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Old August 23, 2011, 03:51 PM   #1
JerryHN
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What's the most rugged handgun in the world?

I'm sure this has been covered before, but I can't seem to find a thread that answers this question. If you can choose one handgun that will survive the most extreme conditions (ice, sand, water, dirt, mud, physical trauma, no cleaning, no lubrication etc.), which one would you pick (in your OPINION)? We're assuming there are no gunsmiths or spare replacement parts for this handgun, and that price is not a factor.

I know this is the semi-auto forum, but feel free to talk about DA/SA revolvers, etc.

Thanks,

Jerry
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Old August 23, 2011, 03:51 PM   #2
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A muzzleloader?
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Old August 23, 2011, 03:53 PM   #3
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I think the M9 must be up there - it passed the U.S. Military trials.
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Old August 23, 2011, 03:58 PM   #4
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HK MK23. Lives through much that normal guns can't, very robust and built beyond tough. That would be my end of the world pistol.

Last edited by PSP; August 23, 2011 at 04:15 PM.
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Old August 23, 2011, 04:02 PM   #5
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I'm gonna vote Ruger Redhawk. When I mine came in to be transfered there was a bill from UPS for a forklift. Apparently they ran over my Redhawk.
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Old August 23, 2011, 04:25 PM   #6
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Makarovs, Ruger Blackhawks. Actually, just about any Ruger.
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Old August 23, 2011, 04:27 PM   #7
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Well, I wouldn't be in that situation. If I were going to such an environment with a gun, I'd take my cleaning kit. I also have a tacklebox filled with nothing but Beretta 92 parts (since I have 8 of them). So, I'll take my 92 with me anywhere, and I'll likely have my kit with me if I knew I was going into a hostile environment with danger being probable....
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Old August 23, 2011, 04:29 PM   #8
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have you checked youtube lately, it's full of mud splattering videos of glocks xd's and whatever's being dug out of the ground and firing hundreds of rounds, rather entertaining.
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Old August 23, 2011, 04:29 PM   #9
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"I think the M9 must be up there - it passed the U.S. Military trials."-Countzero

^You must not know anyone in the service huh? They hate their sidearms.

I'd personally pick G19.
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Old August 23, 2011, 04:57 PM   #10
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^You must not know anyone in the service huh? They hate their sidearms.
There are plenty of posts from service members on a recent thread, and a strong majority liked their M9s well enough. Most of the folks I've talked to in real life have few complaints, aside from miserable aftermarket magazines.

I will say, however, that no aluminum alloy-framed pistol is going to be the most durable/rugged handgun in the world. Any pistol is going to suffer if subjected to the kind of "maintenance" the M9 sees, but AL alloy-framed guns are going to suffer the most. Properly maintained, however, a 92/M9 or other high-quality AL alloy-framed handgun will last a very long time.
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Old August 23, 2011, 05:10 PM   #11
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Well, I am a service member, specifically a Combat Marksmanship Coach, and I HATE the M9. I hate the DA trigger pull. I grew up shooting M1911s, and can not fathom why the DoD traded such a fine fighting handgun for the M9. But, I fight with what I am given. The M9 puts lead downrange. It works, but I STILL don't LIKE it.
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Old August 23, 2011, 05:19 PM   #12
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Quote:
You must not know anyone in the service huh? They hate their sidearms


Actually every current or former service man/woman I know liked/likes the M9.

Two of them are even planing on buying one for personal use. One served in Afgahnistan with the 82nd airborne. And the Other was with a Marine unit in the 2nd battle of Fallujah.

These two men carried them in combat in a current war, and thought enough of them to want one of their own.


(this doesn't mean that every person in military service likes the M9, but making a broad generalization that they all "hate" it is wrong)
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Old August 23, 2011, 05:29 PM   #13
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I have to agree that the people I know that are or were in the service do not care for the M9.

For the question about most rugged my answer would be .....HK USP and the good old Makarov.
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Old August 23, 2011, 05:41 PM   #14
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My buddy who talked down to the M9 was a Marine who fought at Fallujah also, actually two buddies both Marines who met in Fallujah disliked their M9's. One bought an XD when he got out for what that's worth.

I think it was the sand that made them hate the M9.
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Old August 23, 2011, 05:48 PM   #15
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TC Contender 30-30 cal would be an interesting choice.
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Old August 23, 2011, 06:00 PM   #16
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Quote:
I think the M9 must be up there - it passed the U.S. Military trials.
I think the M9 is a good gun, but passing the Military trials wasn't much of a challenge.

If you lump autoloaders and DA revolvers together nothing has yet proven more rugged than a Glock.

I suspect a single action Ruger would prove to be the most rugged overall.
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Old August 23, 2011, 06:03 PM   #17
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I think the M9 ranks up there and so does the Ruger P95, CZ75, Glock etc etc. This is far to subjective of a question.

I was in the Navy and national guard for a number of years...didnt care for the M9 back but I shot it well and never had a problem so not sure why I didnt care for it (not that I would bash it back then either). Most who bash the M9/92 that were in the service probably dealt with poorly maintained examples so I would take their words with a grain of salt.
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Old August 23, 2011, 06:04 PM   #18
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Most rugged? Subjective but I'd generally roll with a Glock. No gun is infalliable though.
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Old August 23, 2011, 06:07 PM   #19
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USGI 1911a1
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Old August 23, 2011, 06:48 PM   #20
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Old August 23, 2011, 07:20 PM   #21
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Quote:
If you lump autoloaders and DA revolvers together nothing has yet proven more rugged than a Glock.
What a pant load.

Proven by whom?

Proven when?

Proven where?

Proven for which model? (They certainly aren't all equal).

My vote goes to the USGI 1911A1.

From the OP:

Ice: The Battle of the Aleutians, Battle of the Bulge, Korea. Several variants served the Norwegian Resistance too.

Sand: Pick a PTO amphib landing--any of them, D-Day, North Africa, still serving today too.

Water, dirt, mud: Western Front in WW1. Vietnam.

Physical trauma: Polymer is going to survive getting hit by shrapnel? I'll take the all steel pistol thanks.

No cleaning, no lubrication etc.: During the XM9 trials, the only pistols which passed the wet and dried mud tests with 100% scores were 1911A1 control models that were a minimum of 40 years old and reassembled time and again using mix mastered small parts.

That's the definition of "proven." Lab queen tests and YouTube videos cannot even begin to compare, but if you want to go there.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_JuF23qazI

Glock 19. A thousand rounds fired in 14 minutes by several shooters. Five stoppages. Melts out the recoil rod.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7wL2QuFTLQ

Para-Ord 1911 (lower quality one) 1000 rounds fired in about eleven minutes by just one shooter. No stoppages and nothing breaks.

Glock reliability is routinely overstated by its fans, who have fallen for sales rep hucksterism. The 1911A1 just goes on kicking ass for a century as the real deal.
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Old August 23, 2011, 07:23 PM   #22
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TC Contender 30-30 cal would be an interesting choice.
I was also thinking Contender or Encore. Pretty simple design there. Not much to get gunked up that can't be cleaned with a little water and lube.
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Old August 23, 2011, 07:27 PM   #23
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Glock... It's the only gun that I have personally seen endure extreme abuse and continue to function flawlessly.
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Old August 23, 2011, 07:28 PM   #24
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And you will NEVER get answer. Everyone has their OPINION on what's the best, and it will always be an OPINION.
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Old August 23, 2011, 07:30 PM   #25
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And you will NEVER get answer. Everyone has their OPINION on what's the best, and it will always be an OPINION.
Actually I did give the answer. Everyone else gave an opinion.
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