bearcatter

Is there such a thing as an all-purpose handgun? Say the libs get most of the gun laws they want (God forbid) but you can still own one handgun. Could you pick one, or even two?

I've been debating again on reducing my collection, and it's impossible to pick from what I have, in my signature here. I guess it shows I've made good choices in covering the bases with only a few.

Shakyshoot

The minimum has to be 4. One small defense/carry gun, one home/heavy carry/woods gun, one .22 target gun, one centerfire target gun. A .45 1911 might qualify as the 2nd and the 4th, but fortunately we don't have to choose.

bearcatter

Best I could do is two. The Guardian for home and carry, and a Bearcat for fun. I only have to cover three areas. Small target groups are nice, but I don't get enough range time to ever shoot them. I settle for slightly larger fun.....

The .22 SP is more accurate, but somehow less enjoyable than a Bearcat. The .357 SP is great for self defense (with XTP .38s), but just too big and heavy for my desired carry.

Terry_P

A 2 1/4" SP and a 4" Redhawk 44 Mag would probably be all I would need as I don't shoot my 22 handgun much at all. Would I ever go down to that, molon labe.

bearcatter

I'd guess one could fill the bill, for someone that liked carrying large guns (as some swear they do) and had a blank check for ammo.

Met a guy at the range that said all he had was 1911s, but he didn't carry.

If I didn't carry, my .22 SP or even a Bearcat could pass for fun, targets, and HD; I'd just have to load it with Velocitors on the nightstand.....

tx gun runner

These are my CCW guns and depending how I'm dress and where I'm going which gun I'm going to choose for the day . I never leave home without all my 3 senior tools . 3 times in my life I need a gun and all 3 times there was more bad guys then I had ammo for . 5 shot S&W against 6 + street gang and my 7 shot 1911 against 12 + bike gang are not good odds . .

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bearcatter

You just need to travel better neighborhoods.....

44s Rock

For a one gun scenario, I would probably pick my 4" GP100 for versatility, possibly my 5" 629. Neither are ideal for city carry but doable. With today's wide variety of 9mm ammo, my S&W M&P9 or Shield would be good options, or my P320C which is my main carry piece today along with my Shield depending on where I am going. I would think my 9mm P226 with a 40S&W conversion kit would be a great option and is doable for CCW for us fat guys! Choices, choices.

north country gal

These "if I could only have one" discussions are pointless for a shooter like me, since I use handguns for closeup shooting all the way out to rifle distances with my Contenders. The Contender, of course, would be my choice, but it would be cheating, since I can switch barrels to almost any cartridge I want to shoot (now at 18 cartridges). Not a carry gun, of course, or a great choice for defense, but it comes the closest for my target/recreational shooting.

For carry purposes in the woods, though, I'm perfectly happy with my 3" Kimber K6s. Also my choice for home defense.

Danwin22

I could get by with my Ruger SR9c and MK-III Target.

The SR9c is compact enough for CCW and perfect for home defense with 10 or 17 round magazines.

For shooting the Ruger MK-III .22 is my favorite and far less expensive to shoot.

I do have a beautiful MK-II but it is a standard model, lacking the bull barrel and adjustable sights. If it was a target version the MK-II would be my huckleberry.

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bearcatter

I think they're useful in defining our choices. Many shooters will think, "I only need 'X' types of gun, so why do I own 100 (or 200, or 2000....)?"; or "Why do I have 'X' number of guns of the same style and caliber?"

Because we think they make us happy! If I had a fat bank account, I'd probably own a lot more and belong to a local expensive range. I don't, so I had to really think to finalize the small list I do have.

Danwin22

I'll turn 80 next July and still have at least twenty or more .22 rifles and handguns I'd love add to my collection.

Shakyshoot

Okay, if I had to pick one, lets say the 4" S&W Mdl 19 .357. Compact enough to carry if needed, big enough to produce a viable 25 yd offhand group.



Off topic, it pained me to not bid on this nickeled P-38 that just ended on Gunbroker.

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/796495081

Sure, an aftermarket nickeled military pistol is considered a monstrosity by serious collectors, but it's just like the one my dad had. My mom sold off all his guns when he died, and I've wanted that P-38 ever since. Not really in a gun buying mood these days between the minor brain injury and the the unspecified heart problem. I'm seeing a cardiologist on Tuesday. Have persistent atrial fibrillation but don't know why.

Terry_P

I have persistent A-Fib as well. Don't notice it at all and I take a blood thinner to keep from clotting which could cause a stroke. Your cardiologist may want to do a cardioversion to get you out of it. Mine did and I was out about 4 days and went back in. The Doc's say if you take the blood thinners it shouldn't be anything to worry about. I went for a second opinion to the head of the A-Fib dept at Mass General Hospital and he said it isn't life threatening take the thinners. That's where I am. Good luck.

Shakyshoot

Thanks--There's still a question about whether they can put me on blood thinners in the near future, due to the recent brain bleed. They say that problem is resolving itself well. But I haven't felt quite right for one day since this all started. Improving bit by bit though.