HANDGUNS overbuilt for the caliber they fire?

Ruger Redhawk .357 magnum

I think that the most overbuilt centerfire gun is the Ruger Redhawk in .357 magnum.

The most overbuilt rimfire might be the Single Six Hunter in .22. 45 oz solid stainless gun.

I like Glocks but they are ***NOT*** overbuilt. Their barrels don't fully support the chamber. How can a gun that doesn't fully support the chamber be considered overbuilt? Glocks have polymer frames, a lot of polymer parts, and tenifer finish on the frame and slide. This doesn't make them overbuilt.

Glocks...

I like Glocks, but come on, they certainly aren't bomb proof. You're basing this statement on something that you heard on a web forum. Not a good idea. Think about what happens when some 18 year kid reads this posts and decides to reload his 9mm to 8500 psi above SAAMI specs.

Follow this link and you'll see what would probably happen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vceh44UK-8I

I'm sorry, but a person can say anything that they like and there is no way of verifying internet forum or blog claims.

The Glock 17 was designed to be used **within** the SAAMI specs for 9mm ammo. This guy from Norway can make any claims that he'd like, but the fact remains that Glock barrels don't fully support the chamber. Any gun can blow up, with sufficient pressure, but a supported chamber will minimize these types of problems. If you don't believe me, look at the Glockworld.com KB faq.

Furthermore, Glock 17s were designed around the 9mm cartridge. The .40 S&W was developed 10 years after the Glock 17 was released. A lot of modern polymer handguns not only have fully supported barrels, many of them have similiar finishes, and some were even built specifically for 40 S&W.

Glocks are excellent pistols. I'd go so far as to say they are among the best pistols ever made, but I'm sorry, I don't buy this argument that Glock 17s are overbuilt.

http://www.glockworld.com/content.aspx?Ckey=gw_kbfaq

How bout a TC Contender with .22LR barrel.

or a Colt Ace (1911 in .22LR)

stainless steel S&W autos...they weigh as much as a 1911 and are very easy shooting due to the weight.

okay...

Okay, I stand corrected on the SAAMI pressure issue. That *is* pretty impressive.

Simply supporting your original statement with a reputable source would've been enough to convince me. If you would've originally said that according to Glock's armorer manual, Glock 17s were designed to withstand 43,500 psi, I wouldn't have challenged you in the first place. I probably would have whistled and agreed with your original statement. My BS meter went off when you started talking about how some guy on some internet forum said such and such.

Not everyone owns glocks, or for that matter, the 1992 armorers manual. What you stated is a pretty obscure fact. Glock doesn't even state this in their Glock Instructions For Use manuals that I've seen. Maybe rather than assuming that everyone has access to this information, maybe you should do a better job supporting your arguments in the first place.

I felt pretty safe assuming that Glock didn't recommend exceeding SAAMI specs for 9 mm or +p or +p+ ammo (since no other gun company that I'm aware of recommends this practise in their manuals). I was wrong. Won't be the last time. I'll be more careful next time.

Do the Remington XP-100's count? I mean, you take essentially a bolt action rifle and slap it on a pistol frame... hehe...

The Redhawk in .357.

Dan Wesson 722. Put a 22 lr on 357 Magnum frame and that is a bit overbuilt.

One of the original 357 Registered Magnums was built into a 22 lr. That one is certainly overbuilt.

A 1911 in 9mm is of course overbuilt for its task.

Click to expand...

The Germans actually made a 9mm modeled after the 1911. It's called a Radom. We had one for a long time before my dad sold it. I really liked it, but he didn't. I guess that was all that mattered, ehh ?
But, it was a neat gun.

BornLoser said:

The Germans actually made a 9mm modeled after the 1911. It's called a Radom. We had one for a long time before my dad sold it. I really liked it, but he didn't. I guess that was all that mattered, ehh ?
But, it was a neat gun.

Click to expand...

Radom is a polish city, and also the name of a polish arms manufacturer. The pistol was originally produced in poland, but once germans invaded they stole what they could and forced laborers to make pistols for the germans.

More info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vis_pistol

Truly a shame, I'd love to shoot the lovechild of two JMB designs.

I'd place the Walther P5 and the Walther P88 in this category. I have a healthy suspicion that these two will be performing 100 years from now as well and they do today because of the extraordinary attention to detail that they received in both the design and production processes.

Ruger No.1
HK USP 9mm (compact or full size) - has been tested with a blocked barrel with little ill efffect.

Walther 9mms get an honorable mention as they are proofed to 150% at the Ulm proof house.

And the winner - the Webley Mk.VI in .455 - specifically proofed to handle a double charge without any damage.

Ruger P90

The Ruger P90 was suppose to be a 10mm. When sales for the 10mm were declining the decided to go with the 45. I wished I could get one in 10mm

I have two of the Ruger Redhawks in .357 (both stainless). They are probably as overbuilt as you can get.
Here is a good picture of one, I didn't read the article so I don't know what it says: http://www.theothersideofkim.com/index.php/tos/printv/8856/ I don't enjoy shooting them as they are so freaking heavy. This is a massive piece of iron.


FWIW: earlier in this thread the HK Mk.23 was reported to hold 10 rounds in the magazine. This is incorrect. The standard magazine holds 12 rounds. I have six of them (the magazines that is, only one gun). Like many guns of that era, 10 round mags were made due to the ban. I also have six of the 10 round magazines which were very cheap after the ban ended and I use those to avoid the wear on the 12 rounders (like that is really an issue ) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heckler_&_Koch_Mark_23



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Gotta go with the Redhawk in .357 for over engineered. It's a handful. But is sure is fun to fire off six rounds of top (still safe) pressure hand loads once in a while. The joke is mine is extremely accurate with the lightest .38 WC loads.
Has about the same recoil as the pop gun I had as a child.

Can't agree about the K-22 revolvers. I recall reading that they were meant to give target shooters the same feel/weight/balance as the K-38 and K-32 centerfires. So I don't consider them over engineered, just that other considerations were in play.

Jeff

Nagant revolver.