Your Top 5 Most Influential Handguns

[BigAl52]

Its a tough decision for me in the rimfire class but My Uberti 1873 12 shot 22LR would be my first choice over the Ruger Single Six I have. My second choice leads me to my favorite caliber which is my Freedom Arms 83 in 41 mag. Followed by my Smith and Wesson 657 power port in 41 mag. Next is my Smith and Wesson Model 14 K-38 Masterpiece. Last one is a tough choice but the 1911 wins out a Sig Spartan. I know its only 5 but I have a CZ 97 that I like alot and its neck and neck with the 1911.

[BrokenolMarine]

The Ruger Single Six was my first real personal handgun and I shot tens of thousands of rounds thru that.

I followed that with a Blackhawk .357. Another single action that I put tens of thousands of rounds through over the years.

The Diamondback .22 I bought as a companion piece for my Pythons is Still in my safe. My wife and kids, as well as many of my private students learned to shoot on that gun. I lost count of the rounds fired in that one.

1911s take second place. I have shot and carried numerous models. On duty in the Corps, as Air Crew, shooting matches as a Marine, Civilian, and an Officer. I carried compact .45s as my off duty gun when working with juvenile drug dealers and users, a Combat Commander and/or the Kimber Tactical Ultra II.

Number one, old faithful, my SiG P220 45. More than twenty years old, still my carry gun of choice. Seven plus one of 45 hydroshok ammo, with two seven round mags as backup. Never felt undergunned. Reliable and accurate, she has earned her place.

Honorable mention... The 38/357 snubbies... I have a number of them, and they are always handy.

[Ernie]

Colt woodsman 22 that I got from my Dad
Ruger single 6
SW J frame 38 spl that I carried for years
1911s

[North Country Gal]

Like to take a minute to say what a great thread this has been. Have thoroughly enjoyed reading all these posts from my forum friends. Thank-you, Howard.

[Hrfunk]

Like to take a minute to say what a great thread this has been. Have thoroughly enjoyed reading all these posts from my forum friends. Thank-you, Howard.

Please let me agree with you! This has surpassed my every expectation. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading all your posts and learning about all your personal favorites. Thank you all!

Howard

[RanchRoper]

Thanks for getting the ball rolling Howard.

[Travlin]

I have to add one that I forgot on my post . It is a prewar 1937 Colt National Match .45. I bought it in the late sixties from my business teacher at the local junior college. He had been a fraud agent for the I.R. S. and carried it in a shoulder holster. When he first showed it to me he cleared it and the magazine was out. I took it in my hand with the hammer back and he balanced a dime on the front site. To show how good the trigger was, I pulled it dropping the hammer and the dime was still in place. For some reason I was smart enough to hold on to the Colt. It cost me $125 back then but now they are rare and valuable.

[Ojaileveraction]

I guess I have a fondness for Browning designed semi-auto handguns.
I have a 1910 style Browning 380, a FEG-pjk-9HP, since a teen I always wanted a Colt Combat. Know I couldn't shoot it now.

[North Country Gal]

Travlin, that 1911 would be a grail gun for any 1911 fan. myself included.

[markiver54]

I have to add one that I forgot on my post . It is a prewar 1937 Colt National Match .45. I bought it in the late sixties from my business teacher at the local junior college. He had been a fraud agent for the I.R. S. and carried it in a shoulder holster. When he first showed it to me he cleared it and the magazine was out. I took it in my hand with the hammer back and he balanced a dime on the front site. To show how good the trigger was, I pulled it dropping the hammer and the dime was still in place. For some reason I was smart enough to hold on to the Colt. It cost me $125 back then but now they are rare and valuable.

Any gun that NCG considers a grail gun, I would love to see a pic of!

[Travlin]

North Country Gal and anyone else that is interested. Colt hand honed and fitted those first National Match pistols . There is even checkering on the slide stop and it has the two toned magazine. Back when I was younger and could still shoot a handgun well, I was almost equal to its accuracy.

[daytime dave]

Hmm, good one Howard. Made me think for a good while.

I edited my post to include photographs. It gave me a good reason to get outside on a fairly decent Northeast afternoon.

Number one on the list is
Any four inch Smith and Wesson K frame revolver. I know that is pretty broad, but that is my number one. .38 special or .357 magnum, it doesn't matter.


Second is any J frame revolver. I am currently edcing a 640 pro series, but again, any .38 special or .357 magnum will do.


Third will have to be the Smith and Wesson model 29. There is just something about it that makes you love it.



Fourth is my Glock 19. I really like it.


Last, and certainly not least, the fifth most influential handgun would be my Smith and Wesson Model of 1917. At 103 years old, it was the first revolver I owned that took moon clips. It can still run with any of the current .45 acp handguns produced. It can still take out bowling pins with the best of them, but it has earned it's semi retirement. I shot it last around it's 100th birthday. It will still get some range time some day soon, but it resides in a place of reverence near it's letter from Roy Jinks.



Those are my five most influential. Only one semi auto. The rest are all wheel guns.





Thanks again for more fun Howard. It was great getting out and photographing the firearms.

[Mags]

This topic got me interested in revisiting the history of 2 of the 3 older pistols I mentioned here in an earlier post.

Colt Hammerless Pocket Pistol 1903 .32 Semi-Auto (built 1904); not really hammerless. The hammer is enclosed by the slide.
https://unblinkingeye.com/Guns/1903C/1903c.html

Mauser Hammerless (striker) Pocket Pistol 1914 .32 Semi-Auto (built about 1923), fourth variant (post WWI).
https://unblinkingeye.com/Guns/MP-II/mp-ii.html

Info on the Colt 1908 Hammerless .25 for CT_Shooter.
https://unblinkingeye.com/Guns/1908Colt/1908colt.html

[CT_Shooter]

I appreciate the link, Mags. I do have quite a bit of information about the gun, but didn't know some of what is mentioned there. Thanks.

The serial number of my gun is 162229 with the inscription "COLT’S PT. F.A. MFG. CO. HARTFORD. CT. U.S.A, PAT’D AUG. 25. 1896 APR. 20. 1897 DEC. 22. 1903 JAN. 25.1910", which means it was manufactured in 1917.

The manual safety on the Model 1908 differed from that on the Model 1903 (and the FN Model 1906) in that it was rotated clockwise to engage the safety and counterclockwise to hold the slide open. This safety was patented by John Browning in 1910 and the new patent date was added to the Colt’s inscription sometime after serial number 20,000: COLT’S PT. F.A. MFG. CO. HARTFORD. CT. U.S.A, PAT’D AUG. 25. 1896 APR. 20. 1897 DEC. 22. 1903 JAN. 25.1910.

Info on the Colt 1908 Hammerless .25 for CT_Shooter.
https://unblinkingeye.com/Guns/1908Colt/1908colt.html

[Chucksolo1]

Mine are/were:

Colt SAA .357
Colt Gov Model MK IV ,45
Colt Service Model Ace .22
Colt Commander 4.25 .45 ACP
Begian Browning Hi Power 9MM

[Travlin]

Dave, Did you know that you can make some shot shells for the 1917 by using either .30-06 or 308 brass . Cut them off just shorter than the cylinder length and size the part forward of the step in the chamber with a .44 Magnum or .44 Special die. Use some fast burning pistol powder and cut over powder and over shot wads from milk carton. Put on a good roll crimp .I had a Colt 1917 and made some very effective shot loads that head spaced using the half moon clips.

[Hrfunk]

I love the photos Dave! Those are some great choices and the pics bring them to life. Thanks for sharing!

Howard