Opinions on "medicine cabinet guns"

azmark · August 26, 2007, 10:54 AM

My wife expressed an interest in guns we could stash around the house, like in the medicine cabinets. I showed her the John Taffin article "medicine cabinet guns" and she now wants a couple (or more) Charter Bulldog .44s. Since I'm basically getting "permission" to buy more than one gun, I want to use the opportunity to get different guns. I'm fine with one Bulldog, but I want to know what other people might opt for in addition to the Charter, in the same price range (or less), either revolver or semi-auto.

Help a guy out, here. Helluva pickle I'm in, having to buy new guns

Magnum.35744 · August 26, 2007, 11:14 AM

Like you already agreed the Bulldog is a great little gun. Might I suggest a Ruger SP101, or a GP100 with a 3 or 4" barrel. Both are great guns that should last you a lifetime and then some

. Loaded with some .38 specials should do you just fine for HD

. Then again there is always the S&W 627 and 327, I believe which has the 8 shot cylinder which could come in handy for two extra powerful shots

. Take care, and good luck.

-Tre

P.S. If you’re looking for more power the .500 Magnum also makes a versatile defense gun

.

azmark · August 26, 2007, 11:35 AM

I'm thinking smaller than the GP100. It's what I would prefer personally, but I'm going to be putting these things in a medicine cabinet, for real. This is about going with her idea, and getting something I think is neat in the process

. For some reason the image of a Kel-Tec 9mm comes to mind. Maybe a Taurus 85.

Zombie Steve · August 26, 2007, 11:35 AM

You're on the right track (not referring to the .500 mag). Whatever wheelgun you like, stash it and forget about it. If you're truely stashing it in the bathroom, look at stainless (humidity and all).

fisherman66 · August 26, 2007, 11:41 AM

Just a note of caution. Anyone breaking into you house might look in you medicine cabinet in search of prescription drugs. I think you might find better hiding spots. Perhaps on top of the cabinet if there is a lip that will conceal it.

Dogbite · August 26, 2007, 11:42 AM

Here is what i would suggest. Ruger SP-101, or Smith and Wesson J-frame. Both are high quality, reliable revolvers, and you can find them from about 360.00 new for the J-frame, on down to about 250-270 used, maybe even less. I hope this helps!

chadwimc · August 26, 2007, 12:03 PM

The crackheads are gonna make a bee line for your medicine cabinet. Why would you give them a gun???

DonR101395 · August 26, 2007, 12:14 PM

Have you thought about a couple of those picture frames from sportsmans guide that open up to conceal a gun? They are kind of cheesy but no one is probably going to want to steal a picture of your dog.

azmark · August 26, 2007, 12:47 PM

My wife actually suggested those frames from SG. Maybe the medicine cabinet is not the greatest idea. The theory is to have the guns in places where you might be most vulnerable, since a break-in is not normally scheduled ahead of time. A J-frame would be good; I'd like to have a S&W anyway. So, no one is a fan of small autos? I'm kind of surprised. My son is trying to lobby for one of the Taurus PTs. I just saw Personal Defense TV show where Dick Metcalf lobbied pretty convincingly for their reliability.

DonR101395 · August 26, 2007, 12:51 PM

Quote:

So, no one is a fan of small autos?

I'm a big fan of the Glock 26. That is about as small as I want for a semi-auto I'm not going to carry in my pocket.

NCHornet · August 26, 2007, 12:59 PM

Y'all must have some big medicine cabinets!! I wouldn't stash a gun in this location to reasons all ready mentioned but things like the picture frames that contain a firearm in the back are a good way to hide a gun, the seecamp or NAA Guardians would be my favorite. I am usually armed even when in my house or within feet of a loaded firearm, no need to hide them!!

fisherman66 · August 26, 2007, 01:00 PM

Quote:

The theory is to have the guns in places where you might be most vulnerable, since a break-in is not normally scheduled ahead of time.

What's the problem with "on your person"? An Ti revolver or Seecamp is almost forgettable in your pocket.

I can hear the conversation now. "Now hold up buddy, you can have anything you want right after I take my aspirin."

**Mike Irwin** · August 26, 2007, 01:04 PM

Don't forget the toilet tank guns, the shower head guns, the vacuum clearer guns, the microwave oven guns, the TV remote control guns, the pickle jar guns, and the washer/dryer guns...

Kreyzhorse · August 26, 2007, 01:14 PM

Quote:

The crackheads are gonna make a bee line for your medicine cabinet. Why would you give them a gun???

Amen - hide that gun (a Smith and Wesson 637 is ideal for a hide-a-way) some place where BG's won't be looking if the decide to take a stroll through your home while you aren't there.

http://www.brownells.com/aspx/ns/sto...l.aspx?p=22821

This should help with some additional hiding ideas.

Wildalaska · August 26, 2007, 01:20 PM

Quote:

An Ti revolver or Seecamp is almost forgettable in your pocket.

No.

It IS forgettable.

WildaskmehowiknowAlaska TM

DonR101395 · August 26, 2007, 01:24 PM

Quote:

What's the problem with "on your person"?

That's the reason I don't own any of those hiding place frames etc. A G19 isn't that noticeable either

Don Lu · August 26, 2007, 01:25 PM

I carry on my person (in pocket holster of IWB depending on what im loungung in) at home and when in bed Ive got something bedside. A medicene cabinet gun wont do any good if the bathroom is upstairs and the threat is right in front of you in the kitchen or garage.

DonR101395 · August 26, 2007, 01:26 PM

Quote:

No.

It IS forgettable.

WildaskmehowiknowAlaska TM

I'll come clean your house if I can keep all the guns I find

azmark · August 26, 2007, 03:54 PM

Well, that thread kind of went the wrong way. Oh, well. Thanks for the input, anyway. And no, you can't clean my house and keep the guns you find.

Actually, on second thought, maybe it'd be worth it

KyJim · August 26, 2007, 04:39 PM

My preference would be for revolvers for this purpose. I carry mostly semi-autos on my person but with a revolver near my bed. One of the reasons is that I tend to let my "house gun" sit longer without maintenance. Two or three months with no lube might cause a malfunction with a semi-auto but is very unlikely to cause a revolver to actually malfunction.

In addition to a S&W J-frame, a Model 10 (K-frame) would serve well for this purpose. You can still get these at affordable prices if you don't look for NIB.

sholling · August 26, 2007, 05:04 PM

I agree with the comment about the medicine cabinet being the 1st place a druggie will go. IF you don't have small children (or small grandchildren) I'd suggest adding something like this gun clock or perhaps this picture frame and mounting it at least 5 feet from the floor. Properly hung it wouldn't look too out of place. Just be careful to not mount in a location that makes any seams look obvious. You could probably even get away with a second near your easy chair. I probably would not use one these in the bedroom.

These between studs in wall safes with quick electronic locks make lot of sense in the master bedroom closet or really anywhere you can hang a picture over it - especially if there are little ones around. I'm actually considering a Phoenix in-wall rifle locker for behind clothes in my master bedroom closet. Just for the stuff I'd like extra handy in a sudden emergency. 1x12ga, 1xMini-14, 1 shell belt and 2 magazines for the mini, extra spares for the 1911 under my pillow. I like the idea of in-walls because I don't want to come home only to find a thief and get shot with one of my own guns. That would seriously suck!

I've owned a 44 spl Bulldog and it was a great little revolver. Perhaps a bit thick for many concealed stashes but a reliable and manageable trouble stopper. I'd want at least one reload at each location. There is something to be said for consistency, but I'm like you. If I can come up with an excuse for more I'll jump on it. For those narrow stashes the little officers sized Charles Daly 1911 A-1 ECS in stainless is pretty affordable and bathroom/couch friendly. This might even be a good excuse to add a Kahr K-40 and/or a Taurus PT745 to your collection.

.351winchester · August 26, 2007, 05:27 PM

"Maybe the medicine cabinet is not the greatest idea. The theory is to have the guns in places where you might be most vulnerable, since a break-in is not normally scheduled ahead of time. "

In the bathroom, the shelf in the cabinet reserved for feminine products. Seriously. Probably would not be discovered in the back, buy burglars on a clock or company snooping around, and would allow for something bigger. Definately get stainless, chrome, electroless nickel, or one of the new anti-corrosive finishes/coatings. Is an NFA peice out of the question? Those Serbu AOW's are only like 600, and the 5. tax. Come in 12 or 20, Mossberg or Maverick. 2+1 capacity. (IIRC 8"bbl/mag tube) Get the 20 gauge and some Dura coat so years of hot shower steam don't have it looking like a railroad spike. You could stash that in a lot of places, have something cool and exotic, maneuverable in close quarters, and quite more effective than a normal handgun including Taurus and other previous .410 revovers.

A Glock 36 or 19 inside a hollowed out book on the toilet tank. Police trade in 3rd gen. S&W autos can be had for dirt cheap and will hang with Sigs and USP's all day, with a simple trigger job maybe better. Berettas, Sigs, and Glocks too. Get them already broken in for ya, smoothed out, cosmetic blemishes already there so you don't have this urge to use it but somehow keep it NIB.

Gunbroker and GunsAmerica always have Steyr M- series 9's and 40's well under 400. I want the 9 myself and would purchase today if I could find a local (handgun) FFL that would do the transaction. It's kind of radical looking, spacegunish, especially if your preference is a big bore snub, but I swear you might never want to use anything else after trying it. Grip angle and feel (of a Olympic .22 rapidfire pistol) and lowest ever bore axis really make this gun shoot like a rimfire. Best factory sights ever, too. Triangular/trapezoidal. Take a while to get use to, but for me offered the acquisition of XS big Dots with the precision of Bomars, at once, probably sounds like an exaggeration, but the system really worked for me and these are standard. Worth 2 bills if you could get them on other pistols but I think it's just an uncopied, proprietary design. I always talk about this gun on here, nobody knows about it or won't give it a try. This is the one I knew was out there and finally discovered (well it and a GM 1911). Give it a try.

CDNN have/had Taurus Trackers in .45 ACP 4" and 6.5", incl. Ti models NIB for 3 bills not too long ago. I think this would be a good way for you to go, as it and your Bulldog use the slow, heavy, low pressure rounds (good choice for indoors, as is choosing a roscoe for HD-you get the death and taxes reliability without the burden of how crappy a wheelie is to pack vs. an auto of comparable weight and dimensions). It's on their medium frame so, you are already familiar with having 5rd. capacity; in that way, that might be better than having 6. And being an auto round you get to use moon clips instead of speedloaders. Plus, you can use all .45 auto rounds-including loads people like but cannot get to cycle reliably in a automatic. Or dutch load all the way around- 230 Hydra Shok's, 185+p Golden Sabre, 165 Premium Personal Defense, Aguila 117 gr. JHP, Magsafes, "fang face' Extreme Shock's, whatever. That wouldn't fly in a magazine fed weapon 100% of the time. The 200 gr. Gold Dot 'Flying Ashtray' a few years ago was desirable in performance but caused a lot of jams regardless of feed ramp or throat condition. If you reload I bet you could make up some killer multi-ball loads with 000 buck. I'm not sure if it's possible (safe for you or healthy for the gun over time) but maybe you could even use .45 super rounds? Worth finding out (in print). Personally in .45 Hydra shok is all i touch but the revolver gives you a lot of versatility. I think this might be your best bet. Not a Bulldog, but similar in all important areas (weight, size, manual of arms, capacity, action, cartridge charecteristics), with improvements such as faster reloads, and a more common chambering (giving you a greater selection of ammo, and a fresh supply of 230 fmj wherever you can buy any type of ammo). And I read something about 9mm and .45 auto bullets not losing much velocity thru the flash gap, something about freebore overcompensating in a revolver so a 4" gives similar performance to a 5" 1911. That was just one article but the consensus is they don't dump speed like a .22 mag wheelgun does.

Only downside is, it;s ported. Which is not so bad on a .45 really or a medium sized gun (now a .357 2" j-frame could be a serious liability). Not too long ago carry comp and bybrid porting/compensator combos were a big thing in the 1911 world. Not sure if the .45 ACP Tracker is still in production in any bbl. length, but check CDNN and the auction sites, cause it would probably be a choice you'll be happy with, more of the same but a little better. CDNN has great deals on stuff like that so don't expect to get it for 300./shipping/ffl transfer, but you might. Which should come up about the same as a new Charter. If you gotta go used, might as well get the 2" if you see one, but you might like the extra punch of the 4". You get a lot more for that extra 2"-sight radius, shot to shot recovery time, ballistic performance, etc.
good luck.

spctim11 · August 26, 2007, 05:50 PM

http://www.taurususa.com/products/pr...ategory=Pistol

http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/p...ducts_id/32444

dispatcher · August 26, 2007, 07:07 PM

We keep a .38 or .44 in every room of the house. Subject to theft while we're gone? You bet. Are the guns in the safe subject to theft? Absolutely.
If someone comes in while we are gone, it's pretty much between him and the dog.
My objective with house guns is to protect us from any gremlin that tries to come in while we are there. No tricky hiding places- they know them all anyway. Just ready accessability to my wife and me.

stitchclimber · August 26, 2007, 07:54 PM

I think what you're doing is a great idea, I'm on a meager budget but I am attempting to do the same thing. Here's my setup.

12g pumps, 18.5 inch barrels in the front closet and bedroom closet.

a S&W .357 next to my bed.

A S&W .38 held to the underside of a coffee table with a plastic coated magnet in the living room.

A hi-point 9mm in a shaving kit in the bathroom.

and a medium framed Star 9mm with a magnet held under my desk in the office.

Those magnets are a great way to hold extra clips and mags out of sight.

August 26, 2007, 10:54 AM	#1
azmark Senior Member Join Date: August 26, 2007 Location: Palominas, AZ Posts: 221	Opinions on "medicine cabinet guns" My wife expressed an interest in guns we could stash around the house, like in the medicine cabinets. I showed her the John Taffin article "medicine cabinet guns" and she now wants a couple (or more) Charter Bulldog .44s. Since I'm basically getting "permission" to buy more than one gun, I want to use the opportunity to get different guns. I'm fine with one Bulldog, but I want to know what other people might opt for in addition to the Charter, in the same price range (or less), either revolver or semi-auto. Help a guy out, here. Helluva pickle I'm in, having to buy new guns

August 26, 2007, 11:14 AM	#2
Magnum.35744 Senior Member Join Date: May 27, 2007 Posts: 269	Well... Like you already agreed the Bulldog is a great little gun. Might I suggest a Ruger SP101, or a GP100 with a 3 or 4" barrel. Both are great guns that should last you a lifetime and then some . Loaded with some .38 specials should do you just fine for HD . Then again there is always the S&W 627 and 327, I believe which has the 8 shot cylinder which could come in handy for two extra powerful shots . Take care, and good luck. -Tre P.S. If you’re looking for more power the .500 Magnum also makes a versatile defense gun . __________________ Magnum.35744

August 26, 2007, 11:35 AM	#3
azmark Senior Member Join Date: August 26, 2007 Location: Palominas, AZ Posts: 221	I'm thinking smaller than the GP100. It's what I would prefer personally, but I'm going to be putting these things in a medicine cabinet, for real. This is about going with her idea, and getting something I think is neat in the process. For some reason the image of a Kel-Tec 9mm comes to mind. Maybe a Taurus 85.

August 26, 2007, 11:41 AM	#5
fisherman66 Senior Member Join Date: August 22, 2005 Location: The Woodlands TX Posts: 4,679	Just a note of caution. Anyone breaking into you house might look in you medicine cabinet in search of prescription drugs. I think you might find better hiding spots. Perhaps on top of the cabinet if there is a lip that will conceal it. __________________ la plus belle des ruses du diable est de vous persuader qu'il n'existe pas!

August 26, 2007, 12:59 PM	#11
NCHornet Senior Member Join Date: December 20, 2006 Posts: 1,001	Y'all must have some big medicine cabinets!! I wouldn't stash a gun in this location to reasons all ready mentioned but things like the picture frames that contain a firearm in the back are a good way to hide a gun, the seecamp or NAA Guardians would be my favorite. I am usually armed even when in my house or within feet of a loaded firearm, no need to hide them!! __________________ When seconds count, the cops are just minutes away!! Carry ON!! NCHornet

August 26, 2007, 11:35 AM	#4
Zombie Steve Senior Member Join Date: June 3, 2007 Location: Old Colorado City Posts: 527	You're on the right track (not referring to the .500 mag). Whatever wheelgun you like, stash it and forget about it. If you're truely stashing it in the bathroom, look at stainless (humidity and all).

August 26, 2007, 11:42 AM	#6
Dogbite Member Join Date: August 20, 2007 Location: From Alaska, now residing in Georgia Posts: 43	Here is what i would suggest. Ruger SP-101, or Smith and Wesson J-frame. Both are high quality, reliable revolvers, and you can find them from about 360.00 new for the J-frame, on down to about 250-270 used, maybe even less. I hope this helps!

August 26, 2007, 12:03 PM	#7
chadwimc Senior Member Join Date: July 15, 2005 Posts: 155	The crackheads are gonna make a bee line for your medicine cabinet. Why would you give them a gun???

August 26, 2007, 12:14 PM	#8
DonR101395 Senior Member Join Date: October 30, 2005 Location: NWFL Posts: 3,031	Have you thought about a couple of those picture frames from sportsmans guide that open up to conceal a gun? They are kind of cheesy but no one is probably going to want to steal a picture of your dog.

August 26, 2007, 12:47 PM	#9
azmark Senior Member Join Date: August 26, 2007 Location: Palominas, AZ Posts: 221	My wife actually suggested those frames from SG. Maybe the medicine cabinet is not the greatest idea. The theory is to have the guns in places where you might be most vulnerable, since a break-in is not normally scheduled ahead of time. A J-frame would be good; I'd like to have a S&W anyway. So, no one is a fan of small autos? I'm kind of surprised. My son is trying to lobby for one of the Taurus PTs. I just saw Personal Defense TV show where Dick Metcalf lobbied pretty convincingly for their reliability.

August 26, 2007, 01:04 PM	#13
Mike Irwin Staff Join Date: April 13, 2000 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 41,380	Don't forget the toilet tank guns, the shower head guns, the vacuum clearer guns, the microwave oven guns, the TV remote control guns, the pickle jar guns, and the washer/dryer guns... __________________ "The gift which I am sending you is called a dog, and is in fact the most precious and valuable possession of mankind" -Theodorus Gaza Baby Jesus cries when the fat redneck doesn't have military-grade firepower.

August 26, 2007, 01:25 PM	#17
Don Lu Senior Member Join Date: December 12, 2006 Location: Georgia Posts: 271	I carry on my person (in pocket holster of IWB depending on what im loungung in) at home and when in bed Ive got something bedside. A medicene cabinet gun wont do any good if the bathroom is upstairs and the threat is right in front of you in the kitchen or garage. __________________ GLOCK 23,Smith & Wesson New 520,Tuarus 651,Taurus 608,Taurus PT92, Astra A-75,CZ-52,East German Makarov,Mossberg 835 Ulti Mag, Remington 870 Express Magnum

August 26, 2007, 03:54 PM	#19
azmark Senior Member Join Date: August 26, 2007 Location: Palominas, AZ Posts: 221	Well, that thread kind of went the wrong way. Oh, well. Thanks for the input, anyway. And no, you can't clean my house and keep the guns you find. Actually, on second thought, maybe it'd be worth it

August 26, 2007, 04:39 PM	#20
KyJim Senior Member Join Date: July 26, 2005 Location: The Bluegrass Posts: 9,142	My preference would be for revolvers for this purpose. I carry mostly semi-autos on my person but with a revolver near my bed. One of the reasons is that I tend to let my "house gun" sit longer without maintenance. Two or three months with no lube might cause a malfunction with a semi-auto but is very unlikely to cause a revolver to actually malfunction. In addition to a S&W J-frame, a Model 10 (K-frame) would serve well for this purpose. You can still get these at affordable prices if you don't look for NIB.

August 26, 2007, 05:04 PM	#21
sholling Senior Member Join Date: May 18, 1999 Location: Hemet (middle of nowhere) California Posts: 4,261	I agree with the comment about the medicine cabinet being the 1st place a druggie will go. IF you don't have small children (or small grandchildren) I'd suggest adding something like this gun clock or perhaps this picture frame and mounting it at least 5 feet from the floor. Properly hung it wouldn't look too out of place. Just be careful to not mount in a location that makes any seams look obvious. You could probably even get away with a second near your easy chair. I probably would not use one these in the bedroom. These between studs in wall safes with quick electronic locks make lot of sense in the master bedroom closet or really anywhere you can hang a picture over it - especially if there are little ones around. I'm actually considering a Phoenix in-wall rifle locker for behind clothes in my master bedroom closet. Just for the stuff I'd like extra handy in a sudden emergency. 1x12ga, 1xMini-14, 1 shell belt and 2 magazines for the mini, extra spares for the 1911 under my pillow. I like the idea of in-walls because I don't want to come home only to find a thief and get shot with one of my own guns. That would seriously suck! I've owned a 44 spl Bulldog and it was a great little revolver. Perhaps a bit thick for many concealed stashes but a reliable and manageable trouble stopper. I'd want at least one reload at each location. There is something to be said for consistency, but I'm like you. If I can come up with an excuse for more I'll jump on it. For those narrow stashes the little officers sized Charles Daly 1911 A-1 ECS in stainless is pretty affordable and bathroom/couch friendly. This might even be a good excuse to add a Kahr K-40 and/or a Taurus PT745 to your collection. __________________ Proud Life Member: National Rifle Association, California Rifle & Pistol Association, and the Second Amendment Foundation. Annual Member: Revolutionary War Veterans Association (Project Appleseed) and the Madison Society.

August 26, 2007, 05:27 PM	#22
.351winchester Junior member Join Date: December 31, 2005 Location: MI Posts: 1,013	"Maybe the medicine cabinet is not the greatest idea. The theory is to have the guns in places where you might be most vulnerable, since a break-in is not normally scheduled ahead of time. " In the bathroom, the shelf in the cabinet reserved for feminine products. Seriously. Probably would not be discovered in the back, buy burglars on a clock or company snooping around, and would allow for something bigger. Definately get stainless, chrome, electroless nickel, or one of the new anti-corrosive finishes/coatings. Is an NFA peice out of the question? Those Serbu AOW's are only like 600, and the 5. tax. Come in 12 or 20, Mossberg or Maverick. 2+1 capacity. (IIRC 8"bbl/mag tube) Get the 20 gauge and some Dura coat so years of hot shower steam don't have it looking like a railroad spike. You could stash that in a lot of places, have something cool and exotic, maneuverable in close quarters, and quite more effective than a normal handgun including Taurus and other previous .410 revovers. A Glock 36 or 19 inside a hollowed out book on the toilet tank. Police trade in 3rd gen. S&W autos can be had for dirt cheap and will hang with Sigs and USP's all day, with a simple trigger job maybe better. Berettas, Sigs, and Glocks too. Get them already broken in for ya, smoothed out, cosmetic blemishes already there so you don't have this urge to use it but somehow keep it NIB. Gunbroker and GunsAmerica always have Steyr M- series 9's and 40's well under 400. I want the 9 myself and would purchase today if I could find a local (handgun) FFL that would do the transaction. It's kind of radical looking, spacegunish, especially if your preference is a big bore snub, but I swear you might never want to use anything else after trying it. Grip angle and feel (of a Olympic .22 rapidfire pistol) and lowest ever bore axis really make this gun shoot like a rimfire. Best factory sights ever, too. Triangular/trapezoidal. Take a while to get use to, but for me offered the acquisition of XS big Dots with the precision of Bomars, at once, probably sounds like an exaggeration, but the system really worked for me and these are standard. Worth 2 bills if you could get them on other pistols but I think it's just an uncopied, proprietary design. I always talk about this gun on here, nobody knows about it or won't give it a try. This is the one I knew was out there and finally discovered (well it and a GM 1911). Give it a try. CDNN have/had Taurus Trackers in .45 ACP 4" and 6.5", incl. Ti models NIB for 3 bills not too long ago. I think this would be a good way for you to go, as it and your Bulldog use the slow, heavy, low pressure rounds (good choice for indoors, as is choosing a roscoe for HD-you get the death and taxes reliability without the burden of how crappy a wheelie is to pack vs. an auto of comparable weight and dimensions). It's on their medium frame so, you are already familiar with having 5rd. capacity; in that way, that might be better than having 6. And being an auto round you get to use moon clips instead of speedloaders. Plus, you can use all .45 auto rounds-including loads people like but cannot get to cycle reliably in a automatic. Or dutch load all the way around- 230 Hydra Shok's, 185+p Golden Sabre, 165 Premium Personal Defense, Aguila 117 gr. JHP, Magsafes, "fang face' Extreme Shock's, whatever. That wouldn't fly in a magazine fed weapon 100% of the time. The 200 gr. Gold Dot 'Flying Ashtray' a few years ago was desirable in performance but caused a lot of jams regardless of feed ramp or throat condition. If you reload I bet you could make up some killer multi-ball loads with 000 buck. I'm not sure if it's possible (safe for you or healthy for the gun over time) but maybe you could even use .45 super rounds? Worth finding out (in print). Personally in .45 Hydra shok is all i touch but the revolver gives you a lot of versatility. I think this might be your best bet. Not a Bulldog, but similar in all important areas (weight, size, manual of arms, capacity, action, cartridge charecteristics), with improvements such as faster reloads, and a more common chambering (giving you a greater selection of ammo, and a fresh supply of 230 fmj wherever you can buy any type of ammo). And I read something about 9mm and .45 auto bullets not losing much velocity thru the flash gap, something about freebore overcompensating in a revolver so a 4" gives similar performance to a 5" 1911. That was just one article but the consensus is they don't dump speed like a .22 mag wheelgun does. Only downside is, it;s ported. Which is not so bad on a .45 really or a medium sized gun (now a .357 2" j-frame could be a serious liability). Not too long ago carry comp and bybrid porting/compensator combos were a big thing in the 1911 world. Not sure if the .45 ACP Tracker is still in production in any bbl. length, but check CDNN and the auction sites, cause it would probably be a choice you'll be happy with, more of the same but a little better. CDNN has great deals on stuff like that so don't expect to get it for 300./shipping/ffl transfer, but you might. Which should come up about the same as a new Charter. If you gotta go used, might as well get the 2" if you see one, but you might like the extra punch of the 4". You get a lot more for that extra 2"-sight radius, shot to shot recovery time, ballistic performance, etc. good luck.

August 26, 2007, 05:50 PM	#23
spctim11 Senior Member Join Date: October 13, 2006 Location: SE Louisiana Posts: 210	http://www.taurususa.com/products/pr...ategory=Pistol http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/p...ducts_id/32444

August 26, 2007, 07:07 PM	#24
dispatcher Senior Member Join Date: November 24, 2005 Location: DFW area Posts: 312	We keep a .38 or .44 in every room of the house. Subject to theft while we're gone? You bet. Are the guns in the safe subject to theft? Absolutely. If someone comes in while we are gone, it's pretty much between him and the dog. My objective with house guns is to protect us from any gremlin that tries to come in while we are there. No tricky hiding places- they know them all anyway. Just ready accessability to my wife and me.

August 26, 2007, 07:54 PM	#25
stitchclimber Junior Member Join Date: August 26, 2007 Posts: 3	I think what you're doing is a great idea, I'm on a meager budget but I am attempting to do the same thing. Here's my setup. 12g pumps, 18.5 inch barrels in the front closet and bedroom closet. a S&W .357 next to my bed. A S&W .38 held to the underside of a coffee table with a plastic coated magnet in the living room. A hi-point 9mm in a shaving kit in the bathroom. and a medium framed Star 9mm with a magnet held under my desk in the office. Those magnets are a great way to hold extra clips and mags out of sight.