It is interesting that for an activity so creative, fulfilling and life affirming, photography harbors gun enthusiasts and fetishists. Guns have always been and will forever be weapons of killing, WMDs writ personal. Even poor, photogenic deer have no chance against these killing implements (as they might if the slaying fields were leveled by the use of other than guns). “Shoot” images not living things -- in reality as well as mind. We CAN refocus the paradigm away from gun worship and death, and elevate ourselves above the criminal (domestically and internationally).

For calibration, I am an Airborne, Ranger, Special Forces (Green Beret), Viet Nam veteran.

my $.02.
Personally I shoot 45acp and 40 cal. I have been shooting since 1966. I served 7 years in the Army and competed with the army pistol team shooting 45 acp.
For more petite folks I recommend 22 or 380.
I ensure those I train hit center mass under pressure, Wether it be a 22 or a 45, if you don't hit your target, you might as well be hurling rocks..
Better to hit an intruder with a 22 than to miss with a 45.
Our home uses a 12 and 20 guage pump shotguns for primary defence.
In NH I worked in a field that required concealed carry, I carried Detonics Combat master and S&W Chiefs special back up.
Never touched the weapons in the performance of my duties.
I had ocassion to use a shotgun in my home to prevent a burglery, racking a round did the trick, never had to level the shotgun.
I teach using the weapon you are most accurate with, not the biggest gun you can fire.

I've often wondered why so many folks resort to a .45 or even a .357 for home defense. It's always been my conviction that a 12 gauge pump was the ideal weapon for that purpose. It's going to do maximum damage to an intruder and you don't have to worry about penetrating walls and injuring your next door neighbor. As you said just racking a round is usually enough to cause an intruder to change his plans. ..... Coot

It is interesting that for an activity so creative, fulfilling and life affirming, photography harbors gun enthusiasts and fetishists. Guns have always been and will forever be weapons of killing, WMDs writ personal. Even poor, photogenic deer have no chance against these killing implements (as they might if the slaying fields were leveled by the use of other than guns). “Shoot” images not living things -- in reality as well as mind. We CAN refocus the paradigm away from gun worship and death, and elevate ourselves above the criminal (domestically and internationally).
One of the reasons the NRA has such a large membership is the variety of its member who truly come from every wlk of life and are law abiding, peace loveing citizens .aliseFor calibration, I am an Airborne, Ranger, Special Forces (Green Beret), Viet Nam veteran.

The important thing is that you both are comfortable with what you have.

I've often wondered why so many folks resort to a .45 or even a .357 for home defense. It's always been my conviction that a 12 gauge pump was the ideal weapon for that purpose. It's going to do maximum damage to an intruder and you don't have to worry about penetrating walls and injuring your next door neighbor. As you said just racking a round is usually enough to cause an intruder to change his plans. ..... Coot

I just got back from Bullet Stop and put down a down payment on a maverick 12 ga. They had to order it as they are having a difficult time keeping an inventory of allot of firearms. Looked at some handguns for Inger and it has to be her personal choice. Once she has her class firing the different calibers and clip vs. revolver we will go from there. This will be a fun year, shooting pictures together and shooting handguns with each other.

I agree with everything you said. But, if my wife is intemidated by a larger cal. and feels confortable with a 380 and is accurate with it. It is better than missing with a larger cal dew to being nervous about the recoil.
As I said I have a 40 and 45 and love them both. I wouldn' consider anything smaller for myself. But, they are not for everybody.

This is not intended to be negative toward any of the folks here, I personally carried a sidearm while in the Navy, carried a 357 mag for 8 years qwith police dep't and carry a Glock now working with the AG's office as an investigator here at home.
All the talk about in home protection, personal protection concealed and carry, 45 Vs 380 or 32, Assault style weapons leads me to wonder something. Just a queastion in general. Put yourself in the position of having to fire your gun, say at night defending your home and family or perhaps the situation of extreme road rage with your family in the car. Really just any situation one might find themselves in. How many people would think for just a fleeting second...where will this slug stop when I pull the trigger, how far will it go?
Believe me guys this is not meant to be argumentive in the least. I am in 100% agreement with protecting your families and homes.
I think that is where my greatest disagreement with putting an armed individual in our schools for protection lies. We all know the general method of construction is cinder block walls, they won't stop anything above a 22 hardly. Granted a trained uniformed officer would be ideal but so many would say that is cost prohibitive
I think what I am looking for is your opinions on this.

Your last sentence says it all.The individual has to find what fits them and can hit what they are aiming at.A submachine gun won't do any good if you can't hit your target.

It is interesting that for an activity so creative, fulfilling and life affirming, photography harbors gun enthusiasts and fetishists. Guns have always been and will forever be weapons of killing, WMDs writ personal. Even poor, photogenic deer have no chance against these killing implements (as they might if the slaying fields were leveled by the use of other than guns). “Shoot” images not living things -- in reality as well as mind. We CAN refocus the paradigm away from gun worship and death, and elevate ourselves above the criminal (domestically and internationally).

For calibration, I am an Airborne, Ranger, Special Forces (Green Beret), Viet Nam veteran.

So it's OK to buy meat in a grocery store where the cow was killed by a sledge hammer in the head at the slaughter house? Give me a break! Dead is dead no matter how you do it.

Just because you don't go out into the woods and shoot a deer doesn't make you any less "humanitarian" than a hunter when you go to the supermarket and buy ground beef or a steak that was taken from a cow that was bashed in the head and then cut up to sell for food.

Humans have been hunting and killing animals for thousands of years. That's the nature of omnivores.

You probably won't believe this,but that's ok.I actually had a dream last night about walking down an alley when this huge man with a club was coming up behind me.I,of course was armed in this dream.About the time I thought about drawing my pistol,a couple of people came in the alley behind the thug.IN MY DREAM,I didn't draw because I was afraid I might shoot the innocents.I imagine if I didn't wake up and my dream were to continue,I probably took a sever beating;but I guess I'll never know.