Hitting the gym to become a swoletariat, looking to arm myself as well.
I've gone shooting before, and my Dad just bought a couple guns himself because of all the pogroms he's been seeing against Muslims in ingerland.
I'm based in the United States of Amerikkka, mods please let me know if this isn't allowed!
What are you looking to do? Are you interested in doing a shooting activity regularly? Just looking to own one?
Like the default loadout that gets recommended is going to be a Glock (17 or 19) and an AR-15.
Not looking to start any safety struggle sessions, but if you're a new gun owner who likes the idea of safeties (or just an old gun owner who prefers safeties) I would suggest the S&W M&P pistols as a good Glock alternative that offers thumb safeties.
Second alternative: sawed off 12 gauge. No load can beat the shere stopping power of 00 buckshot.
Edit to add: and no fear of missing and putting a hole through your neighbor's house across the street.
I assume this is a bit, but just in case it isn't: do not saw off a shotgun for home defense unless you're planning to apply for the tax stamp
You can also still miss with a short barreled shotgun, it's not a blunderbuss
The shortened barrel is intended for point blank usage, such as a home invasion scenario. It's easier to get the gun up and harder for the assailant to push the gun to the side using the barrel, or worse, to pull it out of your hands. The gun I had in mind particularly is the Mossberg 590M. With that "doohickey" you also have the option of having up to 20 rounds in a magazine, but I've heard those have a higher jam rate than the 10-shot mags.
I'm gonna go out on a limb and say box mags on pump shotguns are range toys, not real self defense weapons. If you're going to use a shotgun for home defense, an 18" pump is plenty short without having to break out the hacksaw and look over your shoulder for ATF agents every day. Even a 20" is plenty maneuverable for home defense, to be honest. If you're not going to train with it enough to get past the possibility of short stroking the action, get a semi-auto shotgun if you absolutely need a shotgun.
I feel like I've misled you somehow. I wasn't meaning literally saw it off yourself. I meant buy one that has a short barrel.
Generally if you're referring to a shotgun with a short barrel, it's a short barreled shotgun. A "sawed off" means a gun you've sawed the barrel off of to shorten it.
Would it not be better to use a gun with actual sights that you can aim and use at an actual distance if needed? Handguns are more maneuverable and much better to aim. Also no dealing with the laws around short-barrel shotguns.
Even at point blank, a shotgun is a worse choice than a rifle or handgun.
I think a semi-auto shotgun is probably as good as a rifle within the scope of defending yourself inside your home. At home defense ranges, a regular shotgun bead is plenty to hit a man sized target reliably every time - you can hit clays moving way faster than a human with them just fine.
Higher risk of overpenetration (00 shoots 9mm pellets, which retain a lot more energy through walls than lightweight 556 does), higher risk of failing to cycle (recoil powered shotguns need to be tuned right, gas powered ones are spendy), and you definitely should not shoot without properly aiming in any situation, that'd be massively irresponsible.
It can work, but it has disadvantages that a rifle does not, and no real benefits over one.
Fast shooting with a bead certainly is properly aiming, it's just doing it fast. Penetration is question of ammunition choice - there's more options than 00, but that's just to say you have options and need to make a judicious choice - I don't care to get into an ammunition discussion. I think the price of a decent semi-auto is really the strongest argument against one as compared to a rifle.
I think DA/SA with a decocker is a good middle ground. You don’t need to worry about turning off the safety like a striker fire, but the trigger will be heavy and you can thumb the hammer which makes it impossible for the gun to go off.
But M&P 2.0 is very good as well. The models with thumb safeties are usually cheaper as well since they’re not as popular as just the trigger safety.
I'm not personally a fan of decockers because I like my trigger pulls consistent, but I think you're probably right about them being a fairly good alternative if the complete lack of a safety isn't your preference. A lot of my personal preference is just starting out with a da/sa cz-75 with a thumb safety (always cocked & locked, never safety off with the hammer lowered) as my first pistol and being used to the manual of arms to the point of preferring it. I wish CZ's more carry oriented stuff were still easy to find with thumb safeties.
Primarily for self defense, would look to get my CC eventually
Ok. My recommendation will be to try a couple different handguns out at the range, from the ones that have been recommended here. See which ones fit comfortably in your hands. Try a lot of them and take your time, don't rush.
For conceal carry, focus on size. A gun that is too big or uncomfortable to carry doesn't get carried. It may be a little less comfortable to shoot, but that's the tradeoff. The big brands are the way to go (Glock, Sig, S&W)
Consider the S&W Shield 2.0 with or without thumb safety depending on your preference, very small but shoots great in the hand for extended range sessions. I have a 1.0 with an Apex trigger and aftermarket mag feeders/plates so that I can get 10+1. It's a great gun with the same footprint as the 2.0, shoots great, feels great in the hand, conceals great. The 2.0 makes all the shit I did to my early 1.0 unnecessary - the 2.0 has a better trigger than the 1.0 and greater magazine capacity. Fantastic guns that shoot nicer than their pricepoint.
If you're looking to CC then aim for the micro compact segment. They have a good round count while being slimmer and easier to conceal than "compact" guns like the Glock 19. There are a ton of models in this space but there aren't a ton that have safeties that many of us would recommend to a newer shooter. If you're budget minded I would recommend the Taurus G3C, which can easily be had for under $300. But definitely put hands on it and try to get range time with it before your purchase.