The S&W Bodyguards are well built and as accurate as any snubby. A good aftermarket trigger and spring job will probably be needed as S&W no longer does the fit as well as in the past.

S&W are generally a good quality gun if oyu do your part

Snubby revolvers are great .357/.38 small light handguns... great for concealed carry. I have a nice small .357 myself and it carries very easily. But for unpracticed or novice shooters they are pretty difficult to shoot accurately.

I would recommend stepping up to a larger revolver chambered in .38 or .357 if you're looking for something meant for home defense only. Try a S&W 686, S&W Model 60 or 60pro, Ruger SP101, Ruger GP100. You can stick with the small frames if that's what's comfortable in your hand, but a longer barrel, even just 3-4 inches, makes the gun WAY easier to shoot with respect to muzzle blast and aiming.

If you do want to carry concealed, any of the S&W J-Frame family or any of the Ruger SP101/LCR revolvers are great guns. I myself perfer the SP101 for it's tiny yet brick-shithouse-like construction.

easy carry and accurate is used correctly. If you have never shot a snubby, they are a little more difficult to shoot accurately than a longer barrel hand gun and their recoil is a little abusive. If it were me, and I was not going to carry it, I would go for a 4" or 6" barrel .357. The .357 allows you to shoot both .38 special ammo (cheaper) and .357 ammo. I have a S&W M586, it is very low recoil when shooting .38 ammo and isn't really "abusive" with .38+p or .357 ammo.

My only complaint about the BG 38 is the laser. You have to push a button then shoot...Not very situation friendly IMHO. I like the Crimson Trace grip on the S&W 642 she picked out. When you get a grip the laser is on and ready, no thinking about pushing a button.

I suppose I just don't care for the button being located right on top of the laser. I do however like the ambi control for opening the cylinder.


As mentioned above if not for CC then pick something with a longer barrel.

Let us know what you're going to use it for and a better idea of your budget also.

It fires .45 ACP. The big heavy slug give you more stopping power, and being a semi-auto a ready extra magazine enables a rapid reload if needed. Also available without the bling.

ummm.....1911 like goodness.

1911-like just isn't a substitute.

Nothing finer than a sig. Reliable, handles well, quality construction, good price. Most important, though, is to purchase something that you feel comfortable shooting.

For HOME protection (read indoors, home invasion scenario) .. my personal choice is a pump shotgun in 12GA in a short (20&quot barrel for the following reasons.

1. Can be loaded quickly if you - for safety sake - leave it stored unloaded

2. It is highly visible -- if you confront someone with this in your home, there will be no doubt that you are armed

3. The "racking" noise is a powerful deterrent all in itself -- the least aggressive looking person on the face of the earth will be taken seriously once the assailant hears that familiar sound

4. A short shotgun is easier to maneuver in close quarters (home interior) than most rifles except carbines and pistols (but is more intimidating.

5. Stopping power -- If you shoot (and hit) your assailant, they will not be in the mood for further aggression

6. Wall penetration -- even at short range, shotgun shot is less likely to penetrate interior walls than a magnum round from a pistol. You may not want to hurt what is on the other side of a wall.

7. LOUD -- the sound of a 12GA shotgun blast, particularly indoors, is particularly frightening to someone who has reason to believe they may be on the receiving end of its wrath.

8. A pump (or lever) shotgun is quick and simple to reload for the next shot -- if your assailants aren't already down / fled

Those are my reasons -- the look and sound of the shotgun (intimidation factor) reduces your likelihood of having to shoot and the stopping power and relative short range of the weapon makes is most appropriate for the close quarters of a home interior.

I am open to dissenting opinions.

especially if the person has no real inclination to train with a handgun.

I also said an 870 but the more I think about it a semi auto might be better for the person that doesn't train.

Reason being is short stroking if another shot is needed under stress.( just a thought)

whether he was to go with a pump or an auto I think a shotgun is the way to go.

The hoary meme of "Shotguns are point-n-shoot" or any related variation is a meme that needs to die a fast, quite death.

Last edited Sun Sep 23, 2012, 09:54 PM - Edit history (1)

The original post was a handgun for self defense.


Handgun shooting requires training in breath control, proper grip , hand an eye coordination more so than a shotgun.
Handguns also requires a discipline in trigger control more than a shotgun. A shotgun is much more forgiven if a trigger is pulled
and yet still being able to impact your target .


If you do a lot of handgun shooting . You know that by missing a few months your groups will increase in size .
That's a give in for any competitive shooter and takes a few rounds to get the rust out .

With a shotgun I can miss a year of shooting and pick it up a hit a stationary target with some pellets at 25 yards every time.
I have taken new shooters who has never fired a weapon in their life

and had them hitting a target at 20 or 25 yards with just a few shells and a very basic course of shouldering and stance.
A shotgun by design is much more forgiven in target shooting than a handgun.



But don't get me wrong in my post all firearms require training.


But someone who isn't interested in training or spending a few afternoons at the range every month.

A shotgun will not require the same type of discipline to use as a self defense weapon as a handgun.

Good for Home Protection, yes.

Chances are in a stressful situation you won't even see the laser.
You won't care about the laser you'll want to identify your target.

Many self defense shooting situations in the home will happen in lowlight.
Since you're asking what type of handgun to buy. I take it you have no training in shooting.
I'm assuming this is your first gun purchase ? (please correct me if I'm wrong)


I showed you some links with some 9mm autos and a light.
I tend to use either 9mm or 45ACP for most of my carry guns , both calibers are fine.
If I was you I would go fire a few handguns then decide which caliber you prefer.

Another option which I think is the best is purchase a Remington 870 12 gauge for home defense.
Get a box of 00 buck and call it a day.
Just remember to have a good light.


http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/cPath/884/products_id/38991/Overstock+Guns/S/W%20M/P%209mm%2017RD%20NO%20MAG%20SFTY/



http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/cPath/21_43/products_id/73201/Glock++17+Full+Size+9mm+Auto+Fixed+Sights+10-Round


http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/cPath/26_44_702/products_id/59436/Streamlight+TLR3+Compact+Rail+Mounted+Tactical+Light

I carry a lightweight .38 in my front pocket, but I would prefer a different handgun for home defense.

The S&W 627 8-shot Performance Center .357
[IMG][/IMG]
It is practical, perfect, and a thing beauty, albeit pricey.

But really I would suggest a decent service grade full size semi-auto pistol with a light (and maybe laser).

I like the Springfield XDM in 9mm for my home use.
[IMG][/IMG]

with a light from streamlight.
[IMG][/IMG]

Sprinfield, S&W M&P, Glock, or CZ all work in 9mm, .40, or .45 ACP.

right now you're pretty much stuck with too much or not enough barrel imo.

It's a good weapon and will serve you well. Just make sure you can hit what you're aiming at since a barrel that short is a little less forgiving of mistakes in aiming. I have a Taurus M85 snub nose that I like which is about the same size. I would recommend you get a good .38 +p round for self defense. I use Winchester Super X 158 grain +p lead hollow points in mine.

for a little bit more money, you could get a Glock 30 -11 rounds of .45 ACP and still perfectly concealable and still large enough for a home defense weapon. plus it accepts 13 round mags from the glock 21.

.38 + P gold dot would be fine.

I have shot this handgun and thought the double action trigger was one of the worst I have ever felt.

but if the OP is listening hopefully he will pick something else.

I say just fire it and then decide , I don't really know anyone that likes the trigger of that thing.

Also to add
Unless you train with this gun you're going to miss your target unless it's 5 yards away and not moving.

Remember in real life things move . They are not stapled to a target stand.

.38 is inadequate. 5 rounds is inadequate. A 1.9" barrel is inadequate. all of this adds up to a woefully inadequate PRIMARY self defense weapon. For certain circumstances, it is the optimal choice but for a primary self defense weapon, it's woefully inadequate. A compact Glock should be the primary handgun. The bodyguard should be the secondary weapon. I have a 340 pd ct dao in .357 btw. It just got replaced with a Glock 30 because 5 rounds is inadequate, especially with a 1 7/8" barrel. I still have it because it definitely has a place but that place shouldn't be your right hip.

I disagree that a .38 special is woefully inadequate. It was carried by police departments for many years and has filled many a hole in cemeteries. While a .380 or .38 special is the minimum I'd carry I feel it can do the job. Although, if I had the opportunity to buy a dedicated self defense gun and didn't already own one it probably wouldn't be my first choice.

should the time ever come, you'll be wishing you had brought more than the minimum. .38 special fired out of a 2 inch or less barrel is considerably different than .38 special fired out of a 5 or 6 inch barrel too. It's all about shot placement and a 1 7/8" barrel makes shot placement pretty difficult. so you need more rounds to compensate but you have fewer rounds, not more. that being the case, you would want some serious kinetic energy to compensate for your decreased capacity and vital organ hit probability but you have less energy, not more. Woefully inadequate every way you look at it.

Now look at the Glock 30. It's 45 acp. There's no shortage of kinetic energy there. It holds 11 rounds. that's plenty authoritative. It also accepts the Glock 21 13 round magazine as well as a shearer 28 round magazine. I watched Hickock45 hit his gong at 80 yards repeatedly with his Glock 30. Think about what that translates too at 1-25 yards. Plus it's a Glock which just speaks for itself at this point. I know which gun I would rather fight with.

That's why I carry a Glock 36 everyday, my concern about recommending the 30 (especially to new CCWers) is the weight and width. The J frame you carry beats the hell out of the heavier gun you leave at home and the larger size of the 30 may put people off from carrying it everyday. Just an opinion though, I know that some people carry the 30 everyday and love it.


Wanted to add, if he's not going to take it out of the house and wants a Glock in .45 I'd go with a 21 instead of a 30.

It is a great pistol, one of the best IMO, and I agree with you that if he's not going to ever take it out of the house, it might be the better choice but, at some point, you're going to want to conceal it and carry it outside of the house and the 21 is a bit large for that although plenty of people do carry it. That's what's so nice about the 30. Yes, the grip is a bit wide but, overall, it's very concealable and, for all intents and purposes, it's still just as potent as the 21 plus it seems to fit a smaller hand better than the Glock 21. I like that little M&P340 but it is very limited in its usefulness.

Sorry, I couldn't resist...

It is quite similar to the S&W "Bodyguard" series of revolvers.

My situation may vary from yours. I live in a large old home that was once a hotel. Often we have roomers who stay with us for a short period of time as we do try to help out those in need.

If I hear a strange noise in the middle of the night I quickly put a pair of cargo pants on and slip the little .38 snub nosed revolver into a pocket. I then wander out of my bedroom and check the situation out. ( I should note that in many cases this is a poor idea. Playing Wyatt Earp can give a dangerous intruder a significant advantage if he hears you approaching.)

I have my hand on the snub nosed revolver in my pocket as I check the situation out. If necessary I can draw it rapidly. However if the noise was caused by a occupant of the home or a visitor I don't scare the crap out of them when I enter the room. I just calmly walk to the kitchen and get a glass of water.

The light .38 caliber revolver is considered an adequate handgun at close range by many experts. You just aim and pull the heavy trigger and it makes a LOUD noise. You can't forget to flip the safety off as with a revolver YOU are the safety. I believe that the Bodyguard series comes with a laser and this accessory can aid accuracy for rapid close range shooting. (I don't have a lot of experience with lasers but I am considering buying one for my snub nosed revolver.)

Drawbacks to any .38 snub nosed revolver:

1) It is a difficult weapon to master when shooting at 45 feet or longer as it is definitely not a target quality handgun. (However most self defense situations a civilian will find himself in occur at ranges under 21 feet.)

2) Because of its light weight it is not a fun handgun to practice with as it has a sharp recoil.

3) This revolver has a long heavy trigger pull and some, especially women, have difficulty with this. It is possible to lighten the trigger pull but it might effect the reliability of the weapon with certain ammunition.

4) While adequate many experienced shooters argue that the .38 snub lacks stopping power. They feel a larger revolver in .357 magnum, or a pistol in .40 or .45 caliber as having far more stopping power.

5) Many shooters prefer their self defense weapon to have a higher capacity than five rounds. It is also true that you can reload a pistol far faster than MOST revolvers.

If you live in a home and don't have other family members to worry about, your best home defense weapon is probably a shotgun. Your best plan if you hear a very strange noise in the middle of the night is to call 911 on your cell phone and hide behind your bed with the shotgun pointed at your locked door. If the intruder breaks down your door and enters your bedroom you simply shoot him. A 12 gauge shotgun is far more lethal than any handgun at close range if loaded with the proper ammunition. It has EXCELLENT stopping power. Unfortunately it will likely kill the intruder. Of course if you use any firearm for self defense this might be the result. Even the low powered .22 caliber handgun can severely injure or kill another person. The drawback to a shotgun is that if you leave your room it is far easier for an intruder to disarm you as it has a lengthy barrel which you intruder can grab. Plus it can be an awkward weapon to employ at close range.

The last thing you should ever hope to do is to have to shoot another person. It often leads to significant psychological problems even if you were entirely justified. Be aware of this.

Of course if you do purchase a firearm for self defense you need to know how to safely handle it and you need to be willing to practice with it enough to become proficient. This might involve taking a gun safety course and spending some time at a range. If you have no experience with shooting it might be wise to find an instructor to help you or another very experienced shooter to give you pointers. If your only knowledge of shooting is from the movies or TV you might mistakenly believe that it is very easy. The reality is that it is a difficult skill to master or even become slightly proficient. Shooting can also be a very interesting hobby. You might find you enjoy it.

It is VERY important to realize the responsibly that owning a firearm involves. You should always store your weapon so that it is not accessible to children. For a self defense handgun, a lockable gun box which can be quickly opened is a good idea. They are fairly cheap but very secure from children. If you have a large collection of weapons a gun safe is an excellent idea. A cheap one will keep most people out but even the best will not deter a professional criminal for a long period of time.

One argument often used by those who oppose gun ownership is that a firearm in your home might prove far more dangerous to you or a family member than the threat of an intruder. This is ABSOLUTELY true. Imagine how you might feel if a firearm killed one of your family members or if they choose it as the tool to commit suicide. Guns are NOT for everybody and even an entirely rational person may at one time in their life suffer from a mental issue such as severe depression and a firearm may offer them a quick and easy chance to escape their problems. Also be aware that if you or a member of your family abuses alcohol or drugs or has anger management problems a firearm in the home is a poor idea.

Recently a close member of my family who was suffering from depression because of her inability to find a job in this Great Recession used a handgun to kill herself. She was engaged in an argument with her husband over financial problems and shot herself right in front of him. At the time she was legally intoxicated and was also taking a anti-depression drug that had a history of leading to suicidal tendencies. Imagine how I feel as I was the one who trained her in gun safety! Imagine how her husband feels as he had just threatened to kill himself just before she did!

Perhaps your best decision is to consider burglar proofing your home. There are many sites on the web with excellent suggestions on how to accomplish this.

For women only.

When you are confronted with violence, a gun beats no gun every time.

That said, the best gun is the one that you are most comfortable shooting. You can debate calibers and stopping power and all that jazz until you are blue in the face, but if you are afraid of the gun or if you don't know how to operate it it is all a moot point.

As I just told my in-laws who are considering buying a firearm as they are building a beach-front home in an unpopulated area known to have frequent run-ins with alligators coming up into the pilings of homes, if I had to choose one single firearm to own it would be a shotgun.

A shotgun can serve in nearly any role. You can hunt any kind of game with it, you can shoot long distance with it (up to 100 yards with slugs easily), and it will serve for home defense well also. So if I had to pick just one firearm, it would be a shotgun.

Not everyone can handle the weight of a long-arm like a shotgun. There is also something to be said for trying to navigate around corners with a barrel sticking out 18 inches or more in front of you, though its generally a bad idea to go "house clearing" during a home invasion unless you have no other choice (like us - the childrens' rooms are on the opposite side of the house from the master bedroom).

Your best bet is to go to a well-stocked indoor shooting range that has rental firearms and try out all of them. Many ranges will let you change weapons for free - if you are renting for an hour you can use any similar firearm you want over the course of an hour. So try them all. Find out what fits in your hand well and what is comfortable to operate and shoot.

Smaller-frame handguns are good for concealed carry, but being smaller and lighter they transfer more of the recoil to the shooter's hand.

Revolvers can be good in that they have no safeties to concern yourself with before using the firearm. Nor do they have to have a round chambered before they will fire. However, unless you manually cock the hammer before every shot (unlikely in a self-defense situation) this means that every shot is double-action which means a long, hard trigger pull and thus possibly decreased accuracy.

Revolvers are also typically limited to 6-8 rounds of ammunition. Many semi-automatic handguns today will hold 10, 15, or even 20 rounds of ammunition. If you are going to buy a gun for protection, all else being equal buy the one that holds the most bullets!. A gun is only useful so long as it has bullets in it. Thus it stands to reason that the more bullets it holds the longer it will remain useful should you have to use it. No one ever got to the end of a gun fight and said, "Darn, I had too many bullets!"

Overpenetration is a concern when shooting inside a building, and you should just assume that it will happen and plan accordingly. Every firearm in existence, including shotguns, will blast through normal home construction from one side of the house to the other. I suggest you go look at this web site: http://www.theboxotruth.com/ . Most internal home walls are nothing but air with 1/2" of sheetrock on either side and a few 2x4s spaced on 16" centers. Unless you get lucky and hit a 2x4, whatever you shoot will go right through your house, unless you have a brick home.

Whatever you buy, train to use the firearm. This means getting someone who knows what they are doing to teach you about firearm safety and operation. This means going to a shooting range and understanding how to use the firearm intimately. You do not want to be figuring out how to load a magazine, or how to rack the slide, or how to deactivate the safety during a crisis situation.

And if nothing else, remember these basic firearm safety rules:

1) Treat every firearm as if it were loaded.
2) Never point a firearm at anything you do not intend to destroy.
3) Never put your finger on the trigger until you intend to fire the weapon.
4) Always be certain of your target, and what is behind it.
5) Every time you pick up a weapon, check to see if it is loaded.
6) Never keep firearms or ammunition where children can get to them.

versus a long gun, I would assume it's because you need to keep it loaded and ready, but locked up in a quick-access safe.

In that case, get something full-size. The extra heft will help control recoil, the longer barrel will give you more muzzle energy, the longer grip will give you better handgun control.

For a semi-auto, try to get something revolver-simple... a Glock, Kahr, a Springfield Armory XD, a S&W M&P, etc. Something that doesn't have a separate manual safety or an external hammer. And a double-stack magazine if you can comfortably handle it.

Minimum caliber should be 9mm, but you'll also find plenty in .40 S&W and .45 ACP. Whatever you get, use premium expanding ammunition.


For a revolver, get something double-action. Ruger GP100, for example. S&W, Charter Arms, Taurus, etc., make loads of such revolvers.

Minimum caliber should be .38 Special +P. .327 Federal Magnum, .357 Magnum, .44 Special, .45 Colt are chamberings you should be looking for. .44 Magnums can also fire .44 Specials, and .357 Magnums can fire .38 Special +Ps. You can also find revolvers that use .45 ACP ammunition.


An attached laser and light wouldn't hurt anything, but will mostly limit you to semi-autos.

You can also find revolvers that use .45 ACP ammunition.

Get to shoot three different cartridges from one revolver at a minimum and the .460 is a great round. Better than the .500 mag in most respects IMO.

It was a startling set of images to say the least. I've caught a little bit of cylinder gap gases from my .357, but the .460 is devastating if the thumb is placed incorrectly.

[IMG][/IMG]
Even this picture is placing the thumb way too close.

[IMG][/IMG]
Jerry Miculek demonstrates how to properly grip a revolver. Notice the placement of his thumbs.

From: http://cheaperthandirt.com/blog/?p=26613

The exploded thumb images were a valuable lessen to me that you can't hold your revolver like your pistol.

And this is the type of thread I've been looking for before I make my first purchase.

Of course I'll go and test fire as many possibles as I can too but stuff likes this helps a lot. Thanks folks!

Your best bet is to call 911 and let the Police do their job. Having a handgun at home is an invitation for disaster with tragic result.

As soon as you teach the cops to jump through a rip in the fabric of time.

talking to 911 as you are being killed.


Just yell the description of the attacker or attackers out to the 911 operator.


They record it and they can find them after.

You don't know nutting bout self defense.

jezzzzz..........

Suffer your beating or execution with dignity? Ask the criminals if you can make them tea? Study Tantric yoga? Build a ship in a bottle?

Seriously, what?

it has to be ?

Empirical evidence is ignored by Dems as well as by Repubs.

I personally prefer Mossberg 500 or 590 models. I have a 590 5-shot with an 18.5 inch barrel for the home and a longer one for hunting.

If you absolutely have to have a handgun, then one of the large frame revolvers like a Ruger GP-100 or a S&W 629 is probably your best bet. If a round misfires, you just pull the trigger again. If a semi-auto misfires, you have to have the experience necessary to know how to clear that round.

Just my opinion...

I carried my 442 Airweight Centennial .38 Special for a while.

Then I carried my 640 Centennial .357 Magnum.

These days I carry my .40 S&W Glock 23.

The 640 is a heavy beast, and with even light .357 Magnum loads it's a bear. Mostly I take it to the range now and again and blast away with some shit hot .357 Magnum loads. Fireball out the barrel stuff. I'd had people around me stop shooting.

The 442 is a fine gun, but even with standard pressure .38 Specials, it's a bear. I tried it once with .38 Special +P loads, and I swear to Gaia it felt like there was no gun and I was just squeezing the primers until they detonated in my hand.

I've blasted away all weekend at an advanced shooting class--Firearms Academy of Seattle--with my Glock. I can put 400-500 rounds downrange, and suffer no ill effects. I don't think I could do 100 rounds through one of my Centennials without pain and numbness in my hand.

IF is has to be a handgun ... I would go with a revolver .. Double action ...
it doesn't jam ... doesn't "stovepipe" and is very reliable ...
I would get a minimum of a 4 inch bbl for muzzle control and accuracy ...

I would get a 38/.357 probably in Ruger (my next handgun will get a SP101)

this gun is easy to clean and maintain ... it will require you to go to the range
and practice but no more then any handgun

that said ...
semi-auto's are good .. they may take a little practice to be comfortable with ...
cleaning them is a little more involved
I recommend at least a 9mm .... if you want something a little bigger
.45 acp is excellent ... but if you are a smallish person you may want to stay
with the 9mm .... less recoil .... and in most cases 16-17 rounds ....

with this weapon you will also need to go to the range ... there is more to master

I would recommend a Glock 17 .... excellent firearm ( I am biased toward Glock clean simple and easy to use ...)

but hands down the best home defense weapon is a 12 ga shotgun with a 20 inch bbl ... pump or semi-auto ....

hope this helps ....
all the information in his post is excellent and a lot to take in ... take your time
and be comfortable with the weapon ... most ranges will rent you different guns
to practice with and get a feel for .... in many cases they will have someone help
you when you are on the range .... safety ... stance ... breathing ... all of it ...

But at the end of the day, when I am at home, I expect to rely upon a long-arm if necessary.

That said, J's are GREAT travel companions.

and like you at the end of the day .. my mossberg 500 is what I use for home defense .... although I am kicking around getting a 870 ....