Is there such a thing as an all purpose handgun?

Status
Not open for further replies.
I have been shooting for about 34 years. I'm going to say Smith/Ruger 357 magnum with a 3" or 4" barrel. I would also give the nod to a 44 magnum with same size barrel.
 
For me, it's a Smith 28.


Jim, another fan of Roland. I joined him in that dusty Golgotha of bones so many years ago...
 
The OP stated for hunting and CCW. In my state of Tn a minimum barrel length is 4 inches. I vote for a Smith/Ruger in .357 with a 4 inch barrel.
lloveless
 
I guess the rules are "A conventional (smokeless powder) handgun must be .35 caliber or larger
and loaded with straight-walled cartridges and may be single- or multipleshot
but cannot exceed a maximum capacity of nine rounds in the barrel and
magazine combined."
so its pretty liberal, however I don't think i'm comfortable shooting deer with a 9mm (though I believe Stephen Camp has done so, but if you've seen how well he can shoot I'm sure you can see why he would take the shot).
 
I'm a pretty fair shot,but I'm not Mr.Camp.I'd make darn sure I was close before I took that shot.I was initially going to say say ''1911'',and now that we've changed the rules to exclude my ten in the mag,one in the chamber [California] pistola,I guess I'll go with the 1911.
 
I'm thinking a .357 might do, so long as i make the shots very close. Or I could save up and get a dedicated gun, like a .44 mag Ruger Blackhawk with a 7.5 barrel (which wouldn't be terribly terribly expensive)
 
The best all purpose handgun is the one you most consistently hit your target with (unless you're talking about a bear in which case I'd want a long gun.)
 
Is there such a thing as an all purpose handgun?
Click to expand...

I agree with all those who said S&W L-frame or Ruger GP100. Got both and feel no need to acquire any more toys. Just more ammo/components and speedloaders.
 
A 4" .357 or .44 Magnum comes close.

1. Target shooting - You can handload for either, using .38 Specials or .44 Specials and full wadcutters with just enough powder to get the bullet to the target.

2. Home defense - With commercial self-defense loads, either gun with Specials is a very credible self-defense gun.

3. CCW - I sometimes CCW a 3" S&W Model 65. A 4" 19/66 would be not much harder. I plan to CCW my 4" Model 29 this winter when I find an OWB holster for it.

5. Hunting - Small game would be a piece of cake with Specials and wouldn't ruin much meat. Where you're allowed to use a 4" gun, deer would be possible too with Magnums, although I'd prefer a 6" gun for this, especially in a .357.
 
When I bought my first handgun I basically wanted what you are looking for, and for the same basic reasons. If you are willing to accept some compromises in one area or another I think there are a couple of handguns that come pretty close to what you are looking for. For me either a 10MM 1911 (though if you must have another type of semi I guess they will work as well) or a 4” .357 K-frame Smith, model 19 or 66, is about the best of the bunch. I own examples of both, as well as 4” and 6” N-frames, and couldn’t see using an N-frame as a CCW gun. It is significantly wider than the 1911 and the K-frame. The K-frame Smith is the lightest at around 36 oz. or so, a 5” steel frame 1911 will be around 39oz, and so will a N-frame Mountain Gun. The 4” Ruger, 4” L-frame, and standard 4” N-frame are all around 41 oz. I personally like the 1911 as a daily carry gun over the 4” K-frame even though it is a bit heaver because of its flat profile and extra capacity. The .357 is more useful all around platform because you can use .38’s to practice and plink. If you don’t reload it is important to consider that factory ammo is MUCH, MUCH easier to find and SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper for the .357/.38 than the 10MM. Plus the cost of a good used .357 will be about half of what a 10MM 1911 of comparable quality and accuracy will cost. If you like to tinker, and are mechanically inclined, the 1911 offers an endless amount of options to choose from, more parts suppliers/gunsmiths than you can count, and hours of fun customizing your gun. For deer or even hogs the .357 and 10MM are plenty as long as you are mindful of the range. I don’t think I would hunt bear with either of them but I have never felt under gunned carrying one as protection when camping, hiking, or fishing in Michigan’s black bear country, U.P. mostly. While both the 10MM and .357 will kill a black bear, especially one in the 250 lb. range, if you are lucky enough to get a bear tag you should get a bigger gun, IMHO.
 
I think a Smith & Wesson 696 might be as all purpose as you get. I'm not sure there's anything more all purpose than an L Frame packing 5 rounds of .44 Special.
 
Full size 1911 .45 ACP
Double Tap Gold DOt
Either 200 gr. @ 1,125 FPS
or 230 gr. @ 1,010 FPS

& .45 Super for Bear
ALso Barrel swap option to
.400 CorBon
155 gr. Hornady XTP JHP @ 1350 FPS

Plinking - get a .22 LR Conversion kit.

N frame has a big bulge = cylinder for CCW

A S&W 1911 5" Bbl. in a Milt SParks #Axiom is
my carry pref. and yeah I have a .400 CorBon
Bar Sto barrel. It's flatter shooting, hits hard
but LOUD, i'll stick to .45 ACP for HD/SD & yes
I also have a S&W 686P 4" bbl. - produces nice
2+ ft. of muzzle flash and hard recoil = longer
recovery time for follow up, or if yah lit it off
inside in a HD scenario both you and the perp
will be blind and deaf for several seconds

Heck if it's your first gun, get something you
can shoot affordably and then concentrate on
shooting it well, build up the skills and save for a
heavy mag for the envisioned and years off
bear hunt if yah ever won the tag lotto

Randall
 
The Ruger GP-100 or S&W 686, 4" barrel, or similar, come the closest to an "all-purpose" handgun, IMO. The .357 magnum is an excellent self defense round and is perfectly fine in the correct loadings for deer, but may be a little light for black bear. Either gun is about as big as you want to go for concealed carry. Unless you are a really big guy the S&W 29/629 or Ruger Alaskan are way too big for concealed carry. If you are on a budget you can find these guns on the used market. The older Ruger Security/Speed/Service Six guns are in the same class and can be had at very good prices if you shop around.
 
IMHO, anytime one has only one handgun, it is an "all-purpose" handgun . . . and remains that way until the owner begins to fine-tune his/her shooting "tools" via new purchases. That being said . . .

My "first" handgun was truly an all-purpose "jack of all trades/master of none" . . . the wonderful S&W Model 65-3 .357 Magnum with a 3" barrel.
210304565-3.jpg




Could I hunt deer with it? Sure! The sights are dead on at reasonable ranges and I can roll coke cans at 75 yards with it.

Could I plink? Sure! With .38 wadcutters it is a tack-driving pussycat!

Could I use it for self-defense? Absolutely!!! The flame-throwing Federal 125 grain Hydrashocks work fabulously in it.

Best of all . . . I'll never forget those wonderful days on the range as I sent hundreds and hundreds of rounds downrange learning to master this wonderful revolver in every way possible.


Alas, over time I purchased a Ruger MkII .22LR Target Pistol and a few bricks of Federal .22 ammo for my tack-driving plinking duties. I figured I paid for it real fast . . . in the savings on ammo!!!

I did win a bunch of pin matches with the M65 though . . . before getting revolvers that were better for that task too.

I never hunted with the little M65 . . . and eventually went through several .44 magnum handguns before settling on an awesome Model 29-5 as the best fit for me. It has harvested scores of deer through the years, topped with a Bushnell first-generation Holosight!



TODAY?

That M65 remains a great "all-purpose" tool . . . but is now relegated to the task it was made for . . . reliable, effective self-defense.

All-purpose tools are great . . . as we shooters of modest means slowly begin filling our tool boxes with guns more suited to much narrower-scopes of purpose.

For all purpose guns . . . it is hard to fault any 3" or 4" S&W double action revolver . . . especially those in .357, since they can also shoot the more gentle .38 special ammo (since both "calibers" are actually .357 caliber anyway!!!)

T.
 
Last edited:
All -

The all purpose handgun,

In my book

Is called Peace.

Nope, not the Colt 45 Peacemaker.

Just, when we lay all our weapons down

And get on with our lives.

I realize this will not be a popular opinion,

Around here,

But needed to say it anyway.


Isher
 
wow Isher, your comments were really constructive. Oh wait... nope, cancel that, they are politically motivated and are completely OFF TOPIC. The original post does not ask us what are thoughts are on having to take another life etc, its asking about the utility of different handguns.
 
kind of confused by your posts, this one is troll worthy, others involve cz's(which I am a fan of). Everyone needs to pick what side of the fence they are on! (or should I say whether they are over or under the bridge ; )!). Can't anything be clear cut anymore!?
 
All -

The all purpose handgun,

In my book

Is called Peace.

Nope, not the Colt 45 Peacemaker.

Just, when we lay all our weapons down

And get on with our lives.

I realize this will not be a popular opinion,

Around here,

But needed to say it anyway.


Isher
Click to expand...

Isher,

I'd call you a fool, except that your other posts indicate you are wise in having weapons to protect you and your family.

Sadly, peace only comes with the elimination of the predator. Only then do the woods get quiet, and become safe for the sheep. Safe for a moment, that is!

Alas . . . those wild woods are still not really safe . . . for the predator's offspring and pack members wisely and quietly slip back into the forest . . . learning anew that there is a deadly risk in committing violence against the peaceful.

Eventually, their fear of being killed is overtaken by the hunger to eat . . . and they begin to seek out the weakest of prey . . . the ones who offer the least risk to the predator's life and limb. When the hunger exceeds their fear, the predator again attacks . . . attacks an unsuspecting weak one that is.

Luckily, human predators preying on their own species cannot judge us "peacemakers" by our outer appearance . . . for an "all-purpose" handgun in the hands of your wife, or mine, allows the potential rapist/murder to choose between life and death . . . his OWN!

My own wife is working very late tonight, finishing up a huge governmental grant that's taken a couple of months. Across the street from her place of business a local TV personality was attacked in her front yard 15 months ago. The beautiful woman was beaten and dragged from one end of her yard to the other, before a passerby stopped and the three predators escaped into the night. The woman's face was slashed wide open and she was disfigured.


It gives me great comfort that our sheriff finally had enough violent attacks on women last year and so he opened women-only classes along with the D.A. Over 500 ladies in our town of 15,000 signed up for classes to learn self-defense, awareness and legal issues . . . and then were taken to the range for FIREARMS instruction! To come to class, ladies had to bring their own handgun and ammo! Needless to say, CCW type handguns got scarce in stores in a 50 mile radius for months!

Since then, violent attacks on women plunged. The predators realized that the situation in our town had changed!!!

EVEN BETTER
It also gives me great comfort that my anti-gun wife asked for her own gun, SIGNED UP FOR CLASSES, and asked me to teach her the art of handgun shooting well before the class . . . and that her LEO instructor told her that she shot better than many officers!

My wife, a true peacemaker and believer in the goodness of all people, has also made the transition between a sheep and a sheepdog.

If there is to be peace in the world, we must sadly become sheepdogs instead of sheep.

The more peaceful sheep who choose to become sheepdogs, the more peace we will have. That is the eternal rule of nature in this beautiful, though sometimes brutal world.

T.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

Macchina
  • Locked
If you could only use one handgun for Concealed Carry and all your hunting...
2 3 4 5
Replies
111
Views
8K
oldbear
oldbear
M
  • Locked
Does it defeat the purpose?
Replies
18
Views
1K
Takem406
T
S
  • Locked
Woods Gun
2
Replies
45
Views
2K
ArchAngelCD
ArchAngelCD
A
  • Locked
What constitutes "very good" handgun skills?
2 3 4
Replies
80
Views
3K
MrBorland
MrBorland
fletcher
  • Locked
Advice requested - choosing first handgun
Replies
15
Views
741
fletcher
fletcher
Back
Top