Author ScotShot Scott is an NRA and USCCA certified Instructor and Training Counselor in a range of firearms, and home and personal defense disciplines. In an Alternate Universe, he is a husband, father, grandfather, scientist, musician, educator and grumpy old professor. Just your average reactionary, short, fat old bald guy!

So you have decided to buy your first handgun. Well, as you saw previously, you’re not alone. In 2020 and 2021 in particular, the extent of handgun ownership has been increasing at an accelerating rate. At one point in 2020 people were literally buying any gun they could find, sight unseen. The reasons for this are obvious – political unrest, rioting and looting, rampant crime, “Defund the Police” and of course, COVID. More and more, we in the Silver Tiger community are taking responsibility for ourselves and with that comes the question, “Do we need a gun?”

There is a huge range of handguns to choose from and it can be difficult to make one’s way through the maze. Should I get revolver or a semi-automatic? What caliber should I choose? Do I want a big gun or a little one? Do we both need one? Is this gun too heavy? Is this gun too light? Well, let’s take an introductory look at some of these questions.

Buying a handgun legally. Every State has its own rules and regulations for buying a handgun legally, so we are not going to address these elements here. However, if you would like to get advice for your particular State, please contact us, using the “[email protected]” email address.

Revolvers are mechanically very straightforward. They have few moving parts and are very reliable. There’s little else to do apart from pointing the gun at the target or assailant and pulling the trigger to discharge the firearm. This is a huge advantage if you’ve been wakened at night, or you need to work quickly. Revolvers do have two important disadvantages however: they are difficult to reload quickly and, they often don’t hold more than five or six rounds of ammunition. Don’t disregard either of these points, because in any defensive encounter that you may be unfortunate enough to be in, you will fire more often and more quickly than you think you will.

Semi-Automatic Pistols have the main advantages that they are easy to reload and they hold more ammunition generally, so you can fire more shots before needing to reload. This may be important. However, their big disadvantage is that they have more moving parts and are mechanically more complex. While modern pistols are extremely reliable, they are still slightly less-so than revolvers. It’s up to you as individuals to decide what works best in your home-defense plan.

What Caliber do we need? A lot is written about so-called “Stopping Power” with the general theme that “bigger bullets are better”. My advice is not to think about that at all. The best caliber for you is the one that you are comfortable shooting. Yes, that can even be the humble 22LR. While 9mm is the most common and is a very effective defensive round, it’s hopeless for you if the gun hurts your hand every time you fire it, because you won’t train with it. Trust me, you won’t find anyone who is willing to walk towards you while you’re firing a 22LR or 380ACP handgun at them! So, find a caliber you like to shoot, and practice with it.

Large gun or small? Small guns are very attractive and appealing when you pick them up to try out in the shop, principally because they are light in the hand. Don’t be deceived. It’s better to choose a larger gun, for two reasons. First, it’s easier to hold and manipulate a larger gun without your fingers getting in the way of themselves. More importantly, small guns send more recoil straight back into your hand and so are more difficult to shoot. This is true regardless of caliber. It’s about the weight of the gun. Larger, heavier guns absorb more of the recoil from each shot and so are easier to shoot consistently. Larger guns also aim a little better, too.

How many guns do we need? My honest answer will always be that every adult in the home should have their own handgun for home and personal protection. If it is possible, then ideally they should be the same model handgun. If this isn’t possible, then every adult should be familiar and able to competently to access, load, unload and operate the family handgun, and practice with it at the range. If this isn’t possible, then they should take the same ammunition, or be from the same manufacturer and so on. We want to maximize using each other’s gun in an emergency.

Remember, anyone who has a gun should take basic safety training in the handling and safe-storage of their firearm. This is particularly true if your grandchildren come visiting!

Don’t hesitate to reach out with your questions or comments!