The 'AK-47' of handguns
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FoxtrotRomeo said:
Subcarpathian Ruthenia (which was part of Czech) was annexed by the USSR after WW2, so it is in fact cold war Russia, to a degree - which is what i was going by... degrees
because Subcarpathian Ruthenia was still technically still part of USSR while the majority of Czech being free of most parts of the USSR charter (constitution.) Czech was a bit of a special circumstance due to the spread of the power balance butter that was the treaties of the end of WW2, which oddly enough made it part of the UN, and infact a founding member of the UN.
its a stretch i know but still pretty much where i was going from
While some may disagree, I'd say that the handgun with the most in common with an AK-47 would be a S&W hand-ejector DA revolver. Consider the following:
-The S&W hand-ejector has been in continuous production since 1899, longer than any other handgun
-Since 1899, S&W has produced millions, if not tens of millions of hand-ejector revolvers.
-S&W hand-ejectors have influenced more DA revolvers than any other manufacturer. At least some part of the S&W design has been copied by Taurus, Rossi, Astra, Manurhin, and numerous other manufacturers.
-S&W hand-ejectors introduced many of the most popular cartirdges available including .38 Special, .357 Magnum, .44 Special, .41 Magnum, and .44 Magnum. Additionally, S&W was the first to devise a way to successfully chamber a rimless semi-auto cartridge in a DA revolver witht the M1917 in .45 ACP (Colt also made 1917's, but S&W came up with the half-moon clips).
-The S&W hand-ejector has been chambered for an extremely wide array of cartridges from .22 Long Rifle up to .44 Magnum
-S&W hand-ejectors proved themselves through two world wars and countless smaller ones (the S&W M15 remained the standard-issue sidearm of the USAF until 1985).
-S&W revolvers were popular with U.S. police for most of the 20th century (from the early 1900's until the 1980's and early 1990's) and dominated the police market from the 1950's through the 1970's.
-A S&W revolver requires only the most basic maintenance to remain reliable
-Anyone of even moderate intelligence can understand how to use a S&W revolver within a matter of seconds.
So, while other may eclipse it in the future, a very strong argument could be made that the S&W hand-ejector is the most popular handgun of all time.
-The S&W hand-ejector has been in continuous production since 1899, longer than any other handgun
-Since 1899, S&W has produced millions, if not tens of millions of hand-ejector revolvers.
-S&W hand-ejectors have influenced more DA revolvers than any other manufacturer. At least some part of the S&W design has been copied by Taurus, Rossi, Astra, Manurhin, and numerous other manufacturers.
-S&W hand-ejectors introduced many of the most popular cartirdges available including .38 Special, .357 Magnum, .44 Special, .41 Magnum, and .44 Magnum. Additionally, S&W was the first to devise a way to successfully chamber a rimless semi-auto cartridge in a DA revolver witht the M1917 in .45 ACP (Colt also made 1917's, but S&W came up with the half-moon clips).
-The S&W hand-ejector has been chambered for an extremely wide array of cartridges from .22 Long Rifle up to .44 Magnum
-S&W hand-ejectors proved themselves through two world wars and countless smaller ones (the S&W M15 remained the standard-issue sidearm of the USAF until 1985).
-S&W revolvers were popular with U.S. police for most of the 20th century (from the early 1900's until the 1980's and early 1990's) and dominated the police market from the 1950's through the 1970's.
-A S&W revolver requires only the most basic maintenance to remain reliable
-Anyone of even moderate intelligence can understand how to use a S&W revolver within a matter of seconds.
So, while other may eclipse it in the future, a very strong argument could be made that the S&W hand-ejector is the most popular handgun of all time.
Death from Afar
New member
Webley MkV - well said!
No question...Colt's 1911A1 Gov't model.
Powerful for its size, its .45 ACP cartridge has the right weight vs recoil ratio to make it controllable for most men. Adequate magazine capacity for real world defensive situations, it's been the standard by which ALL other defensive hand guns are judged.
"So when something is crashing the alders ahead,
And it's death to the brute, or you in its stead,
Trust the Colt Automat, the chunky blue cat, the fist filling gat,
To chuck its competent lead!"
(Borrowed from Stebbins' eminently readable, Pistols - A Modern Encyclopedia; published by Stackpole in the '60's I believe.)
Nuf Said, Rodfac
Powerful for its size, its .45 ACP cartridge has the right weight vs recoil ratio to make it controllable for most men. Adequate magazine capacity for real world defensive situations, it's been the standard by which ALL other defensive hand guns are judged.
"So when something is crashing the alders ahead,
And it's death to the brute, or you in its stead,
Trust the Colt Automat, the chunky blue cat, the fist filling gat,
To chuck its competent lead!"
(Borrowed from Stebbins' eminently readable, Pistols - A Modern Encyclopedia; published by Stackpole in the '60's I believe.)
Nuf Said, Rodfac
OK, Podkarpatska Rus ( Subcarpathian Rhutenia ) was never part of Czech (republic) ... It was part of Czechoslovakia from 1919 to 1939 when after Nazi invasion of Czechoslavakia the Podkarpatska Rus declared independence and almost immediatelly was invaded and annexed by Hungary, then in 1944 siezed by Russia. After war the Czechoslovak government attempted to regain the land but after several month of negotiations treaty was signed between Czechoslovakia and Soviet union and it became officially part of Soviet Union.
So your degrees for CZ75 comparison to AK47 are pretty slim.
Stevie-Ray
New member
^This in spades!
Bulldawg55
New member
11+1 Mec Gar. Not too much sticking out either.
Your still a six shooter short on ammo!
GLOCK
Your still a six shooter short on ammo!
GLOCK
BigCountry8998
Inactive
It depends
The question is how steady are you big ol hands and what do you prefer quick clean and effective or just sling enough lead in the air that if what ever you happen to be shooting takes a breath it gets a big mouth full I tend to lean more toward a revolver i have had both a medium size revolver is good bot semi auto has its advantages BigCountry8998
The question is how steady are you big ol hands and what do you prefer quick clean and effective or just sling enough lead in the air that if what ever you happen to be shooting takes a breath it gets a big mouth full I tend to lean more toward a revolver i have had both a medium size revolver is good bot semi auto has its advantages BigCountry8998
Winchester_73
New member
GLOCK 9mm, any model
I disagree with the 1911 because its older than the AK 47 and generally more expensive to produce than other handguns for what you get. It also for the most part has a single stack magazine while the AK 47 has always had the benefit of high capacity magazines. The Ak 47 parrallel should be a 9mm (common round like 7.62), double stack mag to reflect high capacity, supremely reliable, cheap to make, extremely popular, easy for anyone to learn to field strip and care for, etc - GLOCK 17 or perhaps 19.
While the S&W hand ejector is a good comparison, between the lower capacity and all steel FORGED construction (pre war guns esp), cost to produce, and slower reload, I don't think its a great analogy. The fact that its been around almost 100 yrs actually hurts it when the AK came out in 1947. The AK is also generally 7.62x39 so to say the hand ejectors are available in other cals doesn't really apply or help its argument. The AK is just over 60 yrs old which plays a factor in its popularity, its simply not as dated. I'll give you that they are both revolutionary designs though.
I disagree with the 1911 because its older than the AK 47 and generally more expensive to produce than other handguns for what you get. It also for the most part has a single stack magazine while the AK 47 has always had the benefit of high capacity magazines. The Ak 47 parrallel should be a 9mm (common round like 7.62), double stack mag to reflect high capacity, supremely reliable, cheap to make, extremely popular, easy for anyone to learn to field strip and care for, etc - GLOCK 17 or perhaps 19.
While the S&W hand ejector is a good comparison, between the lower capacity and all steel FORGED construction (pre war guns esp), cost to produce, and slower reload, I don't think its a great analogy. The fact that its been around almost 100 yrs actually hurts it when the AK came out in 1947. The AK is also generally 7.62x39 so to say the hand ejectors are available in other cals doesn't really apply or help its argument. The AK is just over 60 yrs old which plays a factor in its popularity, its simply not as dated. I'll give you that they are both revolutionary designs though.
spacecoast
New member
I hate to say anything detrimental to the 1911, but I think my Ruger P345 is easier to maintain and just as reliable, especially minus the magazine disconnect 
MidwestRookie
New member
mmm...tokarev.
russian and shoots a mini AK caliber...they seem pretty comparable, no?
obviously it didnt reach the popularity of the AK, so in that regard I'd say glock is the AK of handguns...
people dont know what a 1911 is, they know what a glock is tho. just like grandmas know who snoop dogg is, not lil boosie..and everybody who's watched a movie before knows what an "AK" is..
russian and shoots a mini AK caliber...they seem pretty comparable, no?
obviously it didnt reach the popularity of the AK, so in that regard I'd say glock is the AK of handguns...
people dont know what a 1911 is, they know what a glock is tho. just like grandmas know who snoop dogg is, not lil boosie..and everybody who's watched a movie before knows what an "AK" is..
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nefprotector
Moderator
This may seem like a pee wee gun to some. But for reliability, ease of maintainance, durability, etc. But my vote goes to the Makarov, this gun never fails to function.