defense, didn't you take Karate once.

Mark, is the bottom pistol a 686?

Well, I can't offer anything for insight... I live in Canada where we don't have the terms "compact" (translates here to Prohibited) and "home defense" which translates here to "unlawful storage."

For me to use a handgun for home defense, I'd have to go unlock the cabinet, unlock the trigger lock, unlock the ammo stored away from the handgun, load it, then I'd be ready.

As it stands, I'll just throw my clock radio at you instead.

Before anyone gets any ideas - long gun storage is less tight, so if need be, whatever's on my cleaning stand from the week's shooting may be at hand, instead... and all those are made to put bigger things than you in my freezer.

Not something I live in fear of... only been one "home invasion" around here I've heard of... and that was a teenager opening someone's door to ask for help for his friend that was beaten up in the lane.

Bren R.

Yup.

Work out at the gym every day, and you'll get two fine guns you'll never need to reload.

Rick, of course the "stopping power" of any handgun is quite limited and movie scenes where the bad guy is blown backwards when shot have no connection with reality. Location is always the key point. That being said and although my own smallest gun is a .32 Beretta, I'd think that the minimum advisable for even a possible pocket pistol would be a .380. Consider the new Ruger LCP and also the Corbon DPX load.

By the way... why are you looking specifically at a semi-auto over a revolver? Smaller size? If it's going to be something kept loaded for an extended period of time and you absolutely, positively have to stop something (can't say someONE) in their tracks... a DA revolver is a much better choice... no feed issues, no "rack tap bang" to clear a F-t-F... just pull the trigger again.

Bren R.

I owned a Ruger in .40 years ago, nice gun. No particular reason for the auto Bren. You are right about the simplicity of the revolver though, I am also considering that option.

Anyone else picturing Dan kissing his biceps as he typed that?!

Oh, yeah!!!

All things considered, I really like the .40 S&W as a handgun cartridge... and if I shot primarily factory loads, I'd probably own a Sig P226 in .40S&W... just hard to beat .38 Spec. for ease of finding ammunition.

Bren R.