This topic should be interesting!

IMHO your basic PD revolver only needs:

1. Crisp, smooth trigger @ 9 to 12 lb.
2. Good sights
3. Grips that allow for proper trigger control

It is assumed that the average revolver is accurate and reliable enough for Personal Defense straight out-of-the-box. Afterall, you can't get any more reliable than a revolver.

Reliabilty first and foremost! Adequate caliber, aequate weight for the chosen caliber so you can become proficient with the weapon. Lastly size if you plan on CC.

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Sie vis pacem parabellum

Perfect answer.

Have it on you or near you.

+1
Also a short barrel.

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ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ

The one in your hand is much better than the 10 in your safe!

1. No Lock

Pink grips?
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Pretty much what was said above, There is no real need for glowing sights/lasers/flashlights/toaster ovens ect...
Just so long as you're comfortable with it, It's reliable and a reasonable caliber.
Once you are good with it, Sights arent needed at 10-15 feet or so....
Peter

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Need 1/2 moon Chiefs special

Easily accessible. Digging for it in your purse or underwear isn't a good defense tactic.

Figuring out what will work for you as a personal defense revolver is difficult. There are, however, some thoughts that come to mind.

1) Become familiar with the gun. Know it well enough that you can reload it in the dark, or with your eyes closed.
2) Pick a caliber that is effective for self defense. I would choose a .38 cal revolver at a minimum.
3) Find a gun that shoots well for you. It's not necessary to keep everything in the 10 ring at 50 feet. Practice at realistic distances, 21 feet and under, and practice with it until you can keep your shots where you want them.
4) Carry the biggest gun that you can comfortably and consistantly carry. A 6" model 29 might be cool, but is probably going to be left in the safe for a trip to the corner store for smokes at 23:30 hrs.
5) Learn how to use whatever you choose SAFELY. Safety is paramount, and one of the biggest responsibilities that we have as firearm owners.

Go to a local range and shoot a variety of guns if available. The best part is, buying a gun isn't like getting married. If you don't like it, you can trade it in for something that you like better.

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Rough waters ahead.

That all depends .

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Rough waters ahead.

This works well for me...8-shot 627-PC .357 Magnum, Spegel Grips, 8-cartridge speed strips from Tuff Products, Murph's Leather holster (local maker), B&H Saddle (local maker) 8-cartridge drop pouch, and RafterS belt.

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C & L

Carry

Something you will carry, getting proficent with it, and is reasonably accurate and small enough to conceal it. I carry a S&W Model 36 or my S&W Model 64 for carry. I did just ordered a German made Sig P228 9mm that I will work into my carry scheme.

Home defense

Some that you can get to quickly (I have several around the house) and that you shoot well and I prefer night sights. I keep Semi auto high cap guns in the house for home defense. I have a Sig P226 in 40 S&W, Sig P220, and a P226 in 9mm and they are always handy. They all function exactly the same so there's no transition from gun to gun.

Good responses. I would this: The definition of 'adequete' caliber starts and ends with 45. It's all you need.

(On with the Nomex . . . )


Cat

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Think for yourself.

...and loaded.

Sir, these are not safe assumptions. A quick look around these boards will turn up many instances of reliability and accuracy problems with revolvers.

Accuracy and reliability must be demonstrated on an individual basis--your gun, with your ammo, in your hands. Staking your life on general assumptions is less than wise.

Regarding the original question, here are my requirements, FWIW. These apply to autos as well.

1. The gun must be demonstrably reliable.

2. The gun must fit my hand easily, with no stretching or other gymnastics required. Mainly this means trigger reach.

3. The gun must possess sufficient power without undue recoil or noise. FWIW, I do not like magnum loads for a defensive gun.

4. The gun must have a smooth trigger action. Heavy I can work with; gritty and crunchy I can't.

5. The gun's sights must be easy to pick up quickly.

6. The gun must hit where I point it. It need not produce teeny-tiny little groups (though that would be nice), but it does need to shoot to the sights with my chosen ammo.

7. The gun must of a size and shape that I can conceal easily.

JMHO, FWIW.

Hope this helps, and Semper Fi.

Ron H.

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Wishin' don't make it so.

#1... It MUST go BANG every time!

I agree with most of what has been said here. However, by far, the most important piece of gear is YOU. Practice until you are absolutely POSITIVE you can perform when necessary. Speed is nice, accuracy is final. Accuracy is FINAL. Accuracy is FINAL.

Years ago, Jeff Cooper said it best. It takes one range session a month just to maintain your performance level. It takes one range session a week to improve. Most of us need to improve.

It requires deep pockets to shoot this much factory ammo. Most will not/can not do it. I keep harping on reloading but it is the most reliable path to success. Success being coming home safe from every trip (EVERY TRIP...).

FWIW
Dale53

Three things are needed, one-it goes boom every time, two- it goes boom every time and three-practice, practice, practice.

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Stay safe people!

I like one with moon clips and a caliber of .45.


625-3

GF

For defensive (close range) use, sights are actually optional. But my old eyes appreciate a laser sight.

My list (assuming you have the will to use deadly force to defend yourself and your loved ones):

1. does it go bang every time you pull the trigger?

2. is it small enough and light enough that you'll carry it 100% of the time?

3. is it big enough and heavy enough that you can hit the target with it?

4. is it of sufficient caliber to reach the CNS and stop an attacker?

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VIVERE MILITARE EST

comfortability knowing your weapon inside and out practice practice practice

K-Frame, fixed sight, .38 Special with no lock.

My choice for gun, carried in a Galco shoulder holster. Waiting on custom belt holster and belt.

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Richard Gillespie
FBINA 102

Let me expand on that. .357, 3 inch bbl, round butt with a bobbed hammer and converted to DAO.

ie. Mod 13, or 10 if you don't like maganums.

3-inch barrel is good. Don't mind the good ol' 4-inch barrel though and 2-inch snubs are cool. 2-inch K-Frames carry as well as a J-Frame for me and would imagine the 3-inch would carry as well as the 2-inch.

No DAO for me though. I gotta have my hammer spur. I like choices.

I have to agree with you. A small j-frame (49) works for me. It is easy to carry so I won't leave it home. It goes bang every time. I also have to add that it is readily concealable and non-confrontational. Folks need to be realistic about the situations when they are likely to draw a firearm. As Gary Kleck pointed out most defensive uses of firearms do not result in a shoot out. To that I would like to suggest that many if not most suspicious events turn out to be nothing. And if there is nothing there, displaying a firearm, even unintentionally, is an invitation for trouble.

Take for example that strange noise in the middle of the night. While it may be latest incarnation of "The Night Stalker", it is more likely (as it was for me) to be a little girl and her mom looking for a lost cat. If I had a bigger pistol (which I have) that I could not have slipped discretely into my pocket, I would have scared the bejesus out of little girl and her mom to say nothing about probably getting some unwanted police attention and poisoning my neighborhood relationships. My model 49 was there if needed as a last resort. I also suspect that it would be a lot easier to explain (my carry permit not withstanding) to my local police and / or in court what I was doing with small revolver rather than 9 MM with a couple of extra magazines.

Self-defense does not mean seeking out confrontation. It means the use of force only as last resort.

We are talking about S&W revolvers, so reliability won't be a concern - IL or not. Sights won't be a problem, as shooting at 2-5 yds is the most likely scenario - 'instinctive' shooting should be in the regimine of much of your range time.

The prime requisite, to me, for a CCW is simple - it must be CC-ed 24/7. A 642 loaded with 148gr lead wadcutter target rounds carried in your pocket or purse beats the poop out of the latest two pound plus nuclear load delivery system that must be shoulder, belt, or reinforced carbon fiber equipped purse carried - which you often leave home due to the inconvenience. Plus, anyone can shoot that combo. If your builtin epi pump still functions, even +Ps in that 642 won't likely be noticed. Now, some hot .357M CorBons in an AirLite, that you'd notice. A 317 (12 oz .22LR) in the pocket beats a 325/327/329 NG left in the night stand.

Now, for home use - something reliable and available works... again, ease of retrieval in an emergency. "Wake up dear - what's that gun safe's combination?" wouldn't be a good thing to hear after you notice the sound of the front door being kicked in.

Stainz

I think the primary requirement for a Personal Defense handgun are as follows, in order of importance.

1) It should be totally reliable.

2) It should have sufficient power to provide an acceptable level of defense. As we have all seen from reading the various stories on the net, with any handgun a true "one shot stop" is not assured but a more powerful caliber does trump a weaker caliber to some degree. IMO any cartridge that delivers a minimum of 350 ft.lbs. at the muzzle is a minimum requirement, any less and you should be shooting for the head.

3) It should be enjoyable to practice with enough that you can become exceptionally profficient shooting it. In addition, it should be a weapon that you can control well enough to achieve a 1/2 second interval time with while getting good strikes on target. My personal criteria for that is to be able to hit a 4 inch target at 25 feet with every single round fired at this rate.

4) It should be light enough to carry all day and easy to conceal in a variety of manner of dress.

When all 4 of these factors are taken together, the best choice for me wasn't a revolver, it was a semi-auto. Specifically, a 40 caliber Sig Sauer P239. In 1000 rounds downrange it's been perfectly flawless. The 40 S&W has a decent reputation for stopping power and performance. The gun fits my hand so well that it's sometimes a bit scary how well I can shoot it and I have no problem controlling the muzzle flip. It's 30 ounces and while that may sound heavy it's not a burden in a good holster. In addition it's very easy to make disappear.

Now, contrast that with another favorite gun, my S&W model 620. Like the P239, it's been totally reliable. Loaded with 357 Magnums it certainly has more than adequate power and loaded with good HP ammo, overpenetration shouldn't be a huge concern. However, loaded with JSP or LRN overpenetration could be a concern. Criteria number 3 is where I have a problem with the 620. With full power Magnum loads I cannot control it well enough to meet my criteria when trying to maintain a 1/2 second interval. At 40 feet, on my best days I've only been able to manage a 6 inch grouping at this firing rate. With my P239 I can group as tight as 2.5 inches at this distance on a good day. Granted, I can load it with 38 +P and shoot tight enough but it's then below my minumum threshold for power. Finally, while it's concealable with some types of dress, it's too large to conceal well under a T shirt. In addition, it's a bit heavy for all day carry.

Yeah, I know about the J frame and how easy they are to conceal. The problem with the J frame is that for commercial ammo your faced with only 3 choices in caliber. The 38 spl. which I feel is not powerful enough even with a 3 inch barrel, the 38 +P which has a bit more power but still lacking, and the 357 Magnum which IMO is just too powerful for any gun under 35 ounces in weight. With most of the 357 J frames your basically limited to just 1 shot, after which you'll be shaking your hand trying to get some feeling back in it. IMO, what's needed to make the J frame practical is a cartidge similar to a 9mm +P or 40 S&W. In a 26 to 30 ounce gun, a 350-400 ft.lbs. energy load would not only be managable, it would also provide an adequate level of power. As for the Scandium and Aluminum J fames, they are just too damn light.

You need to have it with you, And you need to be so familiar with it that it is an extension of your hand.(Model 640 .38spl !!! or 940 if ya got one )
Concealable,carryable and weather/body sweat resistant and a real hoot to shoot
Carl

Essential features?
6 rounds of .44 Magnum, anything else is over-kill

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Essential features???
It must go boom every time you pull the trigger. After that it's all window dressing.

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