Which S&W do you trust your life with: a home and on the street?

[gordon21]

Don73: You are completely right about not scaring or intentionally merely wounding a HUMAN. That was drilled into us during the concealed carry class. The instructor (local police chief) made it very clear. If you feel threatened enough to pull your weapon, you should be planning to kill. No ifs, ands or buts.

As far as animals were concerned, I never really considered that that should apply too. I assumed other options were available and prudent. From the comments so far, I guess I need to change my mindset.

 

[Kentucky Dave]

In 42 years of shooting them, I've never had a S&W Model 19 fail to shoot when it was loaded and I pulled the trigger.

My experience with my Glock Model 19 I've had for about 25 or 30 years is similar.

So I guess I'll say, "Give me a Model 19!"

I've felt very comfortable carrying either over the years.

 

[cmort666]

My Model 36 "no-dash".

I wasn't planning to buy one, but a lawyer friend had a client going up the river who needed to get rid of it. It's now the gun I carry the most, always in one my handmade pocket holsters.

 

[Don 73]

As far as animals were concerned, I never really considered that that should apply too. I assumed other options were available and prudent. From the comments so far, I guess I need to change my mindset.

I mentioned the dog because no matter what the 'hostile' is coming at you: dog, human or rabid chipmunk, using deadly force is using deadly force.

Other options are pepper spray, a big stick or a good kick in the chops.

 

[olm911]

S&W M&P9. Accurate, reliable, tough.

Sent from my LG-VS410PP using Tapatalk 2

 

[Arik]

What S&W do you trust your life with at home and/or on the street? And why?

I have a Model 10 forever at ready for home use. Revolvers can be safe queens; fully loaded for decades, be brought into service by anyone in the family (any skill level) and still be effective.

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I find that a revolver is actually harder to use for "any skill level". Between the small black sights and the trigger pull ifs harder to hit accurately. I have proven that twice by letting my father and sister shoot my revolvers. Having never shot one neither of them could consistently hit the target at any range except point blank. Even at 10 ft away the shots were all over the place with the first few being close but complete misses. When switching over to semi autos they were not able to get any kind of groupings but we're able to consistently hit the chest and stomach area with only an occasional flyer.

Semi autos can sit loaded indefinitely as well, have better sights and triggers.

My carry guns have to have night sights. A revolver in the dark is not a good idea. And be reliable. I carry Glocks and HKs.

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[Waywatcher]

This one...



...for both.

 

[vito]

For home I have a Model 19 with Crimson Trace laser, loaded with 38+p Hornady. For carry, mostly a 642 loaded with the same +p. On occasion, I carry a Ruger LCP with Hornady Critical Defense 380acp.

 

[Amp]

I have several and trust them all but my 640 has made more road trips than any of them by a large margin. Don't even carry extra rounds for it anymore.

 

[Kadonny]

Recoil. The 20 ga can do anything a 12 ga can do at short distances. Like around the house.

And, I have short arms. My 870 is a youth model.

Not really, the 20 gauge will throw less lead since it is smaller, so it can't do as much as the 12. Whether it be buck or slugs, it is not as effective IMO. I get the fit issue though, that's totally understandable.

I have a 20 ga. Mossberg 500... and I've had a 12 ga. Remington 870 Wingmaster for many years. I bought the Mossberg a year ago because it weighs less to carry while chasing rooster pheasants. IMO the Mossberg doesn't kick one bit less than the 12 ga., probably because it weighs less. If recoil is an issue for you - I recommend you get an auto-loader and/or shoot reduced recoil ammo, which BTW is easier to find in 12 ga.

This. If you have shot both, you soon realize the 20 gauge kicks nearly as much as the 12 and it's really more about the weight of the gun. Bottom line, if you want a shotgun for HD, you want it to throw as much lead and the largest lead possible.

For me, on the street it's either my Shield 9mm or my 642. As much as I love my Shield, someway somehow I still trust my 642 more. For HD my 4566TSW will do exactly what I will ask of it.

 

[BaaBaa]

M&P 9 full size. Used twice with dog issues. Once I was woken up at 2AM. My neighbor was gone but had a half blind 16 year old boxer. Wild dogs were attacking it. I ran next door in the dark and ran the wild dogs off. These shots were meant to kill. ….

The second incident was in my own yard with a vicious dog which came into my yard. I fired the 9mm about 6' from its face directly in front of me….. I wasn't trying to kill it, only scare it away.

I know I'm echoing the others here but if you didn't intend to kill then why fire a shot at all?

 

[Protected One]

I know I'm echoing the others here but if you didn't intend to kill then why fire a shot at all?

Didn't he answer that question?

 

[BaaBaa]

I sincerely ask what YOU would have done in these situations. Please tell me your reaction to each incident.

2AM: Dark yard in a very rural area. Lit enough to see my neighbors dog being attacked and about 4-5 wild dogs running frantically around the old blind dog being attacked. I might have hit one, I don't know. All I know is that I stopped the attack. I really want you guys to chime in and say what YOU would have done. Let the dog get killed on the spot or???? After the first shot, they all scattered fast.

As far as the daytime incident, I assume all of you would have preferred that I immediately kill the other dog belonging to a neighbor down the road. Am I right or am I misreading your responses? I have never heard of a "Joey B", but will go Google it later. In this case, I clearly had a choice to make. Kill or scare. I chose scare. My wife or grandkids were not in the yard. It was me and dog only. So the standard response should be "kill the neighbors dog immediately"??

And for those of you that answer "kill the dog immediately", then what would you do afterwards with a dead dog in your own yard? Do you leave it there on the front lawn, go quietly dispose of the body or take it down the road to the neighbor that owns it and hand him a corpse??

Once the threat was gone, first instance then stop shooting.

Yes, kill the dog immediately in the second. There is no "scare" when you pull a weapon to defend yourself. You were lucky, a lot of dogs will continue to attack even if fired upon and hit much less fired nearby.

As to what to do with it, 2 choices. Since I knew the dog and owner I'd probably call the sherif and tell him I had shot a threatening dog and then take the body over to the neighbors yard and dump it there and let the sherif deputy tell them why it was killed. Probably also ask them to replace the ammo I used. Not that I'd actually get it but the sheriff would back me up on getting ammo replaced, after all ammo is worth more than the dog at this point.

Option 2, if I didn't know the owner then I'd take the backhoe out back and bury it.

 

[BaaBaa]

Don73: You are completely right about not scaring or intentionally merely wounding a HUMAN. That was drilled into us during the concealed carry class. The instructor (local police chief) made it very clear. If you feel threatened enough to pull your weapon, you should be planning to kill. No ifs, ands or buts.

As far as animals were concerned, I never really considered that that should apply too. I assumed other options were available and prudent. From the comments so far, I guess I need to change my mindset.

In the CCW class I took on the written test one of the scenarios included a dog coming at you along with other threats. The correct response was shoot the dog first and then shoot the others who were further away. If I draw my weapon to defend myself and make the decision to shoot you can bet I'll be doing my best to stop said attack and that means shoot center of mass no matter the threat. If that kills the attacker so be it. I did not choose to be attacked I only responded to the threat.

 

[BaaBaa]

Didn't he answer that question?

Yep he did. I missed it, sorry.

 

[Protected One]

The second incident was in my own yard with a vicious dog which came into my yard. I fired the 9mm about 6' from its face directly in front of me. I have never seen an animal do a 180 and run 200 yards away so fast in my life. A dogs hearing is very sensitive. I would guess the muzzle blast and noise from 6' directly in front of it changed his mind about aggression. I wasn't trying to kill it, only scare it away.

Some people apply that same thinking to 2 legged attackers. In both cases I think it's flawed logic.

 

[Protected One]

As to what to do with it, 2 choices. Since I knew the dog and owner I'd probably call the sherif and tell him I had shot a threatening dog and then take the body over to the neighbors yard and dump it there and let the sherif deputy tell them why it was killed. Probably also ask them to replace the ammo I used. Not that I'd actually get it but the sheriff would back me up on getting ammo replaced, after all ammo is worth more than the dog at this point.

Option 2, if I didn't know the owner then I'd take the backhoe out back and bury it.

Seriouslly??? You'd ask for the ammo to be replaced?

 

[fdw]

At home, my M&P FS 9mm which has been flawless from day one.

In my car, my Sig P238 which I have come to love too. Much more accurate than I am with practically no recoil. NO malfunctions from day one.

I don't carry, but if I did would be a Shield in 9mm.

 

[Smoke]

Smoke, Mc5aw, Pmosley: I gather that none of you approve of what I did. I am not trying to start an argument, but I sincerely ask what YOU would have done in these situations. Please tell me your reaction to each incident.

2AM: Dark yard in a very rural area. Lit enough to see my neighbors dog being attacked and about 4-5 wild dogs running frantically around the old blind dog being attacked. I might have hit one, I don't know. All I know is that I stopped the attack. I really want you guys to chime in and say what YOU would have done. Let the dog get killed on the spot or???? After the first shot, they all scattered fast.

I have a couple of questions about this scenario the primary one being what is a half blind geriatric dog doing being left outside to fend for himself in the middle of the night?

As for the response I certainly would have been trying to kill the wild dogs.

As far as the daytime incident, I assume all of you would have preferred that I immediately kill the other dog belonging to a neighbor down the road. Am I right or am I misreading your responses? I have never heard of a "Joey B", but will go Google it later. In this case, I clearly had a choice to make. Kill or scare. I chose scare. My wife or grandkids were not in the yard. It was me and dog only. So the standard response should be "kill the neighbors dog immediately"??

Can't speak for where you are but in Colorado "warning" shots are considered deadly force and you have to account for them. If the situation wasn't bad enough to justify shooting the dog it wasn't bad enough to justify bringing a gun into it at all.

And for those of you that answer "kill the dog immediately", then what would you do afterwards with a dead dog in your own yard? Do you leave it there on the front lawn, go quietly dispose of the body or take it down the road to the neighbor that owns it and hand him a corpse??

Was the dog a serious threat or not? Did you really think he was going to take a chunk out of you or not? If that's really what you think you either shoot him or kick him square in the ribs or you could carry some OC spray when you're out with the dogs that would solve the problem and give the dog some much needed corrective training that he will never forget.

 

[Smoke]

I will be curious about what the responses will be from the people who frowned on not killing the dog.

I don't see that anyone frowned on not killling the dog. What was frowned on was the unjustified "warning" shot.