Say you wanted to create a collection of "THE" great handguns

[1KPerDay]

Not necessarily one of every model, but one of every maker that really had an influence on the industry. Iconic models, in other words.

I'm thinking

Beretta 92/M9
Colt 1911
Walther PPK
Browning Hi-Power
CZ75 type (I'm thinking a P-06)
Smith & Wesson N frame (model 29 probably)
Smith & Wesson K frame .38 special (model 10 probably)
Glock 17 or 19
Colt Python
Colt SAA
Sig P226 or 220...
Ruger Blackhawk
Ruger MKII or similar
Luger

Any others that truly meet the criteria of iconic designs? :uhoh:

[Fozzy_Bear]

I'm not an historian, but I notice a distinct lack of pre-20th century firearms... Certainly there were iconic handguns in the Civil War, the old West, and such...

The Colt Peacemaker perhaps?

[JesseL]

I throw in a Walther P38, Colt Woodsman, Walker Colt, and one of the Browning pocket autos.

BTW, the S&W model 10 is a K frame, not an L.

[nero45acp]

S&W 39






nero

[1KPerDay]

BTW, the S&W model 10 is a K frame, not an L.Thanks... got that mixed up.

And isn't a peacemaker an SAA?

[Josh Aston]

I'd add

Walther P38
Colt 1903 or 1908
Walker Colt
Colt 1851
Colt 1860
Remington 1858
Remington 1875
Smith & Wesson Model 1 or similar
Webley .38 or .455

That's all I can think of for now.

[rcmodel]

S&W J-frame Model 36.
First of the modern 5-shots.

S&W J-frame Model 60.
First stainless steel revolver.

S&W Model 39.
First American 9mm DA.

S&W 59.
First American hi-cap 9mm DA.

rcmodel

[Ala Dan]

Colt Detective Special (and its varaints, the Cobra and Agent)

Now, how 'bout these~? All COLT D-frames.

[1KPerDay]

Dan, are those really all that different from each other? In design, I mean?

I think for a S&W collector, those would certainly be deserving. But probably the majority of gun owners wouldn't be able to identify any of them, other than possibly as "S&W revolvers."


EDIT: you removed the long list of desirable S&W models you had in your post... so now I look like a loon. Thanks. :D

[Speedo66]

How about the great 9MM broomhandle Mauser? Pretty much the first commercial sucess for a high powered semi-auto pistol.

They made variations that were stocked, fully auto, etc.

[woodfiend]

Many people are unaware of the fact that the HK VP70 was THE FIRST polymer framed pistol. That deserves mention. Look it up, it's quite a radical weapon.

[Black Knight]

How about the S&W L Frame model 686, Ruger Vaquero (old model), and the Ruger MK II or MK III?

[CYANIDEGENOCIDE]

lemon squeezer
a "deagle" of some variety
sig maybe 239?
tokarev tt
cz-52
bren ten
auto mag
nagant
colt snake (anaconda cobra python) or even the mark 3 trooper

[nalioth]

Beretta 92/M9

The Beretta M1951 is the 'iconic' great grandaddy of the M92

http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/6563/ber002401xx7.jpg

[Colt46]

M-1 Carbine!
Webley Mk VI
S&W M-15

[Smith357]

Colt Navy
Colt Walker
S&W Volcanic
Colt SAA
Mauser Broom Handle
Luger
Colt 1911
S&W Hand Ejector
S&W Registered Magnum
Browning Hi Power
Walther PPK
T/C Contender
Glock 17
Desert Eagle
UZI

[BlindJustice]

S&W Schofield
S&W Russian
S&W 1rst Model Hand EJector is the model that eventually
became the K-Frame M&P and in '57 the Model 10
S&W 2nd Model Hand Ejector - 1908-1915 aka the
Triple Lock, the large frame Smith & Wesson changed for WWI
for the Brits and later our own Doughboys by eliminating the
crane lock as well as the ejector shroud.

S&W 1935-1940 .357 Magnum - aka Registered Magnum
most powerful handgun until the Pre-29 S&W of 1955
although some would argue the Walker Colt cap & Ball held
that title.

The Colt SIngle Action Army (SAA) aka "Peacemaker" to
settle some confusion.

S&W Target Masterpiece late 1940s
Model 17 in.22 LR
Model 16 in .32 S&W Long
Model 14 in .38 SPecial
and the "Combat Masterpiece
Model 18 .22 LR
Model 15 .38 SPecial

S&W Model 19 Combat Magnum - first K-frame
chambered for the .357 Magnum gave LEOs a medium
frame carry option.

SIg 220 - first DA/SA in .45 ACP
S&W 1006 first successful 10MM Auto
the Bren 10 never really took off and the company faled.
S&W 4006 - first steel frame .40 S&W

enough for now.

Colt 1911/1911A1 has "property of US. Gov." all the rest
are Civilian 1911 based design variants, the Colt being
the "Goverment" Model.
Colt also still owns Colt "Commander" one of the first
using Alcoa aluminum alloy for the frame.

enough for now...

R-

[parisite]

Spencer Carbine
The Makarov
High Standard Supermatic

[mavracer]

I'd give a Ruger Redhawk honorable mention and the list would have to include a Sig P210 and a HK P7

[nwilliams]

I would have to go with....

1911A1
Browning HP
Beretta 92fs
H&K USP
H&K P7
Walther P99
Ruger MK 1,2 or 3
Ruger Blackhawk
Colt SAA
S&W Model 19, 28-2, 29 (any or all)
Colt Python
Glock (maybe a 19)
S&W 4506
Sig 226
CZ-75
Luger
Walther PPK
Walther P38
Makarov
Colt 1851 Navy
Webley

I'll think of more later:rolleyes:

[SwampWolf]

Smith&Wesson Model 52: the premier Bullseye target pistol in the medium caliber catagory in its time.

[eatont9999]

Tokarev TT33
1895 Nagant
CZ-52
Makarov 9x18
Nambu

Get the old war guns, etc.

[lloydkristmas]

As far as most iconic?

Beretta 92 9mm
Glock 17 9mm
any S&W revolver in .38/.357
1911 .45
HK P7 9mm
Hi Power 9mm
Sig 220 .45
HK USP .40
Desert Eagle .44 or .50
Ruger MkII .22LR

That would cover most of the common calibers and give you a mix of "unique" and "iconic"

[1KPerDay]

Yeah, I definitely should add a Desert Eagle .50 to the list. And the 1858 Remmie and Colt Walker/Navy/Army, and a Webley.

[parisite]

You beat me to the Smith 52 SwampWolf.:)

[coney_hatch]

I only see one mention of the Mighty .44 Magnum Auto Mag. While I lust after an AMT model, my 1974 High Standard .44 Magnum Auto Mag will have to suffice for now....

[BlindJustice]

For the O.P. - if you wanted to pursue a collection you might specialize it to a certain time period, or a certain type of handgun action over time.

A friend's husband passed unespectedly some months ago. Her husband was the recipient of his father's handguns. His father had never told him of this collection. They had photos to a web site and I posted it I think on the
1911 Forum - a member helped to ID the handguns. I passed along the info.
and expanded on the history of the different guns. They recieved:

W/Nazi acceptance/proof marks:
2 - P-38s
P-08 Luger
Polish Viz Radom
7.65 E.Euro pocket style pistol
"Working" guns
Beretta bearcat - looked like it had been pocket carried a lot
Colt Commander mid-60s
Ruger SUper Blackhawk late '60s
and an early 20th century
Webley Bulldog?

So I told them about the Nazis - when they took over a country in
WWII they kept making whatever guns that country made and
issued them to their own troops - looks like the father
had bought some WWII surplus in the late 50s/60s, and they
had a good start on service pistols of WWII European Theater.
To add to this theme one might look for
* Browning Hi-Power w/Nazi proof marks
* Walter PP or PPK w/like Nazi era
* Finland Lahti
* whatever the Russians used, Tokarov?
* Browning HI-Power used by brits or the Canadian
INgalls built HP
* 1911A1 of course

They also had a Nazi Dagger which I recall were
available on the market during the time he got the other
handguns.

Or you could make a collection of the progression of
Single Action revolvers from cap & Ball to centerfire and
later built up for Magnums in various makes/models.

or say, try to get every 7.65/.380 pocket pistols
popular in Europe

one more NIt... the O.P. said Great and that word
and a Nambu pistol should not be included in the same
sentence except with a big negative on Greatness.

Nobody copied Japanese small arms of the 30s/40s

A design that is copied says something about the success
of the design,eh?

Randall

[1KPerDay]

A good idea, blindjustice. I have a pretty complete collection of cap/ball colts (some replicas, some originals) with most of the variants... I was just thinking what a collection would look like if someone wanted to make a grouping of "iconic" handguns, important designs, much copied, easily recognizable, familiar to non-gunners or tyros. I suppose a case could be made for many guns, and there are as many answers as people. :)

[Jst1mr]

The S&W Registered Magnum...ushered in a whole new era in handgun performance

[FM12]

For MY interests: SAA, 1911, P35, S&W registered magnum, Python, and a poly gun of some brand. Pretty simple, actually.