Based on volume of available factory ammo, and on the relative numbers of revolvers actually made for it, .45 Colt is a relatively rare bird, and already a firm favorite, of mine. My candidates for daily carry would be my Ruger SRH Alaskan, and USFA Single Actions. (I have aged-out of any desire to fire .454 Casull ammo, in my SRH Alaskan.) I actually would carry a single-action sixgun, for defensive purposes, as their shoot-ability, and nice balance when worn in a belt holster, make them quite easy to live with, on a daily basis. Not saying that I do, now, regularly tote an SAA-type weapon, but, for the purposes of this thought exercise, I am saying that I would do so, especially if I were to back-it-up with another weapon, for continuity of fire.
The various .32 cartridges would certainly be candidates. I realize that Thirty-Twos get many mentions on forums, and in songs about Leroy Brown, but there are relatively few folks who actually buy .32 handguns, other than the Kel-Tecs. My .32 ACP candidates, for carry, would be my Seecamp LWS-32 pistols. (I rarely carry them, now, but in this dystopian scenario, I would think that deep concealment might be very necessary. Trained observed tend to look for asymmetry, so balancing one’s silhouette with a pair of tiny pistols might be a wise.) I also have a J-Frame, and an SP101, chambered for .32 H&R, and some of the shorter-cased predecessors would safely chamber, as well.
I carried a .41 duty revolver, in the Eighties. I would have to have a talented ‘smith tighten-up the moving parts, if I ever wanted to resume regular shooting. N-Frames are usually too much of a reach, to the trigger face, for my index finger, but this one has had its striations ground-down, and the edges rounded, resulting in a good fit, if I use thin grips, that do not cover the back-strap, am am not wearing gloves. My aging hands would not like shooting big-bore Magnums, so, I’d have to hand-load to “.41 Special” velocity.
That covers the uncommon cartridges, for which I own functional handguns. The .45 Colt, and the Thirty-Twos, were the easy answers.
I could get a 357 SIG barrel, which would be a drop-in fit, in my P229R DAK, one of my former duty pistols, from 2004 to 2015. Notably, however, the reason I set this pistol aside was because its high bore axis, and light-alloy frame. combined with the snappy acceleration of the then-mandated .40 S&W duty cartridge, was really vexing my aging right thumb, and, and wrist. (I transitioned to a “orthopedic” 9mm Glock G17, soon after my chief authorized that option, in duty pistol policy.) 357 SIG is said to have less recoil than .40 S&W, but I doubt the shooting experience would be pleasant, unless I added one of the competition-oriented weights to the accessory rail.
The .38 Super has had my attention, for a number of years, though I have yet to buy. An all-steel 1911 remains tolerably shootable, in my aging right hand, and .38 Super would recoil a bit less.
These come to mind, even before caffeine has fully taken effect, and with a load of other things on my mind.
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