if you could only have one handgun

I'm not sure there is one handgun that can "do it all". Good example is a carry vs range/target practice handgun. While you can take a small carry piece to the range, it won't do as well as others built for accurate shooting.
 
If i could just have one I would take my springfield pro 1911

ALOT of people consider the glock 19 the do it all gun....I would prefer a XD or M&P of similar size superior for myself
 
This is the hardest question to answer ever. I honestly cannot decide. But my latest obsession is the Sig P220 10mm. Fails the versatility test miserably!
 
Of the many if I had to keep 1 it would be my Les Baer Premiere II 1911 in 45 acp. Rationale as follows: Can be used for EDC; a little big but it can be utilized. Accuracy is nothing less than superb. With the adjustable rear sight I could hunt game with this pistol if need be. It is built like a tank and will last a lifetime and could be passed to heirs. .45 acp is easy to reload. I have a ton of 45 acp brass and can fine tune these loads for various needs. I can work on 1911's with my eyes closed after utilizing them, fine tuning them for many years. The pistol points well for me. YMMV.
 
Something like a Glock 26. It has unsurpassed reliability, can be EDC-ed, belt or pocket carried, and can be employed for home defense with G17 mags. I've EDC-ed everyday for the last 20 years, so that's high on my list if I only had one gun. I would be fine with a S&W 442 or similar 5-shot .38 as my only gun. My 79 year old mother used one with good effect earlier this year (two shots into the ground) to scare off a recidivist knucklehead who broke into her garage one night, then came back the next night and knocked on her door.

Really, anything that is reliable and goes boom would work for me, so long as it can be EDC-ed.
 
My Glock 26 here. It's small, compact, ultra reliable, uses easy to find 9mm, takes magazines from the Glock 17, 19, and the 33 round job. It's very accurate for it's size, and with a .22 conversion kit cheap to practice with. One gun gives me both 9mm and .22LR capability in a concealable package. And I like small!

 
How do you catch a cloud and pin it down? Back in the day, I might have selected the venerable .45, and indeed, such a choice would not be a bad idea. I know that Col. Cooper would have agreed with me on that point. The 230 grain pills have a way of solving problems, not to mention sufficiently handling things that go bump in night.

Recently saw an article that spoke of the Navy Seals ditching their Sig Sauer products in favor of the Glock 19. The little 9mm has quite a solid following these days, and for good reason. Recoil is minimal for most of us, ammo is fairly inexpensive, and you get +P loadings if you just have to have them! Price and availabilty are favorable.

So, of course it follows that we are going to enjoy many varied answers here due to the fact that there really isn't any exact answer. If I were going to live in a remote area, I might select the good old .357 magnum. This workhorse can accomplish most tasks that any of us would ask of it.

Grab your popcorn and enjoy the reading. All opinions welcome...btw...why do people never say "it's only a game" when they are ahead in points?
 
In my mind, the answer has to be a 4(ish) inch .357 magnum. Mine is a Ruger GP100 Match Champion. It carries fine open or concealed. I've taken small game with it and would gladly take whitetails with it as well (if the ODNR didn't require a 5" min barrel length). It's cheap and easy to reload for and will eat anything from the mouse fartiest .38 to the stoutest .357 mag rounds out there.

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p.s. those Hogues are comfortable but I've got a prettier handle on it now. :D
 
Taking into consideration things like availability of magazines and parts as well as popularity (more likely to find those things in a SHTF situation) then it would be the Glock 19. Super popular and reliable. A huge plus is that it can accept glock 17 mags and the 33rd extended mags for the 18. With a huge number of LEO and Agencies using Glocks it would make finding spare magazines and parts much easier.

Not taking that stuff into consideration it would probably be some type of CZ75. Amazing pistols!

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Then again there is the classic .357/.38 Spl wheel gun. No magazines to worry about, reliable, accurate, very abundant ammo and being able to shoot 2 different kinds is a huge plus.

I love the Ruger GP100 Match Champion...

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Such a hard decision!! :) But in the end I think the 19 is a great choice. 9mm is extremely popular world wide and you couldn't pick something more reliable.
 
For financial reasons, I had to make this call at one time. One of the handguns I happened to have was a Glock M17. That one stayed as gathering food was not on the table. I still have it.

Bill
 
To answer this question without qualifications I would have to say a 4" barrel .44 magnum. The OP said "do it all" which to me means defense, target shooting, fun, and hunting. A 4" .44 magnum can work for all of these. You will have a hard time bring home an elk or large deer with a .45ACP or a Glock 19, or defending yourself against a bear. But you can carry it for defense and use it for target shooting.

Now take out large game animals and that opens up the field to things like the 1911, Glock 19 or .357 revolver. In the past I would have said .357 revolver but these days I would lean towards a 1911 or Glock .40 cal.

Oh and I'm not going to address the "only one" part of this. I hope we never get to this point.
 
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Ruger Redhawk No. 5032: A six-round revolver in .45 Colt and .45 ACP, using full moon clips for the latter.

My current go-to handgun now is a Ruger SP101 in .357 Magnum and I love it. I've had it cut for full moon clips and added Hogue grips and a lanyard loop for carrying mounted in a custom flap holster from Dave Ferry. Having a dual caliber firearm is a bonus, I think. But I'd like something with a bit more oomph to it and I think the .45 would fit the bill.

Zieg
 
Super Blackhawk Bisley .44 Magnum w/ 3.75" barrel. Everything you might need..., nothing you don't. I own three (3) of these. Bought the other two just in case. That's how good this one is. Try one if you get a chance. If you don't love it..., I'll buy it from you.
 
Wicked Sharp said:
Super Blackhawk Bisley .44 Magnum w/ 3.75" barrel. Everything you might need..., nothing you don't. I own three (3) of these. Bought the other two just in case. That's how good this one is. Try one if you get a chance. If you don't love it..., I'll buy it from you.
Click to expand...

i handled one of these. i can only describe it as a combination bank vault/hand cannon! i had a woodie all night thinking about it. went back the next day and it was gone. ive been looking for one since.
 
Multiple random thoughts here because I can't really decide. Self defense or for overall shooting? Flexibility in load creation? Size of typical guns in a particular caliber? .....Dependability such as a DA revolver such as a GP-100 (357 mag) or magazine capacity like a Glock 19??

Self defense seems to be the majority of people's focus in terms of choosing a gun and caliber combination. My experience is that I have never really needed a gun for self defense. But I have them for that purpose.

My reality...... I'd have to say a 4" Colt Diamondback or S&W Model 18 in 22LR. The small framed S&W M63 would be a good choice. One of these will likely be the last handgun I own and was the first good handgun I purchased years ago. I accept the arguments against the 22LR for self defense, but I have always felt just fine with a 22LR.

I very much like the Glock M23 (40 S&W) or the light weight 38 spl revolvers.

Added: If I truly want a "do it all" handgun, it would be my S&W M57 Mountain gun (41 mag) which I can load up or down for whatever purpose I choose. The same would apply to the 45 Colt and 44 mag if you prefer those calibers. But, there are other factors in deciding which caliber and handgun to choose. The factors influence everything.
 
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My primary use of a handgun is for self defence and self defence style recreational shooting. So I would choose a Gen3 Glock 34.
 
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