If your not a cop or ex-military with combat training or a hunter that has shot more than Bambi and Thumper do not I repeat do not buy a gun for self protection. Go to Wal-Mart and buy a ballbat, crowbar, 4 or 5 D-cell Mag-lite if nothing else go to a thrift store and buy an old golf club.I'm not kidding here. Most people that get shot in a home or office are shot with their own gun. Some one that is not trained does not have the instinct it kill. It has to be learned and going to a range and shooting paper that does not fire back is not the way to learn. You need to go to a combat range and learn to shot under pressure when the adrenalin is flowing before your life is in the balanence. I know all the John Wayne types on here are going to get their feelings hurt but better that then dead. I am ex-military and a firearms instructer (with over 20 years experience), I have seen people that look like Clint at a range when everything is normal but you run them around and put the preasure on and they cannot hit the broad side of a barn. Let me also say that there were alot of name brand and expencive handguns talked about and they are all good guns.The bottom line though is a .22 mag will punch threw a bullet proof vest were a .380, 9mm, .40 and .45 will not.
As a test for the guys that think they are John Wayne, the next time you go to shoot, first run around the range a few times and I mean run as fast as you can, then do 30 jumping jacks, 30 pushups, do not wear hearing protection and have a couple of your buddies yelling in your ears while you shoot. If you can hit the target with a full clip you just might be able to save yourself. What the excercises do is simulate shooting under stress. Also remember the kill shot is normaly the first shot not the last shot.
