A Gun for all purposes

[bratch]

Just kinda curious on the practicality of carrying multiple guns for different scenarios. I can see pluses and minuses to this and was curious of what everyone thought or did.

Pluses:
Large/slow bullet for those skinny people under the influence of something
Smaller/ Fast bullet for the guy who's been lifting the past four years in jail

Minuses:
Can't interchange ammo between "primary" and "BUG"
Would have to have ease of access for each (kinda ruins ankle holsters)

Just curious I'm picking up my first pistols soon and am trying to make all those life altering decisions about what deserves my cash

 

[Ala Dan]

If It All comes Down To One

SIG-SAUER P220A in .45 ACP

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

 

[Okiecruffler]

The gun for all purposes

packing around anyway, is the gun that you will shoot and shoot often. The gun that you have complete confidence in. I know a guy who carries a 1911 and shoots maybe 2 boxes a year thru it because he doesn't like the recoil. I know a girl who's been shooting my old P32 now for a couple of years and puts several hundred rounds thru it every month. Guess which one I would rather have shooting at me?

 

[Stevel]

Actually the most veritile gun is a 3"-4" 357. New GP100 short shroud (fixed sight) or full shroud (adjustable sight) for @$400 new. Used in good condition @ $250. Or a Smith or Colt of course. 38's for learning and home defense. 357 when you can hit what you are aiming at. If you want big and slow go with the Winchester Partition Gold 180gr 357, otherwise 110 or 125 gr (38 or 357) for lighter recoil.

Also, if you are new to handguns you will have no worries about stoppages or malfunctions, either shooter or weapon induced. Just point, squeeze, bang. Spend the money you save on the first gun for training and practice ammo.

Good Luck.

 

[Mulliga]

Why not just use different types of the same caliber?

For example, when I get my CCW, I'll carry my CZ-75 loaded with standard pressure hollowpoints, but if penetration of cover is needed, I'll switch to the hot stuff - NATO-spec or Dynamit Nobel 124 grainers. You can do the same with .40, .45, .357, etc...

 

[Preacherman]

For versatility, I agree with previous posters that in revolvers, .357 Magnum covers most of your bases (except for defence against brown and grizzly bears! ), and .45 ACP covers most of the bases in pistols, with .40 S&W having developed to the point that it's virtually as good as .45 ACP today.

 

[Marshall]

Another vote for 357 except in 4"-5". Had to be different.

 

[ARGarrison]

My first handgun was a used S&W 686 .357 magnum with a 4" barrel. It was my first handgun thus it was my do everything handgun. It not only was carried and placed by the bed at night, but is also hunting handgun.

 

[SteelyDan]

The "all purpose" handgun ovbiously does not exist, but for the uses most of us seem to be interested in, I think the .357 wheelgun would be hard to beat. For the reasons stated above.

 

[JohnKSa]

If I could only have one handgun, it would be either a 4" .357 revolver or a 10mm autopistol. (I'd have to give that decision a lot of thought.)

 

[Dr.Rob]

3 inch SW model 65 loaded with 158gr hot as snot swchps

Makes julienne fries of all who oppose it. Well, almost.

Next best?

Colt LW Commander .45, or 10mm on the same sized steel frame.

 

[charby]

Honestly I think I could only own 2 handguns, .45 acp in an auto and .357/.38 in a 4" wheel gun. I can only think if a few, very few situations that neither would work. One being a really pi$$ed off grizzly bear, but hell I live in Iowa and I don't think an ol grizz has been seen here in the wild since the 19th century.

Either one will make short work of all evil communist critters found in most of the lower 48, both 2 and four legged. Ammo is pretty easy to find and not terribly expensive. I guess they are 2 rounds that just refuse to die and stand the test of time.

I just love those 2 rounds, I'm .357 poor right now, but hopefully I'll have one by Christmas, well unless someone has a 686 sitting around they want to give away.

Charby

 

[Archie]

For anything?

A four inch S&W .44 Special.

And alter the loads as needed.

 

[TK73]

Multiple Purpose Sidearm?

The best ones I can think of right now is either the blue-steel S&W M29 or its stainless-steel equivalent M629, .44 Mag., w/4 or 6 in. barrel length (standard bbl. configuration, no underlugs, for easier portability).

With the .44 Magnum chambering you get a broad power spectrum, from light-recoiling loads for paperpunching/plinking to moderate self-defense rounds up to real powerful hunting loads.

It's amazing how many shooters choose revolvers of one kind or another when limited to just one sidearm.

 

[bigmike45]

My personal opinion would be any of the .357, .41 or .44 magnum calibers would be the best, since you can also shoot the non magnum loads in them. Of course if you choose the .41 magnum (my personal favorite) handloading is the only way you will get a .41 "special" round. I also load my own snake shot for this caliber. In my 5 1/2" Stainless Redhawk this is just about the best thing since sliced bread.

 

[E357]

There's no rule that says you have to limit yourself to only one type of cartridge in your general purpose gun. In most of my defensive guns I usually start off with a lighter weight HP then finish the mag or cylinder with a few full house loads.

So from one weapon you get off a couple of fast follow-up shots and if that's not enough, then you go to the "heavy" stuff for penetration and or knock down power.

I'll use my house guns as examples.

A 6 shot S&W 686 - the first 3 rounds are plain old 38's. The last three are .357 hunting loads. I've shot a .357 in a house with no hearing protection and really don't want to do it again.

A 1911 with a few 185 GD HP's followed by 230 grainers.

In my very small Kel-Tecs - where HP's my not feed as well as FMJ's I'll leave one super-duper wonder bullet "in the pipe"

Bratch - after actually reading your post again - for ankle carry, I think you may want to look at those ultra light weight J frame Smith .357's loaded like my "house" 686. Also add a CTC laser grip.

Elliot

 

[CAS700850]

I remember reading an article in Guns and Ammo years back titled: The 357 Magnum, Jack of All Trades. As true today as when I read it. I'm biased towards the Smith, personally.

 

[Berg01]

Sig P228

 

[Cosmoline]

Ruger .357, 3" barrel.

--Strong enough for maximum loads
--Steel frame will hold up for several lifetimes
--Can be used as a blunt instrument
--Can be concealed
--The .357 Mag. is the Aureas Mediocritas of handgun cartridges. More potent than standard handgun cartridges, but without the recoil problems of the hunting cartridges. VERY wide range of loads available, spanning under 100 grains to 200 grains. Excellent SD on big bullets, high velocity on little ones.
--Excellent against human foes.
--I'd say it's even good against brown bears, at least as a backup after your rifle is down. At point blank range, those big bullets can certainly kill the largest bruin.

 

[deputy tom]

bratch,as stated above,there is NO ultimate do everything handgun.However,from ankle carry(you'll need something very small and light) thru bear country(you'll need some thing very large and powerfull) a 4" K or L frame S&W S/S .357 Mag will suffice for everything in between.Buy one used and you'll save plenty for practice ammo.Given the ammo variation from the lowest .38's up to the .357's anything can be attained with the propper load.I'm not going to suggest full house .357 loads for home def. because I don't have a clue to your home's construction (.357's do over pennetrate).I have had good results using +P+ .38 Spl. ammo for personal and home defence.That's what I used to use for duty carry.YMMV.tom.

 

[Preacherman]

Deputy Tom, if you haven't seen them already, check out Buffalo Bore's new 158gr. LSWCHP .38 Special +P load - 1,000 fps from a 2" barrel!!! I'm testing some now, and if they perform as well overall as I think they will, they'll be replacing my .357 Magnum carry loads... excellent terminal ballistics with lower recoil than the full-house stuff. What's not to like?

http://www.buffalobore.com/ammunition/default.htm#38spl

 

[deputy tom]

Preacherman,thanks for the info.I'm still using my old issue rounds.Federal Q-Loads 158gr LSWCHP +P+.I'll look into those Buffalo LOads.tom.

 

[22luvr]

What Cosmoline sez......

If I could only own one, it would be a Ruger SP101 in stainless steel with the 3" barrel.

With the proper ammo, strong enough to stop a car from a block away; mild enough with the right .38 spcls in it to teach a young'un how to shoot. No brainer simplicity of battery. Instantly recognizeable by a predator from the business end as a serious GUN. good survival gun to take down small game. Little, if any, ammo sensitivity and everyone makes countless different types of .357 and .38 loads for it. Don't like factory loads? Custom load your own bombs and the Ruger is tough enough to shoot them without coming apart. Basic enough for anyone to pick up, point, and shoot in an emergency without instructions. Revolvers obsolete? Not just yet.....

 

[biere]

See threat. Shoot threat.

Your time to make a choice in what to shoot the threat with is on this board while reading threads and thinking about it. You should not think about it while worried about a threat on the street since that will slow your reaction times down.

I am for equal oppurtunity. A threat should be shot with all rounds in your control. Don't worry if the slow and big would be better than the small and quick. Let the threat get them all and maybe you will see tomorrow.

I can see loading cylinders and magazines with different rounds, but notice the thought process was done in quiet time.

You should simply react on the street. Thinking may get you killed regardless of how great a round you carried.

 

[Majic]

The purpose of carrying multiple handguns is for backup if your primary handgun goes down for some reason. Not to have various calibers or loads for specific purposes. You are trying to add one more decision to make when time could be extremely short in a very stressful period.