Since a number of us are interested in firearms and very interested in their safe and lawful use, I thought that a thread for the subject would be in order. I'm planning to obtain a Lifetime Concealed Carry Permit before the end of Summer (before the beginning of it if I can manage it!) and I'll be looking at handguns and looking for advice. Here are a couple I'm looking at right now.

http://world.guns.ru/handguns/hg93-e.htm ;  the PT99 and

http://world.guns.ru/handguns/hg196-e.htm ; the PT145 for Concealed Carry.

Opinions?

This I know and I intend to get a new bow too but finding that it going to take more work than finding a handgun or two or three! 

I used to be a pretty good shot with a varmit gun (.22 rifle) but that was before I went into bifocals. Plus, between Mom and me we pretty much cleaned out the varmits!!!  So I'm short of targets. As far as bows are concerned, I'm a traditionalist. If Robin Hood couldn't figure out how to string it correctly, I don't want it!  And since I have NO idea what my draw is now (I haven't touched a bow since my 20s.) I'm going to have to do some "hands on" shopping before I lay my money down.

Noooooo! PLEASE don't get a Taurus!

I know you would be happier with a Ruger or a Glock! Or a Kemper or even Millennium Arms. Even a S&W. Taurus has had some....interesting quality control issues over the years, and you would really have to research the serial numbers to be sure you got a good one. Yes, they are a good basic weapon, but they don't generally have the nicer features or smoothest action like the better names do. I have USED many Taurus weapons over the years, and while yes, in general they are an ok weapon, I have found them extremely likely to jam with mixed loads, and they tend to jam if the rounds are not FIRMLY seated well back in the magazine. In addition, I have found the quality of their metal finishing, whether brushed steel or blued, to be less than perfect. Yeah, the finish doesn't affect anything but the looks, but it does make me wonder what other corners have been cut in manufacture.

Honestly, I'd take a used Glock over a new Taurus any day, regardless of caliber. Glock has a very good reputation in reliability---I mean, they run thousands of rounds through a weapon, without cleaning, to try to MAKE it fail, just to be sure they work right every time. And if they do fail, the weapon gets redesigned. They are considered to be the "gold standard" in performance reliability in all conditions, including underwater.....not that a handgun is very effective underwater anyway!

In any case, do look at some other weapons too. My first .45 was a safariland that took the govt slide and clip from a colt 1911A2 officer's model. It was a great little weapon that saved my butt more than once. Not bad for a "bargain" handgun!


Black Rose

Well, having now discarded thoughts of the Taurus, I'm thinking of Walthers.

Well, the law makes no sense but your statement did.    I don't travel out of state much at the present time but that could change. I've just renewed my membership in the NRA and I'll be using their resources to keep up to date.

Yes, you did say that out loud but last I looked, the 1st Amendment guaranteeing Freedom of Speech was still in force.

I definitely want something in a .45 for home protection and I'm thinking of getting a 12 gauge shotgun for the same reason. This area isn't as isolated as it used to be, unfortunately. I'm open to suggestions for concealed carry since if I have to use it it will likely be at close range and the need for the really heavy ammo wouldn't be as dire, I would think. I'm still in the "shopping" stage and I'll be putting my "possibles" up for comment as I go along.

I used to be fairly good but I was always better with the rifle. I have "vision issues" and I know I'm going to need a lot of practice.
I got away from it when my girls were born, mainly because my late mother was positive that if there was a gun in the house one of the girls would find it and kill herself, her sister, her father or me. (She nearly had a stroke when she found out that I had bought a ninja short sword.) When the girls were diagnosed with autism, advocating for them became my second full time job -- being mom was the first full time job. I had to drop virtually everything from my life that wasn't connected to the girls and the autism. Now that they are older, I'm trying to get back some of my former life.

My father's view on the subject which he imparted to my mother before he died and she then passed to me was "Don't point a gun at someone unless you intend to kill them." If someone is breaking into the house and the only thing between that person and my girls is me with a gun, I want to drop that sorry piece of work with the first shot and I want him dead before he hits the floor. Same thing in a concealed carry situation.

My mom had a 12 gauge but she sold it without telling me after I got married. I was unhappy that she had done that since it had been my father's. So, I'll be looking at those too but I want the handguns first. When I get some idea of what I want to look at, I'll start hitting the gun shops, there are no shortage of them around here  but I don't want to walk in "cold" and buy something only to find out later that it is unsuitable.

Another thing to keep in mind is that if there is a range attached to the shop, there may be guns that you can "try out" and see what suits you personally.  Most indoor ranges that I have been to have rentals that you can use.

I've already figured out that I don't want a revolver for that reason. I'm not likely to get in a gunfight but if I do, I want as many shots as possible!
hehehe I think I'll just let the 2 of you and BR discuss the pros and cons and I'll sit here and take notes! 
I've been searching the Yellow Pages for a range and there are none listed so I'm hoping that at least one of the shops in the area has a testing range at the least. I don't want to buy a gun without firing it first.

No problem. There are always used guns around and there are gun shows at the local fairgrounds fairly regularly. I can be very patient if when I decide that I want something and have to hunt for it.