Best all around hand gun?
- Thread starter alabama
- Start date
Well there is no cover all bases but if I wanted the closest I could get, the what would you pick for what ever unknown if you can only pick 1, then I'd have to say I'd probably go with the PX-4 in 40 s&w. The only other would be the Beretta PX-4 in 9mm, I'd have to think a bit about whether I'd rather have more punch or more rounds given this scenario.
The gun would be the PX-4 though ... a little more compact than the 92/96, carries a few more rounds than the Cougar (+2 in 9mm, +3 in 40sw).
Funny thing, I don't have a PX-4. I have 92's and a Cougar (soon to add another I hope).
The gun would be the PX-4 though ... a little more compact than the 92/96, carries a few more rounds than the Cougar (+2 in 9mm, +3 in 40sw).
Funny thing, I don't have a PX-4. I have 92's and a Cougar (soon to add another I hope).
L_Killkenny
New member
Come on now 44AMp, you know you're comparison is a gross exaggeration. There are loads of guns and rounds that will perform very well in 99% of shooting circumstances. When you get out on the fringe of uses (like being in a war or huntin elephant) is the only time you need something even remotely specialized. Many centerfire revolvers in the high 3's to mid 4's and a good number of semi's can be used for anything from HD to CC to hunting to plinkin to competition to whatever. This feeling that we need to have a different gun for every need gets carried away. Think you need an excuse to tell the wife? Fine, tell her you have a niche to fill. But don't try it on me.
You want a fair comparison and still use vehicles? Try this: My truck may not be as good on the highway as a Cadillac but that Cadillac isn't gonna be as good in the snow. But truth be known they will both get the job done if you have even a remote clue as to what you are doing.
Think of a gun nut as an #1 mechanic. That mechanic will scoff at a craftsmen tool set and has to have his Macco set. You may indeed be that #1 mechanic of gun guru's 44. But for us mere mortals that dang craftsmen set is fine.
LK
You want a fair comparison and still use vehicles? Try this: My truck may not be as good on the highway as a Cadillac but that Cadillac isn't gonna be as good in the snow. But truth be known they will both get the job done if you have even a remote clue as to what you are doing.
Think of a gun nut as an #1 mechanic. That mechanic will scoff at a craftsmen tool set and has to have his Macco set. You may indeed be that #1 mechanic of gun guru's 44. But for us mere mortals that dang craftsmen set is fine.
LK
Maybe I did overstate things a bit, but did I really? The OP question is really wide open. And there is no "right" answer, everyone has their own opinion, and can argue how gun #1 does A well enough and B really well, and the next guy says gun #2 Does A reaaly well, and B well enough, and even does a passable job with C.....
You are entirely right that there are lots of guns that will do almost all of it well enough but when you ask a wide open question, you should expect a wide open answer. I suppose I should have said "There isn't one best for everything. Pick what you feel is best for the most liklely things you are going to do, if you have to limit yourself to only one."
Sure, you can get carried away in anything, but one man's carried away is another's barely adequate. People seem to think they need a whole bag full of clubs to play golf, and golf has a LOT fewer variables than handgun use. Nobody ever seems to say you only need one golf club.
I like handguns, own a few, and several of them overlap in utility. Others are much more specialized. I'm not limited by any law to only one handgun, and since I'm able to, I celebrate the diversity of choices available.
You will see a lot of folks saying that in these "only one" gun questions they will choose a medium size .357 as the most versatile, if they like revolvers at all. Or they will choose something else, their personal favorite, usually.
There is no one gun that does everything equally well. If there was, we'd probably have a lot fewer choices on the market.
And that set of Craftsman tools used by mere mortals has a lot of different wrenches and sockets in it!
therealdeal
New member
model 629 classic revolver 6.5" is what I would choose
S&W 629 .44 magnum
If I had to choose one, I would make it work and always have my speedloader on me for a total of 12shots
S&W 629 .44 magnum
If I had to choose one, I would make it work and always have my speedloader on me for a total of 12shots
Here on the east coast...and I do have black bears in the yard at night from time to time...a pop in the air with a .22 or even whack with a stick on a porch rail is all anyone needs to send them scurrying off. Our black bears don't bother people much. Any encounter with a black bear = what? 1 in a gazillion chance of an attack? Wound one and it's about a given that you will lose parts of you that you hold dear. A warning shot almost always works...if not, do what ya gotta do. Fortunately, black bears don't go all Freddie Kruger on you to protect their cubs like Grizzlies do...so walking the woods here is a lot less stress than in the Rockies or other places where the bigguns are.
Best all around hangun? what ever happens to be handy at the time of need. I usually carry a .45 but ...If I was in a pinch and all I had was a .22, I'd be damn glad to have it and damn glad I know how and where to place a shot. I'd way rather be facing a thug with a "9" than a 75 year old man with a .22 SA revolver any day....cept the part about being more likely to reason with the 75 year old man with the .22
Best all around hangun? what ever happens to be handy at the time of need. I usually carry a .45 but ...If I was in a pinch and all I had was a .22, I'd be damn glad to have it and damn glad I know how and where to place a shot. I'd way rather be facing a thug with a "9" than a 75 year old man with a .22 SA revolver any day....cept the part about being more likely to reason with the 75 year old man with the .22
For me, one gun means a revolver.
And it wouldn't be chambered in a light or medium cartridge. I can load a .45 Colt down to round ball levels that will barely kill a rabbit, or up to levels that will handle even the large bears...as long as I shoot it well and hit them right.
A .454 Alaskan with a ~2 1/2" barrel will give you just a bit over 1200 fps with most full-house, heavy bullet loads. A 4 5/8 barreled, large frame Ruger Single Action in .45 Colt will exceed most of these performance levels with less pressure, less blast, and a longer barrel for more accurate shooting when the critter isn't the size of a beefmaster bull.
So, for all aroiund use, give me a strong, well built SA revolver in .45 Colt. I'll make it do what I need without much trouble at all.
Daryl
And it wouldn't be chambered in a light or medium cartridge. I can load a .45 Colt down to round ball levels that will barely kill a rabbit, or up to levels that will handle even the large bears...as long as I shoot it well and hit them right.
A .454 Alaskan with a ~2 1/2" barrel will give you just a bit over 1200 fps with most full-house, heavy bullet loads. A 4 5/8 barreled, large frame Ruger Single Action in .45 Colt will exceed most of these performance levels with less pressure, less blast, and a longer barrel for more accurate shooting when the critter isn't the size of a beefmaster bull.
So, for all aroiund use, give me a strong, well built SA revolver in .45 Colt. I'll make it do what I need without much trouble at all.
Daryl
Pukindog12
New member
A 686 6" six rounder. +1 
Well another thread about just one gun gives me just another chance to show a picture of my Bowen Classic Arms tuned Ruger 357 Anniversary. It's hard to compare other 357's to it.
Ohhhh that sure is nice looking!
I guess I'd have to agree with those that are going with the 454 Casull. It'll shoot everything from the mousephart "cowboy" loads to the bear appropriate 454 Casull barn burners, and everything in between. This hypothetical situation is never going to come up for me personally, 'cause I don't plan on being in Alaska, or much out of the Northeast for that matter, so make mine a .45 Colt or 4" .357 Magnum.
EddieDaGreat
New member
Desert eagle .50 will handle any job for me...
Yawn. Over and over again.
From what you've specified, inner city CCW to 4 legged critter defense, 1 gun only? 4" S&W K frame in .357 Mag, take your pick on the particular model. Blued/Stainless, Fixed/Adjustable. Doesn't matter all that much. 4", K frame, .357 Mag. 3" barrel if you can get it would be even better (from a CCW standpoint), but it seems that they are not all that common, 4" will do well enough.
L frames aren't all that bad, but they are kinda bulky for year round CCW, as are the GP-100's. All of the large frames are too bulky to CCW conveniently, hence no .41's or .44's or larger.
Regarding Alaskan Bear Defense:
> Not a problem for me since I'm not going there, or anywhere else that Mr. Grizzly/Mr. Brown is there. But, if I were I wouldn't be swayed against the .357 because:
> I'm not all that convinced that the extra energy that the larger caliber magnums provide is all that significant in this role. You have to factor it against the frontal surface area (meplat) of the solid ammo you'd be using in this role. No expansion, you don't want expansion. What you are looking for is bone crushing heavy for caliber flat nosed hard cast solids that penetrate well, velocity and sectional density are king. Does a larger bore that has more energy have superior bone penetration than a smaller bore with similar bullet configuration and velocity? I'm not at all convinced that is so, especially when the smaller diameter bullet has a greater sectional density. And since the name of the game is to bore a hole -- any sized hole will do -- into the CNS, I just don't see where the bigger magnums give you any better chance than the "mere" .357 Mag. But, since the .357 recoils less, it gives you a better chance at faster follow-up shots.
FWIW, that's why what I carry when I'm in bear country is my 4" 686 with some nice, hot-ish, 180 gr hard cast wide flat nose .357 Mag handloads. They are Buffalo-Bore-ish, stout charge of H110. If I had a 3" or 4" K frame .357 Mag (which I don't...) I wouldn't be at all squeamish about carrying it instead of the L frame.
From what you've specified, inner city CCW to 4 legged critter defense, 1 gun only? 4" S&W K frame in .357 Mag, take your pick on the particular model. Blued/Stainless, Fixed/Adjustable. Doesn't matter all that much. 4", K frame, .357 Mag. 3" barrel if you can get it would be even better (from a CCW standpoint), but it seems that they are not all that common, 4" will do well enough.
L frames aren't all that bad, but they are kinda bulky for year round CCW, as are the GP-100's. All of the large frames are too bulky to CCW conveniently, hence no .41's or .44's or larger.
Regarding Alaskan Bear Defense:
> Not a problem for me since I'm not going there, or anywhere else that Mr. Grizzly/Mr. Brown is there. But, if I were I wouldn't be swayed against the .357 because:
> I'm not all that convinced that the extra energy that the larger caliber magnums provide is all that significant in this role. You have to factor it against the frontal surface area (meplat) of the solid ammo you'd be using in this role. No expansion, you don't want expansion. What you are looking for is bone crushing heavy for caliber flat nosed hard cast solids that penetrate well, velocity and sectional density are king. Does a larger bore that has more energy have superior bone penetration than a smaller bore with similar bullet configuration and velocity? I'm not at all convinced that is so, especially when the smaller diameter bullet has a greater sectional density. And since the name of the game is to bore a hole -- any sized hole will do -- into the CNS, I just don't see where the bigger magnums give you any better chance than the "mere" .357 Mag. But, since the .357 recoils less, it gives you a better chance at faster follow-up shots.
FWIW, that's why what I carry when I'm in bear country is my 4" 686 with some nice, hot-ish, 180 gr hard cast wide flat nose .357 Mag handloads. They are Buffalo-Bore-ish, stout charge of H110. If I had a 3" or 4" K frame .357 Mag (which I don't...) I wouldn't be at all squeamish about carrying it instead of the L frame.
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Horseless Trooper
New member
My old Colt 357 or my M-28 Highway Patrolman. A little light for bear but can be carried concealed if needed.