If you could only have one handgun what would it be?

[Microgunner]

I don't know, but it'd be a big one.

[DonutGuy]

easy, Glock 39 .45 GAP

[machoman]

This is a tough question. Hmm maybe a 6 inch .357?

[lee n. field]

If you could only have one handgun what would it be?

IF the world's as it should be, all unicorns and rainbows, I'm set for life and my biggest handgun addressable problem is too many stray cats, err, squirrels, a Ruger .22 auto, long barrel, target sights.

IF "We're in Teh End Times!", and I have to survive a 7 year Great Tribbleation wandering through a blasted and mutating apocalyptic landscape with only what I managed to grab in my panicked flight, a Glock 19. It should last as long as I need it. I can scavenge ammo from my fallen enemies, as, surely, the Man 'o Sin's minions will favor the Euroweenie 9mm over the One True Cartridge delivered by the hand of St. JMB.

[MKK]

Model 715 Dan Wesson pistol pak. Reason is obvious.

[robthebuilder]

Glock 22. It's my favorite gun so far. 15+1 capacity, reliable. Fun to shoot.

[CMichael]

IF the world's as it should be, all unicorns and rainbows, I'm set for life and my biggest handgun addressable problem is too many stray cats, err, squirrels, a Ruger .22 auto, long barrel, target sights.

IF "We're in Teh End Times!", and I have to survive a 7 year Great Tribbleation wandering through a blasted and mutating apocalyptic landscape with only what I managed to grab in my panicked flight, a Glock 19. It'll should last as long as I need it. I can scavenge ammo from my fallen enemies, as, surely, the Man 'o Sin's minions will favor the Euroweenie 9mm over the One True Cartridge delivered by the hand of St. JMB.

Thanks, now I am going to have nightmares

[RG Stewart]

What would it be? An unthinkable tragedy.
In that event, I would probably choose a 4" m629

[THORN74]

p556 30 rounds of 5.56mm nato per mag, longer range than most pistols, near infinate ammo scrounging, and if i want something diff ill just pick it up off the nearest dead guy.

[amprecon]

It would be my Glock 23....for it is the complete embodiment of the perfect self-defense/combat handgun, small enough to ccw yet large enough to confidently control and be accurate with in a very effective caliber of which the magazine holds 13 rounds of and it is very tough and as reliable as the sun coming up each morning............whew.........breath.

[Scout]

1911 baby!

[rickyjames]

i come from the great state of arizona where everyone can legally cc except convicted criminals and nudists, and nudists can open carry all day long if they like. so your single gun question makes no sense to me.

to play your game though i would need to add 1 long gun, a 12 ga pump shotgun capable of shooting anything from birdshot to buckshot to slugs. add to that a good 22/22mag duel cylinder revolver. that combo should do me for anything from arizona to alaska, aardvarks to apocalypse.

[GM1967]

Thanks, now I am going to have nightmares

Which vision gave you the nightmares?

[Webologist]

Quote:
If you could only have one handgun what would it be?

IF the world's as it should be, all unicorns and rainbows, I'm set for life and my biggest handgun addressable problem is too many stray cats, err, squirrels, a Ruger .22 auto, long barrel, target sights.

IF "We're in Teh End Times!", and I have to survive a 7 year Great Tribbleation wandering through a blasted and mutating apocalyptic landscape with only what I managed to grab in my panicked flight, a Glock 19. It should last as long as I need it. I can scavenge ammo from my fallen enemies, as, surely, the Man 'o Sin's minions will favor the Euroweenie 9mm over the One True Cartridge delivered by the hand of St. JMB.

Now if the latter was my motivation, I would reach for my HK USP .45 and use the 9's that had previously been carried by Beelzebub's minions as backups.

I have a G19 but would reach right over it to pick the most effective and reliable handgun I own. The G19 has never failed in my hands but a few buddies and women have experienced FTEs/Stovepipes. The HK has been in my stable much longer gobbled up may times as much ammo and never had any issue of any kind. My trust in the HK is 100%. In the G19 maybe 95%. Even if it was equal the .45 cartridge is more compelling to me.

[SuperRuger]

I would go with mine just for the versitility. SRH 7.5" 454 Casull. Simply by chambering a different round i can go from hunting to preditor defense to personal defense with the 45 Colt and with all the different load combinations you can pretty much do what you want.

[shredder4286]

.44 Mag

[COSteve]

My G20/21L. Able to shoot 40s&w level, 10mm, or 45acp.

[Legionnaire]

Before I started reloading, I'd have said a stainless 4" GP100 ... and that one is probably still my favorite. The .357 mag cartridge is powerful enough for hunting, the 4" barrel is short enough for concealed carry, and any .357 will also handle .38 specials for plinking.

Now that I'm reloading, I'd have to give serious consideration to a S&W 629 or Ruger Redhawk in .44 mag. The .44 outperforms the .357 as a hunting cartridge, and since a reloader can vary the charge, easy to build very light plinking rounds, heavy "specials" for self defense, and full power magnums for hunting.

If Ruger made a 5-shot .44 mag on the GP100 frame, that would be my hands down first choice. As it is, not sure if I'd pick the GP100 or a 629 Mountain Gun as my "only one." If I can't reload, GP100 every time.

[shafter]

Ruger Blackhawk in 357 or 45 colt

[lee n. field]

Thanks, now I am going to have nightmares

Glad I could provide some amusement (for various values of "amusement").

----edit to add----

The point I'm trying to make is that how you answer the question (one that is up there in the Internet Gunboard top 5, along with "what gun for $X", and "revolver vs. auto" and everyone's favorite, "9 vs 40 vs 45") depends greatly on how you think you'll be forced into the dire "one gun forever" situation, and what you have to do with that one remaining gun.

[stevieboy]

Well, this is pretty much the same thread that I ran a couple of weeks ago. I'll repeat here what I said there: my "best" and favorite handgun is my Smith & Wesson 27-3 4". It can do it all and it's a cool gun to look at as well. That said, my recently acquired CZ 75B SA is giving it a close run for its money.

[shanzlik]

STI Shadow (3'' 1911 CCW). It runs very well, shoots very well, conceals very well, is made just up the road from me here in Texas, has a nice outline of Texas rollmarked on the slide, and uses .45ACP, all of which I like.

[jerbro]

Either a Glock 20 or a Ruger GP100. Big enough to get any job done.

[coolbreezy]

I know you guys are gettin tired of this picture, but make mine any ONE of these (pref. The gp):

[Izzy4700]

4" S&W 686 or Ruger GP 100. With a multitude of loadings in the .38 Spec. and .357 calibers it would be ideal for defense, recreation and hunting where I live. Thankfully we are not limited to one handgun, that would be very boring.