to defend your family
Glock Gen5 9mm
S&W 686
S&W 66
Beretta M9
LTT 92G Elite
Wilson Combat Beretta 92 Series
Sig Sauer P226 9mm
Staccato 2011 P
1911
March 26, 2025, 11:58 AM
mike28wOK...just to rock the boat.....
1. 12 gauge Keltec Bullpup loaded with 10 rounds of #4 buck Federal Shorty shell. Next to my nightstand.
2. AR , 12inch barrel 5.56 standing about 10 feet away from the shotgun.
3. Handguns ? Sure, if I had to be mobile, we had no kids or visitors....so we would stay in bedroom....they can have the TV (and won't be able to catch the cat.

)
4. God help anyone that comes through the bedroom door uninvited......
March 27, 2025, 09:51 PM
Conserve Libertyquote:
Originally posted by got2hav1:
As the title says, what would you choose? Top 10 or less. You must shoot it well and it must be reliable. No size or caliber restriction. Here's my list,let's see yours:
Any Sig DA/SA (P227,P228,P239)
Beretta 92 (M9A3 my preference)
Any HK (P30 LEM Lite, VP9F, USP)
Any 1911 (Dan Wesson, Ed Brown, Nighthawk)
S&W 586/686
S&W K Frame (Model 19,10,15)
P320,P365 ( I shoot them well and all have been reliable for me.)
S&W 640 J frame
CZ75
Colt Trooper
1. Any P226. Any time. Anywhere.
2. P229
3. G17M
The others are all range guns - fun, but not for serious use.
March 29, 2025, 04:33 AM
1860ARMY92 FS - Accurate and always goes bang...
1911- If you don't know why you live in a cave...
SW 586 - Flawless
There are many other good guns for other people, I own a few but these three are all I'd need or want.
60
March 30, 2025, 11:11 AM
ruger357What I use and choose:
GLOCK 17 with a light on it.
HK P30 with a light on it.
March 30, 2025, 03:30 PM
Abn556If home - Sig 226 with Pro Cut Slide, optic, and light. Gold Dot +P 124s in the mags.
If out and about - P365XL with optic and Wilson Combat grip module - 12 + 1 IWB and 17 rd spare mag.
April 01, 2025, 12:35 AM
bczrxWhat do we own? or our top 10 wish list?
I own only 1 centerfire handgun in a caliber over .32 that I would not feel comfortable using to defend my family- a P08 Luger.
Defending my family is broad.
for home it would be one thing while for carry it would be another, and are we talking about defense from 2-legged threats or 4-legged threats?
I have never had an issue with being 'family defense level' accurate in a handgun in .38, .380, .38Super, 9mm, .45acp, .357mag or .44mag.
That said, I haven't tried every model out there, so I can only talk about the 30-40 different one's I've tried.
I am accurate with 1911s and BHPs, but I am 'combat accurate' with everything I've tried in the above calibers.
Note- I do NOT list .40S&W or .357Sig. I have shot a few in those calibers but prefer .357 in Magnum not sig, and find .40S&W less comfortable to shoot than .45acp or even .44mag.
I am in California so 10rds is my max for any purpose.
Nightstand- something full sized with a rail in 9mm or .45acp for me and a 4" revolver in .38special for my wife [recoil and simplicity of design/training].
For California liability reasons an unaltered Glock G34 would be perfect. Good enough trigger and accurate enough, and I won't be heartbroken at having the DA confiscate a 3K+ 1911 used to save us.
Carry- something smaller in 9mm or .45acp- if it is in cities. I am not out after dark enough to worry about carry handguns having a rail- that is for home use at night. If it was summer carry and size was an issue, a .380acp handgun would be ok, but I'd prefer a 9mm as the foundation for 'family defense'. I would also be ok with a 3 or 4" Ruger GP100 or S&W 686+, but would probably search for a 10rd 9mm or 7+ round .45acp.
Hiking below 40th parallel something in .357mag. Above 40th parallel something in .44mag. 6 shots minimum.
But a good 12g pump holding 7+1 would be my first choice for home defense, with the handgun as a backup.