Scenario: $2,500 to spend on a 'set' of handguns, covering all bases

1. Home defense s&w m13-1-$275.....357/38spl
2. Concealed carry kt 380-$260
3. Recreation (range use, plinking, etc.) $1965 worth of stuff
 
S&W M&P40 (w/ night sites) - Home Defense - $600
Ruger Mk III Hunter - Plinking/Range - $500
Remington 870 18" - Home Defense - $350
S&W 686 - Home Defense/Range - $500
S&W 642 - Concealed Carry - $400

Total $2,350. Still have $150 left for a decent flashlight.
 
Here is an interesting, and realistic, scenario. You have a total of $2,500 to spend on a set of new handguns that cover the 3 main uses:

1. Home defense
2. Concealed carry
3. Recreation (range use, plinking, etc.)
Click to expand...

OK, I'll play.

Recreation: Ruger Mark II or III, target model. A few extra magazines and maybe some aftermarket bolt on crap. Figure $500-ish. Or: If "recreation" includes hunting, Ruger Blackhawk, ~$500.

CCW: If and when (when. We'll get it.) this benighted state gets CCW, Snub nosed .38 or .357. Ruger LCR or SP-101. $500-ish. Or: Glock 30, 10 rounds of .45 in a small package. Maybe $600.

Home use: XD45. May as well be the longslide "Tactical". Easy to shoot, reliable, lots of rounds in each magazine. call it $600.

Depending on how much of that you bought, there's some extra left over for holsters, ammo, etc.
 
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Okay, I'll play :) Bear in mind that I generally buy only well-maintained used guns, not new ones.

CCW pistol (also suitable for HD)--one quality 1911 in your choice of barrel length/frame material--I've bought at least 10-12 for $800 or so.
My current favorite is a Kimber Stainless Ultra Carry with CT laser grips, TruGlo TFO night sights, stainless ramp insert and black Cera-Koted frame. Looks like an Ultra CDP but has the stainless insert and the laser. I have way too much money in mine but minus the stainless insert, laser or Cera-Kote it was a ~$600 pistol. A local LEO has a non-stainless one that I am thinking of buying.

Fun gun (also suitable for HD)--one 4" Pre-Lock S&W revolver in your choice of caliber. I like .357 Mag, .41 Mag, .45 acp and .45 LC. $500-700 should get a fairly nice one.

One .22LR range plinker. My choice is the Ruger MkII. $300 has gotten me several nice ones, but they're not getting any cheaper, so let's say $350.

So at the high side, I'm at $1650. That leaves us with $850 for ammo, reloading gear, holsters, or a bit of all of the above.
 
I would choose the following:

Springfield 'Loaded' 1911 in .45 ACP: $800
Click to expand...

Well, a Springfield that was unloaded wouldn't be much good for home defense, now, would it?:D

Seriously, why does it have to be "loaded?" Can't you do just as well with a basic 1911 type for home defense?
 
shotty for hd...8 shot mossy 12 gauge
range/ccw...1911's , Smith & Wesson model 36 , 686
plinkers...Marlin model 60 and Ruger Mk II

I have all the above and you could get a nice collection for $2500 if you are willing to shop around and buy used...but I only bought two of mine used ...
 
General SD (home, truck) 1911 - Springfield Loaded Champion 19 45acp
CCW - SIG P238 380acp
Plink - Ruger MKII(III)

Woods (wife's HD) - Ruger 3" SP101 357/38spcl

Use the rest of the funds for ammo.
 
When I first read the OP's words "set of.." I thought you had $2500 to buy two handguns to "cover it all." That would have been a more interesting scenario in reverse, as it'd force some real thinking and difficult choices/compromises...and at the same time revealing what folks think would be the best guns and/or combinations of guns out there--for that kind of jingle....In which case, a couple of ways to go;
DW 1911 Valor .45 w/ EB bobtail (assuming that's an option)--$1250 and Freedom Arms .45LC/.45ACP convertible. $1250, for hunting (Buffalo Bore or hand loaded LC)
...
OR: Ed Brown Special Forces 5" with bobtail + Ruger Single Six .22/.22 Mag convertible. The former not optimal, but do-able for hunting. If you insist, for CCW, then make it --and the aforementioned DW-- those manufacturers' respective Commander sized bobtails for greater versatility while not giving up to much ballistics. The .22 of course for cheap shooting small game, plinking, fun and "survival"

OR: to mix practical SD/HD/S*** with a bit of heirloom-potential/fun/fantasy: Springfield XD45. And...new Colt SAA with some nice options like dual 45 cylinder set up, black powder chamfer and maybe even some custom grips and modest engraving with the remaining $2k. (Base price before options: $1200 otd.

Also, the thread should have been limited as in "you have a $2500 coupon to spend at local store that (magically) has anything you'd want, but must be spent on firearms only, no ammo and supplies." Too many folk bailing out early, going OT and leaving $ on the table for extras. The OP didn't say "wisest use" of $ 2500 :-)
 
priced when i got them:

--kimber gold match, $800: home, ccw, bullseye & fun
--kimber made 22 upper, $200: plinking & bullseye
--colt defender, $600: home & ccw [IDPA= fun also]
--S&W 642, $300: ccw [by itself as a 'walk-the-dog gun' or as a BUG]
--S&W 41, $600: plinking, target shooting, bullseye

one mix that adds up to $2500.
 
Wow, $2500 would get me a near closet full of them.

K-frame .38 SPL for the house and range, P3AT for carry, Makarov, H&R .22LR/.22WMR convertibles and some regular H&R 9 rounders in .22LR-only, a Redhawk, and a CZ 52.

If I didn't have what I have now, I'd get virtually the same pieces. There was a long time during which I dabbled, buying, selling and trading, until I found what really suited me, which is where I'm pretty much at right now.
 
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