I’ve been down a lot lately. Headed to bass pro shops today to pick out a handgun

[prototypian]

I live in a state with lots of guns and liberal gun laws in the USA. We have lots of available ammo and guns and I want to buy a handgun. I have plenty of disposable income and no criminal history. There is a massive hunting and fishing store near me with acres of sporting goods including a whole section with guns. In our state one doesn't even need a license to purchase one. I plan to go in as an enthusiast looking to get a gun for self defense and buy one for a few hundred dollars along with ammunition. I want to get familiar with how the gun works and then eventually have the strength to pull the trigger. I have no idea what size or level of gun to buy. When I was younger I was in Boy Scouts and we shot BB guns, 22 guns and shotguns for shooting merit badges. But I know those are either under powered or dramatically messy. Does anyone have any recommendations for the caliber of gun one would buy as a handgun to ensure that a future self headshot would be fatal?

 

[MatrixPrisoner]

Congrats on having an easy means. I hope it all goes well for you. We all have to stare death in face one day, whether we like it or not.

 

[Illegal Preclear]

I scream inwardly with raw jealousy every time I hear about someone who is able to buy a gun. I'm still stuck with hanging as my method unless I can find a way to obtain one. But enough about my gun envy.

Sewer-slide with a gun 101: You can certainly do the job with a regular handgun, BUT it's always better to use a shotgun or spring for my personal favorite - the Magnum. Ever see the Budd Dwyer video? He used a .357 Magnum. He was dead before his body even hit the floor. Painless. And a fun little blood waterfall comes out your nose! A shotgun is considered the gold standard for firearm suicide, but I just feel like a Magnum lends you more control due to it being less cumbersome than a shotgun.

A handgun is doable, I've ever seen a video of a guy successfully ending himself with a Derringer, but why take a chance if you have the choice of higher firepower?

Most importantly: ALWAYS put the barrel in your mouth, pointed upward to the back of your skull, NEVER at the side of your head - that's how you wind up blowing your face off and surviving.

 

[Kbeau]

So you'd do a .357 Magnum? What type of bullet, the hollow point? I too live in the land of endless guns but don't have one yet. Won't say a peep of "suicide" to anyone lest I lose my right to buy a gun. I'm partial towards nitrogen/an exit bag, although I can see myself worrying if it will really work and then just shooting myself on CTB day

 

[roommate]

Hope you never have to use it though :)

 

[Jack_Nimble]

While possible. It's most rare to survive a gunshot to the head. Caliber and bullet type isn't that important so long as it is aimed right and big enough. I wouldn't go below 9mm but a properly aimed .22 would surely do the job. Gun in mouth aimed upward at a 45 degree angle. The bigger the better obviously but nothing one needs to really research.

 

[F@#$]

.357 magnum or .44 magnum would be my choice of pistol.

 

[particularrodent]

There is a massive hunting and fishing store near me with acres of sporting goods including a whole section with guns.

do you perchance plan to visit the fabled Bass Pro Shop Pyramid

 

[L'absent]

.357 magnum or .44 magnum would be my choice of pistol.

Between a .357 Magnum and a .44 Magnum shot to the palate, lethality is practically guaranteed in both cases. The difference lies in the devastation: the .357 Magnum has a kinetic energy between 500 and 900 joules, while the .44 Magnum reaches between 900 and 1600 joules, almost double. This means that the .357 can be lethal in 95-99% of cases, but there have been rare survivors with extreme brain damage. The .44, on the other hand, eliminates any chance of survival: with its devastating impact, the skull ceases to be a container and becomes a crime scene. Without immediate medical assistance, both have a 100% lethality rate within minutes, but with the .44, no one would probably even bother checking for a pulse.