The Perfect Pistol

chrisintexas · November 24, 2012, 09:33 PM

So now I know every pistol has some negative that some people dislike.

Some say this or that brand makes the best pistol but then someone else comes up and says I don't like it because.....

What would your perfect pistol be like? what features should it have? and what features it should not have?

and if manufacturers can incorporate those things and may be some can make that perfect pistol....

LockedBreech · November 24, 2012, 09:50 PM

I don't know that the question you ask is an answerable one, no offense. It's very well intentioned.

While there are a certain core group of features every good gun should have - reliability, fit and finish, good customer support backup, etc. - there are a lot of intangibles like aesthetics, feel in hand, and recoil characteristics that are perceived in wildly different ways by different shooters.

For example, the vast majority of people who post about the Ruger LCP hate it. They find it snappy, painful, and hard to shoot accurately. My experience, frankly, has not been the same. It's stern, but doesn't hurt me, and I shoot it very well for the size. Similarly, there is a general antipathy for the .40 S&W cartridge, while I shoot it as well as anything and believe it to be the best service-caliber round.

So, my perfect gun might be a smaller .40, while others might hate a pistol like that.

A great example is the Springfield Armory XD(M) series. Many shooters swear by them. Sales are robust and there's no denying they're a quality pistol. Capacity and features are outstanding. But I just can't stand the things.

Why? I'm not sure I could fairly articulate an objective reason. They're not fully comfortable in my hand, I feel like something lacks in quality, I think the bore axis is absurdly high, but it's nothing I could put down on paper that couldn't be rebutted by fans of the gun.

The perfect gun is the one in a caliber that has passed the FBI protocols (and in certain situations not even this), fits YOU well, that YOU shoot well, that is trustworthy and backed by a manufacturer that stands behind their product.

jimbob86 · November 24, 2012, 09:53 PM

It would be a 4" barreled, steel framed, 9mm Springer EMP, with barrel and slide dimensions reduced in width/height as much as possible.... and the barrel would be threaded.

Valerko · November 24, 2012, 09:53 PM

My perfect pistol arrived to my LGS last week. Have to wait few weeks to pick it up. (NY thing, don't ask )
CZ 75 SP01 Shadow Target.
Feels great in hand , trigger pull SA/DA is excellent , sights are great......and I can get Pre ban mags that hold more then 10 rounds. ( NY Thing again )
I'll report back once I get few hundred rounds thru it.

kraigwy · November 24, 2012, 10:11 PM

The Perfect Pistol????

Ain't no such animal.

**Aguila Blanca** · November 24, 2012, 10:14 PM

Quote:

What would your perfect pistol be like? what features should it have? and what features it should not have?

I own the perfect pistol. It's a Colt 1991 Commander, in .45 Automatic.

It just doesn't get any better than that.

TheRaskalKing · November 24, 2012, 11:28 PM

Alright, I'll play.

IMHO the HK USP platform is the perfect pistol, and here's why:

Extremely reliable/durable.

Great CS/track record.

Available in whatever service caliber suits your fancy.

Trigger/controls can be configured in something like 10 different variations, so if you're like me and like DA/SA with a manual safety and a decocker, you have that, or you can have the LEM DAO style.

Also available in compact and full-size, though the "compact" is still big enough to shoot very well.

I REALLY like my USP. YMMV, just my $0.02.

sam colt · November 24, 2012, 11:35 PM

Well let me think. Taurus, no wait that ain't right, oh yeah Hi-Point, oh no that's wrong too uhhhh never mind.

RBid · November 25, 2012, 05:53 AM

Now that the firing pin thing is resolved, I think the Caracal C is as close as it gets.

- sub $500 price tag
- 28 parts, iirc. Very simple.
- very low bore, little slide material
- 15+1, or you can use 'F' 17 round mags.
- great as a duty weapon, but on the compact end of the duty size range
- second best out of the box trigger (behind PPQ, in my opinion) in a striker fired pistol
- B+ ergonomics
- already passed NATO and German Police tests, and has been in service.

It's versatile, fast, and easy to be accurate with.

Warrior1256 · November 25, 2012, 09:15 AM

I love my Glock 21SF. Feels natural in my hand, is robust, accurate and powerful. Perfect? No, but as close as you can get.

Just my opinion.

loose_holster_dan · November 25, 2012, 10:29 AM

Quote:

CZ 75 SP01 Shadow Target.

valerko is right. the folks at cz came darn close with this one.

sigarms228 · November 25, 2012, 10:38 AM

Everyone is going to have there own list of almost perfect pistols they own for their needs.

My two are the SIG P228 (metal frame)and Walther PPQ (light poly frame).

Furminator · November 25, 2012, 10:38 AM

I've bought a few pistols over the years, looking for the perfect one. I tried Sig P220, S&W M686, and S&W M&P 40c. I always keep coming back to my Glock 22. It's perfect for me: holds a lot of ammo, super accurate, never-failed reliability, and the durability of a Russian tank. The only thing that could improve it would be a set of metal sights. It would be hard for me to imagine a better pistol.

Sparks1957 · November 25, 2012, 10:40 AM

Quote:

The Perfect Pistol

Is there such a thing?

For me, my CZ 75 and Sig P229 come pretty close... but there's always something out there waiting to be discovered

hardhat harry · November 25, 2012, 10:45 AM

Furminator:

Add Trijicon GL-01 night sights, boom. There 'ya go, done.

engineer88 · November 25, 2012, 11:25 AM

For ccw, maybe a Kahr MK9 but with an aluminum lower and a fully captured guide rod. That ought to get the weight down several ounces and still be purty. :-)

For range I have a Glock 19, Smith 64-5,etc. Which are all perfect for that.

Then again I love my 638 and consider it perfect except for maybe capacity. Picking up my CM9 next week, we will see how close to perfect it is.

Tbh the XDs may be the "perfect" gun already.

Microgunner · November 25, 2012, 11:34 AM

I'm a big fan of the HK P7.
Incredibly safe yet super fast and instinctual into action.

Dead · November 25, 2012, 12:20 PM

Perfect pistol for myself would be any loaded & working pistol that is in my hands when I needed it to work...

barstoolguru · November 25, 2012, 12:25 PM

the perfect pistol would be the one in my hand and not the BG's

Patriot328 · November 25, 2012, 01:39 PM

First time I poked up the HK P30 at the SHOT show several years ago I thought it was close. After the Light LEM version came out that pretty much sealed the deal for me. If its not perfect it's pretty close.

An Apex'ed M&P is pretty good too.

I'm also in te market for a CZ75 Shadow T to try out!!!!

shurshot · November 25, 2012, 03:02 PM

Ok, Pistol, not revolver. My SS Interarms Walther PPK/S .380 ACP. Not too big, not too small, nicely made, accurate and fits in my pocket or waistband.

November 24, 2012, 09:33 PM	#1
chrisintexas Senior Member Join Date: September 11, 2012 Posts: 388	The Perfect Pistol So now I know every pistol has some negative that some people dislike. Some say this or that brand makes the best pistol but then someone else comes up and says I don't like it because..... What would your perfect pistol be like? what features should it have? and what features it should not have? and if manufacturers can incorporate those things and may be some can make that perfect pistol....

November 24, 2012, 09:50 PM	#2
LockedBreech Senior Member Join Date: July 6, 2009 Location: Rocky Mountain West Posts: 3,395	I don't know that the question you ask is an answerable one, no offense. It's very well intentioned. While there are a certain core group of features every good gun should have - reliability, fit and finish, good customer support backup, etc. - there are a lot of intangibles like aesthetics, feel in hand, and recoil characteristics that are perceived in wildly different ways by different shooters. For example, the vast majority of people who post about the Ruger LCP hate it. They find it snappy, painful, and hard to shoot accurately. My experience, frankly, has not been the same. It's stern, but doesn't hurt me, and I shoot it very well for the size. Similarly, there is a general antipathy for the .40 S&W cartridge, while I shoot it as well as anything and believe it to be the best service-caliber round. So, my perfect gun might be a smaller .40, while others might hate a pistol like that. A great example is the Springfield Armory XD(M) series. Many shooters swear by them. Sales are robust and there's no denying they're a quality pistol. Capacity and features are outstanding. But I just can't stand the things. Why? I'm not sure I could fairly articulate an objective reason. They're not fully comfortable in my hand, I feel like something lacks in quality, I think the bore axis is absurdly high, but it's nothing I could put down on paper that couldn't be rebutted by fans of the gun. The perfect gun is the one in a caliber that has passed the FBI protocols (and in certain situations not even this), fits YOU well, that YOU shoot well, that is trustworthy and backed by a manufacturer that stands behind their product. __________________ 16 Pistols, 5 Rifles, 1 Shotgun, no time to shoot them

November 24, 2012, 10:11 PM	#5
kraigwy Senior Member Join Date: June 16, 2008 Location: Wyoming Posts: 11,061	The Perfect Pistol???? Ain't no such animal. __________________ Kraig Stuart CPT USAR Ret USAMU Sniper School Distinguished Rifle Badge 1071

November 24, 2012, 11:28 PM	#7
TheRaskalKing Senior Member Join Date: January 30, 2012 Location: The Hometown of JMB Posts: 212	Alright, I'll play. IMHO the HK USP platform is the perfect pistol, and here's why: Extremely reliable/durable. Great CS/track record. Available in whatever service caliber suits your fancy. Trigger/controls can be configured in something like 10 different variations, so if you're like me and like DA/SA with a manual safety and a decocker, you have that, or you can have the LEM DAO style. Also available in compact and full-size, though the "compact" is still big enough to shoot very well. I REALLY like my USP. YMMV, just my $0.02. __________________ "Freedom and reason make us men; take these away, what are we then?" -Sometimes your best defense is a good reminder of your common sense- Springfield Loaded 1911 - HK USP Compact 9mm - SA XDM 4.5 .45 - Browning Medalist .22 - Ruger 10/22 - Browning Superposed O/U - Remington 1100 - Remington 720 .270

November 24, 2012, 11:35 PM	#8
sam colt Member Join Date: February 11, 2012 Location: nc Posts: 93	perfect pistol Well let me think. Taurus, no wait that ain't right, oh yeah Hi-Point, oh no that's wrong too uhhhh never mind.

November 24, 2012, 09:53 PM	#3
jimbob86 Junior member Join Date: October 4, 2007 Location: All the way to NEBRASKA Posts: 8,722	It would be a 4" barreled, steel framed, 9mm Springer EMP, with barrel and slide dimensions reduced in width/height as much as possible.... and the barrel would be threaded.

November 24, 2012, 09:53 PM	#4
Valerko Senior Member Join Date: April 28, 2012 Location: NY Posts: 184	My perfect pistol arrived to my LGS last week. Have to wait few weeks to pick it up. (NY thing, don't ask ) CZ 75 SP01 Shadow Target. Feels great in hand , trigger pull SA/DA is excellent , sights are great......and I can get Pre ban mags that hold more then 10 rounds. ( NY Thing again ) I'll report back once I get few hundred rounds thru it.

November 25, 2012, 05:53 AM	#9
RBid Senior Member Join Date: March 10, 2012 Posts: 1,059	Now that the firing pin thing is resolved, I think the Caracal C is as close as it gets. - sub $500 price tag - 28 parts, iirc. Very simple. - very low bore, little slide material - 15+1, or you can use 'F' 17 round mags. - great as a duty weapon, but on the compact end of the duty size range - second best out of the box trigger (behind PPQ, in my opinion) in a striker fired pistol - B+ ergonomics - already passed NATO and German Police tests, and has been in service. It's versatile, fast, and easy to be accurate with. __________________ Currently Own: Beretta PX4 9mm, Glock 23 (Gen 4), Glock 19 (Gen 4) x2

November 25, 2012, 09:15 AM	#10
Warrior1256 Senior Member Join Date: November 11, 2012 Location: Louisville, Ky. Posts: 156	I love my Glock 21SF. Feels natural in my hand, is robust, accurate and powerful. Perfect? No, but as close as you can get. Just my opinion.

November 25, 2012, 10:38 AM	#12
sigarms228 Senior Member Join Date: October 29, 2011 Posts: 1,768	Everyone is going to have there own list of almost perfect pistols they own for their needs. My two are the SIG P228 (metal frame)and Walther PPQ (light poly frame).

November 25, 2012, 10:38 AM	#13
Furminator Senior Member Join Date: August 17, 2009 Location: milwaukee Posts: 128	I've bought a few pistols over the years, looking for the perfect one. I tried Sig P220, S&W M686, and S&W M&P 40c. I always keep coming back to my Glock 22. It's perfect for me: holds a lot of ammo, super accurate, never-failed reliability, and the durability of a Russian tank. The only thing that could improve it would be a set of metal sights. It would be hard for me to imagine a better pistol.

November 25, 2012, 10:45 AM	#15
hardhat harry Senior Member Join Date: August 27, 2010 Location: I've moved... Posts: 233	Furminator: Add Trijicon GL-01 night sights, boom. There 'ya go, done. __________________ "Let me live in my house by the side of the road and be a friend to man."

November 25, 2012, 11:25 AM	#16
engineer88 Senior Member Join Date: July 13, 2008 Location: La Florida Posts: 287	For ccw, maybe a Kahr MK9 but with an aluminum lower and a fully captured guide rod. That ought to get the weight down several ounces and still be purty. :-) For range I have a Glock 19, Smith 64-5,etc. Which are all perfect for that. Then again I love my 638 and consider it perfect except for maybe capacity. Picking up my CM9 next week, we will see how close to perfect it is. Tbh the XDs may be the "perfect" gun already. __________________ I do not love the bright sword for it's sharpness, nor the arrow for it's swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend.

November 25, 2012, 11:34 AM	#17
Microgunner Senior Member Join Date: March 6, 2006 Location: Central Florida Posts: 3,324	I'm a big fan of the HK P7. Incredibly safe yet super fast and instinctual into action. __________________ *Proud NRA Benefactor Member*

November 25, 2012, 12:20 PM	#18
Dead Senior Member Join Date: June 5, 2000 Location: AoW Land, USA Posts: 1,968	Perfect pistol for myself would be any loaded & working pistol that is in my hands when I needed it to work... __________________ Dead [Black Ops] www.therallypoint.org

November 25, 2012, 12:25 PM	#19
barstoolguru Junior member Join Date: May 31, 2011 Posts: 180	the perfect pistol would be the one in my hand and not the BG's

November 25, 2012, 01:39 PM	#20
Patriot328 Member Join Date: December 2, 2001 Location: PA Posts: 29	First time I poked up the HK P30 at the SHOT show several years ago I thought it was close. After the Light LEM version came out that pretty much sealed the deal for me. If its not perfect it's pretty close. An Apex'ed M&P is pretty good too. I'm also in te market for a CZ75 Shadow T to try out!!!!

November 25, 2012, 03:02 PM	#21
shurshot Senior Member Join Date: August 25, 2006 Posts: 1,819	Ok, Pistol, not revolver. My SS Interarms Walther PPK/S .380 ACP. Not too big, not too small, nicely made, accurate and fits in my pocket or waistband.