Choosing right handgun is difficult.

[thebrowningeffect]

Hi dear IFGians I am new to this website. I need a gun for my personal defense as my business involves lot of travelling with cash and the places I travel are also not very safe. Initially i had 2 bodyguards with .315 bore rifles but I always felt awkward travelling with them so I decided to get rid of them and get myself a licensed handgun. I am in the middle of procuring a .32 caliber pistol/revolver license. Any suggestions?

1.What type of handgun should I go for?
2. Pistol or revolver?
3.Imported or IOF?

Kindly advice.

[dr.jayakumar]

if you have serious security problems,an revovlver would be fine.pistols you get are old and out dated.view our past topics about pistols and revolver,you'll get a good idea.don't rush.

[Katana]

If you are new to handguns and firearms in general, suggest you opt for a IOF product. Advantages are a 'cheap' price, can be sold off easily etc. Dr. Jayakumar is right about opting for a revolver. They tend to be more reliable. Also presuming that you may not be a firearm enthusiast, it would be difficult for you to maintain 'imported' stuff.

[thebrowningeffect]

Thanks Dr Jay and Mr Katna for the valuable suggestions. I think pistols are easy to conceal and have more rounds than revolvers. How much does a .32 revolver costs? Are pistols to expensive to buy?

[full_circle]

I need a gun for my personal defense as my business involves lot of travelling with cash and the places I travel are also not very safe. Initially i had 2 bodyguards with .315 bore rifles but I always felt awkward travelling with them so I decided to get rid of them and get myself a licensed handgun.

TBE, I have no experience (nor have a requirement) like yours, so this is just speculation on my part. From a self-defence only point of view, I would have retained the bodyguards despite the awkwardness, and armed them with shotguns instead of rifles. The presence of two armed bodyguards is a big deterrent. The shotgun is very effective at the close range you are likely to encounter. Finally, and this can be controvertial, if there ever is a shot or shots fired, the shotgun pellets lose energy much faster than a bullet fired from a rifle, making the situation relatively safe for innocent bystanders, thus possibly saving you from litigation and guilt.

[thebrowningeffect]

Thank you full circle for your valuable input. Now I will consider bodyguard with shotgun. Still I need a handgun. Please suggest should I get a revolver or pistol? Since I am not buying it for pleasure so money is not a consideration as I am ready to spend 6-7 lacs.
Thanks
Regards
TBE

[Baljit]

hi if you are ready to spend that much mony then go for pistol because you have a more round in the mag then 6 round in revolver, if i am in your place i am going for pistol not a revolver, i do have a revolver for my self but pistol is my fist choice because it is semiauto and you can shoot faster then revolver trust me your not going to be dissapointed with this type of gun.


Baljit

[thebrowningeffect]

Thanks Baljit. What are the pistols avilable in the market? Please can you give me rough idea about the prices.

Thanks

[Baljit]

I dont know the price in India but you can check in buy or sell topic i am sure you going to find something you need , if i am in your place and money is not the problum then i am going for imported one not a IOF, like Beretta or colt.

Baljit

[xl_target]

I would tend to agree with Baljit. If it were me personally, I would get a semi automatic pistol. There is nothing inherently wrong with a pistol provided it is of a sound design and good manufacture. For example, I would much rather have an 80 year old Colt 1911 than a one year old IOF revolver. Guns are not vegetables, they don't go bad with time. As long as the original pistol was well designed and is not mechanically deficient due to misuse or neglect, there should be nothing wrong with it. That being said, there are some issues with using a semi automatic handgun. If you don't have access to decent ammunition, you could suffer from stovepipes, a failure to chamber and/or a failure to fire. While none of these might be the fault of the gun itself, you must be familiar with the techniques required to clear the failure and bring the gun into action again. This often requires practice which can be difficult in the Indian situation because of the low ammunition quota.

A revolver on the other hand is usually just a point and pull the trigger kind of device. That doesn't mean that it is a panacea for all gun related problems. If you are plagued with possessing sub-standard ammunition, you could also have issues with the gun not firing. If your pistol or revolver was machined by "Drunken Monkeys" (yes, you know who I'm talking about), you could have mechanical issues anyway.

Carrying a handgun is a very serious responsibility and must not be taken lightly. The most important thing is that no matter what gun you carry, if you pull it be prepared to use it. If you aren't prepared to use it, it will probably be taken from you, which could could result in making last Sunday's hangover seem like a picnic. Just having a gun in your hand doesn't mean anything if you can't hit your target. This will require practice. For someone with no training and/or no practice, it can be very difficult to hit even the simplest target with a handgun. A gun is not a magic talisman, it is a tool and it requires you to do your part.

[dr.jayakumar]

cz1927,beretta 1934,beretta 1970,fn 1900,fn 1910 hammerless,illama 1911,walther ppk,fn baby pistol,star pistol,mab and unique,these are the popular brands available,all are second hand pistols.price can't be suggested as it depends on your luck.

[thebrowningeffect]

XL_target Thanks for sharing the information and experience. Since you are in USA you have an easy access to arms but in this case being an Indian is like a curse. Buying a good pistol will cost me a fortune but I am ready to spend as I have security concerns. I know just buying pistol will not be enough. I will have to get trained to use it. Please suggest me a good .32 pistol. What is the difference between .32 and .380 ? I guess .380 is prohibited in India.

Thank you

[dr.jayakumar]

.380 is legal,last i heard was one illama .380 lying in asian armoury in banglore.he was not conistent with the price.find out the availability of the catridges.here its rare in chennai.

[winnie_the_pooh]

thebrowningeffect,

Get a .380 pistol.It is considered by many to be the minimum for self defence.It is a NPB firearm and ammo is easily available.Infact .380 ammo is cheaper than imported .32ACP ammo.

Another option is the .30 Tokarev pistol.Ammo again is available.

I would keep those bodyguards as well.

[xl_target]

thebrowningeffect, Sir, I am fully cognizant about the difficulties of owning arms in India and I sincerely sympathize. I was attempting to make you think about the ramifications of firearm ownership and hoping that you will be able to make a more informed decision when you finally purchase a firearm. I meant no disrespect to you or any of the posters here.

As far as the difference between the calibers in question:
as can be seen below 380 ACP is a more powerful cartridge than either the 32 Auto or the 32 S&W Long
caliber-------bullet type-|-bullet weight-|-muzzle energy-|-muzzle velocity-|- velocity@25 yds
32 Auto :--------JHP-----------60------------------117----------------980--------------------849
32 S&W Long :--LRN----------98------------------135----------------789--------------------770
380 Auto :-------JHP----------90------------------168----------------917--------------------878

JHP=jacketed hollow Point, LRN=lead round nose. Bullet weight is in grains. Muzzle energy is in ft.lbs. velocity is in feet/second.
32 Auto is the same as 7.65mm Browning.

source: http://www.arizonagunrunners.com/handgunballistics.pdf