[Jeff Higgins]

What seldom comes up in these discussions, so I try to make it a point to bring it up, is noise and flash. They vary widely among the common handgun calibers. Additionally, both are influenced by barrel length.

Generally, the amount of noise and flash any given cartridge generates is directly proportional to the amount of gas pressure generated by the burning gunpowder upon ignition. There are industry standards for maximum allowable pressure for any given cartridge. The allowables vary by a factor of about three to one from the low end to the high end.

Examples of low pressure cartridges include most old (late 19th to early 20th century) revolver rounds, such as the .38 and .44 Specials, .45 Colt, and such. These are restricted to somewhere around 14,000-16,000 PSI maximum.

At the other end of the pressure scale, we have the "standard" magnum calibers of .357, .44, and .41. These go over 35,000 PSI. The extreme end of the scale has the likes of the .454 Casull at over 50,000 PSI.

The auto loaders vary as well, just not accross as broad of a range. At the low pressure end is the .45 ACP down in the low 20,000 PSI range. Modern calibers, like the 10mm Auto, .40 S&W, .357 Sig, etc., will go up into the low to mid 30,000 PSI range.

What does all of this have to do with home defense? The higher intensity calibers are much louder, and can produce a far greater muzzle flash, than the lower intensity calibers. Enough so that the concussion and flash from one will temporarily blind and deafen you. All well and good if there is only one guy, and you put him down with that first cannon blast, but really pretty darn inconvenient if there is more than one or if you missed. Then you could be in big trouble.

Not that any handgun (especially if fired indoors) is actually "quiet", but the difference between a low-intensity cartridge, and a high-intensity one, is really very dramatic. Enough to where it should influence your decision on a home defense gun. I mentioned barrel length somewhat in passing earlier; longer barrels produce less noise with any given caliber, and are easier to shoot well. Concealability is moot in a home defense gun. Quite the contrary; you want the bad guy to see it.

This all adds up to a full-sized revolver or auto in a lower intensity caliber. Revolvers are simpler and easier to manage in an emergency, especially for your wife or girlfriend if she is not a shooter. So, with these criteria, it all adds up to a revolver in .38 or .44 Special, or possibly .45 Colt (although that caliber is not nearly as common). Go ahead and get a revolver classified as a "magnum" in .357 or .44 caliber, and feed it the respective "Special" versions. A .357 magnum revolver will shoot .38 Specials; likewise, a .44 magnum revolver will fire .44 Specials. Both "magnum" revolvers should be wearing a 4"-6" barrel; stay awy from the snubbies or the very long barrels. So armed, you will have an easy to shoot, dead reliable, accurate, powerful defensive arm. Plus it will give you great satisfaction at the range when you want to do some plinking or target shooting.