So my current beside pistol is a .40 S&W 4006TSW CHP with a light. Perfectly fine and more than adequate for the job.

But I was thinking about a bigger bullet (at less velocity) instead.

My choices:

Sig P220 after a bit of trigger work and night sights by Sig

Beretta PX4 full size with night sights after trigger work by
Langdon Tactical

S&W 4566TSW stock, no trigger job, plain 3-dot sigths

Remington 1911 R1S with fiber-optic front sight

Wadda ya think? And maybe why?

I think you are way overthinking this issue. When was the last time you had to use your .40 S&W 4006TSW CHP with a light and found it to be lacking?

I would go in the opposite direction.

I doubt the bad guy will notice the difference.

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Music/Sports/Beer fan

While I agree with alwslate (#2), above, if you are committed to a .45, I would suggest a Shield 45. It is relatively lightweight and easy to deploy. It holds 7+1 rounds and is very accurate. I have 8,000 rounds through mine, and have never felt the need for a trigger job. However, if you already own the four .45 pistols you mentioned, practice grabbing each from wherever you keep your bedside gun and see which is easiest to grasp and deploy.

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What, me worry?

I current have my P220 on my nightstand

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213th FBINA

What ever you can shoot best.

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No baby we aint

My nightstand gun is a HK USP45 w/ light.

Tisas Raider would be my choice:

I would go with any 1911 you like, and particularly one that would be fun to practice with at the range.

It does not matter what you choose, because you already have a perfectly good gun at your bedside. I would not change from that until your new toy is clearly better in your hands.

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Formerly Model520Fan

1970’s LW Colt Commander 45ACP with Crimson Trace. I would Never have a light on any handgun.

I have in rotation, for that duty:
A Sig P220, double action (DA), shoots well, quick handling
A Smith 645, DA, amazing reliability, a shade less accurate than the Sig, but it is not 25 yards across my bedroom:
A TISAS 1911, God's caliber, in a John Browning design, and I am not going to cry if it goes into an evidence locker for a while.

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Kind regards, Heinz

Of your choices, I’d go with the 220 simply because I prefer them to the other options. A Glock 21 has been my nightstand gun since 2004 and I sleep very soundly at night.

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Some Might Say.

Can’t help with the gun, but want to add a comment. The OP is talking about going from a higher pressure round to a lower pressure round.

That could be helpful for indoor use. The concussion of, say, 357 vs 44 Special is significantly different. There are hearing conditions where things like this can cause vertigo, nausea, etc. I haven’t noticed this being discussed around here, but it’s worth consideration.

The 45ACP is one of the few with good potential for a “do-everything” gun, from low-pressure home defense to 460 Rowland woods gun.

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Uvidíme se později, aligátore.

For me, I choose capacity. Especially considering I probably won't have a reload on me. My nightstand gun is a Glock 17 with 19+1 of 9mm 147 gr. HST.

Your current .40 S&W loaded with 180 gr. HST's should serve you well (granted you shoot it well).

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Watch & Pray

I see you are in Washington state. Guessing you are not worried so much about some ONE at night as much as some THING at night.

So, is this really a well disguised “what cartridge for Sasquatch” thread?

Kevin

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Unshared knowledge is wasted.

�� No HK’s ?

No revolvers?

Way over thinking this. I like what someone wrote above, the goblins won't notice the difference. Choose the gun that works best for you. I elect revolvers for things that go bump in the night.

7 rounds, .38 Special, HP, more than sufficient in my book. And I can get to more loaded guns if necessary.

686+ 3"



Everything you need; nothing you don't.

As noted, I have several other guns available for home defense but being awakened in the middle of the night = wheelgun time for me. And no lights or other appendages to get in my way.

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Come and take it!!

I prefer the 1911 platform just because I have owned/shot them for over 50 years. In total darkness I can load, unload, clear jam, etc. Muscle memory allows me to not even think what I need to do to operate it. My current bedside "tool" is a Wiley Clapp Colt LWT Commander. It is everything I want in a 1911. The only thing I changed, (bought it used) is to put a new set of grips on it.

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Have Canon, Will Travel

How about a Smith & Wesson Governor?

Any Govt Model 1911

I'm not a fan of the .40 but since you already own one , I would just stick with it .

I keep a nice collection of older colt gms handy and they’re loaded.Assuming I wake up halfway coherent,remember where they are and remember to chamber a round,I’m good ��

I'm a dedicated old 1911 guy, but for my “nightstand gun” I prefer an M&P .45 full-size model with safety, and light. As I’ve gotten older I’m not so sure about the fine motor skills thing if something has just awakened me, so the M&P trigger seems like a better idea. And if the M&P gets hauled away by the police for their investigation, I guess I’d be less upset.

My only concern with a .40 vs. a .45 is the report. The .45 might be a bit easier on one’s hearing, but I doubt there’s enough difference to matter.

Either one will damage unprotected hearing. Maybe the OP needs to think suppressed!

Which ever one you feel is most comfortable and reliable.

A bigger bullet than .40 at less velocity says one of two things to me. .45 Auto, or .45 Colt, take your choice; 1911 or S&W M25 as a delivery device.

But I see no reason to need bigger than .40S&W as a bedside gun.

For a bit of clarification: The other guns I mention are all in the safe; I already own them. So it ain't like I'm looking for something new.
I also have .357s & .38 specials, and a Colt .45acp 1917 wheel gun. I guess the Colt would be a compromise between caliber and those suggestiong a wheel gun, but reloads are a bit of a hassle early in the am what with moon clips. (I was looking for a S&W .45 but the Colt popped up at a very good price and I went with it.).

I'm gonna read all the comments over again, them make a decision to change or not. The sound/hearing thing is something I hadn't really considered...

Thanks for helping me out here.

16 rounds of 45 ACP.

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I'm in the "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" Camp.

Of the guns you are looking to switch to, I'd vote for the 220. I've had one since 2007 and not had an issue with it (until I tinkered with it). It's relable and with the right grips (hogue G10s in my case), it's very ergonomic.

If your determined to go .45 since you have the S&W 4566 TSW I would go with that for familiarity to your 4006 TSW. Although any of your .45's would suffice.

All that any caliber can do is make a hole. What you need is the ability to put the round where it counts.

A light and laser make a good combination for a nightstand gun. The light blinds the perpetrator and illuminates the surroundings. The laser marks the point of impact clearly.

Keep with what works for you.
But also consider what happens it you miss your target.
Standard walls, Neighbor's homes next door?

One of these .45 beauties would work, can be shot with one hand, light held in the other.

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I use my P220 for that "bump in the night"

Not much can beat a 1911 with 230 grain hardball for HD. 8+1 capacity and out of a full size steel 1911, very controllable. With the hardball ammo, most 1911's are perfectly reliable. In almost 50 years of owning Colt's and shooting them, I have never had a misfeed, jam or FTF with 230 grain FMJ. While too large and heavy for EDC (at least for me), for the role of HD and in a night stand, it's great.

While I'd not say this about other calibers and cartridges..... the .45 FMJ out of a 5" bbl. need not be hollow point to get the job done - it's already large and heavy enough. Reliability is the key here.

Springfield Garrison .45 does the nightstand duty at my house.

My bedside gun is a bone-stock Kimber Ultra Carry Series I loaded with 7+1 of 230gr FMJ in Condition 1.

As I read through this thread, though, I wonder about the possibility to add CT grips

The issue of firing a revolver or semi auto in a room is deaf-intly an issue. Firing a few rounds will cause hearing issues and damage but it will only last a few seconds.
A flash light type light attached to any pistol can be a dead give away to your position and be an attraction to the B&E crook. A red dot Criminson Trace type sight only come on when one depresses the dot switch when griping pistol. Red light will not affect one night vision where a bright white flash light will totally destroy ones night vision. By chance one uses a white light flash light hold it in non shooting hand up and away from ones body. This requires practice.

Why would one need a light in one’s own home? I know every inch of floor space, distances, and blind spots. We have motion detector night lights in all of the rooms. And ambient light is more than sufficient on all but moonless or very cloudy nights.

Kevin

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Unshared knowledge is wasted.

For me, so my best advice, I would go with a CZ97B; and if I could swing it, the works from David Milan at Cajun Gunworks.

I don't own a bedside gun, or rather, my bedside gun is whatever is attached to my belt beside my bed. It's usually a 1911. As a die-never 1911 lover I've really enjoyed CZ's over the years. While I do greatly appreciate the Sigs, CZ tromps all over them for someone who strongly prefers the ergonomics of a 1911 in my book.
The 97 is a very large animal, but all the better for bedside? And during the daytime it's capable of Bullseye accuracy with the right treatment. Just fun to shoot!

HK45 with a light for me. Probably the most reliable 45 acp on the planet according to tests done for HK by Todd Green.

>30K with no failures. Try that with a 1911.

https://hk-usa.com/wp-content/upload...t_JAN_2011.pdf

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That's just somebody talkin.

Why not all of them? Variety is the spice of life!

On a more helpful note, I'd go with the Sig.

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Even older, even crankier....

Waking up in the middle of the night and grabbing a gun..... I'd go with DA/SA vs Cocked and locked...... weight to dampen recoil ...... so 4566 followed by the 220.

Two spare mags and a good 200 lumen flashlight!

I own both.

I went to deer camp, near Del Rio Texas this past weekend. My cousin turned up sick so I was out there by myself. With all of the issues I had no worries.
However, before I went to bed, I had locked and loaded my colt 1911 and then locked the door and proceeded to sleep. I figured any unwelcome visitor would see a brilliant flash!!
My wife was unhappy I spent the weekend alone and asked me if I was worried, nope was my reply. I was frankly nervous being on a 10 foot ladder fixing the roof!

Believe me, a .45 fired outdoors without hearing protection will blank out your hearing for several seconds, and leave your earring ringing the rest of the morning. That said, a .357 fired three bays away will do the same.

I have a M25-5 next to me while I sleep. I have a full moon clip of .45 ACP HP (the M25-5 has been modified to accept these as well) & a flashlight on the nightstand too.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

Under stress, the brain will blank out, the sound of the gunshot(s). Nevertheless the ears will have been damaged.

These days you'd more likely find an illegal alien roaming around than a nice white tailed deer! We have a lot of ties to Del Rio.

For a good first shot score, I'd prefer the cocked and locked 1911 over a traditional double action pistol.