If You Could Own Only One Gun ?
- Thread starter FLA2760
- Start date
I think i would have to stick with the 454 casull if its just one gun...with the shorter versions available now aday...it would be tolerable as a CCW....45 colts are very comfortable for the range and would work quite well for defense then the 454 casull loads works good for hunting puposes 
Osirus101
Osirus101
Garand Illusion
New member
If I could only own one gun ... I'd get a second job to buy another one or two.
But seriously ... since carrying concealed is the limiting facor I'd base my decision on that. Get the largest caliber gun I can comfortably fire and conceal that makes the most sense to me. For me this would be a snubby (or possibly 3") .357
But there's really no WRONG gun as long as you can conceal it.
But seriously ... since carrying concealed is the limiting facor I'd base my decision on that. Get the largest caliber gun I can comfortably fire and conceal that makes the most sense to me. For me this would be a snubby (or possibly 3") .357
But there's really no WRONG gun as long as you can conceal it.
Spitn Lead
Inactive
Ruger Redhawk Alaskan 454 casull, you have the option of 45lc or the mighty 454 small but very powerful,managable & accurate. JMHO.
saltydog452
New member
Only one?.
Most likely a 3", round butt, heavy barrel S&W Mdl 13. A 2 1/2" Python or a 4" Model 19 would be serious contenders also.
salty.
Most likely a 3", round butt, heavy barrel S&W Mdl 13. A 2 1/2" Python or a 4" Model 19 would be serious contenders also.
salty.
progunner1957
Moderator
Only one?? That's inhuman!!!
OK, I'll play the game. It would be either a .44 magnum or .454 Casull revolver, either a S&W or a Ruger Super Redhawk. I'd feed it .44 special HPs for defense if it were the .44 and .45 Colt for defense in the .454
OK, I'll play the game. It would be either a .44 magnum or .454 Casull revolver, either a S&W or a Ruger Super Redhawk. I'd feed it .44 special HPs for defense if it were the .44 and .45 Colt for defense in the .454
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tanksoldier
New member
4" GP-100 .357... works OK for CC w/ 158gr JHP, should handle smaller game if you stalk well enough, say mule deer and below, with 180gr hardcast.
I wouldn't feel too bad with my current CCW, 2.75" .357 Speed Six. There are other ways of hunting besides a gun.
Either way, if it's your only gun, say in a SHTF scenario and you only have time to grab one, or loose the rest in a river crossing during a bug-out and only have what you had on your body at the time, a Ruger will fire full-house magnum loads forever... your grandkids will be shooting it.
I wouldn't feel too bad with my current CCW, 2.75" .357 Speed Six. There are other ways of hunting besides a gun.
Either way, if it's your only gun, say in a SHTF scenario and you only have time to grab one, or loose the rest in a river crossing during a bug-out and only have what you had on your body at the time, a Ruger will fire full-house magnum loads forever... your grandkids will be shooting it.
PaleGreenHorse
New member
Model 629 5"
Marko Kloos
Inactive
Four-inch .357 Magnum L-frame S&W, the most versatile handgun on the planet.
I'm with dr.magnum (and others) 4" .357, preferably in some Smith configuration, either K (shooting moslty .38 125s and 158s for HD) or perhaps more likely (as the 1 gun scenario suggests slightly heavier duty, more versatile and, throwing another "what if" feature in- "lifetime," to me) L frame as Marko Kloos says. I like the idea of a 7 shot .357. Also, Tanksoldier has a good point re the Rugers in a "one gun forever" scenario.
Detective_Special
New member
Favorite revolver
S&W Model 66 with a 4" barrel.
S&W Model 66 with a 4" barrel.
Hmm -- the 4" 686 I've got right now would do the trick. But, if I had to use it for CCW also, I'd change the old style wooden square butt grips that are currently on it for something less bulky. They are plenty comfortable and all, but not easy to conceal.
As far as what to feed it with, well, that's part of the beauty of the 4" .357 Mag. I see no reason to shoot full bore magnum blasters day-in and day-out at the range. So I don't, most range & plinking I do with fairly lightly loaded .38 spl -- cheaper and more pleasant. But I do let rip with some full power stuff on occasion just to stay familiar with it. For home defense, since I live in a fairly densely populated suburban area, I have concerns about overpenetration of walls and such, so I don't load full bore magnum blasters there, either -- I've got Speer .38 spl +p 125 gr Gold Dots loaded: enough to do the job while minimizing the risk of shooting through my house and through a neighbor's house as well. I'd probably keep those loaded for CCW use as well. Or not, maybe I'd opt for Magnum loads for that, a good case can be made for either. For hunting (except small game where I'll use light .38 spl), field & car use it gets full bore blasters: I've got some nice, warm Georgia Arms .357 Mag 158gr Gold Dots (they call them "Deer Stompers" and claim they are +p
) that'll handle anything I'm liable to encounter here in the South.
As far as what to feed it with, well, that's part of the beauty of the 4" .357 Mag. I see no reason to shoot full bore magnum blasters day-in and day-out at the range. So I don't, most range & plinking I do with fairly lightly loaded .38 spl -- cheaper and more pleasant. But I do let rip with some full power stuff on occasion just to stay familiar with it. For home defense, since I live in a fairly densely populated suburban area, I have concerns about overpenetration of walls and such, so I don't load full bore magnum blasters there, either -- I've got Speer .38 spl +p 125 gr Gold Dots loaded: enough to do the job while minimizing the risk of shooting through my house and through a neighbor's house as well. I'd probably keep those loaded for CCW use as well. Or not, maybe I'd opt for Magnum loads for that, a good case can be made for either. For hunting (except small game where I'll use light .38 spl), field & car use it gets full bore blasters: I've got some nice, warm Georgia Arms .357 Mag 158gr Gold Dots (they call them "Deer Stompers" and claim they are +p
) that'll handle anything I'm liable to encounter here in the South.
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big daddy 9mm
New member
I think I would choose
a beretta 96 or 92 but since I could only go with one I would probably go woth the 96.
a beretta 96 or 92 but since I could only go with one I would probably go woth the 96.
Boarhunter
New member
Do not overlook my personal favorite "do it all" revolver, the Smith 329 scandium .44 magnum with a 4" barrel and only 26 oz of weight. Shoots anything from the mildest of special loads to the most frightening of magnum loads and carries open or concealed without bother. That would be my last gun to give up....
Either that or my Smith 325 scandium .45 acp revolver (3" snubby) if ammo availability were an issue.
Boarhunter
Either that or my Smith 325 scandium .45 acp revolver (3" snubby) if ammo availability were an issue.
Boarhunter
This is fun to think about. However, I don't have a license since I live in a pretty safe area (I live near Washington, D.C.) and my personal experiences have not suggested it would be useful to be armed very often. Or as Jeff Cooper said, "I don't go in places like that."
But seriously, there are so many situations and so many choices. The requirement to pick only one handgun (revolver or pistol) is a realistic one both for reasons of economy and also because when you go somewhere, you would usually only take one gun.
My wish gun is a .38 super Government model. My wish second gun (I know--you didn't ask that) is a .380 Government model. Guess what: I like Colts and they both work the same way and both are hard to find. I've owned more than one of each, too.
My idea of a more practical revolver is a 3" S&W M13 or variation thereof, even in .38 special. This isn't a hunting situation and even a .38 special will handle anything around here at arms length transactions. For a .357 I'm happy with the light bullet loads. Terrific blast but recoil isn't so bad.
But since I said I like Colts and I'm very much a traditionalist, I might even pick a Colt Police Positive Special and they are really hard to find.
Funny, I don't have a single one of any of those at the moment, though I've have at least two of each at one time or another. So what do I have now? A Star BM and a 4" S&W M13.
I don't think the ammunition matters as much as all that given other, more important problems, such as carrying the weapon concealed day in and day out, and, should the time to use it ever arise, actually drawing the gun and hitting the target in time to prevent whatever I needed to shoot to prevent. Generally, the latter problems seem to be just assumed away in most discussions.
My wish list could go on, by the way.
But seriously, there are so many situations and so many choices. The requirement to pick only one handgun (revolver or pistol) is a realistic one both for reasons of economy and also because when you go somewhere, you would usually only take one gun.
My wish gun is a .38 super Government model. My wish second gun (I know--you didn't ask that) is a .380 Government model. Guess what: I like Colts and they both work the same way and both are hard to find. I've owned more than one of each, too.
My idea of a more practical revolver is a 3" S&W M13 or variation thereof, even in .38 special. This isn't a hunting situation and even a .38 special will handle anything around here at arms length transactions. For a .357 I'm happy with the light bullet loads. Terrific blast but recoil isn't so bad.
But since I said I like Colts and I'm very much a traditionalist, I might even pick a Colt Police Positive Special and they are really hard to find.
Funny, I don't have a single one of any of those at the moment, though I've have at least two of each at one time or another. So what do I have now? A Star BM and a 4" S&W M13.
I don't think the ammunition matters as much as all that given other, more important problems, such as carrying the weapon concealed day in and day out, and, should the time to use it ever arise, actually drawing the gun and hitting the target in time to prevent whatever I needed to shoot to prevent. Generally, the latter problems seem to be just assumed away in most discussions.
My wish list could go on, by the way.