Guns I Have and Have Owned

These are guns that I have owned throughout the years. The first three I no longer own and I sure do miss them.

Savage 300 Winchester Magnum bought for Alaska Big Game hunting.

Taurus PT 92 9mm my first pistol.

Beretta 9000s 9mm bought for conceal carry.

New England Pardner 20 gauge my first shotgun when I was 15.

Winchester 1300 12 gauge my first pump shotgun.

Taurus PT 111 9mm my second conceal carry gun.

Sig Sauer 2340 .40 S&W bought in Alaska.

S&W 15-22 22lr bought for plinking.

Taurus PT 709 "Slim" 9mm my last conceal carry pistol.

Expert Marksmanship

In February 2007 I had to qualify with my M-16 before I redeployed. We shot at an outdoor range in the snow neat Terre Haute Indiana. We shot 10 rounds each in standing, kneeling, prone, prone supported with gas mask on and kneeling supported. It was so cold my gas mask was fogging up so I could barley see the target. It was a fun day of shooting and getting expert was a bonus.

Firearm Choices and Selection

I constantly get asked the question, what is the best firearm for self defense. That is a tough question to answer. You could ask 50 people and get 50 different answers. There are tons of firearms on the market today, all shapes, sizes and even colors. It can be an overwhelming task for sure. First we must decide what kind of defense we want this firearm for. Will it be for personal protection or home defense? Will we need to conceal carry it or not? So lets say it's for personal protection and we need to conceal carry it. There are many firearms that fit this scenario well. A 1911 in .45 ACP would work well, but so would a Ruger LCP chambered in 380. There are also many revolvers that would get the job done too. Personally I prefer semi automatic pistols over revolvers. Not that they are better or worse it's just what I prefer. I have several pistols for conceal carry that work well for me. First is my Sig Sauer 2340 in .40 S&W. It is not the lightest or the smallest pistol ever so it may not be comfortable for everyone. I also have a Taurus PT 111 and a Taurus PT 709 "slim" both in 9mm. The 709 is a bit more comfortable to carry, so much so my wife carries one. It really comes down to personal preference and which one you can shoot effectively. Any of these would work for home defense as well or you could take a different approach. 12 gauge or 20 gauge shotgun is a great home defense gun. Some even prefer an AR-15 style rifle to serve this purpose. I have several of each in my home, but use my conceal carry Taurus. Since I have small children in my home, most of my firearms are kept locked up. The only firearm I keep locked and loaded in my home is my Taurus 709 and even that is kept in a Gun Vault safe next to my bed when I'm not wearing it. No matter what firearm you choose, familiarize yourself with it and use safe gun practices.