What is the best all-around handgun

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S&w 60

Smith & Wesson model 60 in .357 with the 3" barrel, Hi-Viz front sight and adjustable rear.
 
Can I reload? If so, a .44 mag or .45 LC DA revolver, brand doesn't matter. I can't think of anything that a .357 can do that a .44 can't.
 
No such thing as an all around gun but in the hands of a person that realizes it's limitations I agree with the posters that chose the .357 mag. Excellent defense gun, good for small game with lighter loads and in the hands of a skilled(or lucky) shooter it works right well on deer:eek:
 
There's really only one viable gun I can think of, and that's a .357 mag revolver with a 4-inch barrel. It'll take larger game (158-gr JSP), small game like squirrel (.38 SWC), defense (125-gr JHP, 110-gr JHP +P).

My choice of firearm would be a medium frame model like the S&W 66 or, better, a stainless Ruger Security-Six.
 
cp1969 said:
I can't think of anything that a .357 can do that a .44 can't.
Actually, a .44 mag would turn a squirrel into a red cloud of fine mist. For CCW, it weighs far too much, doesn't recover as fast as a .357, and frankly doesn't have the stopping power of a 125-gr JHP .357 against humans. (A .357 125-gr JHP will tend to stay in the body, releasing all of its energy. A .44 mag slug, on the other hand, tends to wildly overpenetrate, wasting precious energy.)

In short, there are many things a good .357 will do that a .44 just won't.
 
Add me to the 4" mid-frame .357 group.
Second choice:Glock 32 with extra factory .40S&W & Lone Wolf 9mm barrels &
an Advantage Arms .22 conversion.
 
My vote goes to the Taurus that shoots .45 colt or the .410 shotgun round.Pretty much covers all the bases.
 
If I could have a one & only handgun, it would be a S&W model 19 with a 4" barrel. Versitility, hot 357 down to mild 38s. NRA PATRON LIFE MEMBER
 
Wedge- I can't agree more with your choice in pen. In my shirt pocket at this very moment is a Parker 51 that has a customized italic point. I love that beat of a pen.

Oh, and as for best all around handgun, a 3" GP100.
 
Ok, I've got a S&W 686{ 4" Bbl. - yup wide range of ammo choice but for
squirrels?

I'll stick with my S&W 1911 5" - easier to conceal
and subsonic for Home Defense in .45 ACP.
.45 ACP readily available.
Hunting up to Deer size, .400 CorBOn Bbl. swap.
155 gr. Hornady XTP JHP @ 1350 FPS is flatter shooting
than the .45 ACP
Squirrels, Advantage Arms .22 LR conv. kit.

I also shoot the 1911 better than any of my other
handguns, although the 625 does come close but
no way CCW it's too big imo. full house .357 mag out
of my 4" Bbl. 686P Big Muzzle flash.... most who say use
a 4" BBL .357 then usually quote velocities which are
guaged by a 6" Bbl .
 
Wow. For hunting, small animals are way easier to get than big ones so I'd go with something like I have already: An H&R DA 676 w/the .22LR & Magnum cylinders. Mine has a 12" barrel so hunting's covered. As far as a carry piece, it'd necessitate wearing a trench coat or something. I guess a somewhat shorter barrel would be in order if I was in a very populated area. If I was in a very rural area, I'd keep the 12" one. It is quite a tack driver and plenty powerful for small game.
 
all-time CCW, Home protection, and hunting critters as small as red squirrels and as large as deer 24 hours/7 days a week.
There are really two choices here:

A .357 with a 4-inch barrel will fill all your needs, from CCW to small game hunting (using .38 special wadcutters) to deer.

A M1911 would be my second choice, with a .22 Conversion kit. It would be a little better for CCW and self defense, but not quite so good for hunting.
 
CCW and Deer?

CCW and deer? That's a wide range. I wouldn't want to CCW a 6" 44mag, and I wouldn't want to shoot a deer w/ a sub comp...

I would say there's no such thing as a gun that does all that comfortably, no matter what it'll be either a little too small, or a little too big for the job. That's why they make more than one handgun!
 
I would agree that there is a reason why they make all these different calibers, but...

If you can shoot a large caliber AND load it down to suit other purposes, what is the down side to a large caliber handgun?

I think most people would agree that there are things a .44 can do that a .357 cannot. What is there that a .357 can do that a .44 can't? What makes it ideal?

I have no dog in this fight because I own both.
 
They make different calibers for three reasons:

1. Because there is a need for some of them. For example, a .44 Mag is not as concealable nor as comfortable to carry day in and day out as, say a .38 Special snubbie. And a .38 Special is not capable of doing in the hunting field what a .44 will do.

2. Because older cartridges tend to linger on, while new ones are developed.

3. To sell guns.
 
I'd go with a glock 30 regardless of owning its big brother glock 21. It's a very accurate compact and packs quite a punch.
 
I think that the .357 magnum is the best all around caliber. You can load it up or down to take out virtually any type of critter that *most* people will ever see in North America. I recognize that it wouldn't be adequate for some critters, but for the most part the .357 magnum revolver will have you covered in most situations. Buffalo Bore has a pretty nasty 180 grain hard cast round. Gunblast.com did a great review on the round a while back.

My second caliber would be .44 magnum. .44 Specials can be tame enough for the light work, and the heavy .44 magnum loads (like the 340 grain hard-cast buffalo rounds) could take out any land animal in North America. Heck, some guy killed a 1,550 polar bear in the sixties with five 240 grain .44 magnum rounds.

http://www.gunsandammomag.com/classics/polar_1007/

This guy was a pretty amazing shot. He might not have been so lucky if the bear charged him, but the fact remains that if 240 grain ammo can get the job done on a Bear that size, with similiar shot placement, 340 grain hardcast ammo would do it better. The 340 grain hardcast rounds have a higher sectional density and should penetrate alot better than the 240 grain rounds.

I wouldn't take an autoloader if I could only own one gun. Maybe if enough morons continue to run around shooting up churches, schools, and malls, responsible gun owners may one day be faced with this decision.
 
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