For a home defense revolver, a 4" barrel would be better.
Wife considering Smith & Wesson SD40
- Thread starter ensoniqman
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The OP has inquired about a home defense handgun. A 10mm isn't ideal for shooting inside of a dwelling.I'm with @Astro14, 10mm. Go big or go home. /thread.
Like every other suggestion, 9mm is a fine and effective round for defensive purposes. Lots of guns out there that chamber it too. My personal favs are the Glock G19 (or G17), Ruger RXM, and S&W M&P 2.0. Have a tiny neighbor that shoots the daylights out of her G17, but does not like smaller framed guns. Gotta try a few before settling on one. Any of these you can get used for a reasonable price vs. new, especially the latter 2. No matter what she likes/chooses, it is absolutely imperative that she be comfortable and confident with shooting it. AT the moment of truth is not the time to have any doubts about your defensive weapon. Shoot the bejeezuz out of it to build that confidence and muscle memory. Waking up and being expected to perform effectively is not an easy task. Make a plan and train together in the environment you expect to defend (NO loaded weapons, NO ammo. Check, double check, triple check). Making the response second nature will buy valuable time and go a long way to a positive outcome. Remember, the gun is just a small part of the equation.
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I believe he was tongue in cheek about the 10mm, as was I.
Look I had a similar situation with getting a HD pistol for the home. Which means the wife ability to use it. The revolver is what you seek. Autos look kool. Revolvers not so much. But the revolver gives you an adequate round. You can get a size that fits the wife hand with rubber grips. I personally have all the bases covered in 70% of basic makes out there in autos. I rotate training with various makes and models. Not professionally. But on a personal level. Saying all that for the wife , laying in a centralized living room table in a shallow basket is a J frame Smith & Wesson . No safety. It is not going to go off accidentally. Even with a finger on the trigger in a high stress situation. No jams . No limp wristing. Just pick up and squeeze . It’s the perfect type handgun for someone who has limited knowledge of handguns. I’m not implying what level your wife is. Mine is low level.maybe once a year I’ll take her to shoot it. This is at 5 - 7 yards . Home Defense. Run 38’s or .357. There is nothing for her to think about. Pick up , point , squeeze. IMO. Wardawg.
True. They also have the new no lock iteration of the Model 10.
Yep. The little smiley emoji was intended to convey that.
4wd
$50 site donor 2026
bought 2 of those S&W for wife/daughter in 38 … then they each bought a Ruger LCP in 9mm and 380 …
I've only handled SW SD series, never fired one. I'm sure they are perfectly serviceable sidearms.
Choosing a carry gun is always a challenge because all the attributes that make a gun shootable (weight, size, grippy texture) make it awful for carry. And all the attributes that make a gun great for carry (tiny, slippery/smooth, light) make it miserable to shoot.
So choosing a carry gun comes down to sort of the least-bad option since there are no good options. The question is: where do you end up on the spectrum between easy to shoot and easy to carry?
I think in general you want to weight the tradeoff about 2:1 in favor of carry, if for no other reason than a gun that's really hard to carry is one that will not be carried. And a gun that's not carried is useless-- the shootability of a gun that's not accessible when needed is entirely moot.
But the converse is also somewhat true in that if you can't carry or manipulate the gun sufficiently to render effective self defense, then don't bother carrying it. It's essentially a net negative that's only potential liability.
And you need to be able to make accurate controlled hits at distance-- 7 yards or more. If you can't quickly and reliably make hits on target at that distance, then there's almost no point to carrying the gun, as a gun is a TERRIBLE choice for defense when someone is close enough to wrestle you. The entire point of a gun is 1) distance and 2) equalization. If you forfeit distance, you've also forfeited equality-- a larger, stronger person is going to be able to keep you from firing that gun and defending yourself once they're close enough to grab you.
So, general philosophies aside, I'll offer a comments on carry gun varieties:
-- DAO revolvers like a airweight J frame are sort of the extreme end of easy to carry and hard to shoot. They may as well be derringers in terms of ability to make hits. These guns require a LOT of skill to shoot effectively. DAO revolvers have heavy triggers and almost no stability in hand. Which is why you see so many people "practicing" at the range with them who can't hit a barn door at arm's length with them. These are ankle holster guns of desperation and IMO should NOT be your primary defensive sidearm.
-- 1911s in anything but full size never seem to be reliable. Carrying a 1911 is for the summer BBQ when you want to impress your buddies. It is not a good choice for anyone serious about actual self defense. SAO guns are supremely fun at the range. They are IMO the wrong tool for personal defense.
-- A primary personal defense gun should be semi auto and have a double action that allows one to skip a manual safety (this includes strikers which are technically double action since they add cocking before releasing the striker).
-- While 9mm is the standard, in a carry gun you should be willing to drop down to as low as .32 Auto. Will it meet FBI requirements for a duty gun? Probably not. Will it get you a small and shootable gun you actually will carry and shoot well? YES.
-- When it comes to mastering the art of small pistol design, two companies stand out in particular: Beretta and KAHR. Both companies offer very high quality pistols that just happen to be quite small and carryable will still being easy to manipulate and shoot. Beretta is a neat new 30x pistol that doesn't even require a slide rack to chamber a round, and of course the tip-up barrel designs also assure you won't need to rack a slide.
IMO, do not buy a carry gun without at least trying out a Bobcat (22LR is perhaps a bit too mild for personal defense) or Tomcat (32 auto is IMO the minimum floor for defensive use). In the Kahr line, I really like the MK series but they are pricey. If you want to carry a Rolex of craftsmanship, that's the one. The PM series is fantastic and much less expensive.
KAHR pistols in particular need some break-in. I'd suggest shooting several hundred rounds through one if you elect that route. A used Kahr, if you can find one, is a great bargain. (beware of the used Kahr salesman though LOL).
CZ has a RAAMI that some fellow CZ aficionados like, but I've never experience one. I'm happy with my grippy plastic P10S.
Choosing a carry gun is always a challenge because all the attributes that make a gun shootable (weight, size, grippy texture) make it awful for carry. And all the attributes that make a gun great for carry (tiny, slippery/smooth, light) make it miserable to shoot.
So choosing a carry gun comes down to sort of the least-bad option since there are no good options. The question is: where do you end up on the spectrum between easy to shoot and easy to carry?
I think in general you want to weight the tradeoff about 2:1 in favor of carry, if for no other reason than a gun that's really hard to carry is one that will not be carried. And a gun that's not carried is useless-- the shootability of a gun that's not accessible when needed is entirely moot.
But the converse is also somewhat true in that if you can't carry or manipulate the gun sufficiently to render effective self defense, then don't bother carrying it. It's essentially a net negative that's only potential liability.
And you need to be able to make accurate controlled hits at distance-- 7 yards or more. If you can't quickly and reliably make hits on target at that distance, then there's almost no point to carrying the gun, as a gun is a TERRIBLE choice for defense when someone is close enough to wrestle you. The entire point of a gun is 1) distance and 2) equalization. If you forfeit distance, you've also forfeited equality-- a larger, stronger person is going to be able to keep you from firing that gun and defending yourself once they're close enough to grab you.
So, general philosophies aside, I'll offer a comments on carry gun varieties:
-- DAO revolvers like a airweight J frame are sort of the extreme end of easy to carry and hard to shoot. They may as well be derringers in terms of ability to make hits. These guns require a LOT of skill to shoot effectively. DAO revolvers have heavy triggers and almost no stability in hand. Which is why you see so many people "practicing" at the range with them who can't hit a barn door at arm's length with them. These are ankle holster guns of desperation and IMO should NOT be your primary defensive sidearm.
-- 1911s in anything but full size never seem to be reliable. Carrying a 1911 is for the summer BBQ when you want to impress your buddies. It is not a good choice for anyone serious about actual self defense. SAO guns are supremely fun at the range. They are IMO the wrong tool for personal defense.
-- A primary personal defense gun should be semi auto and have a double action that allows one to skip a manual safety (this includes strikers which are technically double action since they add cocking before releasing the striker).
-- While 9mm is the standard, in a carry gun you should be willing to drop down to as low as .32 Auto. Will it meet FBI requirements for a duty gun? Probably not. Will it get you a small and shootable gun you actually will carry and shoot well? YES.
-- When it comes to mastering the art of small pistol design, two companies stand out in particular: Beretta and KAHR. Both companies offer very high quality pistols that just happen to be quite small and carryable will still being easy to manipulate and shoot. Beretta is a neat new 30x pistol that doesn't even require a slide rack to chamber a round, and of course the tip-up barrel designs also assure you won't need to rack a slide.
IMO, do not buy a carry gun without at least trying out a Bobcat (22LR is perhaps a bit too mild for personal defense) or Tomcat (32 auto is IMO the minimum floor for defensive use). In the Kahr line, I really like the MK series but they are pricey. If you want to carry a Rolex of craftsmanship, that's the one. The PM series is fantastic and much less expensive.
KAHR pistols in particular need some break-in. I'd suggest shooting several hundred rounds through one if you elect that route. A used Kahr, if you can find one, is a great bargain. (beware of the used Kahr salesman though LOL).
CZ has a RAAMI that some fellow CZ aficionados like, but I've never experience one. I'm happy with my grippy plastic P10S.
And at a 40% or so discount on some models!
Since the OP has stated that the intended use for this gun is:
1. For his wife
2. For home defense only
We can dispense with all of the carry discussion and focus on what works for a home defense gun. Since he is considering the $300 used SD40, we know that budget is an issue and that a full size pistol is reasonable.
So, back to recommendations - If I had to recommend one gun these days, it would be the Springfield Echelon. Nice trigger. Interchangeable backstraps for tailoring the fit. Good capacity. Modest recoil. But it’s out of the OP budget.
@ensoniqman - was your question about the SD40 based on budget? Would you be willing to go higher?
regardless - my recommendation that she actually shoot the gun before you buy anything still stands. She needs to like it, and be comfortable with it.
My wife - who has small hands - likes her Beretta 92. A big, metal framed service pistol. But she carried it while on Active Duty, and has qualified with it many times. So, despite all the recommendations for smaller guns, or revolvers, that are typically made for women - she chose a full size service pistol.
1. For his wife
2. For home defense only
We can dispense with all of the carry discussion and focus on what works for a home defense gun. Since he is considering the $300 used SD40, we know that budget is an issue and that a full size pistol is reasonable.
So, back to recommendations - If I had to recommend one gun these days, it would be the Springfield Echelon. Nice trigger. Interchangeable backstraps for tailoring the fit. Good capacity. Modest recoil. But it’s out of the OP budget.
@ensoniqman - was your question about the SD40 based on budget? Would you be willing to go higher?
regardless - my recommendation that she actually shoot the gun before you buy anything still stands. She needs to like it, and be comfortable with it.
My wife - who has small hands - likes her Beretta 92. A big, metal framed service pistol. But she carried it while on Active Duty, and has qualified with it many times. So, despite all the recommendations for smaller guns, or revolvers, that are typically made for women - she chose a full size service pistol.
9mm
The wifey had never shot a pistol larger than 22 long until she shot a 9mm revolver when taking the LTC course. Here's a pic of her 1st time.
We call her dead eye now
Please allow me to add, when looking at the caliber aspect of this discussion, that I chose a .40 S&W as my “shop gun”.
It is stored securely when I am not there, but when I am there, I keep it either on me or readily accessible.
The gun in question cost me about $300. .40 Smith & Wesson has fallen out of favor, so the pistol itself was quite cheap.
It is considerably older than the pistol that the OP is considering, and it’s not a gun I would recommend for my wife, or his wife.
However, I carried a .40 Smith & Wesson as a duty weapon for nearly 20 years. I’ve taken this particular gun to the range, run a variety of ammunition through it, replaced the recoil spring, and put it into service.
It is a DA/SA with a decocker. The slide mounted switch is not a safety.
So, back to the caliber versus shooter discussion, this gun is extremely reliable, and durable, and was inexpensive to purchase - but most importantly, the combination of shooter, caliber and gun performed well. I get good hits with it, can shoot it rapidly and accurately.
So, I’m not opposed to .40 Smith & Wesson. I give up three rounds of capacity, compared with a similar gun in 9 mm. In exchange, I was able to buy an inexpensive old stainless steel pistol that I don’t mind leaving down at the shop.
But, if I were to choose a gun for a relatively new shooter - I would recommend a 9 mm every time.
It is stored securely when I am not there, but when I am there, I keep it either on me or readily accessible.
The gun in question cost me about $300. .40 Smith & Wesson has fallen out of favor, so the pistol itself was quite cheap.
It is considerably older than the pistol that the OP is considering, and it’s not a gun I would recommend for my wife, or his wife.
However, I carried a .40 Smith & Wesson as a duty weapon for nearly 20 years. I’ve taken this particular gun to the range, run a variety of ammunition through it, replaced the recoil spring, and put it into service.
It is a DA/SA with a decocker. The slide mounted switch is not a safety.
So, back to the caliber versus shooter discussion, this gun is extremely reliable, and durable, and was inexpensive to purchase - but most importantly, the combination of shooter, caliber and gun performed well. I get good hits with it, can shoot it rapidly and accurately.
So, I’m not opposed to .40 Smith & Wesson. I give up three rounds of capacity, compared with a similar gun in 9 mm. In exchange, I was able to buy an inexpensive old stainless steel pistol that I don’t mind leaving down at the shop.
But, if I were to choose a gun for a relatively new shooter - I would recommend a 9 mm every time.
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I prefer a .45 ACP as a home defense round. However, every one is different. Some like semi-autos, some like revolvers. Buying for your significant other can be a challenge.
Overpenetration in homes can lead to big problems downrange.
Women and older people may have problems manipulating the slide on a semiautomatic handgun. Hence, the recommendations of the Ruger Security .380 and S&W Shield EZ .380.
Overpenetration in homes can lead to big problems downrange.
Women and older people may have problems manipulating the slide on a semiautomatic handgun. Hence, the recommendations of the Ruger Security .380 and S&W Shield EZ .380.
Here is an excellent home defense firearm.
https://grabagun.com/charter-arms-arms-44-special-bulldog-classic-blued-wood-3-5-round.html
https://grabagun.com/charter-arms-arms-44-special-bulldog-classic-blued-wood-3-5-round.html
Now you understand different situations. My wife needs the revolver. Older lady (68) . No real upper body strength. I have **** load of autos. She got relocated in her job. Not the best side of town going in at midnight. I wanted her to have a handgun in the car. We tried various autos. Glock 43,48 , S&W 5906 , Sig M9 single stack police . She could not work the slide. I had them unloaded and asked her to rack it to simulate loading. She couldn’t do it. Even with the push pull method. She would turn the pistol into her chest. No Go. Like to add several shoulder surgeries. Torn rotator cuff, fraid tendon, bone spurs. And finally shoulder replacement . She’s weak. So it’s the simple revolver. So simple caveman can do it. An average guy can do it all. But there are those that can’t. If you can’t safely rack a slide on it . Don’t carry it. Revolver solved my wife’s issues. Low training and point squeeze fire. I know more training the better. But can’t lead a horse to water and make it drink. I’ve done the best I can do. If they plan on training with it and strong enough to rack the slide ,,,, Auto all the way. If they don’t. REVOLVERS… My opinion. Nothing more. Wardawg.
Got wife an airweight smith 38. She gave up the officers model 45 and loves the little revolver. I also carry revolver now. Sp101 bobbed hammer.
I agree @Gawardawg .
The slide of an all metal, full size .45 ACP are usually pretty easy to manipulate. The two .380 pistol that I listed are also easy to manipulate.
You can't go wrong with a revolver for home defense. .357 mag/.38 special, Charter Arms Bulldog in either. 44 special or .45 Colt.
Taurus Judge or S&W Governor.
The slide of an all metal, full size .45 ACP are usually pretty easy to manipulate. The two .380 pistol that I listed are also easy to manipulate.
You can't go wrong with a revolver for home defense. .357 mag/.38 special, Charter Arms Bulldog in either. 44 special or .45 Colt.
Taurus Judge or S&W Governor.
I get what you are saying. But this isn’t a carry gun. It’s a HD in the drawer gun. It’s for a wife. Can’t speak to how much training she will be willing to do. I can get mine to the range once a year. She is her own boss. Mine is too weak to rack a slide. Life and age , injuries. I will agree with you own harder to shoot a DAO revolver as well. You can get lighter springs for revolvers and still be safe. Sometimes you have to make the best decision you can with situations that possibly can happen with her. Nothing to do with us guys. A situation with her home alone stressed out , not really awake maybe. Confused. For my wife , maybe not his , the revolver covers more of the mistakes that she can make. Wardawg
PS. I myself have a small bugout bag with a S&W MP 2.0 Compact. Three loaded 15 round mags with a Cold Steel SRK knife strapped to it.
Picking a handgun for one's wife is like a husband picking out a purse for his wife. Like every other decision a man makes, according to his wife, it will be wrong. She's got to be the one to find what she likes for herself. You can steer her in the right direction but the choice needs to be hers.
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Thanks for clarifying.
But I'm not sure this still makes sense.
Your wife is either on board with her owning and becoming competent with a gun or she isn't. Mine is 100% not willing to. So if something happens when I'm not home, she's going to have to fend for herself. She's armed with a wall shaking scream that will likely do the trick in most cases.
It sounds to me like you are trying to buy your wife a gun for your own sense of well being and she's not on board with this and is tepid or tolerant at best. I don't think that's going to work. Your wife won't be able to use the gun effectively and it's only a potential liability not worth having.
Guns aren't the only way to secure your home. They aren't even the primary way.
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