If you could only buy one Handgun?

W

Winchester 7mm

New member
Which one would you get and why? I am in the market for a good handgun and I only want to buy one. I say that now, but, I am sure that will change :D I have been leaning towards a Glock.

Thanks!

Should have added.....

For Range
Home defense
and Carry
 
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IMO, if limited to one, I'd want a versatile and reliable gun, and IMO, there's nothing more versatile than a service-sized .357 magnum revolver. A 4" S&W L-frame would be a terrific HD, range and even competition (e.g. IDPA) gun, but harder to carry. A 3" k-frame could do everything the 4" L-frame can do (though 3" k-frames with adjustable sights are very rare), but would be easier to carry.
 
It's between a Smith revolver M&P 340 Centenniel or a Model 60-15 Smith.

That 60-15 just has a great size and balance to it but it won't conceal as well as the 340.

(Edited-my Ruger P95 stays till the end.)

(Reliable,accurate,way more shots then I should ever need and just a blast to shoot everytime I take it to the range.)
 
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Too late, I already have a sh!tpot full of revolvers and pistols.

But I'll play anyway, I'd have to say a Smith 357 4 in Revolver. Perferabley something like the Model 28 Highway Patrolmen.
 
If you could only have one for those purposes, I guess I'd get a Glock G19. There are some potent 9mm loads out there (ex. HST 147g), ammo is cheap compared to other calibers and it's a good size, not too big or not too small for carry.
 
Glock good.... but don't plan on reloading the brass. Swells the bottom due to unsupported region. Cops at my range leave that crap everywhere. I have to inspect everything I pickup.
 
+1 on the .357 revolver

smithmodel60-2Large.jpg


smith340pdLarge2.jpg
 
I've never fired one, but probably a Glock 20. You can get 135 grain to over 200 grain bullets. You can get or load hot hunting rounds, use le rounds for carry, whatever. Lots of accesories, extra barrels. The gun is a little big, but you can get creative.
 
Wow i am very suprised nobody had said anything about the 1911. I would have to go with a colt 1911 in the great 45 acp, and that is only if i could buy one handgun. You will never need anything more than that, you may want it but you will never need it.
 
The Glock 20SF - 10mm. The best SDW and decent for deer hunting.

Try one out. The ammo is a little more expensive and has more recoil than the 9mm and .40 S&W.

But it is the extremely reliable and extremely powerful.
It holds 15 rounds and it has great practical accuracy.

Obviously I like Glocks. If the 10mm is too stout or you want save on ammo get a .40 S&W Glock 22. Half the guys on this forum hate this caliber but there is nothing wrong with it.

BTW - I recommend carrying it or any other weapon with chamber empty.

For carry you migh consider a Glock 29. It is smaller but with a spacer will accept a 15 round magazine. The spacer isn't necessary but it looks better an makes for a better carry weapon. There is a great picture of this setup somewhere on TFL.
 
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If I could only have one handgun, I would choose a 4 inch .44 Magnum revolver either a S&W 29/629 or a Colt Anaconda would be OK.

You could kill deer, hogs, etc with it and use it for SD. They make decent target pistols as well.

I really want to pick a 1911 style pistol, they are my favorite for SD, but lack the versatility of the .44.


As regards your thinking of a Glock....

It is OK to get a Glock 19/17 for your first pistol if you want to. They are accurate and reliable. They are very good for SD, but the 9 MM is not that great a hunting round, which is a consideration for me, if I could only own one pistol. Now the Glock 20 and it's 10 MM round are a different story. It is fully capable of taking down game up to the size of deer, or defending against bears, mountain lions, etc. Of course the 10 MM would be more expensive to shoot and the 9 MM is just fine for target shooting, SD and small game. So at the end of the day since you are the one paying for it and who will be shooting it, if a Glock is what you like and what feels good to you, get it.
 
Glock good.... but don't plan on reloading the brass. Swells the bottom due to unsupported region. Cops at my range leave that crap everywhere. I have to inspect everything I pickup.
Click to expand...

This issue is easily resolved by getting an aftermarket match barrel. I picked on up from gunbroker.com for $160 shipped. Allows the use of lead bullets + tighter chamber and barrel dimensions = Cheaper reloads for plinking & better accuracy.

Also, it is standard practice for every handloader/reloader that I know to inspect each case before use/reuse... So I don't understand why you consider inspecting Glock-fired brass to be a hassle when you should be inspecting every case anyway...


Wow i am very suprised nobody had said anything about the 1911. I would have to go with a colt 1911 in the great 45 acp, and that is only if i could buy one handgun. You will never need anything more than that, you may want it but you will never need it.
Click to expand...

The 1911 is a great gun, but it may not be ideal in this case. It's kind of a complicated gun to get used to, external safties, decocking levers, external hammers, do I carry in condition 1,2,or 3? Am I comfortable carrying in condition 1? I think a much safer gun to get used to for the beginner is a DAO - no external safety, for the simple fact that it requires the shooter to be mindful of the fact that there is no safety other than the one between their ears. It ingrains them with that mindset so that in the future, one would be less likely to depend totally on a gun's external safety to make the gun "safe".

When up against any four-legged predator that could likely eat me, I don't want my only protection to be 7-8 rounds of .45acp. I would much prefer a deep-penetrating round such as the 10mm in a gun that holds 15+1 such as the Glock 20. I'm not a spray-n-pray guy, but I firmly believe that marksmanship coupled with increased mag capacity is better than counting on 5-8 rounds to be enough when the SHTF.

I am a huge fan of the 10mm. In my opinion, it is one of the best rounds ever made and the G20SF (with aftermarket barrel) is the best gun for it. There is a slew of stuff for it: accessories, holsters, barrels, guide rod springs, sights, and the list goes on... Ammunition is a tad more expensive, so if you're planning on shooting a lot and you don't reload; start considering it. I shoot my handloaded plinking rounds for about $.13 each.

I'm a 10mm and G20/G20SF fanatic... But a better choice for you (depending on your size, weight, frame, etc) may be the G29/G29SF in 10mm if you're planning on carrying it concealed. You can still use the G20 magazines in it for when you're hiking and such, but for CCW around town, the G29/G29SF with is a hard gun to beat if you can control it.

Best of luck, hope this helped...
 
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