Which handgun made you fall in love with a particular caliber all over again?

[kalibear45]

I've always considered myself a .45 guy and currently enjoy shooting 1911s and the like. But when I received my Hi-Power back from being customized - I totally fell in love with the 9mm all over again! Before then, 9mm for me was just a cheap "plinking" cartridge and I wasn't at all impressed with its inherent accuracy. Now I have accuracy, the ability to rapid fire and stay on target, very wimpy recoil, and magazine capacity all in one package. The problem is, I liked it so much that I'm itching to buy another 9mm pistol, but I also want a 1911... Its hard being stuck between a rock and a hard place

 

[cslinger]

HK P7M8....9mm. I tend to be a .45 guy at heart but the P7 is just awesome.

Chris

 

[Kentucky Rifle]

Easy question for me...

I started buying .38 Special snubs again after my 638. Model 642 just last weekend. I love my 331, but you can't get RBCD Ammunition in .32 H&R Magnum. .38 Special is no problem. The new 642 is on my hip at this very moment.

KR

 

[10-Ring]

I was a wee bit frustrated when I first started shooting 45 acp's; blew up a Glock, the SIG was a lemon & the only 1911's I liked cost an arm & a head! Until I discovered the USP 45!

 

[Ala Dan]

Unlike my friend 10-Ring, I rediscovered the
.45 ACP in a world-class SIG-SAUER P220A.
FWIW, I sold my full size .45 caliber H&K USP !

Best Wishes,
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member

 

[Devonai]

Buying a Glock 17 has helped me rekindle my interest in 9mm. Blowing off a full fifteen rounds from my past Glock 22 was never much fun, but seventeen rounds of 9mm +P goes rather easily from the G17.

 

[ruger357]

S&W .357 F-COMP.

 

[firestar]

Ruger Speed Six .357mag. For a long time I was turned off by revolvers and .357mag in particular. Now I have some S&Ws and I am looking to buy more, as a matter of fact, the only handguns I really get excited about lately are revolvers.

 

[jercamp45]

well, my Dad's series 70 MKIV...fell in love..

with the .45 acp in 1976 and have not really changed that....
I now own that handgun, claiming it when Dad traveled onto a new adventure in whatever lies next.
When it came from the factory, it fed flying ashtrays! And I am sure I shot it, carried it and cleaned it more than he.
Went blasting away on the range last week, and the old slabsides, barely modified, held its own against custom 1911's decades it's junior...grandpa still kicks butt!!!!
Jercamp45

 

[Standing Wolf]

I took the humble .22 long rifle round for granted until I bought my first High Standard, a Trophy model that's still the most accurate gun I own.

 

[Dave T]

My first center fire handgun was a Ruger 357 Blackhawk. My first duty gun (LEO) was a S&W Model 28. When I switched to the Government Model 45 I kind of gave up on the 357 Magnum. I tried a 586 when Smith introduced the L-Frame but never warmed up to it. Owned a couple more, trying to like them, but always traded or sold them off.

Didn't own a 357 for a number of years. Then with in a couple months found a 3.5" Model 27 that had been neglected on the outside but was mechanically sound. Also found a 3-screw Ruger 357 Blackhawk. Ended up buying both of them and rediscovered the 357 Magnum. Kind of fun touching off some handloads of 2400. Everyone at the range always wants to know what I'm shooting. Takes me back to being in my 20s and just learning about this stuff.

 

[Blueduck]

Glock model 19 made me appreciate the 9mm more.

I'd had a couple of "wonder-nines" full size service pistols that held 15 shots. Then got the 19 which did basically everthing the other guns did (including holding 15 rounds) and did it in a package much more size efficient.

 

[Ala Dan]

Greeting's All-

Talking about rediscovering the .357 magnum, last
Saturday my friend and fellow THR team member Capbuster
installed a Wolff 13 lb. rebound spring and mainspring in
my 6" Smith & Wesson 686-5 (no lock), and boy it made
all the difference in the world. Amazingly, the internals
looked really nice; no burrs, ill fitting parts, etc. In fact,
it made a target grade revolver even better; and its a
keeper, that's for sure.

Best Wishes,
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member

 

[jetman]

I had an older 80 series Colt 1911 in .45 ACP along with a CS45 and S&W 4516, and invested in a couple ofKimbers. I've shot my LEO buddies 4506 and liked .45's but still the .40/.357 Sig (P229) was my true favorite to shoot UNTIL my latest additions to my collection.... the Wilson Combats.... The Kimbers were sold along with a couple others now the Sigs sit in the gun box in favor of my new favorite .45's .... the Wilson brothers, my Stainless Protector and Lightweight Stealth SDS

 

[yotehunter]

For me it was the Dan Wesson Razorback. I really love the 10mm.

 

[Neal Bloom]

SIG 220.

 

[22x9]

Caliber - Reason
------- ----------------------------------------------
.22LR - Cause it is cheap
9MM Luger - Cheapest respectable CCW, Wondernine packaging
.223 - The Kel-Tec SU-16 is chamber for it.

 

[Avery Goodschott]

A S&W Model 64 NY-1 got me back to .38 spl

A S&W1911 got me back to the 1911 style and .45ACP

A S&W Model 29 Classic got me back to the .44 magnum

A SIG P226 got me back to the 9mm


I never got away from the .357 Magnum

 

[Black Majik]

Sig 226.

I'm a .45 fan, but those Sig 9mm's are pretty damn smooth.

 

[Trumpet]

Ruger MkII slabsides-got me back into the .22 after a baaaad experience with a POS Beretta 87.

Browning HP-got me back into 9mm after being sorta soured on it from a Glock 19 I had.

Never got "off" the .45- however a newly acquired S&W 625 really opened my eyes to the world of a .45ACP revolver. Moonclips rock!

Rich

 

[Shane]

Got to be a tie between S&W 686 Plus 6" and GP 100 6" barrel short shroud. I've always been a fan of the .38 special, but these two model revolvers put me over the edge......about 80% of my shooting is done with .38 special or .357 magnum. I find most .357 magnum loads to be mild recoiling when shot out of 6" medium frame revolvers, and the .38 special is a wussy load in terms of recoil from most medium frame revolvers. Both the S&W and Ruger models get excellent accuracy, and because they are so accurate and easy to shoot I do NOT feel undergunned with only 6 or 7 shots (the 686 Plus model holds 7).

 

[Poohgyrr]

.357

Yes indeed, I had a chance to play with a 3 1/2" pre M27 from the 1950's, and it woke me up in a very pleasant way.

 

[Ian11]

I generally like shooting .45 and .40 but these two are either just too good or simply practical to ignore.

SIG P226: 9mm
IMHO, the finest combat 9mm handgun in the world.

S&W Model 60 snub nose: .357/.38
Anyone who are into guns for defensive shooting needs a good snubbie they can rely on. A 12 ga. pump gun too, but that's another thread.

And I didn't think it was possible for me to appreciate the .45 ACP even more than I did, but the SIG P220ST showed me I could.

 

[Stevie-Ray]

The problem is, I liked it so much that I'm itching to buy another 9mm pistol, but I also want a 1911... Its hard being stuck between a rock and a hard place

So why don't you buy a 9mm 1911?

With me the .45 ACP has always been my caliber. My Mark IV was always too big to carry, so I bought a H&K USP45C. Also too big. Discovered the 9mm when necessity had me buy a Glock 26 to replace an underwhelming Taurus Millennium as a small pack piece. Outstanding weapon in every way, except that it's a chunky little sucker. Rediscovered my love for the .45ACP by buying a Kimber Ultra CDP which is actually thinner than the Glock, and affords me my first love in cartridges. Between these 2 and my part-time P-32, all is right with the world.

 

[SnWnMe]

My 442 provided the impetus for rediscovering 38 spl. Now I have more 38s than any other caliber in my safe.