7point is not too far off the mark..i have no intentions of carrying a weapon--no need--but if i did i would want something that made a hell of a blast--maybe overpowered handloads with flash powder or whatever..if anyone is trying to attack you the noise and blast would throw them for a loop giving you enought time for a better second shot or to beat feet--

Choosing a pistol is a very personal thing as you can see from the varied opinions. I started with a 22 revolver and then went to a HK USP 40 S&W. I wish I had waited. I found out later I shot better Glock 26 (very small 9MM) and the Sig Sauer 40 S&W. SO I bought the Glock 26 and traded the HK USP for the Sig version.

So the lessons are start small and practice. Then try out various handguns to find out what feels best to you and to discover what you can shoot the best with. A gun is no good if you can't hit the target. Then again, I believe most shootings are at 25 feet or less.

Lastly, choose the proper ammo for your caliber. Magsafe and Glaser (as mentioned previously) are expensive but they won't penetrate multiple walls. There are more conventional rounds that would generate less controversy in court like Federal's Hydrashok or Horandy's TAP personal defense rounds.

Try to find Evan Marshall and Ed Sanow's books Street Stoppers and Handgun Stopping Power for in-depth info on shootings and the types of ammo involved. Police reports and autopsy reports are used. Probably a bit dated but good info.

Just my thoughts.

Pahoo goes high-tech: dragon's breath shotgun munition.

Not me, If I ever had to pull a firearm in self defense, I probably wouldn't have time for ear protection. I don't want to go deaf just to scare the other guy away.

Most people don't realize just how loud their gun is if they never shot without ear protection, especially inside a tight room. Even a little .22lr fired from a long-barreled rifle has quite the pop indoors without ear protection. If you've never fired a weapon indoors without ear protection before it can definitely stun you for a second or two. Not something I'd want if my life might depend on quick follow-up shot.

Every person who has ever fired a weapon...... never fired one before.

One of the better rounds for all-around stopping power, recoil control, and availability is the .40 caliber. It may or may not be the best, but that's not the point. It's a good caliber for self-defense.

Firing warning shots brings to mind a thing or two:
- where does this warning shot go?
- if a life is not in imminent danger, why is there a need to fire the weapon at all? To scare.....?
- at the moment in time the trigger is pulled, it should be a situation where there is no recourse but to "stop" the threat (there. I said it).

In auots, I've owned a Browning and Beretta, and currently own a SIG and H&K. Of them all, I like the H&K .40 a tad better than the SIG 9mm, though I like the .40 cal round considerably more.

Whatever weapon you choose, it would be wise to try (more than once) several models and several calibers as has been suggested, thereby making your choice the best you can make it.

Paul810,
Just an FYI....multiple post shooting investigations show that in a shootout, the shooter has reported hearing 'pops'. Turns out they are the gun firing.....I do not remember exactly how it happens but under that level of stress, the body's physiological defense mechanisms 'close down' (if that can be used loosely) our hearing for some reason....

On a range the sound can/is deafening....literally and figuratively. In real life......it seems we may barely notice it.

I'll have to break out my copy of Stressfire to find the exact explanation of how/why this happens...

I can attest for the sound of the gunfire not being deafening simply in my hunting experiences. I would never contemplate touching off a .30-30 or a .30-06 without hearing protection-plugs and muffs - when I am at the range. But I have fired both in the hunting field with no ill effect, no ringing and only the vaguest of recollections of the report.
It is a strange phenomenon

I have read about and experienced that too. I don;t know if it's the body's way of protecting us (probably) or just that, since our minds and physiological mechanisms are stressed and "pre-occupied", we just don;t notice it.

From personal experience I agree that one isn't typically aware of nor discomforted by a weapon's noise if you're in a stress-alert mode (hunting, shooting incident). This is a function of the brain, an "orienting response" and/or a body alarm reaction (fight or flight response). You're oriented on a critical situation and "habituated out" to the sound of the weapon.

But it is a brain filtering process. It is not a matter of your ear being immune to the injury or protected from it. There is no less pressure on the ear structures (cilia, etc.) than when you're shooting at the range without proper hearing protection. So unless someone can point us to scientific studies to the contrary, I am of the opinion that the injury and ultimate damage to your hearing still takes place.

Of course the damage still takes place, and AFAIK it is still considered irreversible.