One pistol? Yes, only one.

[sixgunner455]

One pistol would be tough, and not just for the variable roles we gun aficionados like to justify our accumulating habits over. I have quite a few for different reasons, but mostly, just because I like them. If I didn't really like them, I'd just get a pair of GLOCK 26's and be done with it.

It sounds like you're primary purpose for the handgun is defense. If that is true, then having just one might not by the best choice. If you use a gun in a defensive shooting, you may find it stuck in an evidence locker. It may be returned to you quickly, or after all court needs for it are done (months to years), or you may never see it again. You might need one again sooner than later for a variety of reasons, so there is a strong argument to be made for having an identical spare for your carry gun.

Other reasons: Guns are machines, tools. Sometimes they break, or need repair, or refinishing, or new sights. Having to go without while your carry gun is at the smith is sub-optimal. Having an identical spare makes that not a problem. You just get the spare out of the safe and carry it till the other is returned, fixed, or replaced. Same manual of arms because they are identical, same ammo, same holsters, same magazines, same sights.

And one day, you might need to arm another person, whether offspring, significant other, or friend. Pretty tough to do with only one gun in the safe.

I really like the DA/SA system. SIG, CZ, and Beretta make a variety of DA/SA guns. Then, there are other quality brands that aren't as common, such as Walther, HK, etc. I also like 3rd gen S&W pistols. I have a pair of 3913 9mm's that are my main packing guns, a larger SIG 9mm that does night stand (with a rail light), OC, and match duty, and a little 642 jframe that I carry when anything bigger is too obnoxious to put up with. (I don't really like tiny semiautos.)

My suggestion is that you try some out, pick one, test it, see if it works for you, and when you've settled on one, then get a spare.

 

[Corpral_Agarn]

Well OP needs suggestion for ONE pistol for all those roles.

I carry a Sig P239 and have done competition with it too, its a nice pistol on the range.

It is a little bigger than many CCW guns, but that lends itself to the range time.

When mine comes out of the holster, it goes on the night stand.

It holds 8 rounds, but I live in CA and mag capacity cannot be more than 10 anyway (10 round mags are available) so...

I would suggest the Single Stack, DA/SA Sig 239 in 9mm.

 

[Compound8.0]

Gotta go with my G26 , out of the herd it's my go to at the range and my EDC . With a slightly modified trigger guard ( thanks for the tip Hickock 45 ) and a Hogue palm swell sleeve it gives my arthritic hands a firm grip . In a hybrid IWB it carries easily no matter what the occasion !

 

[pa350z]

I use my S&W Shield 9mm. Its my daily carry, night stand and all around home defense pistol. It works for my environment and situation. BTW.. used it a full weekend at the Valor Ridge Pistolcraft 1 course with no problems and using about 700 rounds!

 

[Gun Master]

One Gun ?

Pick the caliber first. Then the gun.
Remember, you haven't bought (selected) the gun yet.
You can change your mind before you select the gun.
If the caliber / gun don't go together, select again.

Factors, as I see them, are :
1. Availability (including cal./mm)
2. Productivity (what you want it to do)
3. Affordability (what you want to pay)

As for me, the caliber/mm are :
.22LR, .38SPL/.357 Mag, 9mm, .45ACP

 

[Gun Master]

No thanks. Literally the last choice I'd make out of handgun, rifle, shotgun

I thought that was a good (not necessarily the only) choice.
In one HG, .45ACP/.22LR is a positive selection.

 

[socalbeachbum]

In what the OP leaned towards, my choice is my Beretta 92A1. Does it all very well.

my Glock 19 is right up there too but not DA/SA. My S&W 60 3" Pro Series (.357) is a great all rounder and DA/SA, and is very accurate.

 

[malakili]

I second the CZ P-07 in 9mm. I love mine. Big enough to shoot easily, small enough to hide easily. Reliable. Simple to operate. Shoots big holes in stuff with the right loads. What else do you need?

 

[luzyfuerza]

I started out carrying a Glock 36. Darn thing kept breaking. I looked around at IDPA shoots and saw that XD owners never seemed to have any malfunctions. I bought one and have never looked back. Now I own three. If I had to keep just one it would be the XD 45 compact. Easy to carry, feels like a full sized model with a 13 round mag, and fits my hand. I do have TFX sights and a PRP trigger on mine that help lot.

22 conversion kits are available, too.

 

[Pilot]

My CZ PCR and Kadet Kit.

That would probably be my choice, or my CZ-75 Pre-B with Kadet.

 

[Spats McGee]

. . . . Does anyone here use only one sidearm, for concealed carry, home defense and at the range? If so, what are you satisfied with? Or if you decided to narrow your choices down, what would it be?

For me, that'd be Gretchen, my Gen4 G19. She's my EDC about 95% of the time, and does bedside duty at night. Also, because she does SD/HD duty so much, I want to be proficient with her. That means that she's also the one pistol I take to the range on virtually every trip. She's big enough to shoot well, and small enough to conceal with relative ease. Acceptable caliber, adequate capacity, with lots of aftermarket support.

 

[Fiv3r]

If we were talking about paring down to one do-it-all out of necessity, I would probably go with a Beretta 92 variant of some kind. I shoot it well, it's been more reliable than my Glock, the 9mm caliber comes in some pretty hard hitting varieties yet remains affordable to shoot at the range, and with 30 years of military service parts for refurbishment abound.

However, if we are talking about practicality, my go-to is generally my FNS40c. It's what I would grab at night if I heard a bump. It's the gun I shoot best (well, after my Beretta). It's compact and light enough to carry all day. 90% of the time, it's the gun on my hip when out and about.

 

[Al-jim19]

No question a G19. The balance of size, capacity, and available accessories make it ideal.

 

[jbrown50]

One pistol? Yes, only one.

It would have to be my Glock 30S. My favorite caliber (.45 ACP), I shoot it straight, it's durable and reliable, conceals or open carries very well, comfortable to shoot with standard pressure ammo and very accurate with that ammo, accepts the higher capacity magazines of the larger guns.

I could comfortably go with the Glock 27 or 26 in that role as well.

 

[hdbiker]

I'd prolly pick a Ruger 4 inch GP100 .357. hdbiker

 

[ajoker31]

I feel like I've owned just about every major 9mm made at one time or another. Many good ones out there. My main CCW and all around gun is a 3.8" XDM 9mm. Very accurate and does everything well.

Now if you asked me if I could only have one 9mm for the rest of my life, what would I choose? In that case I'd go with a G19 like many others here.

 

[grter]

A gumbly gummy googly guky gloppy glooky gluke GLOCK of some kind in 9mm with a couple of spare magazines.

Maybe one day they will make them in some nice colors like neon green, hot pink, blue, red, or even a some combo colors (stipes and glitter) to help brighten things up and promote good cheer.

A glow in the dark model would be interesting but that may be bad news if you want it to remain unseen during concealed carry or any other situation where an illuminated firearm is a bad idea, but for fun oh well the op did not say fun.

 

[AStone]

A gumbly gummy googly guky gloppy glooky gluke GLOCK
of some kind in 9mm with a couple of spare magazines.

<like>

This feels like home.

And my home -- such as it is, (temporary) --
has that guky 9c right there 4" inches from my left hand on the keyboard.

 

[czgunner]

So far it's my HK VP9. Used to be my M&P.

 

[AStone]

"... that guky 9c..."

This one.

 

[Ed Ames]

Honestly if I had to have just one, and it had to be a semi-auto, it would be a Glock 20.

Is is ideal for CC? Of course not. There is a reason people end up with 7 different CC guns. But it is one of the few pistols that can be carried concealed for SD and still carried as an ethical deer hunting weapon. It is accurate, holds 15rds, and at least the gen4 I have shot seems pretty comfortable. I could do everything with that gun, though at a cost of it being harder to conceal.

If I didn't have any desire to go off into the woods I would probably just get a KelTec P11. Not much fun to shoot but if you are limiting yourself to one gun you probably don't really care for shooting anyway. Get a .22lr conversion for it, some XS tritium sights, and you have arguably the best all around CC/HD/fishing pistol going. It wouldn't be right to hunt deer with one, but some people don't consider that a limitation.

 

[horsemen61]

for me It would be a 4 inch 586 with the target stocks.......or maybe a glock 19

 

[Pilot]

Cz-75d pcr.

 

[Deaf Smith]

Guess Glock 32 with additional Storm Lake .40 S&W barrel, Lone Wolf 9mm barrel and mags, plus AACK .22 slide and .22 mags. Four guns in one.

But if they made an AACK .22 unit for the Glock 29 I'd get it instead and add .40, .357 Sig, 9mm, and .22 to that one!

Deaf

 

[murf]

up until last april my "one" gun was a browning hi-power. i decided to drink the glock koolaid and bought a g19. it is now good enough to relegate the bhp to the safe and has become my new "one" gun. i shoot a lot of other handguns, but the g19 is, by far, shot the most and used for home and personal defense.

murf