Beater handguns

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I guess all of my revolvers could be construed as beaters. I buy guns, tools, equipment to use. The scratches and bruises they get along the way are what I consider to be character flaws. They get used...some harder than others. I keep them clean and maintained and they're always ready to serve.
 
One of mine is the same as the one the OP posted. Another is the 4.75-inch version.

I have several other handguns that would qualify, including (but not limited to) an old M68 Rossi, a Hi-Point C9, and a Phoenix HP22A.
 
Since about 1999 I have pretty much had a Phoenix hp22 around for a bunch of purposes and never once have I been worried about it being pretty.
 
I think the Heritage revolvers are a good choice for beater guns. Not expensive, work well for the money, and can take the beating. Same with Hi Point, but those are terrible to take with you anywhere given how heavy they are.

My beater choices are things like the Ruger LCP. I don't care if that thing gets scratched and dinged. Have a Rock Island M206 .38 that's never gonna win a beauty contest brand new out of box, so no point trying to keep it pretty. I think the Pietta cap and ball revolvers are good choices too if you want some big bore beaters. I have the conversion cylinder and that's I keep nice. Not saying I abuse my Pietta's, but I can see them in a beating role.

But if I had to say which gun is the absolute epitome of a beater, it's the Leinad/Cobray derringers and revolvers. The .45/.410's are the perfect beater caliber too.
 
That's why I'm a glock fan. I bought my first one, a trade in 27 that was a bargain at 400 bucks at the time, around 04 as a beater/ carry gun. Now days I can get one cheaper. Then I kept buying Glocks. They have been in the river for hours wading. Rock climbing, and spelunking as well. I went fishing once wearing my delta elite and slipped on a rock and made a hell of a place on the slide. After that.....Glock.
If I know for a fact that I'll be crawling in mud, rocks, swamps or anything else nasty, these days I'll have my light bearing Glock 22. Talon grips (although water or possibly salt water seems to attack the adhesive) and a set of maritime spring cups its the perfect abuse gun. (I have had one light fail but the replacement has been fine so far. I fully expect it to fail too. The switches can't handle submersion all that well) I'm not sure the spring cups are necessary but why not. I once needed to shoot a lock off a gate during a flood that made it underwater. I used that old glock 27 with regular spring cups and it functioned fine underwater although it didnt really damage the lock at all. Eventually had to winch the post out of the ground. Dumb Hollywood.......
If I'm in the woods or fencing all day I have my 329pd as my beater. I'd prefer not to be crawling around on it, mostly because of the holster, but when I want 44 power, that's my other beater.
 
I used to keep a Davis 38 (.380 ACP) in a cigarette case (I do not smoke) to technically meet rule two "Have a gun" and was not terrifically concerned with bumping bashing throwing away or loosing the thing. Minute of desert plate at seven yards slow or paper plate in a hurry and still has not "jammed" with RNFMJ

Check out the custom scrap pine board grip panels!

-kBob DSC00368.JPG
 
I have a Ruger P89 that has a load of rounds through it, is loose and rattlely, and has more than it's fair share of holster wear. I have thought about letting it go, but it was my first handgun, and is as reliable and strong as a brick, so it has stuck around through the various of safe purges and shooting interest changes. It is surprisingly accurate for what it is. I have several nicer handguns and it doesn't make it out of the safe as often as it should, but if I we're grabbing something that absolutely had to function and survive anything, that would be it.
 
I've set through a 10 hour decontamination (not radioactive but chemical and bio) certification every year for 20 years. A glock would be just as easy to decontaminate as any other gun, more so than anything with wood or rubber in/on it. Nothing porous or soft and nothing that can be harmed by bleach, UV or anything else really. Other than heat. If they wanted a disposable gun hi- point would be the cheaper choice. Most that I know that carry a glock do so because of the deep discounts to LE/ EMT/Fire personnel. I've never seen one disposed of because of contamination either. Sounds suspect IMHO
 
Gunny, my teen daughter's favorite. She likes the cowboy look, yet DA action and especially NINE shots. Got to get her some speed loaders and drill up a 2x4 for multi load loading block.

Middle school buddy had one and I liked it back in the 60's but I liked the Ruger Standard 4 better so that summers savings went to Bill Ruger.

The RST4 saw a lot of woods walking and bumming about plinking and still goes bang.

-kBob
 
65210F05-35AC-47C9-B94F-13FE4818AA77.jpeg 38896595-1467-478B-AFD4-A28E6D476061.jpeg Here’s my beater sidearm. Springfield XD subcompact 40 cal. Bought it on sale for no more than 300$ and some change.it has had a rough life, but always works for me. I have some acreage, i have several pens full of dogs. I always have it on my hip. Squeezing out of the pens, to keep the dogs from trying to rush the gate, always bang it against the fence post. My land is on a sandstone plateau, you should see the pile if sand when i clean it. Its been underwater in freezing weather when i have had to make my way to bayed hogs across the creek, it’s fallen out of my side by side into mud, you name it, it’s been theough it, oh yea, lots of summer sweat too. It still hits point of aim, drops hogs like a sledgehammer
 
I don’t think I would carry a certain pistol if I couldn’t stomach the thought of damaging or losing it, but...

I don’t subject my pistols to unnecessary abuse. I try to keep them clean, dry, and out of harms way since they’re all of reasonable quality and since I’d like to keep them that way.

I see the appeal of buying a (still reliable) beat to heck, cheap pistol for outdoor pursuits, but I wouldn’t want to get something in good shape and turn it into that piece of abused metal.
 
BigBlue 94 said:
My beater is one many would keep in a safe. A 1917 Colt Army in 45. It goes with me when I need a rough and tumble gun. It's been on my hip in the prairie and at 11,000 feet on Corona Pass. It has plenty of scratches and wear, so I'm not afraid of beating it up a little. The ka-bar usually goes on the other hip.

View attachment 826679

Up on Corona Pass. That ridge behind the lake is the continental divide
View attachment 826680
Click to expand...
That is a great looking combo!!
 
My glocks look about like they did on day one. So I'm happy to report that they are still ugly but no more ugly than they were. The holsters and magazine baseplates (I like the vickers baseplates as long as you don't have a Magwell added to the gun.) take the brunt of the abuse. Ive spent hours on my belly and back crawling through caves on rocks, or rock climbing with them on. I only have one that has shown any corrosion or wear other than the typical wear on the chamber and barrel. It developed two small spots forward of the chamber on the slide. I'm guessing some chemical reaction but idk. I steel wooled and cleaned it up. Used a touch up blue ( flat black) and it hasn't came back in a Couple years. If it does I'll send it back to glock.
 
I have 2 that have been 100% a Rossi .357 and a Ruger Standard 4”. Both bought used and needed something fixed.
 
My 'outdoor recreation' guns would be the closest I have to a beater gun. I live in the wet part of the PNW and for my hiking, mountain biking, snowshoeing and XC skiing, I favor corrosion-resistant .357 revolvers. My 2.25" stainless Ruger SP-101, loaded with .357 158 grain JSP used to fill that role, and I was confident that the revolver and load would handle any two- or four- legged threat that I would reasonably encounter in this area. For weight savings, I recently switched to a Taurus 605 Protector Poly with the same load. It is durable enough and inexpensive enough that if I dropped it over a cliff, it would probably survive and I would not cry too hard if it could not be recovered.
 
I usually just carry whatever I carry. Currently it is a M&P 2.0 40 compact. I haven't been down there in a while but after an encounter with a wild hog on some friends of mines land down near Columbus, GA I did change up & carry my old Dan Wesson .357 when I hunted there.
 
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