If you were starting over knowing what you know now, pick these calibers

Well, my choice would be:

.45 Colt-Ruger Blackhawk and Colt New Frontier

.44 Magnum Ruger Super Blackhawk

.44 Special Ruger mid frame Blackhawk

.357 Magnum Ruger mid frame Blackhawk

.38 Special Cimarron Open Top Navy

.22 L.R./WMR- Ruger Super Single Six.

I do love the .44 Magnum, and for daily carry, the .45 Colt.


HOLD ON! Sorry I'm way off base here, mis-read your premise according to you thread title.

I've had little experience with most of the cartridges you named to begin with. And I wouldn't know now what I do know if it hadn't been for the ones I've been through over the years. I've had no use for the .380, and not much more for the 9mm. And most auto loaders leave me cold. I believe John Browning's design refined by Colt and the US Army to be the epitome of pistol design if one just must own an auto pistol.

Bob Wright
 
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I have most of those bases covered, except for the .380 Auto.

.22 LR: What I have is a Walther P22. If I had a do-over it would be the Walther PPQ .22LR

.380 Auto: Probably some variant of the Beretta Cheetah. I like the looks of the Walther PPK/S but do not find them all that pleasant to shoot.

9 mm Luger: I have a good few. I suppose my favorite is the Beretta 92FS.

.40 S&W (and 357 SIG): My SIG-Sauer P229R without a doubt.

.45 ACP: Has to be a model 1911. I have two.

38 Special/357 Magnum revolver: My Ruger GP100.
 
If you were starting over knowing what you know now, pick these calibers
One each .22, .380, 9mm, .40, 45. And just for fun 1 revolver.
Click to expand...

Well, even if I was going to limit myself to a minimum "stable" of guns, I don't see myself going with those specific choices. My minimum to cover everything group would replace the .380 with a carry gun in .40 or 9mm, and I'd have to have at minimum 2 (and preferably more) revolvers. Why not, if I could have 5 autos why would I have to limit myself to 1 revolver?

My bare-bones handguns:

.22: I'm not sure. I've only had one .22 auto (a Ruger MkII) which I sold years ago. Probably a .22 revolver or maybe the new MkIV.

.380 subsitution: Probably a SIG P250 Compact or Subcompact (9mm or .40) or a Glock 19/23 or 26/27.

9mm: CZ 75B

.40: SIG P229

.45ACP: 1911 (probably Colt, Dan Wesson or Springfield Armory)

Revolvers:
A 3" K-frame .357mag (probably keep my S&W 65LS) or a 3" L-frame 686 if I was going to shoot magnums out of it a lot (and preferably both).
My .45LC S&W 625MG


If I wasn't able to switch out the .380, I'd go with a fun gun for the .380 (Beretta 84, CZ 83, Walther PPK), and replace either the 9mm with a smaller CZ P01 or PCR, or the .40 with a Glock 23 or 27 or a SIG P250 Compact or Subcompact. If I could only do 1 revolver, the 3" L-frame since it is (just) small enough to carry yet the L-frame is stout enough to take a steady diet of any magnum loads, up to and including bear loads.
 
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I'm not sure about why I would need to worry about "do it over". If I really want it, I buy it. If I really hate it, I sell it.

.22 - Browning Buckmark Target
.380 - No real use for a .380, but my mom has a Sig P230
9mm - I am now carrying a Glock 43, but I own a "few" others :p
.40 - STI Edge (for target, not for carry)
.45 - Thunder Ranch Special (Still my favorite shooting gun)
 
I would just buy the Springfield Pro and Springfield V16 Longslide I own and not bother with any of the others (which I have). They tend to be the only two pistols I ever shoot. I would like a Freedom Arms 454 Casull though.



 
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One each .22, .380, 9mm, .40, 45. And just for fun 1 revolver.
Click to expand...
I'd stick with the guns I already have-

H&R 676 .22lr/.22mag convertible revolver

Colt ORM 1991A1 9mm/.38 Super/9x23 Winchester

King's Gun Works 1948 Colt Commercial Gov't .45

Ruger GP100 Match Champion .357mag


I don't have any use for .380s and .40s so I don't own any.
 
Ruger Mk III
ruger_13148.jpg


Cheetah 85FS
beretta_cheetah_85.jpg


Glock 34
Glock%2034.jpg


Glock 35
glock-35.jpg


SW1911SC
13630-DEFAULT-l.jpg


S&W Model 29
s_w29-44mag-b.jpg
 
One each .22, .380, 9mm, .40, 45. 1 revolver.

22- S&W17
9mm Glock 26
1 revolver S&W 696

I have no use for 380ACP, 40S&W, or 45ACP.
 
.22-Ruger MKII Government.
.380-1934 Beretta.
9MM-nada
.40-nada
.45- any decent 1911, preference would be a Rock Island tactical.
One revolver- Uberti/Cimarron in 44-40 or .45 Colt.
 
.22LR - S&W Model 34 snub nose
.380 - CZ-83
9mm - I prefer 9mm mak...CZ-82 or EG Makarov
.40 - no preference
.45 - 1911 Colt
Revolver - Ruger Speed Six with 2 5/8 barrel
 
I am totally happy with my Ruger MK II in .22LR and see no need for anything else.

Ditto with my Elsiepee in .380 which does what you want a .380 pistol to do. A Walther PPK would be dead sexy though.

In 9mm I want a classic CZ-75 all day long. SiG P226 is runner up.

I have no interest whatsoever in .40.

The only thing I could possibly want in .45 is a GI style 1911. Doesn't have to be surplus or anything, just has to have that GI look and feel.
 
Sorry, I had to edit this list a bit:

.22LR: S&W Victory

.380 auto: Walther PPK/S, who hasn't wanted to be James Bond?

9mm: Ruger SR1911 LW CMDR

.40 S&W: 1911 pattern; haven't spent much time looking for an exact make/model. If for some reason I couldn't find one I liked, then I guess my SIG P229.

.45 auto: Wilson Combat Hackathorn Special (as long as we're dreaming)


Revolver: my buddy's Colt Python 6-inch in nickel, that he offered to me for $650 twenty years ago, but I bought tickets to see the Rolling Stones instead! Still kick myself over that one.
 
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.22lr High Standard SportKing
.380 Ruger LCRs
9mm Beretta 90-TWO
.40 Beretta PX4
.45acp Mag. Resaerch Dessert Eagle
.357 S&W Model 19 Revolver
 
22 LR Ruger Mark something or other.

380 Nothing

9mm About any of them, but I've got a Smith & Wesson 39-2, and a Argentine Hi-Power, so they'll do.

40...nothing

45 ACP...A 1911 of some kind or other. Again, I've got a Norinco so that'll do.

Revolver.

38/357...Smith & Wesson Model 19. I've got others but that one would do most everything for me.
 
For 22lr i would get a Keystone, single shot, with a scope.
I wouldn't bother with the 380, as it can't do anything the 9mm Luger can
For 9 mm Luger, it would once again be my Walther PPS.
Wouldn't own a 40 again. Just don't care for the recoil.

Now 45ACP is a tougher choice. But i would probably purchase my Sprimgfield Armory Champion again.
 
One each .22, .380, 9mm, .40, 45. And just for fun 1 revolver.
If only one of each, then:
22 - Ruger MKII-IV 5.5
380 - Beratta 8x (double stack).
9mm - Glock 19
.40 - ??? maybe a double stack 1911.
.45 - 1911 5"
Revolver - S&W 38 special 6" -- model 14.
 
Good thread.

.22, .380, 9mm, .40, 45. And just for fun 1 revolver.

.22 - M&P 22
380 - Walther PPK
9mm - CZ P01
.40 - don't care
45 - H&K USP

Revolver - Uberti 1875 in 357 mag.
 
Cajun Bass pretty much nailed it for me.
Not everybody is interested in all calibers.

Not to mention, 5.7 is left out,
and some of us like both .357
and .44 in wheel guns.
 
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