"Overbuilt" Pistols?

J

jaughtman

New member
I was looking through my collection, and it hit me just how "overbuilt" my HK P7 is - a whacking great clump of ordinance steel that is heavier than the smallish size would indicate - kind of like the Thompson SMG of 9MM pistols (ever picked up or shot one?). I think that thing will just never wear out, or have trouble shooting hot loads with all the steel in it (yeah, I know - eventually it will, but humor me). What other pistols out there do you think are overbuilt (not "overly large")?

J
 
I have handled the HK P2000sk at the gun shop. (A few times)
That gun just oozes quality!

While they lean to being a bit large, my Ruger P89 and P90
feel like quality and I think I will keep them for life.

Too bad these all metal guns are no longer made.

For home defense, they are perfect, IMHO.
Never had a single hiccup with either.

I think the P series are the last guns that Bill Ruger was involved with
and it shows!
 
a whacking great clump of ordinance steel that is heavier than the smallish size would indicate
What other pistols out there do you think are overbuilt (not "overly large")?
Click to expand...

Judged by that standard, my Star Firestar is overbuild. 2 pounds of steel, the size of a Kel Tec PF9.
 
My Star Megastar .45 pistol is over built. It weighs in at just over 3 pounds empty and holds 12 rounds of .45.
 
Most all duty sized steel framed guns are "overbuilt" - given today's better steels, most every 1911 in .45ACP is way tougher than the cartridge requires.... and it's thinner and more concealable than most of the wundernines .....
 
Smith & Wesson 5906. There are others also, but this one fits the bill for this topic. I also have a Ruger P-90 and while I am sure it'd go to hellenback, it doesn't feel as solid & overbuilt quite like the 5906.
 
Definitely the Springfield XD line (original line, not the XDS slim). If you compare the slide to comparable pistols like the Glock and M&P, the XD is much thicker and beefier. I've had all 3 and the XD has the most heft when it comes to the slide.
 
Ditto the Megastar
S&W 659
Ruger Mark I and II
Ruger Security Six
Detonics Pocket 9
Desert Eagle
Baby Eagle
 
You're right, I've been lucky enough to handle & fire a real Thompson. There is something indestructible about the huge heavy brute chugging along at a slow (for sub-guns) pace that allows for single shots in F/A mode with a little practice. Its almost what I call "Victorian Engineering" Built in 18 (koff, koff) to last till the sun sets on the Empire kind of durability.

Maybe that's why I like my Lee-Enfields, (so over built that 100 years after they were designed to lob a 220 gr B/P round at a sedate 1600fps at charging masses of assegi-wielding Fuzzy-Wuzzies) they were whacking Nazis & Mau-Mau with 174 Gr Cordite-powerd 174 Gr FMJ's at 2450 FPS.

Or my Dan Wesson 15-2 that is still as good today as it was when bought new decades ago.

There's just something "comfortable" about reliability & durability.:cool:
 
I don't own one, but the Grand Power K100 looks like a crazily overbuilt pistol. ambi controls, trigger guard take-down, backstraps, steel re-enforced polymer and rotating barrel. they are pretty cool guns, I wish I had a place for another full-size gun.
 
I like the fact that some of the guns I own are "over built" ....means they'll go down in the family for 5 or 6 generations...or more maybe....:

N frame S&W's ....model 27's, 28's - 29's....629's....

Sig 226 - All stainless models / Sig X-Five ....

Freedom Arms - large frame / 5 shot single action revolvers...

Full sized all stainless models of 1911's...Wilson Combat, Ed Brown, etc...
 
It's not the big stuff I worry about -- barrel, frame, slide.

It's little things like extractor and firing pin, that I worry about breaking and putting something out of commission.
 
That's why I have a spare extractor spring & a spare auxiliary spring. They are the only things I've ever had break on me.
 
Correct on the Thompson....

I too, have shot one....and wonderer why Gen. Thompson thought you needed 12 lbs. of gun to shoot the .45 cartridge.....

J
 
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