A handgun can be a powerful tool in an emergency. It can also be totally worthless, or worse: it can be a liability. A handgun in the hand of a panicked burglar (or a panicked owner, even) can be deadly. Picking the right handgun for emergencies means knowing a few things about yourself, and it also means understanding a few things about handguns and their care.

Here’s what you need to know about picking the best handgun for an emergency:

  • Know the limitations of a handgun. Any handgun you buy is going to be less effective and less powerful than a rifle or a shotgun. That’s the thing about emergencies, however; rifles and shotguns usually aren’t available. Handguns are. That’s why it’s so important to pick the right one.
  • Some handguns have more stopping power than others. Larger bullets do more damage, and are more likely to stop an attacker in an emergency. You want to choose a caliber from this list of four: 9mm, .40 S&W, .45 ACP, and .357 Magnum.
  • Manufacturer matters, but only to a point. Some manufacturers enjoy a better reputation than others. If you choose a lesser-known gun maker, quality can become an issue. Do some research before buying a particular gun. The last thing you want is to find out in that moment of need that your handgun has poor craftsmanship. Manufacturers you can generally trust include Beretta, Colt, Ruger, Glock, Smith & Wesson, and a few more.
  • Aim and penetration are as important as caliber. If you want to make effective use of a handgun in an emergency, you need to know how to fire it and hit your target. You need to be able to place a shot in a vital organ area and then penetrate far enough to actually reach those vital organs.
  • If you don’t follow safety procedures, a gun becomes a liability. If an attacker can get to a handgun before you can, that handgun becomes a danger to you rather than to them. A locking gun case or a gun box that you can access quickly via keypad entry is usually your best bet in terms of storage, for example.

A poorly-chosen or poorly-cared for handgun won’t help in an emergency. Take the time necessary and spend a little bit more money to get the right handgun.

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This is a guest post by Madison Parker. Madison is an expert writer on subjects related to home security systems. Read more on her blog HomeSecuritySystems.net.