re: Tell me what kind of hand gun to get...

Glock 9MM

When you talk about reliability you have to look at the Sig Sauer P226. It is a 9mm so it shouldn't be too high of a caliber for the wife to shoot. Also, Sig's are extremely reliable. Heck, it is what the Seals carry. Now, you are going to have to pay a premium for this.

In terms of general reliability and affordability, it really is hard to beat glock and springfield. A glock 19 would be an equally fine replacement for the Sig P226. It is also a 9mm, and the light frame should make it easier for the wife to shoot.

All of the aforementioned weapons offer plenty of rounds to accomplish the job.

Yea it is an awesome little pistol. I'll probably buy another one eventually.

Great price as well and easily concealed.

Do they really? My dad's older .40 Is around 10 and the 19 was about 8-9 when I shot it. And the guy I bought from gave me the same info.

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I keep a snub nose 357 mag in my bedside table

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Only way to go.

I never plan to use a handgun except in a close situation - so accuracy is not a requirement.

If I ever have to use it I want it to be instantly ready to shoot - no time to rack back the slide.

I want it to be powerful enough to blow the damn a-hole over - the .357 mag is a serious weapon.

I have that and a .40 semi for fun - it's really not a lot of fun to shoot the .357. The .40 is cool, but I would't want to wake up from a sound sleep and try to get it to fire.

.38 Revolver with a 4-5" barrel.

Anything more will be too much for the wife to want to practice with. And not a semi unless your wife is willing to train the hell out of that gun, or she might wind up like the woman killed by her stalker when she got the jump on him but her gun jammed.

I personally love the Ruger SP101.

I personally have a Springfield XD45 for my house. It is a badass pistol for home defense but far from a range pistol. I went to the range when i bought it and fired off 100 rounds and it hurt.

I am looking at buying a 22LR pistol now to play with at the range, either a Walther P22 or a Ruger SR22. Both are really easy to shoot a lot at the range, not great for home defense in terms of stopping power but you could shoot out both of their eyes and put a smile on their face from 15 feet with them.

For your purpose, I would stick with 9mm pistols, they seem to be the balance between range and stopping power. This and easy to get ammo for a good price in both practice rounds and crit shot for the house. When looking for a pistol, think about extra clips and their price and ease to find. Glock, Springfield, Walther or Ruger are all easy to come by. If money is an issue, Taurus has been around and isn't bad.

88 Magnum; shoots through schoolyards and brick houses.

It really depends on what you are comfortable with.

I've been a Glock guy for a long time and own one in almost every caliber they offer. I recently stepped outside the Glock world and bought a Sig Sauer P320. I wasn't disappointed.
This is Sig Sauer's first striker fired pistol and it was made to rival the Glock in both reliability and cost. It's a great weapon. I have the full sized .40 with night sights and it's deadly accurate.
I highly recommend this pistol for home defense, or possibly a Glock 21. Both are too large to conceal carry but are excellent in home/vehicle defense.
Good luck in your weapon search. If I can help you in any way, please let me know.