Dad is looking for a Nightstand duty gun.

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lethaltxn

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Hey guys. My dad is looking for a new gun (new to him anyway) specifically for nightstand duty.
He's thinking something that's high capacity in .45ACP or 9mm. He likes some of the Glock offerings as well as some of what Beretta offers.
He needs a full size gun since he has fibromyalgia and needs something large he can grip.
I told him a G17 might be his best bet due to light recoil and magazine capacity, but what opinions do you guys have.
What other brands are good that I should consider. FNP, Tarus, ect.
Don't want a peeing match just general ideas.
Thanks guys!
 
FNH, Glock, you could look at XDs, CZ, S&W M&P line, prices are pretty close on all of them.

I would say get something with a rail so he can put a light on it.
 
Glock 17 if you like DAO (they call it "Safe-Action") or Sig P226, if you like the security of a DA initial pull and a de-cocking lever.

I do, so I have a P229 in 9mm (and .22LR)

Practice, practice, practice..........
 
45 ACP and 9mm are quite different, you might want to have him check more carefully. IIRC, 9mm penetrates more on building materials...

guns to look at:
1911-A2 (high-cap 1911)
Glock 17
XD-45
 
TheDriver said:
FNH, Glock, you could look at XDs, CZ, S&W M&P line, prices are pretty close on all of them.

I would say get something with a rail so he can put a light on it.
Click to expand...
I agree. FNH has some great prices on the FNP line now, too.
 
Yeah, I thought people like the FNP line. I think they're neat pistols. Any issues on them?
 
I think when you said Glock 17, you are right on the dot.

Couple things I think of when I purchase a firearm for my dad. My dad had never shot before, so when I was looking for a gun, I immediately thought a 9mm would be the best choice. Not everyone handle recoil the same, so starting out at a 9 was probably the smartest choice at that time. The ammo are a lot cheaper too so he can practice more with it. I see only three major choices when choosing a home defense handgun for my father, pretty much the XD, M&P, and GLOCK.
The XD was a great gun but my dad didn't like it because the slide is so bulky. When he picks up the gun to aim, he felt that the size of the slide limited his vision. Well he was comparing it to a 1911 that his friend had... so of course it's bulky.. :)
In the end it all came down to the GLOCK and M&P, but he couldn't get used to the grip of neither gun. Though the M&P had three grip sets, he just didn't like em. We bought the GLOCK 19 at the end of the day and got a hogue grip for it. We chose the GLOCK because it will sell faster and keeps its value if my father ever wanted to sell it to step up to a bigger caliber.
 
^^That's what I though. However, my dad is an avid shooter but due to his medical condition can't as much anymore. He's trying to trade a S&W 629 .44mag because he says he can't control it anymore due to the harsh recoil and his FM. While I think .45 is an OK round for him I just figured 9mm would be better. Plus my mom could shoot it in case something happens, God forbid.
 
I carry a revolver and keep one on my nightstand. I don't want to have to think about cycling my .45 when I'm half asleep or surprised and overexcited. I also don't like the idea of my semi-auto being locked and loaded on the nightstand.

1911sr
 
Just about every manufacturer makes a high capacity 9mm and several make high capacity 45acp platforms. If you have a gun range nearby that rents handguns I'd take him there and try out a few, see which feels best (and to make sure he can rack the slide without problems!). You may spend $50 on rentals but it's worth it before dropping $500-$600 on a gun he ends up not liking.
 
He has to go out and shoot some different models, auto and weels, because at night, you want something that points naturally in YOUR hand.
I have an USP in 9 mm.
Personally, I don't like magnums because of the flash and the blast indoors in the dark without hearing protection
 
mggeorge beat me to it. Why not .44 specials in the 629? But if he's set on a high-capacity semi-auto, I think the Glock 17 would be good. Too bad I don't have one, or I'd offer that trade!
 
I agree.

Sure hate to see him trade a perfectly good Model 29 he is familiar with for a Glock or some other auto he isn't.

Just shoot .44 Specials in it.
Nobody says a Model 29 has to set fire to the curtains to be an effective SD gun.

If he wants more firepower, buy some speed-loaders.

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=462521

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productnumber=191493

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=257335

http://www.buffalobore.com/index.php?l=product_list&c=17

rc
 
He's trying to trade a S&W 629 .44mag because he says he can't control it anymore due to the harsh recoil and his FM.
Click to expand...

As others have suggested, there are some mighty good .44 Special loads out there. Out of a 629, those likely have the same or possibly less felt recoil and muzzle flip than a G19, depending on how well the stocks on that 629 fit your dad's hand of course.

If he is set on parting with the 629, at least try to sell it to an individual. Trading a gun is like trading a car; you often get squat (or less) for it.
 
Here's another vote for keeping his 629 and using .44 Special.

Highly recommend speedloaders.

Speer loads some .44 Special Gold Dots. 200 grain JHP at about 875 fps. I would start there.
 
If the main concern is pain from the FM, I think a 9mm does make sense. But, I would want one with as much mass as he could handle to further tame the recoil. I'd be looking at all metal guns or even all steel - BHP, CZ75, stainless P226 or some such gun. 9mm in a heavy pistol will be a very soft shooting gun.
 
Thanks for the recommendations guys. I think since he isn't going to use the 629 for pig hunting anymore he's kinda thinking why keep it? He and my mom are in the process of working both if their collections of stuff down to what's necessary. That's one of the big reasons he doesn't keep it.
 
He did like the look of the CZ, but I'll have to wait and see what he says later this week on whether he likes the feel or not. Appreciate all the recommendations guys.
 
Nightstand duty implies that the weapon might be used when one's eyesight has been compromised, by darkness, lack of eyewear at the moment, or dealing with sudden bright lights, so I would put a premium on pointability, which is a very personal thing, not something established by polling an internet forum. Of course, this polling can be a source of ideas of where to start.

I have chronic injury issues of my own to consider, though for now, I am still OK with just about any weapon I can grip fully, that is not too big. I don't actually keep any gun on the nightstand, but the go-to handgun nearest me in the bedroom is actually several of the same P229 pistols I use for police duty and most concealed carry.

Any number of other quality weapons would work fine, but the P226/P228/P229 family of SIGs fits my hands superbly, and the P229 was on the list of approved duty pistols at my employing PD when I last switched duty pistols in 2004. The P226 was added to the list in 2007. (We buy our own duty firearms, and "primary duty" pistols must be .40s.) Notably, the SIG P220 points low in my hands, so that across a large room, I would be several inches low.

In another era of my life, when I used 1911 pistols for virtually everything, I of course used 1911s for bedside duty.

Glocks and Berettas are fine weapons, but too big for my hands. I would stay with 9mm with both of these. Premium JHPs in any of the major duty cartridges will do the job, if the shooter does his part.

Some years back, when I slept with a "carpal tunnel syndrome" brace on each wrist, my immediate bedside handgun was a USFA Single Action, which is, of course, a sixgun of the 19th Century persuasion. I determined that I was best able to grip this SAA "clone" while wearing the braces, compared to other handguns. I also kept the pump gun particularly close by, as the braces did not interfere with handling that weapon. Of course, the plan was to shed those braces, if I had time to do so, and then be able to handle my full normal range of defensive weapons.
 
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