When it comes to picking the one best all-around gun, Caleb reckons that for his money, it’s the GLOCK 21 Gen 4. Take a Xanax, GLOCK haters, because he backs up his choice with plenty of well-reasonsed support. The big .45 isn’t, he cautions, necessarily the best gun at any one thing. Not the best for competition, self defense or as a hunting handgun. There are arguably better choices for each of those purposes. But as he sees it, the G21 is the best single firearm for getting all those jobs done. Fortunately, most of us aren’t confined to only one gun. Unless we are. In which case, if you had to choose only one pistol for all your ballistic needs, what gun would it be?
P226 MK25
Agreed.
^this 100%
Great choice. I’m thinking my CZ-75B, but it’s almost a toss up between it and the SIG.
spot on
My Ruger SR9c, Just the right size for everyday life for me. It can eat anything and I have a choice on ammo capacity.
I love my SR9c as well, found it doesn’t like Tulammo though
Ruger SR9c, reasonable to carry, fun to shoot, extended magazine and light for the night stand,
If its just to answer the door I’ll flick the saftey on and wear it w/o a holster.
Grip is small enough for a tiny hands girlfriend.
If I remove the pinkie extension it can hide away in some tight compartments.
If some one is only going to have one pistol I tend to recommend it
YMMV
x2. I love my SR9c. It’s sized just right, good capacity, nice trigger, accurate, eats anything I throw at it. It’s a great all around gun.
Chalk up one more vote for the extraordinary SR9c, as all have noted here and I ditto wholeheartedly.
I love my S&W 686, but it’s a specialty piece. The Ruger is a go everywhere do everything best friend.
So much this. My SR9c travels with me as my concealed EDC with the 10 round magazine (and the 17 in my pocket). Then the magazines trade places and it becomes my home defense hip gun that will get me to my Model 870. I was never really a Ruger Semi-Auto fan until the SR9c, now I can’t sing its praises high enough. Perfect size, fit, and more reliable than my yellow lab.
Yep!!! Added a set of night sights to mine and haven’t felt the need to carry anything else for the last 3 years.
HK USP 9 Tactical w/threaded bbl
With a conversion to LEM/Match hybrid trigger.
Ruger P95 9mm. Built like a tank, eats all kinds of ammo, but most importantly, goes bang when you pull the trigger.
A Glock 20. With appropriate ammo, it can be used to take anything on four legs (at least east of the Mississippi) for game or defense. And it will take anything on two legs easily.
If we had OC in Florida, I would do this. I carry mine sometimes when I need a change of pace though. Otherwise its the 19.
Very true, if I owned one, it would prob be the best do it all handgun, can be loaded down to 40S&W or up to the lower realms of magnum revolver rounds.
You could darn near replace a long gun with it if things got really bad.
Glock 19. Duh.
If you can only have one, this is my vote as well. Good enough size for all-around tasks. Takes 33rd sticks too.
One of my three Glock 23s. With a 9mm conversion barrel and mag, they become a G19. Although 115 grain ammo isn’t totally reliable due to the weight of the stock G23 recoil spring.
Same here.
The Glock 23 is a perfect fit in my hand, and after I added the extended slide release it was as close to ideal as it got to me.
Not to mention CC in Florida is just as hot and muggy and sweaty as you can imagine.
Ultra-low maintenance and always went *bang* when it was in battery.
What more could a guy ask for?
Besides having Hillary drop dead in her tracks from a stroke.
“Besides having Hillary drop dead in her tracks from a stroke.”
I’d prefer a lightning strike, during one of her speeches. That would make it more clear Who did the killing and why He did it.
Glock 23 and 19 use the same spring in Gen3 guns (this changed in Gen4 pistols).
My favorite hasn’t been factory-produced yet, but I “built” (chopped) one for myself and like it a lot.
Glock 17 with the gripframe shortened to G19 length. Longer sight radius and higher velocity of the G17, shorter grip of the G19 for better concealment (15 shots is plenty; if you can’t get it done with 15, what makes you think two more will make any difference?). Glock 22 with a shorter Glock 23 gripframe would be a close second-place finisher.
My G23 are all Gen 4.
Multiple Gen4s of the same model?
That right there is a man who knows what he likes.
Sadly, I am already heavily invested in Gen3 Glocks.
I will eventually convert the .40 models to Gen4.
(I think they are more durable in .40 caliber)
I concur. Glock 19.
CZ 75b with Omega trigger and short reset. By far the most reliable, accurate, and comfortable pistol I have ever owned and shot. Its easily put 40k rounds down range of mixed ammo brands and reloads with no problem. I can’t remember the last time I had a failure of any kind with it even after shooting over 1000+ rounds in a day without cleaning.
+1 on the CZ75, though mine doesn’t have the Omega trigger. Mine’s 1996 vintage and I have no idea how many rounds have gone through it. Very reliable pistol.
Add me to the cz 75 list….
I would add, “… or one of the CZ clones.”
Count me in the CZ 75 clone club. In my case Tanfoglio Witness Stock .40 SW with 9mm and .22LR adapters. Now I’m thinking about adding .45…
I have a G19 Gen 3 that I love, thinking about getting a CZ 75 PCR in addition. Opinions are welcomed.
I’m a big fan of the Glock 30sf. With a flush magazine it provides 9+1 rounds of .45 acp in a somewhat compact package. With a 10+1 magazine with a grip extension it possesses full size pistol controllability. Great for both carry and home defense. Is it the best choice for either? No it isn’t. But it is pretty dang versatile.
My peacemaker clone in .45LC. Single action, yeah. Six rounds, yeah. But still, I could do all three of those things with it easily.
Oh yeah. Got a Ruger Blackhawk in .45 colt. I would go with either that or my 1911.
I was thinking Taurus Judge for the .410 shottie capability as well.
The good old SAA is as good as it’s ever been. I’ve got a Blackhawk .44 mag. Keep some Double Tap .44 special loads in it. Stays in the safe most of the time but I wouldn’t want to be on the wrong end of it. IMHO the only significant advantage DA revolvers have is quicker reloads, but 99.99% of the time six will do just fine.
Still have my Glock 17 I got back in 1990.
Yup. G17 was my first handgun, and even though now it’s all fancy with an RMR and I have a ton of other pistols, every time I shoot a bone stock 17 I’m reminded how truly awesome it is. Still my go-to recommendation (or a 19) for a person’s first or only pistol.
I could not agree more. Striker fire polymer pistol = Glock 17. All others are just wanting to be a Glock 17.
Gen 4 G23.
Back when I could only afford 1 firearm I chose the M&P45 for all the same reasons.
Agree with Op. GLOCK 21 is best pistol, not for any one job in particular, but can fill any role in a pinch.
Mag Capacity? 13, not as high as a 5.7 or an XDm 9, but matches older wonder9s, like the Browning HP
Stopping Power? .45 ACP out of a 4.5″ barrel. Not a 10mm or .44 magnum, but damn punchy.
Accurate? See above. Not as accurate as a match 1911 or Long Barrel Desert Eagle, but by no means a sprayer.
Concealability? If you can hide a Beretta M9 or Full size 1911, you can hide this.
But is the .45 even a viable hunting round at all? With a G20 you actually hunt with the right load. There are plenty of good 10mm self-defence loads. And with a light load you can make what is essentially a .40S&W come out of a big, heavy G20, which is good for competition.
Depends on what you’re hunting, and why. Hunting squirrels in your back yard, more than enough. Trying to stop a bear from mauling you? 27 round magazine, dump it in the bear. Survival situation, need to drop a deer? Just need to hit the deer, probably going to have to track the blood if you don’t put a hollowpoint through the vitals.
I agree on all points except the conceal ability. BUT if I had but one sidearm, my G21 1ST Gen would get the nod!
“… if you had to choose only one pistol for all your ballistic needs …”
BRAIN LOCK!! BRAIN LOCK!! EJECT, EJECT, EJECT!!!
I’m sorry, I could not process that concept.
Yep. Stack overflow.
OK, I went home and had a brief lie-down with a cold compress on my head and a suitable adult beverage handy, and was able to face this horrific prospect of picking ONE (shudder) handgun for target shooting, self defense and hunting. (Deep breath.)
I guess it would be my S&W Model 60 .357 Mag, with a 3″ barrel. Stainless steel, J-frame for reasonable concealment, green fiber optic front sight and adjustable V-notch rear sight for hunting and target shooting. The .357 loads are more than adequate for self-defense, and would be capable of taking a deer. The .38 target loads are fine for practice and plinking, and ammo is readily available in a vast array of bullet weights and power options. Light enough to carry comfortably, stout enough to last for quite a while even with full-power .357 loads. Plus, I have a really nifty Milt Sparks holster for it.
Still, only one handgun? Painful.
STI 2011 Eagle in 9mm; capacity and reliability of a Glock 9mm, with the hand-fit, trigger, and soul of a 1911. It has served me very well in competition and can also handle home/self defense. If push came to shove, I could carry it IWB, but the STI Escort gets that nod currently.
I don’t have one now, but I’d posit the Glock 20 – reliably good for man or beast and at a fairly low price.
Without question my Ruger GP100. The trigger feels better than the current crop of S&Ws, it can handle a wide variety of loadings, and doubles as a club.
Beat me to it. Best “all-around”… GP-100 tops the handgun list.
If the GP-100 is irrevocably broken: PPQ v1 9×19.
The GP100 is awesome. With a good shoulder holster, it is certainly concealable too.
I’ve got the Wiley Clapp with a 3″ barrel and it works great off of a belt or IWB holster. About 40 ounces loaded, so it’s not a lightweight, but it’s as easy to conceal and carry as a typical 4″ auto.
That’s my pick too. The triggers are even better when you swap out the trigger and hammer springs for an 8 lb. and 10 lb respectfully.
The GP also has the advantage of being able to hand it down to your grandkids so they can have a lifetime of enjoyment with it too.
This +100. Can shoot .38 specials out of it and plink all day or load it up with some .357 mag Buffalo Bores and take out anything on 4 legs in my part of the country.
My GP100 replaced the Glock that used to reside in the car. It’s just a bad-ass easy to handle gun.
The downside is that once you use up the first 6 rounds, you need the Glock for backup!
The trigger was easily and vastly improved with a Youtube video and some fine sandpaper.
Without doubt, my Stainless Security Six predates the GP series by a few years and there’s no doubt it’s the best “all around go-to pistol” made. It’s the weapon I will grab as I run out the door, despite its being attached to its bigger brother, Marlin ’94 in the same chambering.
Seriously, I gotta ask: There are people who actually think a 9mm is the “best” all around handgun? A Nine? For hunting? (Hunting ‘wut’?) And a semi-auto?
Well, to each their own.
H&K P2000 9mm. Pricey, but that thing would probably go bang if you buried it in a block of cement.
Without a doubt for me the Springfield XD .45 Service model. Excellent size for my hands, not too big to carry concealed, plenty of ammo with 13+1, enough power to stop any normal threat I might encounter with 2 or 4 legs, and most importantly reliable. It’s never had a malfunction.
Been courting my HK P30 (40) for a while now and its fit and function for me has been unsurpassed.
The first handgun I ever bought. A 9mm Walther P99AS. Not great at anything, but good at everything.
I own a lot of firearms, but if I have to choose one stock all-around firearm, it is one of my Sig Sauer p320’s.
CZ 75B
Yep; me – CZ 75 P-01.
http://cz-usa.com/hammer/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/cz-usa-cz-p-011.png
S&W SD9VE. The size, weight and function of a Glock 19 but at a much more affordable price. To me, affordability of ammo and the gun is included in “best”.
For everything I wanted a handgun for, my SR9c. It would *suck* for protection against bears or hog though (9mm does).
But it’s a very viable CCW option, it’ll also take an extended 17 round magazine so it’s good for a house gun, it’s pretty accurate…works for me.
Well, my favorite today is my GP 100 4″ with blued steel. I carry IWB with no problem, very comfortable, and always reliable. Yesterday it was my S&W 686+ 3 inch SS. Tomorrow, who knows? I have too many that I like as my ‘favorite that it just depends on the day of the week it happens to be. Enjoy a wide variety, my friends. It is what makes life interesting. (But my favorite all around is my GP 100)
G 19 Gen 4 but it was a battle choosing it over my G30s
CZ P01 (9mm Compact version of the SP01) I can’t think of one thing that this pistol can’t do well (With a good belt) except hunting.
I am there with you, just without the rail – CZ 75 Compact D (sold as “PCR” in US).
Now that’s one I don’t understand, sold as the PCR but the gun usually doesn’t *say* “PCR” on it.
I have a slew of CZ-75s of some sort or another, and I carry either the compact–but it’s not the D because it’s a safety version. (As a result, I also get a steel frame–never quite figured out why getting the safety affects other things as well.) Or the full size 75B. (I’ve yet to find the holster for my RAMI.)
By the time you multiply out all the options that come on a 75 (or its direct derivatives–I don’t count the RAMI or polymer ones as direct derivatives, but the 85 is) you end up with, hmm… safety/decocker steel/aluminum rail/no rail ambi safety/no ambi safety omega/old trigger system, full size/compact, you get 64 possible combinations, not all of which are available, not even remotely (and I left out specialty things like SAO/no firing pin block and stainless models). Then consider you have a choice between 9mm and .40. The naming scheme is squirrely too, for example in 9mm to get an ambi safety you get an 85B, in .40 you get one by default in your 75B.
Love ’em but my full size has been known to choke now and again.
For all around I’d have to go w. S&W .357. Only pistol I own I can see myself hunting with.
Although, my PPS-43 is a pistol according to the ATF…
Colt lightweight 1911. Slim and light for EDC, good caliber, accurate, and stone dead reliable.
Glock 17 gen 4. It works without fail, is plenty accurate, easy to clean and it fits my hand perfectly. I already feel no need to own any other full size centerfire pistol (the G30s covers my cc bases, soon to be joined by a G43), while I’m always able to come up with new reasons to buy different rifles and shotguns.
CZ P07 (Gen 2)
I like it better than G19 because it fits my hand better. Fills all of the same roles. Trigger is awesome and is a little safer (to reholster, etc) with the hammer fired mech/long first pull. More fun to shoot too. Don’t get the happy sticks as you would with G19, but really only use those for the range/fun anyway. Have lots of favorites, including XDm 3.8 9mm, CZ P09, G19, G17/22, XDm 4.5″.45 ACP, FNX 45 T – but for one ‘all-around, do-it-all type’, I’d have to go with the P07.
My best all around gun I’ve owned is my HK45, although for concealed carry my HK P30 in 40 SW is great and for pocket guns my Sig P938 is perfect. So depending on the circumstances those are my top three favorites.
I love my FNX 9. Although if I were buying today I’d probably buy the FNS instead.
Sig SP2022 9mm 15+1
I too like my Sigpro but I don’t know if it would get the best all around gun vote. I’m not a fan of glocks but I like how with conversion barrels you can have 3 guns in one with a glock 22. That would probably be my answer. Wait, nobody is mentioning rifles, I’d go with an AK.
I love my SP2022 9mm and it is my EDC. It is a bit heavy though. Funny, I hate it in .40, too much recoil. I need to change the rear site for something adjustable though, my astigmatism pushes every round down and to the left. Any ideas?
Usually down and left is a symptom of improper grip and trigger press. I was in the same boat, and even though I read online that down and left was a symptom of a loose screw behind the gun, I was sure it was the gun. A small dose of good instruction and suddenly things moved to the 10 ring.
YMMV, but FWIW, my $.02
If I could only own one handgun, it would be the G19. However, in terms of hours of fun and pure enjoyment, the best gun I’ve ever has was a Winchester bolt action .22 rifle, manufactured in the 1930’s as near as we can figure. Been in the family for a while.
In order: HK45, M&P 40 Pro, S&W 686 plus 4″
S&W K-frame .38 +P. Stupidly traded it off when I was young. With proper grips and ammo choice, a K-frame with a 4″ barrel (or thereabouts), chambered for .357 is about the most versatile gun there is.
What model did you trade off? I have a 15-3. And, no…it is not for sale/trade.
It was a 15-2. Police surplus, ie, trade-in in the late 80’s when they started going Glocktastic. Had lots of holster wear, needed to be polished out and reblued. I recall giving $200 for it to a former LEO. Nice, accurate gun. Really nice trigger. But I was young and stupid. I thought I needed something more than a .38. Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid. I was stupid.
Trading it off was appalling stupidity on my part. I’ve sold off other pieces, but that one… I miss, along with a beat-up pre-64 Model 70 that I could now have restored and rebuilt. Stupid, stupid, stupid.
Of course, back then, I had no idea how low the firearms industry in the US would sink in terms of quality. If I’d known then what I know now (professionally and as a consumer), I would have bought every surplus S&W revolver from police departments in the 1986 to 1994 period that didn’t look like it had been used as a hammer, dipped ’em in cosmo and left ’em in a safe for the last 30+ years. I could be refinishing those S&W’s at my leisure, selling them for handsome money today.
Yep. I can’t concieve of a mass produced firearm that’s any more accurate than the mod 15. I have the basic mod 10 now. No frills, just works.
Can’t say enough good things about the makarov, but I am a revolver fan first.
M10 AKA “pencil nose?” I had plenty chances to get one (correctional officer trade in) on the cheap, but never pulled the trigger.
Pencil noses are the older guns. Mine checks out to a mid to late 60s. It was a police officers(retired) duty gun and I got it for less than 200. Cannot find fault in it. Would like to get a heavy barrel but in CA we have this roster thing that makes buying used guns a bit difficult. It would have to be a private party transfer at an ffl and everyone I know that has a s&w .38 hangs on to them.
S&W Model 52, .38 Special semi-auto, five-shot magazine. Try one if you run across it. You should not be disappointed.
Isn’t that the one that uses only wad cutter loads in it? I would like to try it.
Correct, 148 WC’s, seated flush with the case mouth.
Unless you’re willing to pony up thousands of dollars for a euro-made match semi-auto, you won’t find a better bullseye centerfire pistol, IMO.
Model 19!
S&W Model 19 that is…
I’ll go with my S&W R8 in .357. A total pussycat shooting .38 spl and 8 rounds of .357 Magnum hate for hunting & home defense. Easy to mount a scope or laser on the included rails.
Downside: The big N-frame & 5 inch barrel means CCW is probably out of the question unless wearing a Wyatt Earp-class duster or winter wear suitable for North Dakota in January.
Another vote for GP100 here, this time in stainless. If I could only have one, that’d be it.
A S&W model 586, no dash, circa 1984…
It has been there and done that for over 30 years.
G19 for days. If I could only have one *gun*, it would be the G19. Best overall personal defense implement a citizen can have.
Sig P239 for me.
Its a shooter and goes with me where I go.
I couldn’t get down to one gun. Glocks and the Sig 320 are highly convertible. The M&P and XD can also switch calibers. The AR-15 converts very nicely. And the 12 gauge pump will shoot dang near anything.
Heck, the most important thing is to oppose the statist A-holes who are trying to get you down to one gun. And then ban that one, too.
Indeed, you sir are a gentleman and a scholar!
XD 4″ in .45. 13 round per mag, big rounds that actually stop stuff. Oh yeah it just runs and has proper safeties unlike glocks.
Man, I LOVE mine too. It’s my go-to nightstand/HD gun now. Trigger is awe-some. Really handles the 45 round well, capacity is perfect for HD, it’s accurate as hell, and it just feels perfect in-hand, especially for a 45. I slapped a TLR-4 on mine and it’s everything I need for HD. But I kinda assumed the question was what is the best “all-around, do-everything type” handgun – so went with the P07 (same size as the G19, which means you can basically do everything with it)
S&W Classic 629 .44 Mag
Definitely the Smith & Wesson performance center model 327 TRR8. 8 rounds of .357mag, moon clips, and that beautiful lightweight body; mmmmm what’s not to like?
🙁 ammo prices. But still when I’m 21 1/2 ( extra half a year es
300blk AR 8″ with Sig Brace
This is a fascinating choice, and excellent now that I’ve though of it!
Well, yeah.. for one all around rifle. Hard to beat that. I’m a bit preferential to the MPW 9” however 😉 and dropped the whole SB thing after that fiasco and just went SBR.
Without a doubt, my mid-80’s 4″ 686.
As companion pieces I acquired a 3″ M65 HB and a .357 M 640.
The only mods any of these required were custom grips.
A close second is my Kimber Stainless Compact (pre S II).
I have done some custom/cosmetic work to it, and spent some time
tweaking mag. followers, but now this pistol is damn near flawless.
CZ p09, 19 rounds of 9mm, night sights, long sight radius, decocker or safety, Excellent ergonomics. All the things I like about Glocks combined with all the things I like about CZs
Good gun. For some reeason teven though a 75 is almost a perfect pointer, the 07 and 09 are awful for me, and I think it could be the lack of curve at the bottom of the backstrap. I’ve not tried the interchangeable grips.
I find them a bit fat compared the the 75 as well. Nonetheless, I’m very glad they are out there as they seem to suite many people quite fine.
Have to say that’s my favorite as well. For anyone who likes the feel of a 1911, I’d recommend trying the P09. The grip is that thin. It’s Hammer-fired,Trigger is sweet…. It’s an easy transition. The FDE/tritium model is just supremely awesome. Only reason I went P07 is that it’s a little more concealable, so a bit more ‘do-it-all’.
S&W Model 19, 6″ barrel. A little bit of a bugger for CCW, but for everything else….
(Maybe a 4″ Model 15).
Really hard to argue with the Glock 21. Thing’s like and AK-47. Most accurate thing in it’s class? Nope, but it get’s the job done, and that’s all that matters. Hardest hitting caliber? Nope, but like how the 7.62 x 39 isn’t the 7.62 x 51, the 45 ACP isn’t 10mm or 44 Magnum, whatever you hit with it gonna feel it, but not for very long.
The Glock 21 is a no frills, no BS work horse.
P226, nuff said bub
Colt Government model. Carries flatter than any double stack I have handled, handles +P if I feel the need, groups very well. Modifications available everywhere-sort of like the small block Chevy of pistols. I keep mine stock, or as stock as a Series 80 can be, with a long trigger and arched mainspring housing so it fits my big mitts.
My RIA 10mm. Competition circuits might not always like the 10 as a cartridge, but the gun is accurate. Ive taken a doe with it, iron sights + buffalo bore 200gr.s @ 45yds. And I carry it every day with Critical Doody
Glock 20. All the good stuff from the original post, but with more rounds and power.
I can only comment on the guns I’ve personally owned/fired. Out of those my P229 .40 is about perfect.
OK, no mocking or snide remarks! So here goes, believe favorite gun should be the one you shoot most accurately & comfortably. My choice would be my Bersa Thunder9 Ultra Compact. Fits my hand well, easy to lock back if needed, My shots are right on target center mass & head shots. came w/ two 10 round magazines & purchased one13 round magazine. weight 24 oz , three dot sights, 3.25″ barrel, D/S action, total cost $450.00 NIB and, If ever used in SD situation, would not break my heart when/if gun is seized by LEOs,
Your opening statement applies to me too. Beretta U22 NEOS 6″ 10+1. No one would be too happy w/ a face-full of Stingers/Yellow Jackets.
FN FNX-45 Tactical with Trijicon RMR and Insight weapons light. Not overly concealable, but eminently reliable and effective. Adding a SilencerCo Osprey makes it all the more useful. Second would be my G34 w/10-8 sights.
Oh snap, I’m still about 2k away from kitting mine out like that 😉
Was actually considering slapping the lone wolf muzzle break on it in the meantime lol. I know, it’s kinda silly, but hell, have to have fun sometimes. Besides, gonna take a while for the stamp and the cash to get the can, RMR, etc.
If I had to sell all but one of my guns tomorrow, the one I kept would be my recently acquired FNX45 (the non tactical model). It combines some of the best features of from my favorite handguns that I have owned or wished I owned.
Like many here I have numerous handguns, but my G26 seems to be the one I carry the most. Stock mag with a 17 round as a backup. Lots of firepower in a very small package. Yes I’m a Glock fan boy. The only guns that have always gone bang. No FTF ever in the 5 that I have owned. 2nd would be my G30. I once went with a Kahr, but after 2 trips back to the factory, and still numerous FTF and other problems I just stuck with my Glock’s. If it ain’t broke………..
Surprised I’m not seeing more XDm’s. The 3.8 (bitone) 19+1 is a freaking gem. Right up there with my favorites..
One gun, and one gun only, I’d have to say the G26.
It’s not my favorite gun, but it is the one I would choose if I could only afford one (because that’s the only reason to have one gun, IMHO.)
Small enough to carry all the time, reliable enough to feel confident with, common caliber, huge aftermarket, and it will run all Glock 9mm mags from 10 to 33 rounds.
One……………. of each of the following: SIG P220. CZ 75BD, SIG P320, and CZ 97
+1 for the Sig P320 its “One” gun that can fill many roles with the caliber X-Change kits. I can have every size, in every caliber. I can go from Subcompact 9mm for carry, then quickly swap to Full Size .357Sig for the range.
CZ P01 9mm for me.
I would have to with a ghost gun. You load it with thirty caliber magazine clips and it can fire 30 bullets within half a second. But, I’m waffling because I would really like a 40mm semi-auto handgun.
Ok, In all seriousness I absolutely love my Steyr M9A1.
Love that gun, Glock guys like to drool at the range
Daniel Defense DDM4 V5, I don’t know why but I feel like this could replace my Dog as my best friend. The bad news is that the dog is cheaper to feed. But seriously, this is my home defense, recreational shooter and has never in 3k + rounds had a hiccup. I Love this gun, my next favorite is my Steyr M9a1 but its not a close second.
1982. S&W Model 39-2 in 9mm, polished nickel, alloy frame/steel slide w/factory wood grips.
This single-stack pistol fit my hand perfectly (I could disassemble & reassemble it blindfolded) and the action so smooth that I’d swear it was from the Performance Center. The first time I entered a local combat sim competition I won 2nd place in my amateur class – the first time I’d ever done that kind of thing.
Anyway, I was young and recovering from a horrific motorcycle accident and sold it to a “friend” who promised to sell it back to me having first right of refusal. That wasn’t honored and he sold it to a pig who never cleaned it and must have thrown it into the trunk of his car w/o a case because I cried when I saw how much abuse it had suffered. Now it is hard to find anything like it for under $1,500 (my original cost: $375 at Sears) and they don’t fit nearly as well.
I have two 1911s that have 40k rounds down the pipe between them with zero malfunctions. I have seen more Glocks lock up than these two guns. I do own one Glock, a 20. I carry it because I like the 10mm but the gun is a piece of garbage. I use it as the car gun as it does not bother me to get it dinged up. It is the only Glock I won and will continue to be the only Glock I own.
I don’t own one anymore, but owned between one and four for over 40 years. 4″ Colt Python. SA, I could shoot you in your left eye or your right at 100 yards, hit your torso every time at 300 yards. Who needs more than 6?
Needs? What does needing have anything to do with it? One only needs shelter, air, water and food.
S&W Governor
There are 2 guns on my list…my Smith & Wesson new production model 66, and my Ruger Gunsite Scout .308 . I wish I had never traded them. Oh well, I’ll get them back one day.
For me, my Glock 19c Gen3 and Sig P220 are all I need.
Although I celebrate diversity with a choice in the stable, the “railroad tie” with a grip meets an “oh sh** pistol worthy of grabbing in a hurry.
Pistol whipping approved, eats all .45 ammo, dishwasher/shower safe, its been buried, dragged behind cars on dirt roads, thrown out of aircraft, not cleaned for years, and had genuine abuse far and beyond a “normal pistols” life.
And it keeps on ticking. The lovable big, downright ugly, railroad tie does meet SHTF criteria.
For a handgun my standard has been the G19. Run some G17 mags and a light for a duty/combat/home defense config or slim it back down for concealed if need be. It simply fits into such a wide variety of situations that it is hard to beat for the “one gun” type of thing. After that I would say I have always loved the USP line though the VP9 is quickly becoming my favorite handgun and a Sig is pretty damn hard to beat if the weight isn’t a problem.
For a rifle, well despite what many say I do love my ARs and any of the good quality ones will do just fine. Chuck on a magpul buttstock and use quality mags and they run just fine, are easy to use and can still make shots out to 500 reliably if needed. The range advantage and ergonomics are really the only reason I prefer them to the AK setup as a general rifle. I like the AK more for close up though due to round performance but this is about the “best” and I consider that to mean what reliably works in as many situations as possible while being easy to use.
With any of these you can pretty much go any place on the planet and get ammo to feed it and parts should the need arise. The FAL and G3 are also good choices for the same reasons but they are a bit harder to use in my opinion.
Smith 4″ barrel model 686. I bought it in 1991 as my first duty pistol. Handles everything from .38 target wadcutters to full power .357 loads. I’ve moved on to other carry pistols but with a little practice on my speed loader technique I wouldn’t be afraid to wear the 686 again if I had no other choice.
S&W Model 28 Highway Patrolman. Eats popgun .38 wadcutters to romping, stomping, fullhouse .357 loads. Hunting, target or self-defense ….. anything goes downrange. Takes some work to CCW on my 160 pounds, but can be done. Mine is fifty years old and going strong.
SW model 29, 4″. I have taken game at over 100 yards with it many times. It fits any task out to that distance in the lower 48. JWT
Nylon 66. Oops, that is a rifle, gosh darn it!
I do have a nice Colt Peacemaker. Not much of a defense gun, but it is a lot of fun.
I do like the S & W 1917 revolver, but I do not own one.
Ithaca 37 is high on my list.
Never shot a 23 but I think a Glock 23 would be pretty ideal. I don’t like the .40 but if you can only have one gun you should make it as versatile as possible. Put a 9mm conversion in it and you always have the .40 as an option.
West German P226 made in 1993, love it.
CZ75… I have a 75B matte stainless, 75B Omega, 75BD Police, and 75D Compact. Target shooting? Hell yes. Plinking? Definitely fun with the factory 26 rounder. Carry? With a good belt and holster, no issues. Home defense? Did I mention the 26 round mags? Close second… S&W 5906.
This is a particularly tough one, as one of the criteria I use for buying a gun is versatility; but that said, I’d probably go with my Glock 20. I might change my mind–when I finally get around to buying that Gen4 29.
^^WINNER^^
Glock 29 Gen 3. Mine has provisions for a Delta Point for use in the woods allowing 50 yard shots. Easily concealable, (surprisingly) shootable, and has tremendous firepower in a small package.
My 1911, Colt, and now my Ruger 1911 SR 45!
I just noticed the question is, ‘What’s the best all around GUN’ not ‘HANDGUN’. What about the good old 12ga shotgun? You can hunt everything from squirrels to moose, great for home defense and aren’t even half bad for concealed carry if you don’t mind wearing a full length duster all summer (pistol grip helps). Where’s the shotty love?
Probably because most of us would value CCW over hunting, if it were a choice between the two. But 12 GA is a very logical choice depending on how you interpret the question.
Although I would say that the hunting capability of a handgun, while not good, is still probably superior to the concealability of a shotgun!
Yep. The best gun is the gun you always have with you.
idiotic statement that drones keep repeating.
If I could only have one pistol it would be a Glock 19. As much as I love my Walther PPQ M2, its harder to find spare parts for it. Walther doesn’t seem to keep a stable stock of parts and has to ship them over from Germany. However, spare parts for Glocks are everywhere.
Also Glock magazines are cheaper and more widely available than the PPQ. You also get the option of using Glock 17 magazines and the factory 33 round magazine.
Sig P229r.. the plain non-fancified one. Solid! Never quits!
Dad’s Remington model 48 12ga.
Walther P99c AS 9mm
concealable with 10 round std mags, fullsize mags with 17 rounds, extended mags with 33 rounds, single/double action trigger, always runs, good enough to get me to my best all around gun, Beretta ARX 100
Had to think on it. Had Glocks forever and Ruger wheelguns forever but never shot either that much. Had a Wayne Bergquist Custom Caspian 38 Super comp gun for 20 years and shot it all the time in IPSC. Ran like a top. NEver gave me any trouble and always went bang with my Dillon 650 handloads. Damn if I didnt go and sell the thing when I gave up IPSC shooting last year. Oh well. I guess that was the best gun I ever owned.
Pistol and overall champ: Glock 26. It just is.
Small Bore Rifle: Good old Ruger 10/22
Big(ish) Bore Rifle: HK91
Revolver: Ruger Security Six Stainless 6″ .357 Magnum
Shotgun: Mossberg 590A1
Nothing fancy. But everything works and shoots real good.
I would have to stick with my hk45. Hands down.
If concealment wasn’t an issue then it would be my Colt King Cobra 6″ 357 Mag. Other than that Ruger SP 101 3″ 357 MAG
Sig P250 or Sig P320. Multiple frames and calibers with 1 part counting as the true gun.
Sig P320 as this is basically the exact definition of this gun!
Full size, carry size, subcompact size, multi-caliber, best striker trigger, etc., etc.
I love my Glock G20, and thought it to be my first choice; but if I were restricted to one handgun only, I’d go with the Tauras Judge with 3″ chamber.
Hands down the Walther P99AS.
Puts other to shame and is safer to boot!
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