1. Ruger GP100, stainless, adustable sights, 4” barrel, .357 Magnum. See my avatar image. The original-pattern GP100 factory grip is a custom-level best fit, in my hand. A GP100 points, for me, as if divinely guided. I bought this one in the early Nineties, and, it was in my duty holster, one night in 1993, when I used it to fire the thus-far only defensive shot of my life. That shot stopped my opponent, which may well have saved my life, or the lives of my colleagues, who were with me.
2. S&W Model 58, 4” .41 Magnum. I bought this one in 1985, and it soon became my duty handgun, until 1990. Eventually, I realized that my hands were better-served by K/L-Frames, the GP100, and single-column-mag .45 autos, but, this was the weapon that was with me, during some wild and wooly moments, so, is cherished. I do not shoot it, anymore, because some of its parts are a bit loose.
Nothing else comes anywhere close, to the above two. The best that anything else can be is a far-distant third, but, so very many can be seen as being “tied for third place.” So, almost at random, #3 is:
3. Les Baer Thunder Ranch Special, a Government-sized 1911 pistol. I bought this one about the year 2000, too late to “grandfather” it as a duty pistol, due to a change in the PD’s firearms policy, but, I have carried it during personal time, off and on, during personal time, since then. Later, a change in duty pistol policy enabled me to carry it as a duty pistol, on police patrol, in the twilight of my LE career, 2016-2018.
Accuracy was a factor. My consistent accuracy potential, with the GP100, is exceeded by no other handgun. Among autoloaders, a good 1911 is as good as it gets, as good as a GP100, on a good day, but less consistent, if I am not having a good day. I could shoot the Model 58 quite well, but the fixed sights limited my accuracy potential. Plus, it shot low, with its fixed sights. A previous owner had tried to remedy that, by filing-down the front sight, to the point that there was barely enough left, for a decent sight picture. So, I shot good groups, but beyond just a few yards, had to hold high. At the 25-yard line, on the qual course, I held level with the B-27 silhouette’s shoulders, perching the B-27’s head on the front sight, to put shots into the 10-ring.
”Life experience” was a factor. I carried each of the above, openly in my duty holsters, and concealed during personal time. Felons got to see the business ends of each of them.
The Model 58 had been a San Antonio, Texas PD duty handgun, from the time it was made in 1974 or 1975, until SAPD sold them off, about a decade later, to go with all K-Frame duty revolvers. So, my Model 58 did duty with both San Antonio and Houston PD, in Texas. (Houston PD required us to buy or otherwise furnish our own duty firearms.) Such history is, well, “cool.”
