[mrt949]

The handgun that covers all types of shooting preferences.target, hunting and defense .caliber

[Claude Clay]

Sig P239 in 40 S&W; decocker, DA/SA model

[gglass]

Since you threw hunting into the equation, I would have to say 10mm for a semi auto or 357 magnum for a wheel gun. If you would be hunting something really big, then all bets are off.

[mrt949]

My pick is a 44mag revolver 4in or5in with loads mild to wild .

[BillH]

I'll second Claude's choice + NS.

[Iggy]

For the average individual, a medium frame 357 Magnum revolver.

You can go from plinking to plumb serious self defense and some hunting.

It is strong enough to take mid size game and small enough to CCW if you find the right combination.

[gwnorth]

I honestly do not think that any one hand gun is going to cover the range of uses you mention well. A good hunting handgun is not going to make a very good concealed carry weapon, nor is a serious target range gun.

Any gun that excels at one of those uses, is likely to be mediocre at best, and usually down right terrible, at one or more of the others, since your range of uses covers an awful lot of ground in terms of calibre, barrel length, sights, weight and size.

Which of course is why so many gun owners own more then one gun - one size does NOT fit all situations at all well in this case.

[mrt949]

What about the 41mag revolver equal to 10mm.

[Ditto_95]

1911, what else has been around for over 100 years?

[mrt949]

Well i guess there is no gun like a cressent wrench.that is a tool that can fit all most anything.:uhoh:

[whitefeather]

I'll side with a couple that have already been mentioned:

10mm (in autoloader form like a Glock 20 or a Colt Delta Elite) or a 4" .357 revolver (like a S&W M19 or M27).

Both calibers have enough power for defense or hunting up to large deer. I'd give a slight nod to the .357 due availability of ammo and load variations. But if I were more focussed on the defense aspect, I'd go with the 10mm autoloader.

[gwnorth]

Well i guess there is no gun like a cressent wrench.that is a tool that can fit all most anything.



Doesn't drive a nail or cut wood worth a dang :D

[SimpleIsGood229]

Nope. There simply is no ''best.''

[dmazur]

I'm kind of new to revolver shooting, but I think if I had to, I could use it for those three uses, as it's a Ruger SBH in .44 Magnum with a 4-5/8" barrel.

It would feel like a Swiss army knife, capable of performing in multiple roles but not really best at any one of them.

The lock time is pretty long for target use, it could use a longer barrel and a scope to make it better for hunting, and the 6 shot capacity is definitely a limit for self-defense.

It's an interesting question. However, I'm really stretching to try to come up with a situation which would require a Swiss army knife type of solution.

[possum]

i don't hunt with a handgun or anything for that matter, however i do shoot/ train alot for the fight of my life that hopefully never comes, and the best handgun hands down for me is a sa xd, my sa xd service model in .40 to be exact.

i use it for everything ccw/hd/comps etc.
12000rds and still going strong it is a purpose built gun that i would take anywhere anytime to do anything.

[22-rimfire]

I am not aware of one handgun that meets all your specifications. Like the "what handgun for bear?" threads, there is no one size fits all.

[Isher]

As my 90 year old mother is fond of saying

"You pays your money and you takes your choice."

To which I might add,

Don't make a **** if you buy

One gun or a hundred.

isher

[buck460XVR]

I honestly do not think that any one hand gun is going to cover the range of uses you mention well. A good hunting handgun is not going to make a very good concealed carry weapon, nor is a serious target range gun.

Any gun that excels at one of those uses, is likely to be mediocre at best, and usually down right terrible, at one or more of the others, since your range of uses covers an awful lot of ground in terms of calibre, barrel length, sights, weight and size.

Which of course is why so many gun owners own more then one gun - one size does NOT fit all situations at all well in this case.


+1..........It couldn't be put any better.

now if you're talking nightstand SD and not CCW, than I think a 6'' .357 or .44 wheelgun would be a safe bet if one only wanted ONE handgun. Pleasant to shoot and accurate at the range, capable of taking deer sized game and smaller and more than enough to deter most home invasions other than gangland hitmen.

[oneounceload]

For target and hunting, my XP-100 in 7mm BR will kill deer to 250 yards...(It's for sale if interested). I SUPPOSE in a pinch you could use it for defense, although it is a single-shot bolt action handgun

[federalfarmer]

1911.45acp

[Fishman777]

1. Medium-framed .357 magnum (my choice would be the GP100).
.38/.357 - This is enough gun in my area. Love these cartridges.

2. Glock 20 with a .40 S&W conversion barrel. Similiar power to .357 magnum, greater capacity.

2. Large-framed revolver in one of the following: .44 or .454 or .460. These actually would be the best choice, but my least favorite option.

While I don't like big bore revolvers, I recognize that these big bores really can do it all. The ammo is expensive and the recoil can be pretty brutal, but they are the *only* guns that *really* can do it all.

.44 special/.44 magnum (Buffalo Bore Heavy .44 magnum +p is nastier than a lot of factory .454 loads.
.45 colt/.454 - .45 colt and .44 special are very similiar. Factory .45 colt loads would be tame as kittens in a heavy gun. .454 is pretty nasty.
.45 colt/.454/.460 (.454 is somewhat crazy, .460 is absolutely insane.)

I'm sorry. 9mm, .40 S&W, .45 acp are not flexible enough to cover every application. They are decent man-stoppers, but they are good for little else. .45 acp would be the best option of the three, but a poor choice compared to the first three choices listed above.

[mnrivrat]

For sure the gun that is "Best" for one thing will not be the Best for all things.

A gun that will do a decent job with all tasks you mention however is available in a few formats that would be all fair choices.

Mine at this time is a 4" barreled revolver in medium frame, and in .44 magnum caliber. If you wanted it to be in .357 Magnum - I wouldn't argue against it. If you wanted it to be a 6 inch barrel - so be it ! (self defense does not necessarily mean a carry gun)

In auto's , I do agree the 10mm has a lot going for it. Particularly in the hunting roll , over many other calibers that auto's are chambered in.

[Phydeaux642]

Not one perfect one, but if I had to choose something that could be used in those situations I would pick a S&W 686 with a 4"bbl.

[nksmfamjp]

Why 1911 is not here yet, I will never know!

Officer's frame with Commander Slide in 45ACP. Nothing better!

[MCgunner]

It does not exist. That's why I have more'n one gun. Okay, 20 is getting carried away, I could probably do it with 10, but hey, it's a free country..........so far. :rolleyes: I don't try to ride my GoldWing in the dirt, either. I have a dirt bike for that. I can ride that little dirt bike on a 2000 mile trip, but I'd druther have the GoldWing. I can hunt deer with a 4" K frame .357, but I'd druther have my Contender.

[Hostile Amish]

1911 or Walther P99.

[SupraBo]

I have read this forum for a long time and finally today, starting posting(on duty, nothing better to do).


As for a semi auto hand gun a Glock 20 SF would be the best choice hands down.

Can be easily converted to .357SIG, 45ACP, 9MM…

The FBI said it, I’ll say it. 10MM is the best auto round available

It can be loaded to 40, and can be loaded past 357MAG

[Hardtarget]

Sure!

It carries easy, goes bang every time, nothing but X's, Cheap to shoot, points naturally, Knocks down BGs with one shot.

Perfect gun! :D

I don't have one of those. :(

Mark.

[Big Daddy Grim]

10MM best of both worlds my Delta Elite has taken a number of hogs

[Duke of Doubt]

S&W Model 29 .44 Magnum, 5 7/8 inch barrel.

[wep45]

S&w 686-4

[Isher]

CZ P-01


isher

[GRIZ22]

The only one that fills the bill is a 4" 357 magnum. Make mine a GP100. You have a variety of loads from wadcutter to full magnums. You really don't have this ammo versatility at all with any auto and it's somewhat limited in 41 and 44 mag. You can easily find some type of ammo for it . Try that with a 41 mag.

[scotjute]

When I had one pistol for several years, it was a 6" barrelled .357 mag with adjustable sights. Still have it, but also have additional revolvers I now use that are more suited for specific tasks.
If I was down to one pistol again , would probably choose a 4" barrelled .357 mag with adjustable sights.

[Drail]

It will have a revolving cylinder and begin with a .4 something something.

[lawboy]

Kimber steel frame 3-inch 1911 in 45acp such as the eclipse for ccw.
Add a marvel unit 1 22lr conversion unit for target and small game. Get the one with target sights than have the top dovetailed for use with a red dot or scope.
Add a 5- or 6-inch top end with correct springs for 45 Super to be used on medium game.
Add a 5-inch top end for IDPA and other action shooting games.

All of that equals one serial numbered frame equals one handgun!

[Archer1945]

While it can be argued there is no such thing as the perfect all-round handgun there are some that can come pretty close. Probably the closest to the perfect all-round handgun would be 1) 4" medium frame .357 magnum, 2) 4" 44 magnum and 3) 4" 45LC. The 44 and 45 both depend on handloading to make use of their versatility while you can buy almost anything for the .357.

While none of these would match a dedicated target gun, usually with a 6" barrel, for ultimate accuracy good examples of any of these usually are extremely accurate. Which with their ability to shoot any thing from very light to extremely heavy loads, is what makes them prime candidates for an all-round gun. A 4" 41 magnum can also be a good candidate but it is strictly a handloading situation since there are no factory manufactured light loads for it, AFAIK.

No semi-auto is going to be a good do anything gun because they are designed to work well within a relatively narrow range of pressures without having to change to either lighter or heavier recoil springs to compensate for the light or heavy loads being shot. A revolver doesn't care if a powderpuff load follows a heavy hunting load in the cylinder as the gun doesn't depend on the recoil action to work the gun.

[elktrout]

You have to remember that except for range shooting you have to plan on what will carry easily for you. If you are physically disposed to do so, you may be able to carry a .44 mag all day long with comfort.

Carefully consider your predominant use and what demands that use will place on you. One reason autos are so good is their overall better portability. Except for the range, in your other uses, you will carry it a lot and shoot it a little.

Good luck.

[sohcgt2]

DA/SA common caliber so ammo is affordable, comfortable to hold, comfortable to shoot, and comfortable to carry. If it looks nice thats even better.

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

All purpose handgun? This is the answer: 4.5" barreled, mid-sized DA revolver, in .45 colt. Nobody makes them, but Taurus came the closest with the 4" Tracker in .45 colt, most with that silly porting (but a precious few without). Can handle concealed carry, very accurate target shooting (far more than most semi-autos), and taking down pretty good sized game (better than any semi-auto of this size).

Honorable mention would go to a good 5" 1911-style - but a tad bit weaker on the hunting use.