If you could only own one handgun?

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I'll go with the 4" medium framed .357. Most likely a S&W 586. Not a more versital handgun in the world as its capable of doing anything a handgun could be asked to. Lots of loads to suit the job at hand.

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There's no such thing as too much love, too much money or too much ammo.
 
I guess your choice depends on your intended purpose. Mine is a personal self-defense carry gun which can also be used as a home-defense gun.

That leaves me with a mid-sized semi-auto in 9mm or .40. Of the guns I would choose from, it'd be my Sig .229 in .40, my Glock 23, or my Walther P99. I carry cor-bon 135 grainers in the .40's and Federal Hydrashok 124 grainers (I have a box of +p+'s) for the 9mm, all in hi-cap clips, of course.

Of the three, it'd be a tough call between the Glock and the Walther. I think I'd go with the Glock, only because it has the LaserMax in it.
 
A Springfield 1911 loaded gov't model, with whatever personal touches float your boat, in .45acp, of course.
 
Ugly question! I have to figure not only the ALL purpose sidearm, but keeping it running. Problem: gunsmithing becomes a problem at some point. This lets out the double action revolvers, unless I have access to a shop and could obtain some training I don't currently possess. Have you ever watched the fitting of a new extractor spider, or even a cylinder lock bolt? Much the same applies to some finely-fitted auto pistols.

I choose a 1911-family .45 auto. Full size, full weight, of the pre-1980 design. Single stack for portabilty and concealment. It would feed me and defend me, be easy to carry and readily maintained with minimum tools. Ammo is widely available, especially in the western hemisphere, as are reloading components. Probably the easiest auto cartridge to load properly.

Jeff Cooper, back in the 1960s, wrote of a wilderness trip of extended length, where the local political situation precluded ove one firearms per person. He specified a .45 auto with ten extra magazines, a cigar box full of spare parts and a .22 conversion unit for practice and small game. "Nothing short of major frame damage would put the piece out of action for good, and if a man so equipped left his relics in-country, it would not be because his sidearm let him down."

I would want both hardball and HP 230 gr loads, and some Remington shotshells. A huge lot of .22 LR HP and solids, and some .22 shorts and CB longs.

I am intrigued by Richard's choice of an S&W Model 37 as an always gun, and surely a short .44 mag or .45 Colt would be very versatile. I just keep coming back to, if limited to one handgun, gunsmiths might be hard to find.

Interesting topic. I enjoy seeing not only the choices others make but their reasoning as well. May we never be forced to make such a choice!

RR
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---The Second Amendment ensures the rest of the Bill of Rights---

[This message has been edited by Rocky Road (edited June 21, 2000).]
 
Don't own one... yet. I'd choose a Glock 20 provided I had a good supply of ammo. If ammo was a problem then a Glock 17.
 
Pre-Sellout S&W Model 586 .357 Magnum with 8 3/8" barrel loaded with 158 grain S&B FMJ Magnums.
 
Did own a few hundred with an example of one or two or three of most everything. Now I do own just one gun; Makarov, and only in 9x18. The best gun ever made in my opinion; accurate, reliable, dependable. The first one I ordered, took a year to get, cost $1,200 and I considered it a bargain compared to the other guns I owned at the time in that price range -- or above or below. If I had the money now I'd order them by the truck load and keep them until the rest of the country wakes up to the value.

Second best Glock 19; third Walther P5 compact; but I liked the 9x19 only with the old Nyclad plus P which was hard to find then and nearly impossible to find or afford now.

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Talk is cheap; Free Speech is NOT.
 
Glock 18, but if I could'nt have that either a Glock 19 or Browning Hi-Power

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AK-47, When you absolutely have to kill every mother&*$#er in the room...accept no substitutes.

Browning Hi-Power, What went wrong during 65 years?
 
I'm with Richard, some variation of a 2" .38 Special. The idea wouldn't be to have an all arounder. The idea would be to always be armed.

A shotgun or rifle would be used for specific purposes that could be planned ahead of time, like hunting or home defense.
 
Easy.

One of my 4" ss GP100's, and my 'mild' 180g JHP load (1000fps).

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"All my ammo is factory ammo"
 
This is a tough question. I would have to say it would be a toss up between my Beretta 8040 and my S&W 629 44 mag. But then my Walther P5 could figure into the picture :)
Tough question,To many guns :confused:

Happy Shooting :)

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We preserve our freedoms by using four boxes: soap,ballot,jury, and cartridge.
Anonymous
 
#1 If I'm hunting its with a shotgun or rifle.

If I could only own 1 handgun it would be a Wilson Classic Super Grade. I would use either 230 grain Golden Saber or the ole standby 230 grain Federal Hydra-Shok
 
GP100. What no Sig, Glock, Hp, etc. A six shooter you say. I would of picked the G19 for an auto loader, but all around it would need to be a .357 revolver with a 4-6in barrel. The .357 is a very versatile platform. Download to .38 specs to the 125grn manstopper to pushing it up close to 2000fps like some people say is possible.
 
You did say only one handgun. It would have to be my S&W .41 mag Mtn. gun matching my Marlin .41 mag Leveraction. Winchester Silvertip ammo.

Cheers,

ts
 
This is an easy one and IMHO only one other poster has even come close (Rocky Road). It would be a Series 70 Colt 1911A-1, in .45acp, with a .22LR ACE conversion kit and bookoo .22LR and .45acp ammo in my favorite 230 grain HB/HP designs and plenty of .22LR HP ammo. Nothing else even comes close.

7th

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