BigMikey76
New member
^^^ This^^^
Get home bag gun.
- Thread starter WVsig
- Start date
I vote for a pair of M&P Compacts -- either 9mm or .45 ACP (or one of each) -- with four mags for each. At least, take a look before making the plunge.
I am not by nature a fan of plastic pistols. However, I (and many of my students) have found that the M&Ps: are fairly inexpensive (no extended mourning if one goes overboard); guns seem to feel good enough in the hand that all tend to shoot them well; materials are environment insensitive (plastic frame; stainless slide and barrel); good sights; and much better trigger than the Glock. Every one I've owned or been close to has been utterly reliable and not ammo picky.
Avoid the mag disconnect option. Up to you whether to get the thumb safety; normally I'd be against, but given intention for off-body carry, might be a good idea. Technically, the M&P is a single action pistol (i.e., striker is always fully cocked). A combination of articulated trigger, long trigger pull, and striker block contains much of the unintended discharge and drop fire risk.
I am not by nature a fan of plastic pistols. However, I (and many of my students) have found that the M&Ps: are fairly inexpensive (no extended mourning if one goes overboard); guns seem to feel good enough in the hand that all tend to shoot them well; materials are environment insensitive (plastic frame; stainless slide and barrel); good sights; and much better trigger than the Glock. Every one I've owned or been close to has been utterly reliable and not ammo picky.
Avoid the mag disconnect option. Up to you whether to get the thumb safety; normally I'd be against, but given intention for off-body carry, might be a good idea. Technically, the M&P is a single action pistol (i.e., striker is always fully cocked). A combination of articulated trigger, long trigger pull, and striker block contains much of the unintended discharge and drop fire risk.
armoredman
New member
How much room is in your bag? Where do you keep it so the items in it won't be stolen? A broken down AR style pistol could be kept in a smaller bag, or another rifle style pistol like a BREN 805 with folding brace. Alternatively, just need something that will work and doesn't kill the budget, get something like one of the Star BMs with a spare mag, Ziploc it with some desiccant in a bag, have a cheap nylon holster on a cheap belt ready to throw over your gear, maybe. Or, I'm told Buds Gun Shop has killer deals on used Hi Powers, CZ 75s and Beretta 92s for under $300 or so, same treatment, especially if your get home bag is more of a bug out belt with pouches instead of an actual bag, easier to hide a standard sidearm than a rifle style.
Personally, I always have a sidearm with me, coming to and from work, so that's taken care of, though I would love to be able to afford a get out of Dodge bag with a folded BREN 805, and a bandolier of loaded magazines.
Personally, I always have a sidearm with me, coming to and from work, so that's taken care of, though I would love to be able to afford a get out of Dodge bag with a folded BREN 805, and a bandolier of loaded magazines.
In a "Get Home" scenario which presumably would take place during some sort of crisis I would expect the threat level to be elevated to some degree over that of an ordinary day. During a crisis I want the good stuff. Not the most inexpensive weapon I can find. That said I think there's some choices that are reliable and not cost prohibitive.
A Smith and Wesson Shield wouldn't be a bad choice. Very inexpensive these days and with the extended mag you'll have 9 rounds. It's also very easy to conceal.
I would feel more comfortable with a Glock 19/23 with a couple spare magazines. Better capacity than the Shield and big enough to shoot well while still being concealable.
The Ruger SR9 has also caught my eye as an inexpensive option as have some of the Sig, Smith and Wesson, and Glock police trades.
A Smith and Wesson Shield wouldn't be a bad choice. Very inexpensive these days and with the extended mag you'll have 9 rounds. It's also very easy to conceal.
I would feel more comfortable with a Glock 19/23 with a couple spare magazines. Better capacity than the Shield and big enough to shoot well while still being concealable.
The Ruger SR9 has also caught my eye as an inexpensive option as have some of the Sig, Smith and Wesson, and Glock police trades.
Last edited:
I've been thinking about this for a few days now and I think the SW Sv-whatever is probably the best option but I would really consider a high point for something like this. I know a lot of people will hear the name and similar to Taurus just decide immediately that they won't do it. But I can't justify spending $400+ on a gun that I'll likely throw in a bag and forget about.
I've had a Bulgarian Makarov in my "Go" bag with a couple boxes of ammo for over twenty years, since I was buying them for $100 each back then, I figured it was cheap insurance. The only issue would be ammo availability if I ran out in an emergency away from home. A 9MM (9x19) would be better in that regards.
WVsig,
If you're thinking wilderness survival, I'd go with the extremely versatile .357 Mag. With 180 grain lead or Partition bullets, a .357 Mag will kill North America's largest deer. With the FBI load, it's not half-bad against no more than two bad guys. I could easily survive an indefinite time in the Rockies with a .357 Mag with a box of 180 grain rounds, a few dozen shot rounds for grouse and other winged game, .38 Special wad cutters for rabbit-sized game, and a box of FBI loads for bad guys.
If you're thinking bipedal bag guy defense, buy the best handgun you can afford. My thought is to never penny pinch when it comes to equipment that might be used to save my life.
If I were building such a bag with the assumption of bag guy defense, I'd go with an excellent quality 1911-A1 .45 ACP.
My urban carry handgun is a P239 .40 S&W. But I've yet to carry it. It's a lot smaller and lighter than a full-size 1911-A1, it's 100% reliable, it's more accurate than I had assumed, and with 8 180 grain Fed HST Tactical rounds, it is half-again better than half-bad. It is very easy to conceal. A couple extra magazines, and I'd be good to get the heck outta a life threatening situation. Only a fool would look to get into a life-threatening situation.
This might be of help: if there were to be more than one bad guy, the longer it takes to incapacitate one, the greater the probability that I'm going to take a round. Hence, I'd go with full-size 1911-A1 .45 ACP...at least I will until someone comes up with a .46 ;-) While a full-size 1911A1 is easy to conceal (I've done it), fully loaded with 230 grain ammo, it is a heavy handgun. But if it's in an emergency bag, weight won't be an issue.
I wish your wife and you the absolute best of luck. More importantly, I wish that neither of you will ever have to rely upon your emergency bags.
If you're thinking wilderness survival, I'd go with the extremely versatile .357 Mag. With 180 grain lead or Partition bullets, a .357 Mag will kill North America's largest deer. With the FBI load, it's not half-bad against no more than two bad guys. I could easily survive an indefinite time in the Rockies with a .357 Mag with a box of 180 grain rounds, a few dozen shot rounds for grouse and other winged game, .38 Special wad cutters for rabbit-sized game, and a box of FBI loads for bad guys.
If you're thinking bipedal bag guy defense, buy the best handgun you can afford. My thought is to never penny pinch when it comes to equipment that might be used to save my life.
If I were building such a bag with the assumption of bag guy defense, I'd go with an excellent quality 1911-A1 .45 ACP.
My urban carry handgun is a P239 .40 S&W. But I've yet to carry it. It's a lot smaller and lighter than a full-size 1911-A1, it's 100% reliable, it's more accurate than I had assumed, and with 8 180 grain Fed HST Tactical rounds, it is half-again better than half-bad. It is very easy to conceal. A couple extra magazines, and I'd be good to get the heck outta a life threatening situation. Only a fool would look to get into a life-threatening situation.
This might be of help: if there were to be more than one bad guy, the longer it takes to incapacitate one, the greater the probability that I'm going to take a round. Hence, I'd go with full-size 1911-A1 .45 ACP...at least I will until someone comes up with a .46 ;-) While a full-size 1911A1 is easy to conceal (I've done it), fully loaded with 230 grain ammo, it is a heavy handgun. But if it's in an emergency bag, weight won't be an issue.
I wish your wife and you the absolute best of luck. More importantly, I wish that neither of you will ever have to rely upon your emergency bags.
I still think a pistol caliber carbine is ideal in this role. The benefit has nothing to do with bullet performance, the benefit is having a longer sight radius as well as platform that’s typically easier to shoot without much practice. With a PCC over a duty sized handgun you’ve effectively quadrupled your range as well as increased the accuracy of follow-up shots.
So taking price into account I vote Sub2000, Hi Point carbine, then a 10/22 breakdown, in that order.
As to a handgun, like has been mentioned there really aren’t many bad choices out there. I’d even go so far as to recommend a Hi Point handgun. Capacity is limited to 10, but for the cost you can’t beat them as a reliable gun that’s going to spend it's life locked up in the trunk of a car.
So taking price into account I vote Sub2000, Hi Point carbine, then a 10/22 breakdown, in that order.
As to a handgun, like has been mentioned there really aren’t many bad choices out there. I’d even go so far as to recommend a Hi Point handgun. Capacity is limited to 10, but for the cost you can’t beat them as a reliable gun that’s going to spend it's life locked up in the trunk of a car.
Be aware of your state laws and how the impact a firearm that may or may not be in legal "transport" mode. Also be aware of how this may impact someone else borrowing your vehicle. In MI for instance you may not loan a pistol and someone having control of a vehicle would be assumed to have control of its contents. It could also create issues if you have a driver who is not 18 (or 21) depending on the laws of your jurisdiction. I know in Michigan one may not simply "keep" a long gun in his or her vehicle as a matter of course - its supposed to be in transport mode with a legitimate transport destination (range, hunting, etc.).
Not an issue in my state for a pistol. The pistol will be stored in a manner which is not considered concealed by North Carolina law. My wife has a concealed carry permit anyway and no one else drives my car without her or myself in it.
A rifle is not a consideration. For me a PCC is too bulky and is impossible to conceal once you have to get out of the car. I do not want to "make" myself a target by carrying a rifle. Also in NC you cannot have a rifle at the ready in a car. It does not matter if it is loaded or unloaded. So I have ruled out a long gun of any kind.
The main consideration is reliability, shoot-ability and conceal-ability. For me weight is also a consideration. I do not want to be weighted down so that my wife and or I can make good time and "get home" as fast as possible. I am not looking to hunker down with this bag. It should be lightweight and have just the bare essentials for 12-24 hours. Max.
Last edited:
FairWarning
New member
JDBerg said:
Considering the flagship PPQ Classic in 9mm can be had for under $500 these days, that is my choice. The "for the money" excuse doesn't really apply to the PPQ; it competes with guns that cost twice as much or more NO PROBLEM! And probably the best stock trigger in any combat pistol for you trigger divas out there....
I personally think the PPQ is overrated. I owned one kept it for a bit but sold it. Something about the pistol did not allow me to shoot it as accurately at speed vs other pistols even the Glock.
In slower focused fire it was great but at speed, and I am not that fast, it simply did not work as well for me. YMMV