How can I improve on this handgun list?

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If you have everything you feel you need to suit your uses. Then the only other option is to buy for to pure enjoyment of it. Meaning, wow this one is beautiful and built well I think I just want it. That how i've gone about it and it seem to work well. I still haven't been able to explain my love of shotguns though. It seems I want everyone I see, And also wheelguns but to me revolvers just make sense.

Maybe an old single action colt or a tauras judge. Or a ruger vaquero!!!!
 
I agree with Shortbus and OldFluff, especially since you don't like 1911s. My recommendation:

a S&W 27, in a 3.5 to 5" barrel, pre-lock manufacture.

It is the one handgun I have that I cannot keep my hands or eyes off of - more than any other auto or revolver, of any brand or size. I see you have two .357s already, so you must like the caliber and it won't force you to add a new one.
 
It depends on what you want to do.....so, what DO you want to do ?

Redhawk is fine, especially if tuned, but a S&W Model 29 is better. But would it matter? If you like the Redhawk, then maybe the new 4" version for easier carrying afield.

Ruger Blackhawk .357 is a good "fun gun," but a double action .357 is more useful and more versatile, say a S&W 686 or a Ruger GP-100

SP-101: Heavy for a snubby. The S&W Model 642/442 in .38 special is hard to beat in that role. Light enough to matter, cheaper and more fun to shoot than the Scandiums.

Stoeger Cougar: Hard gun to master, due to long, heavy DA pull. A Glock or S&W M&P in 9mm (or .40) would be more "shootable," therefore more fun to shoot. Be sure and buy extra magazines.........a LOT of them.

You lack a .45 auto. Look at the M&P, XD and Glock 21-SF. More capacity than the Ruger and less to "remember" when shooting it. (no decocking required)

I'd get the PM-9 over the Keltec.

I'd also stop giving guns to sons and SIL's..........they'll get them soon enough! (be sure and specify who gets what, tho, to avoid problems)

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Redhawk is fine, especially if tuned, but a S&W Model 29 is better. But would it matter? If you like the Redhawk, then maybe the new 4" version for easier carrying afield.
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The 29 may feel more refined, but the Redhawk will shoot .44 Magnum loaded to its true potential without falling apart. Tuned (or pre-lawyer) Redhawks feel really good, especially with a Hogue thrown on them.

Ruger Blackhawk .357 is a good "fun gun," but a double action .357 is more useful and more versatile, say a S&W 686 or a Ruger GP-100
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Again... The 686 is a fine, well-balanced, beefed-up .38 Special that will shoot .357 also, within its limits. The Blackhawk is a whole different animal WRT strength and longevity with serious loads. I wouldn't replace the Blackhawk; I'd add a 686+.

SP-101: Heavy for a snubby. The S&W Model 642/442 in .38 special is hard to beat in that role.
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There I have to agree, unless you want to plink with it. I love the little DAO Airweights. I have nothing against the Rugers, but the little S&W's are very accurate, naturally-pointing, and light enough to carry easily.

WRT semiautos, I have been pleasantly surprised by the XD in .45.

For practical use, a collection of them might be a good thing (13+1 round .45 for a full-size gun, subcompact 9mm for carry, etc.). They all work the same. One issue with semis (and one we got a 642 for my wife and I to share) is that IMO you want to master the controls so they require no thought. Guns that are a lot different from each other can result in less confidence and slower practical use.
 
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The OP posed a question, I answered it.

I said the Redhawk is a good gun. I even suggested getting a second one with a 4" barrel. The M-29 is more refined. I didn't say it would hold up as long or longer than a Redhawk with full power loads. (altho I'd like to see some tests here)

As to the .357 Blackhawk, where did I tell him to sell/trade it towards a 686 ? I didn't.

A full-size DA .357 revolver is a good, versatile gun to have.......or do you disagree ?

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WRT a full-size DA .357, it's a good, versatile gun. That's where I'd look for refinement, and get the Smith.

I've shot a Redhawk I loved; it was easy to shoot well and felt great. Couldn't think of why I'd want a weaker gun (and it is a weaker gun, go research it if you want) for more refinement. .44 Magnum isn't about refinement anyway, and the Redhawk was plenty refined in the hand. (Trigger was factory, but pre-lawyer. Nowadays, I'd send it to a gunsmith as soon as I got one.)

My point is just that a 686+ has its own merits, but doesn't replace the BH any more than vice versa. To improve the list, you'd have one of each.:)
 
A S&W Model 29 will hold up just fine. Maybe not as long as the Redhawk, but we're still talking 1000's of rounds here. It's not like it's going to "wear out" by the end of the first box.

Meanwhile, the 29 gives you a svelte package that's easier to carry and shoot.

Nothing wrong with a Redhawk, but it IS heavier and a bit clunky.

A double action .357, for an "all-around" gun beats the hell out of any single action .357.

If you want to restrict the use to the camping/hiking/hunting, then the single action will be fine. You could even make the case that it's better, due to the stronger cylinder arrangement. But if you bring defense into the picture, then the DA rules.
 
What's wrong with Rugers?
They're built more solidly than most other guns I've owned.
I've owned a couple Smiths that I've shot enough that they needed retimed (which happens) and I'm told that Colts are even more fragile. But several gunsmiths have told me that they have never seen a Ruger out of time.

If you can't conceal the SP-101, I'd add something that you can.
And if you're adding stuff, that's fine. But I don't think I'd take anything away other than the Jennings (unless you really like it).
 
I'm thinking that if you have to ask on this website what gun you should buy, then maybe you don't really need anything. Is there something you need to accomplish with a handgun that you can't do with what you have, or is there something particular that you just really want? Either is OK, but in my own experience I sometimes find that I'm really just jonesing for a new gun-any new gun. Almost invariably, though, a gun that I buy just to scratch the gun-buying itch eventually gets traded or sold, because I really didn't want or need it in the first place. Could this be the reason you give away a lot of your handguns? Maybe not, but those are just my thoughts.
 
1911 in .45, or maybe even .38 Super.

Colt Trooper Mk III .357, or you get go the easy route with a GP-100.

S&W model 14 .38 Spl

S&W N frame in .41 Mag, .44 Spl, .44 Mag, .45 Colt, or .45 ACP.
 
A Target Handgun

I think every handgun shooter should at least try a target handgun once. I think the Smith 41, Buckmark, and Ruger Marks are good guns and great value for what they deliver but I am referring to a high-end target pistol like a Hammerli 208, FAS 602 or 607, Walther SSP, Pardini SP, Benelli 90, etc. These guns have adjustable triggers--I mean REAL adjustable triggers. They do all the normal stuff like overtravel, weight of pull, inital takeup and such but the neatest features is where you get a grip that fits your shooting hand, you adjust the palm shelf so that you feel like you are part of the pistol and then you physically move the trigger to the location where you index finger is exactly square with it. Most have mechanisms where you adjust the first and second stages separately. These guns will show you how well something can actually feel and you can truly find out how well you can shoot. Just my 2 cents. Good luck with whatever you decide.

Here is an example that shows they are not all overly expensive.
http://www.targettalk.org/viewtopic.php?t=20512&sid=80036e168a3ab1402ac299d052de186d
 
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Are you a Ruger salesman by any chance?
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No, but I do like most of the ones I own. I did have a P-345 Ruger and a Springfield 1911-A1 stainless. But, I thought the trigger on the Ruger was mushy and it wasn't as accurate (it was probably just me). I liked the Springfield, but it seemed like it cycled too slowly. I gave my Glock 19 to my son who was a Navy Master-At-Arms. It was a great gun. I think I'll replace it in a .40 this time. And, I'd like to buy a Kimber 1911, but may have to settle for something less expensive.

I did just buy a S&W 642 Snubby, that I'm going to carry. I really like it and the trigger is perfect for me. I'm also looking at a TC Contender in .22-250. But, I guess I'll just have to see how it goes. I appreciae all the great advice. I'll be checking back here often as the new year progresses. THANKS EVERYONE!
 
And not a single Walther in the bunch? No PP or PPK or PPK/S? No P1 or P5? No P99? No handgun list is complete without at least one each of each one of those Walther models.
 
Goon I sent my sister in laws gp100 back for timing. Then later her sp101, then sold them both for smiths.

For a ccw try the walter pps in 40. Nice and small.

Big Bill contenders are fun no matter the caliber.
 
Keep everything. Add a DA .357 and perhaps a Glock or two. The Rugers are good guns. Don't let anyone tell you differently. I do not like the newer S&W revolvers, but if you can find an older one, pre-lock, they are great guns.

Personally I don't care for some of your smaller guns, but that is up to you. If you plan on shooting heavy loads in your sp-101, then you have the right gun. If you plan on shooting lighter loads, then the S&W 442 type are lighter and easier to carry but have recoil issues.
 
You've already got a good start.Why would anyone move ''beyond'' Rugers? get a 10-22,an LCP,and an SP101 in .22,or find a nice bull barrel .22 Ruger auto pistol,and you're covered!
 
Why would anyone move ''beyond'' Rugers?
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To be politically correct - IOW - diversity! :) BTW - I've got two Ruger 10-22s and two Ruger M77 MKIIs (.25-06 & .30-06). And, over the years I have also bought a scad of other Rugers. So. I know where you're coming from.
 
Like the other posters said-toss the Jennings, and replace with Ruger LCP. It's AMAZING how many people don't like the STRONGEST revolvers of ALL-Ruger, guess they're just Colt/S&W fans that don't realize that Rugers are actually BETTER than Colt/S&W.
 
Ruger DA revolvers...

Rugers might not be as refined as a Smith and Wesson revolver, but they can be with a little work.

Smith and Wessons don't have solid frames, they don't have triple locking cylinders, they don't have modular trigger assemblies that just about anyone could work on. Smiths are more expensive, they do have more timing issues, they do wear more quickly, they do have ejector rod problems. Don't believe me? Go to the Smith and Wesson forum and the Ruger forums and see for yourself. I've never heard of a Ruger with timing issues, bent ejector rods, or ejectors that have unscrewed. I did a comparison of the complaints on these and other forums and found that Smiths had a lot more reliability and durability problems. That is not so say that I dislike Smiths. I like older Smiths as much as the next guy, and plan to pick one up eventually, but I would not buy a newer Smith and Wesson DA revolver over a Ruger unless I needed a really light carry gun.

Keep the Rugers. If you want to spice them up, get them refinished. You could also do some trigger work. Rugers with two-spring triggers respond to trigger jobs very well. You could polish up the trigger assemby and change the springs. You'd be amazed at how nice the triggers can be. One spring triggers, like what is found in the Redhawk, don't respond as well to tuning (from what I've heard).
 
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