All Around Hand Gun
 

I am in the market for recommendations regarding a good all purpose hand gun. I want to have a house gun as well as one that is relatively cheap to shoot and good for small game. I have experience with shotguns and rifles, but not much in the handgun area. I would appreciate your feedback and criteria for your recommendations. Although cost is a criteria, I will save it for later...lol.

RE: All Around Hand Gun
 

my suggestions would be a good 357mag double action, personally i;m a ruger fan, i do have a smith and wesson but the trigger pull on my ruger is smoother and better suited to me, i also have a colt trooper which is the smoothest shooting stock pistol i;ve shot, but thats mine, with the 357mag you can shoot 38special 38special +p or 357mag so you;ve got a wide spectrum of velocity to choose from.

i;ve done some small game hunting (showshoe hares, foxes, bobcats) with some 38wadcutter match ammo and they worked great, i;ve also bought some heavy 165-180 magnum 357 ammo for deers, then you;ve got the 125grain 38+p or if you want even better the 125g 357mag hollowpoints for personal defense,

the options are enormous for 38/357, you can;t go wrong

ohh one more thing, since semi auto is the way to go these days you can find very nice used 357 mags for almost nothing

"smile, life could be worse.. i could be datin your daughter."

RE: All Around Hand Gun
 

I'll go along with paulseggs. A nice .357 revolver will do about anything you'd ever want to do. I'd pick a nice 4" barrel within your budget and you can't go wrong.

RE: All Around Hand Gun
 

I'll also give the nod for a good wheel gun in .357mag. Another option you might want to look at is a Ruger Single Action convertable. It comes with a .357mag cylanider allowing you to shoot .357mag & .38spcl plus a 9mm cylanider. Three good rounds with the 9mm costing around $10.00 for a 100 rounds at wally world in the white box and .38spcl going for about the same or a little over. If you don't like the single action the S&W 19, 66, Ruger GP100 and Taurus models are all good shooters. Good luck to ya'.

Tick a Liberal Off, Buy a Hand Gun!
http://tscott.fws1.com

ONE NATION UNDER GOD!

RE: All Around Hand Gun
 

I'll make it unanimous... a 357 mag... preferrably stainless steel. A 6" barrel will be a little more comfortable to shoot, and a little more difficult to carry, if you so choose. It will have considerably less muzzle blast than a 4" barrel, and it might seem to balance in the hand a little better, depending on which 4" you are comparing it to. I heartily recommend the Ruger GP100.... they are absolutely bulletproof, and usually very accurate. The single action trigger pull might not be quite as nice as a Smith and Wesson, but it is not bad at all... this is also a good time to be buying a revolver, as the fad for now is the semi-auto.... but, truth be told, most people would be as well served, if not better served with a 357 revolver.

"Progress, far from consisting in change, depends on retentiveness..those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." Santayana

RE: All Around Hand Gun
 

Monkey in the wrench....Ruger Redhawk in .44 mag. Double action for when you need to pump a couple .44 spcl rounds into a burglar, and stout enough that you can hunt deer and bruin with it if you'd want to. If you never want to graduate it up from small game to deer or such, then I'd go ahead with the .357 in a Ruger redhawk.

As far as all that goes, if you're just going to use it for home defense and small game (bunnies, and other varmints, probably not coyotes though, unless you're lucky) I'd say get a pistol. No wheelgun's going to defend a home better than a .45 acp, you're gonna get a faster cycle rate, less recoil, and more shots. I've hunted bunnies and some coyotes with my Argentinian 1911 knockoff, and have had good luck, not many shots over 30 yrds though.

Screw the 10 ring, keep them in the zero!!!

RE: All Around Hand Gun
 

"No wheelgun's going to defend a home better than a .45 acp, you're gonna get a faster cycle rate, less recoil, and more shots." Again your logic is flawed. Since Gscuttles admits to being unfamiliar with handguns that probably means that he is also unfamiliar with how to clear jams and all those other little things you need to know to be proficient with a semi-auto pistol. Anyone can pick up a double-action revolver in the heat of battle and fire it without having to worry about things like, is the safety on, is the hammer cocked, is it going to jam, etc. A good 357 Mag round will be as effective as a 45 ACP. As far as more rounds I can think of two different 357 Mag revolvers that hold eight rounds. Besides, if you need more than six you aren't in a gunfight, you are in a war and need to call in an airstrike. The recoil of a good medium weight or heavy 357 Mag is not going to be that much more noticeable than that aggrivating muzzle jump of the 45, and if the shots are on target, who gives a rat's butt about cyclic rate.

RE: All Around Hand Gun
 

Well I have to agree with the majority, the only two handguns that I own are a Ruger GP100 4" and a Springfield Armory 1911 45, for a home defense gun i would suggest the 357 if for no other reason than the option to shoot .38 loads which I feel are better suited for home defense and with the weight of the Ruger you'll have barely any muzzle flip at all.

RE: All Around Hand Gun
 

I have to agree with the majority here. I believe the best all around handgun is the 357 mag. I carry a 45ACP but this is not an all around gun as I have others to play with <img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>

RE: All Around Hand Gun
 

Ok, I'll be the first to admitt that pistols can jam while DA revolvers can't, but I never plan on mine jamming, and don't worry about it, because it doesn't happen. Sure there are a lot of cheap pistols out there with old magazines that will jam every other round, I've owned a couple. If you get a good pistol, the only round you have to worry about jamming is the one you feed, namely the loading round. I don't know what revolvers you've been shooting, but almost every home defense round I've ever shot in .45 acp have kicked less than .38spcl rounds (less muzzle hop that is). Also, have you ever seen the tests that glock did on their pistols, including unloading it, freezing it in a block of ice, thawing it and firing a full mag, never jammed or misfired, left it in the desert for a week, loaded it and fired a full mag, never jammed or misfired, left it in salt water for a week,loaded it fired a full mag never misfired or jammed. Think I'd count on a glock if I took good care of it for D@mn sure.

Who cares about cycle rate....well, when I wake up at 4am and there's someone in my house, even in my room, I don't want to have to worry about what if I miss, I want to put as much lead in them as possible.

As far as home defense goes, basically we're talking about killing people, who does this for a living....military and police, no military faction has issued a revolver for duty since the late 70's.

Screw the 10 ring, keep them in the zero!!!

RE: All Around Hand Gun
 

&quot;As far as home defense goes, basically we're talking about killing people, who does this for a living....military and police, no military faction has issued a revolver for duty since the late 70's.&quot; Wrong again. The USAF used revolvers up until the early 90's and the USMC guards at the Korean embassy had revolvers on their hips in 95.

Yes, I have seen the tests on Glock, but I still wouldn't trust one and I am in the business of &quot;killing people&quot; as you put it.

If you think that any 38 Special has more recoil than a 45 ACP then you must not shoot either one that much. The 45 has more felt recoil than most 357 Mags excluding the snub nosed light-weights. Thus my qualifying statement of &quot;medium to heavy&quot; such as the Ruger GP100. Revolvers tend to be heavier than pistols and the grip design lessens felt recoil.

Edited by - frizzellr on 12/22/2002 12:55:53

RE: All Around Hand Gun
 

..Mine is a 357 mag,model 19 Smith&Wesson,target sights
and hammer,and trigger,6 inch barrel mint cond,i love
it....:)...

..JESUS IS COMING BACK BE READY...

RE: All Around Hand Gun
 

Some of you might think I'm crazy, but I use a Browning buckmark .22lr. I haven't had to use it on a person but it penetrates through 9&quot; of wet phone book. Almost no kick and extremely rapid shots. Very cheap to shoot and great on small game. I know that it doesn't have the &quot;knock down&quot; power of the .357, but I figure at ten feet it will do the job just fine.

RE: All Around Hand Gun
 

357 Mag. Good luck.

RE: All Around Hand Gun
 

This fellow wants an all purpuse handgun not only home protection. IMHO the best home defense is a short barreled shotgun point and shoot problem solved.

RE: All Around Hand Gun
 

&quot;Ok, I'll be the first to admitt that pistols can jam while DA revolvers can't, but I never plan on mine jamming, and don't worry about it, because it doesn't happen.&quot;

If you don't plan on it, it will happen. It shouldn't be something you worry about but definately something you shouldn't rule out. if you don't plan for it it will catch you off guard at the worst moment. When I was in the Army we trained for just such a problem for hours at a time until we could do it under any concievable condition without thinking about it or breaking stride. Even now I still train for it. Even expensive guns can jam. My Kimber is not a cheap gun and has jammed on rare occassion. With proper training it is not a problem. &quot;The only surprises are the ones you fail to train for&quot;.

&quot;As far as home defense goes, basically we're talking about killing people, who does this for a living....military and police, no military faction has issued a revolver for duty since the late 70's.&quot;


The SEALs still use GP100s in .357mag. I very seriously doubt that anybody is going to doubt or question their lethality.

&quot;Who cares about cycle rate....well, when I wake up at 4am and there's someone in my house, even in my room, I don't want to have to worry about what if I miss, I want to put as much lead in them as possible.&quot;

Most people are going to miss anyway because they are very disoriented when they wake up. This is even worse when they are startled awake as they would be in an intrusion senario. Even trained and combat experienced soldiers can forget about things like &quot;switching off the safety&quot; when startled awake in a combat situation. I have seen it happen. Only your first 3 or 4 shots are going to count anyway. After that you both will (hopefully) be moving for cover. Like Frizz said, if you need more than 6 shots you are in a war and need an airstrike. No intruder is going to hang around and shoot it out with you. A good 6 shot revolver with 1 reload is more firepower than anyone will need for personal defense.

Even though I love my Kimber I will have to go with the .357 here. As soon as I can afford it I will be purchasing a .357 revolver for personal defense at home and for carry.

Gscuttles, to answer your question, find a good revolver in .357 and you can rest assured that you will be adequately armed for your stated purpose.

[Deleted]
 

[Deleted by Admins]

RE: All Around Hand Gun
 

Gscuttles, you didn't say big game (deer and bigger) and I believe the recommendation for a .357 is a good one.....I bought a Ruger wheel gun in .32 H&R mag.....and I love it. I handload for it and that helps.

RE: All Around Hand Gun
 

my 2 cents. First. I no longer carry a gun for work. But when I did it was a 9mm. for several years I carried my personal Sig. Then a department Glock. I liked both. I still carry the Sig. It performs wonderfully. As a test I once went 3 months without cleaning it and fired literally thousands of rounds thru it. somewhere around 3-5000 rounds, it jammed. there was enough crud in there to plant corn. just 6 months ago, I bought a box of ammo that stovepiped every other shot. I ran several other boxes thru it and no problems at all. The Autoloader has it's place (in my concealed carry holster). But if I wanted to hunt, I would go with a 4 or 5 inch barrelled .357 . IF you don't think it has enough knock down power to take a deer within 40 yards, then I have to say that you don't know what you are talking about. I used to put speer gold dot rounds in my wifes Smith and I think that if she ever had to hit someone with it, it would have ended the discussion. Everyone has an opinion. That's mine.

RE: All Around Hand Gun
 

In my opinion the key to your problem lies in the sentence where you stated that you weren't real familiar with hndguns. first you should find a pistol that has the fewest working parts, minimal maintinance and the ballistic ability for the tasks you ask it to perform. I personnally like my s&w model 686 stainless 357. it fires when i want it to and it hits what i point it at. home protection is a most admirable trait, who doesn't want their family and themselves to be safe, but to go out and buy a gun just ins't the answer. i agree with just about everything the other people wrote, ( minus anything made by glock lol) but there is more to home protection, with a handgun. go take a class, learn about the gun, and how to handle it affectively, and how to retain it in the event of a hand to hand situation. after that maybe you can make a decision as to what gun you want for protection and which one of those choices ( that a professional may give )would work for your hunting pleasure! make sure it fits right, it's comfortable, and remember practice breeds perfection! god bless america!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

RE: All Around Hand Gun
 

By saying I don't plan on my .45 acp jamming, I meant to imply that I would be afraid to trust my life to it just because semiautos are capable of jamming. You don't plan on your ignition failing in your DA rounds (or any round), and I don't plan on my .45 jamming, I don't plan on it because it hasn't ever happened, despite the fact that it is possible, kinda like I don't plan on getting shot walking across the street, despite the fact it is possible, and so I am not afraid to cross the street. I count on my .45 acp the same as I do my .45 colts and my .44's

The thing that I'd risk jamming for is the cycle rate and ease, I shoot my .45 a lot, so my safety is habitually engrained, which also gives me the ability to point and click like I had a target pistol (3&quot; groups at 75yrds free shooting/unrested one handed). If someone wakes me up in my apartment in the middle of the night, they're already closer than I want to be, so even though I'm groggy, I guarantee I can get the safety off and lead flying fast, but I can empty my 8 from my acp before I can get my 5th shot rolling from one of my .44's loaded with weak CAS rounds (less than 1000fps at muzzle), I've timed it, so if I only have x amount of time, and those shots were it, I can put nearly twice the lead in them and reload if necessary in less than half the time as a DA.




Screw the 10 ring, keep them in the zero!!!

RE: All Around Hand Gun
 

....not to be argumentative here, (well, ok, maybe a LITTLE :) ) whoever said that revolvers don't jam is just wrong. They can, and do jam.. let fouling build up on the cylinder face, or a powder flake get under the ejector star, and you can lock one up in a heartbeat.
But, you are correct, that for the most part, revolvers are pretty simple to operate.

&quot;Progress, far from consisting in change, depends on retentiveness..those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.&quot; Santayana

RE: All Around Hand Gun
 

I'd throw a vote for the .357 wheelgun, also. Nearly all of My handguns have been S&W, and I think You can still pick up a Police Dept. trade-in model 64 in .357 mag for around $200.00 bucks. I owned a model 66 for years, and the wife had a model 64, and I actually liked the 64 better because it had fixed sights, and wouldn't hang up on clothing or pillow cases. And the 64 would shoot every load I put through it to the same point of impact. Lead and jacketed bullets in both .38 and .357 mag all shot the same at 30 yards. Very accurate and reliable.

RE: All Around Hand Gun
 

I truely enjoy shooting my .22cal handgun,Ruger mk2 competition,cant miss and cheap to shoot

ALL DAY, EVERY DAY,IN THE WOODS...

RE: All Around Hand Gun
 

I carry a Smith 5906 auto 9MM 16 shot .I don't worry about jams either ,my Smith & Wesson doesn't jam..and with a 4 in barrel its accurate..A lot of law enforcement use them..

RE: All Around Hand Gun
 

No mercy,
You need to watch American Shooter sometime, as far a cyclic rate of an auto. The single action revolver can cycle faster than an auto(and hit the target). Myself I have a Browning highpower 9mm, but after reading these posts I am rethinking the 357 that is sitting quietly in the gun case. Just my .02

RE: All Around Hand Gun
 

mark1494, you sure you don't mean double-action revolver? You have to thumb cock a single.

RE: All Around Hand Gun
 

4&quot; barrel fixed or adjustable sights (personally i would get adj.) GP100 from ruger. the .357 is the all around gun. and thats pretty much the end of any arguement. other things will do, but personally i dont think they are as good.

propmahn
save the world, reload your brass