westerner

Hi I want to get a shotgun for greater home defense firepower. This would be my 2nd gun. I've had a .38 revolver for home defense for a few years. I have only females in my house who aren't too comfortable with guns and gunshot noise. I'm skinny and not solidly built. Factors to consider: -Firepower -User Friendliness -Expandability -Left Handed vs Right Handed Guns I'm looking at: 1) Mossberg 500 Tactical 20 gauge Advantages: Lower recoil/flash/noise. I can tolerate 20 gauge recoil well with even a plain wood stock, so a cushioned tactical stock should be fine. 2) Mossberg 500 Tactical 12 gauge Advantages: Higher firepower/greater choice of loads. More accessory options (maybe a laser sight for easier aiming?) Disadvantages: I've shot a 12 gauge and it banged me up hard with a plain wood stock. Even a cushioned stock hurt. 3) Left Handed vs Right Handed. I'm a righty, but my left eye sees well, the right eye doesn't. Without glasses, I can shoot left handed fine. With glasses, I can shoot fine either hand. Where I'm Leaning: 20 gauge left handed feels like my best choice as I'll be more comfortable with the gun and can shoot without glasses in a home defense situation. But it may be hard to find, and how much of a firepower upgrade would a 20 gauge be over a .38? Comments/Advice appreciated.

I thought all post-1958 .38 Smiths were OK for +P

Update - I ended up buying a used S&W model 64 .38 revolver 4" barrel DAO from J&G Sales in Airzona, for $350 incl shipping. They had many of these for sale and reviews around the Net were positive. I used Meltzer's for the FFL transfer, they charged $50+NICS, not the cheapest but they're close to me. I'm very happy with the gun. It was advertised as VG+ condition, and arrived very clean, mechanicals look great, nice smooth trigger (feels a bit lighter than the new 686, which suits me fine) and shoots accurately. Thanks again for all the input!

Thanks for all the replies and info. re semiauto vs revolver - I like that the revolver is "point and shoot" and simpler mechanically. I may leave it a long time between firings and I've read that revolvers take better to that. I tried a few 9mm's (Glock, Beretta, 1911) and all recoils felt "top heavy" to me i.e. the muzzle would flip up and it would take me a while to get back on target. I liked the Glock the best of the three. re revolver types - I've tried a 4" S&W 686 and liked the feel and recoil, but the DA trigger felt hard to pull. I need to try it some more to see if I can get used to it. I've read DA is recommended over SA for home defense. 4" seems like a good barrel length, long enough for accuracy/power and short enough for close quarters. re 357 - I'd consider a 357 but don't want to pay much more for it since I feel more comfortable with 38+P for indoor home defense. re new vs used - I'm hesitant to drop $750+ on a new 686 or comparable gun, when I don't know how long I'll stick with my first purchase, and a used gun will depreciate less if I want to get rid of it later. If I went used, my preference would be to buy local and bring an experienced friend to inspect.

Hi. I'm new to the world of firearms and recently received my NJ ID card and 1 handgun permit. Since the handgun permit is good for 90 days, I'm looking to get that first. My primary objective is home defense. I have a preference for revolvers due to reliability, something like a S&W 38 special would do. I've read that used S&W revolvers can be a good buy. Do you need to be an expert in order to know if a given revolver is in decent condition? Should I look at internet sales? Thanks