Handgun of Our Time

I'll go with the M&P; most of the advantages of the Glock, plus a much better grip shape, and modular design allowing incorporation or removal of various safeties and features. Plus, it's Made in the USA.
 
Having said that, I must point out that this is one of the most subjective questions I have seen on the forum,
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I think its the opposite. If you're a handgun enthusiast and you haven't been living under a rock for the past 30 or so years I think its possible to make a reasonably objective pick of what could be considered THE handgun of our time.
 
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I'd have say its a Glock or other polymer's in 9mm or .40 pistols, as much as it pains me so say this. The Guns chambered for 5.7 come in a close second.
 
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The answer to this question is NONE. The glock belongs to the '80's. It may be popular today but so are a lot of guns from the past. Same goes for the 1911.

The only thing that comes close would be the full powered pocket guns available today but that's a type of gun not a particular gun so that doesn't fir either.

Not all decades and not all generations get a "handgun of our time". I'm sorry, just the way it is. With manufacturing the way it is and competition it may be a while before we see a gun that is truly above the rest and innovative.

And let's face it, when" it" does come along the internet gurus will pan it.

LK
 
Not all decades and not all generations get a "handgun of our time". I'm sorry, just the way it is. With manufacturing the way it is and competition it may be a while before we see a gun that is truly above the rest and innovative.
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Its never been that way. Not every decade saw incredible innovation or a handgun that "defined" that decade such that it influenced the entire industry. Handgun innovation or "trends" has never been and never will be neatly delineated by periods of 10 years. The influence and cultural impact of handguns like the the hand ejector S&W revolver represented and influenced a much broader time scale. Its enormous influence continues to live on today. You still see people shooting and carrying DA revolvers from lightweight J frames to massive .500 hunting revolvers. These defining handguns are very much a collective cultural experience as well influencing not only handgun culture but mainstream culture as well.
 
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But doesn't the original post ask us to title one when none exist? I said decade or generation. You asked "of our time" which clearly would have to be a decade or generation. Nothing is set in stone about ten years and I never claimed that to be the case. So how would you define "of our time"? Are you talking the last 10 years? what about 20? What about us older folk that may look at "our time" as the 70's or 80's?

LK
 
But doesn't the original post ask us to title one when none exist? I said decade or generation. You asked "of our time" which clearly would have to be a decade or generation. Nothing is set in stone about ten years and I never claimed that to be the case. So how would you define "of our time"?

LK
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How about this. You're the editor of Guns and Ammo magazine or American Rifleman. You get to choose the most important handgun of the last 50 years. What would you put on the cover? Remember, you have to write the article and no doubt you should expect lots of angry letters and canceled subscriptions if you don't make a reasonable argument for your pick.
 
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Glock again. Again.

My time started in the late '50s. I said Glock. Weren't they the ones that made plastic acceptable for more than water pistols. Still not my choice.
 
If I had to narrow it down...

The Ruger LCR. It epitomizes the fascination manufacturers and most folks have with polymer. Who would have thought 10 years ago we would see a "plastic" revolver of all things.

Bleh...
 
I had assumed "Handguns of our Time", meant 2011?

I once had a GM2 try to issues me a M9, but that was in the 90s

He chucked, I chucked................

and gave me my1911
 
Edited to add: That was a good way to ask it on the "Guns and Ammo" cover and you put a timeline on it. Last 50 years? Glock or .44M or maybe the .454 which started the magnum big bore hunting crazy we have today. Because I hate Glocks (most semi's really) I'm gonna say magnum big bore revolver.

LK
 
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Being older than most of you I kinda feel that there are too many out there for any real comparison to be made for this period in time. Unfortunately I also find many pistols of today to be inferior to what was manufactured in the past.

It’s not uncommon for owners to send new ones back, sometimes several times, to get them working properly. In the past this was almost unheard of. This fact, plus it seems that everyone who owns a machine shop is making some sort of pistol, diluting the market, leaves no room for any real standouts.
 
Handgun of Our Time?

That's really a tough question...

I don't think there's ever been a time like now, when so many different types and styles of handguns have been so widely available. So, I can't narrow it down to a single make or manufacturer. The resurgence of the 1911 is significant, but it's simply not a handgun of the current era. It's from a century ago, despite the sales numbers and popularity. The Glock's era was a couple of decades back, even though it's the prototype for so many of today's polymer pistols.

Just my humble opinion here. Seems to me that the current era belongs to the compact carry weapon. And it comes in a variety of flavors, both revolver and semiauto. The concealed carry statutes across America that allow the law-abiding public to be armed have made small easily hidden handguns very popular. The small revolvers from Ruger and S&W are significant, but again, they remind me of the past. How many tiny pocket 380s were available ten years ago? A few. KelTec comes to mind. The Sig and Bersa from ten years ago aren't exactly tiny - too large for pocket carry. How many are on the market today? Lots and lots. Just think of how many manufacturers in the past five years have introduced small pocket-size 380s: Sig, Kahr, Ruger, S&W, Desert Eagle, and others I've no doubt failed to mention. Tiny weapons in other calibers like 32acp or even 9mm are also popular, but they seem to follow the 380's lead.

It may not be macho. It may not be satisfying to admit it. It will no doubt cause some to react negatively. But I think the tiny 380 auto stands out as THE handgun of the current era.

I have one and carry it frequently in the Texas summer heat. And I'm a guy who likes S&W k-frame revolvers and 1911s. Definitely old school in that regard. But I can't deny the utility of my P3AT in many situations. ;)
 
I did mention the 1911 pistol. Besides being an excellent firearm in stock form, the custom touches available stuck out for me and got my vote. Its nice to be able to customise ones pistol to what ever one wants.

That being said, after reading many of the posts, the compact pistol really is more popular now than in the past. The quality of compacts these days really has a lot to do with it. The Glock 26 comes to mind as being one, if not THE forerunner in this regard.

This is very interesting and really makes me realise that we are living in a time that is good for gun owners.
 
I would say the definitive pistol of the last 20 years has been the Glock. It is not particularly attractive looking like many othe iconic guns but it is still very brilliant. Their reliability is well known. They were the first widely popular polymer pistol. The Glock is widely recognized even by people who aren't into firearms. Lastly, they are the inspiration for most of the new polymer striker-fired pistols on the market and the standard to which they are measured. Let's face it, the Glock is the pistol of current time, whether we like it or not.
 
1911 takes the win

1911 - Very popular at competitions
Glock - Very popular at competitions

1911 - Steel - more weight reduces recoil forces
Glock - Plastic - the best thing you can do with a soda bottle

1911 - may not eat all ammo depending on the ammo
Glock - Eats Everything

1911 - no Glock Kaboom
Glock - Glock Kaboom

1911 - normally insensitive to limp wristing
Glock - limp wristing sensitive

1911 - item of beauty
Glock - beaten with the ugly stick of the gun world

Both work efficiently but the 1911 takes the win!
 
Glock

New handgun designs of the 21st century have largely been polymer framed and often striker fired. It was Glock that brought mainstream acceptance to these handgun technologies and it's usually Glock that new designs are often compared to.

It's worth noting that I doubt in the 1980's that the majority of people would have considered the Glock to be the handgun of their times. Back then it really was the handgun of the future. Does the next handgun of the future already exist? Only time can really tell.
 
Seems to me that several of the posters on this thread are veering off into "best gun" or "personal favorite" territory. The OP had asked what gun would likely come to represent our era - our current time in history - from approximately 1980 to roughly 2020 (the last 30 years through 10 years into the future). Given that simple criteria, I would have to agree with most on here. The overwhelming majority seem to agree that the Glock would take that honor. It is ever-present in movies and television ("Get yourself a Glock and lose that nickel-plated sissy pistol. ..."), it is perhaps the most common sidearm for law enforcement here in the US, it is one of the best-selling self-defense pistols in the world and it has even been mentioned in popular music (well, rap, anyway). Glock may not have pioneered the use of polymer in firearms, but it certainly did popularize and market it. Glocks may not be the prettiest, or the highest quality. It may not be your personal favorite, but - like it or not - it almost surely will come to be known as the weapon of "our time."
 
2000 to today - my first thoughts were the compact/pocket pistol genre; Kahr, Ruger LCP, etc.

Last 30 years I'm afraid goes to that ugly black pistol which I don't own because my fingers don't fit the grooves - Glock. I bit the polt pistol bullet with a Springfield XDm.
 
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