Pick your ideal handgun battery, be specific, not just a .45 and a .22. Tell us what particular make, model, caliber, and barrel length you prefer.
This is not asking you to limit your collection. Let us assume that someone is going to give you a complete battery of handguns of your choice.
Here are the categories you should include in your list: 1 - Fun plinker handgun 2 - Small game hunting handgun 3 - Pocket/Concealment handgun 4 - Service sized belt gun 5 - Big Game hunting handgun
If you wish to include custom handguns, go ahead, give details of custom features. If you are opting for production handguns, try not to make them TOO esoteric, it preferable that they be either in current production, or readily available on the used gun market. If you wish to include blackpowder handguns, feel free.
Now, what is your idea of the perfect handgun battery? And tell us why you chose those particular handguns.
Doc
2008-04-09T09:31:29Z
My Choices: 1 - As much as I'd love to have a LeMat, I'll pick a .36 cal. Model 1851 Navy Colt. I just love the smell of blackpowder.
2 - Ruger Super-Single-Six with a 5.5" barrel, it is a grand squirrel gun and it could pull plinking duty when I'm too lazy to clean a blackpowder sixgun.
3 - This is a toughie! I'm torn between my Always Gun, an S&W M-640 Centennial and an S&W M-649 Bodyguard, both in .357 Magnum.
4 - Again, I'm torn between my old 4" M-686 and a 4.75" Single-Action Army in .44 S&W SPL.
5 - I'm not a handgun hunter, so a handgun is for back-up. 4.75" Ruger Super Blackhawk in .44 RemMag.
Anonymous2008-04-10T03:33:19Z
Favorite Answer
Perfect handguns don't require batteries, Doc.
Couldn't resist saying that. Sorry.
Serious answer:
1) Fun plinker. An old Stoeger .22 Luger. Steel frame model with walnut grips.
Why? These are as fun to look at and handle as they are to shoot. Plus shooting a gun with toggle action is just always a neat experience.
2)Small game hunter. A 6" or 8" Browning Buckmark .22 with any good brand of pistol scope, or a TC contender in .22 with a good scope.
Why? The ease of repeatable accuracy I've experienced with both of these guns.
3)Pocket pistol. A S&W "undercover" chiefs special. The model with the old-style round shroud concealed hammer.
Why? I'm comfortable with one. I still like wheelguns. What more can I say?
4)Belt gun. My trusty semi-custom 4" S&W Model 19 .357. OR a otherwise stock 1911A1 with tritium sights and a beavertail grip safety. Either or - as long as I can have speedloader or magazine pouches too.
Why? I'm comfortable with both of these guns from years of familarity and thousands of rounds fired.I am confident in my ability with them, and neither has ever let me down.
5)Big game gun. An 8" S&W Model 29 .44 magnum with open sights.
Why? The biggest game I hunt are whitetail deer and distances tend to be minimal in my areas due to thick undergrowth. Besides, I'm still just a bit intimidated by the .500 S&W -( I've yet to shoot one!)
I'm still working on my response to your "1908 expedition" question. Both great questions by the way.
1 - Fun plinker handgun: High Standard Victor (,22lr) fitted w/ a 7.5” fluted barrel and a UltraDot scope. I use this pistol for plinking and indoor bullseye. Extremely accurate. Fantastic trigger.
2 - Small game hunting handgun: Savage Striker (.17 HMR) 10” barrel w/ a Burris 2-7x scope. This is a wonderful small game gun because it shoots so flat, it is great for close and long distance shoots.
3 - Pocket/Concealment handgun: Smith & Wesson 457 (.45 ACP) 3.5” barrel. This is the most reliable automatic that I have ever owned. I have put every piece junk ammo you can imagine through this gun and it has never jammed.
4 - Service sized belt gun: Springfield Armory 1911A1 Gov. model (.45ACP) This like many other people is my favorite pistol.
5 - Big Game hunting handgun: Savage Striker chambered in 7mm-08. 15” bbl. Leupold VX-3 2.5-8x scope. There are several of us “Hand Cannon” guys at my gun club who go hunting annually for different big game. So far I have taken a White Tail and a Black Bear. I went Boar hunting one year, but “No Joy.”
While I'm sure that there are better guns to do the job in a couple of the areas; I do actually own these and know that they do a great job! A bird in the hand...
3. Service automatic: Glock Model 20 10mm w/nightsights & hi cap mags; Service revolver: Colt Python .357 Magnum 4" Satin Stainless finish with at least four speed-loaders
4. Big game hunting: (Pistol): Glock Hunter Model 20 10mm w/factory 6" barrel; (Revolver): Taurus Raging Bull .454 Casull w/8" barrel.
I think my choices are obvious since I've matched the caliber to the function. Since 'big game' can be anything from Peccary (State-side) to Water Buffalo I picked the 10mm or .454 Casull. If the handgun were just for backup I'd pick a .357 Magnum wheelgun with the first two cylinders loaded with snake-shot and the last four with 180 grain Federal Hardcast, again, for obvious reasons.
1 - Beretta U22 Neos 22lr 2 - Same as above 3 - Sig P225 9mm 4 - Springfield Armory 1911 Mil-Spec 5 - Thompson Contender .223
For the first two, I love my Beretta Neos. It shoots accurately, It comes with a built in top rail so I can add a red-dot sight if I want. .22lr ammo is cheap and the gun doesn't jam on me one bit. Gophers do seem to be allergic to it though :)
My Concealable gun would have to be my Sig 225. The gun is accurate, lightweight, and small in stature. Although it holds an 8-round single stack magazine, I know I can shoot those 8 rounds with precision while carrying it comfortably. The biggest selling feature is it's reliablility and its ability to feed every type of ammo I've fed it.
Ahhhh number 4, Whats not to like about a large frame 1911. It's .45 caliber and it goes BANG. The gun is a time tested design and one of the most recognizeable handguns in the world. The trigger pull is crisp, its easily customized, and looks damn sexy in stainless steel.
I love the contender due to its ability to change barrels and accurately fire many rifle calibers. Definatly one of the loudest guns I've fired in .223 but It's still a great gun and a decent hunter. I'm not sure if its a pistol or a carbine or what, but I have no stock and I love the gun none the less.
I own a couple of these and dream of having the rest at some point in my life haha!:
1. Plinker Handgun: I gotta love the Ruger Mark III with a red dot scope. I like the competition model with the heavy barrel on it.
2. Small Game Hunting Handgun: I really would like an S&W 647 .17 HMR. Built with the S&W quality and this particular model was known for its great accuracy! Plus it has that little extra speed with less damage than a .22 Mag. (They stopped making it though :-(... )
3. Pocket/Concealment: Springfield XD Sub-Compact chambered in the, I'm gonna start a war with this comment, amazingly brilliant .40 S&W round! However, my second choice would be the great little .45 micro-compact 1911 by Springfield Armory
4. Service Sized Belt Gun: In the polycarbonate playing field it would be hands down without a doubt and I would trust my life, my mother's life and an intruder's lack of life to the Springfield-Armory XD 40 S&W Service Model! In a 1911, yes I am a Springfield fan, I really dream of owning a Springfield-Armory 1911 A1 Customer. In stainless steel they are just a beautiful gun in both aesthetics and in functionality!
5. For Medium Game (deer, antelope, wolf, etc) I had to add the medium game handgun because in Northern Idaho there is a huge variation in the size of animals around here. Big game in Virginia= Whitetail Deer...Big Game here= Moose. Anyways, to the firearm: Ruger Redhawk in .44 Magnum with a Leupold VX-III 2.5-8x32mm Scope. In my opinion one of the most field proven revolvers (along with it's brother the blackhawk) with some very dependable glass on the top of it!
5. Big Game Hunting(moose, large bear, elk): I love the Model 460XVR Compensated Hunter with again, a Leupold VX-III 2.5-8x32mm! You just get a man-cannon that you can trust is built with the reliability and craftsmanship that is expected out of S&W. The 460 loaded with federal vital shok loads has the highest velocity, most energy and better range than the Casull and the 500! Most people think the 500 is the victor in this power but it only has the largest diameter round and lacks in power compared to the beefy 460! Don't believe me....look up the ballistics!
This is one of those questions that really doesn't have a wrong answer because everyone has their own experiences and preferences. However, that is what makes it so fun! It's neat to see what everyone likes and dreams about!
GREAT QUESTION DOC! I HOPE YOU ARE PLANNING ON GIVING US YOUR LIST!