Pick my next handgun.

In My Humble Opinion
1

I’m a handgun guy, as it were. My collection has grown quite a bit since I last posted about it.

So, let’s say that my funds are fairly modest, say up to $2000 in disposable income. What would you get in light of my current collection (as follows)?

Ruger 22/45 4" .22 Rimfire
Ruger SP101 2 1/2" .357 Magnum
Sig Sauer P239 357SIG
Springfield Armory SD-9 Sub-Compact 9mm
Glock 27 .40 S&W
Glock 29 10mm
Kimber Tactical Ultra II .45 ACP

…and my wife’s gun (!)*:

Ruger LCP .380 ACP

It’s worth noting that every one of my handguns thus far is concealable (by design), but now that I have the so-called service calibers covered I’m thinking about something bigger.

I suppose I could go with a .44 Magnum, but I’m leaning towards the Desert Eagle in .50 AE. I’ve fired a friend’s Desert Eagle in that caliber, and it is incredibly fun to shoot, albeit incredibly expensive per shot (although I plan to get into reloading, which will drop the cost considerably).

So, either talk me out of it or into it, which.

Not that I have the funds for it right now, but I certainly will in the future. There’s always money for guns somewhere down the road. What should I be saving for? I’m game for anything that is somewhat affordable for the average guy (no ridiculous suggestions like the $16,000 .600 Nitro Express pistol, for instance).

So, suggest a handgun. Caliber, make, model, whatever. I’m simply looking for ideas for the (near) future.

[sub]*Amazing, isn’t it? And she picked it her (formerly incredibly anti-gun) self , at a gun show no less. Will miracles never cease? I’m one hell of a positive influence, I guess.[/sub]

2

Depends on what you need it for.

Turf war? Intratec AB-10

Revenge on a malevolent rancher? Beretta Laramie

Abusive ex-husband? Taurus PT1911

Tour of duty in the French Armed Forces? French side arm

But seriously DO get the Desert Eagle. Just do it man.

3

When I have more money than brains I’m going to get two of these babies. I like revolvers and I like .357 (OK I like .38 but I’ll work up to .357 someday, honest!) and I’ve heard nothing but praise about the Vaquero.

4

2 1/2" .357? That’s what my wife has. NOT fun to shoot. Downright painful.

My buddy has a Glock 29. It’s very fun to shoot. But 10 mm is ridiculously expensive, so you had better get into reloading unless you’re a millionaire.

5

Desert Eagles are like hummers. Bloated pieces of crap that are expensive to drive that only the owners think are cool, but they’re convinced everyone else looks upon them with envy.

$2000 is a pretty hefty budget. You want one of the USP models that’s close to the Mark 23. When the best in the world get their choice of what to use, that’s what they do.

You can actually get an actual Mark 23 but I have no idea what the availability and cost is. It’s the same thing as the military version minus the suppressor and it has “MARK 23” instead of “MARK 23 USSOCOM” stamped on the slide. I think it used to sell for something around $2000 but I’m not sure what the market is like now.

There’s the USP Tactical which is smaller than a full sized mark 23 but bigger than a standard USP. For some reason it lost the rail to mount the laser module. I don’t know the other differences but it’s fairly close to a mark 23 from what I recall and ~$800 cheaper.

There are also the USP Expert, Match, and Elite which are all based off the Tactical to my knowledge and I don’t know offhand the exact differences, or the availability and price. If you’re interested in one of those guns you can do more research.

You want something from H&K in any case.

In a world of compromise, some don’t.

6

With your collection I would also be thinking larger calibers/frames, but since I sometimes pretend to be a utility-focused guy I’d have to have at least some consideration for that. With that said, in your shoes I’d pick up a S&W .460 or .500 hunting revolver. Something like this.

7

I was going to pipe in, but after clicking this link I think it’s pretty much decided.

8

If you’re into single-action revolvers, why not a Ruger Blackhawk .45 Convertible, it’s got both a .45 ACP and a .45 Colt cylinder, the barrel on New Models is bored to .452 (the same diameter of .45ACP, classic .45 Colt is .455ish) so you can share bullets and large pistol primers if you reload, all you’d need is .45 Colt cases and .45 Colt dies for your press

I also have a Kimber Custom II .45ACP 1911, full size 5" barrel, my Blackhawk has a 7.5" barrel, shooting Winchester White Box .45 ACP ammo through both handguns for comparison, the Blackhawk feels like I’m shooting a .22, negligible recoil, the Kimber’s recoil feels “sharp” compared to the smooth roll of the Blackhawk

oh, and .45 Colt is just too much fun :slight_smile:

If you’re looking for a range toy, why not a black powder handgun of some sort, I’m partial to single-shot flintlocks myself, although I have been contemplating a cap and ball revolver too

If you feel comfortable disassembling a single action revolver, a stainless Ruger New Model Blackhawk .45 Convertible would be a great choice, as .45 Colt was originally a black powder cartridge, you could shoot smokeless .45 Colt and ACP rounds in it as well as black powder .45 Colt, black powder is messy and leaves highly corrosive residue when fired, even in stainless firearms, the biggest drawback to BP is that you’d have to detail strip and clean the revolver after every BP range trip, the stainless would make that a little easier

9

You’re missing a good range Sig – something a little bigger than the 239 and in a cheaper / more available caliber. Maybe a 226 in 9mm? I’ve got a 9mm 229 that I love, but since you’ve already got the 239, I’d suggest going a bit bigger for a range-only gun.

10

A few years ago, my wife’s grandfather died and I got part of his gun collection. He had a Colt Trooper Mark III, which I immediately put it in the “sell” pile. Then, one day I took it to the range. It was a dream to shoot. It was extremely controllable, much more so than my old S&W model 10, and had a nice smooth double action and a crisp single action. I haven’t shot any of the similar Colt revolvers like the Python, but you might consider giving them a whirl.

11

Why not something in black powder, Airman? You’ve got a good selection of useful guns, why not something traditional, different, and a pain in the ass, but eductional, to deal with?

Heck, you might even be able to build a Colt 1851 Navy from a kit yourself.

12

Hand gun? Crap, I thought you said head gun. Three cheers for the World Famous Pontani Sisters anyway.

13

If you have that kind of disposable income, may I suggest a weapon that could actually be a conversation piece as well as a blast to shoot.

Like a Mateba Auto-Revolver, or a FN Five-Seven, or perhaps an HK P7?

14

I would try to go slightly over budget and pick up something from Freedom Arms.

15

Bah, I say! Get yourself a Super Shorty and put some 00-buck in it. Concealed carry with a 12-gauge! Video of someone shooting it.

16

I’d suggest a Ruger Super Blackhawk in .44 mag with a 7.5" or 10" barrel. After the ‘fun’ of shooting hot .44 mag loads wears off (about 50 rounds, btw) you can shoot .44 specials and actually enjoy it.

17

I’ve got a similar one that I’m trying to sell airman. It’s a different, slightly superior model than the one in the above link. If you can afford to buy the ammo then it’s one of the best hunting handguns available. Any prey from rabbits up to bison sized can be taken with it. Tests have also proven that it’s capable of penetrating both the driver’s and front seat passenger’s door of a '73 Olds 98 with a single shot. It’s great fun to shoot too as long as you don’t mind losing all feeling in your shooting hand for twenty minutes.

18

Your arsenal seriously lacks 7.62x25mm Tokarev. Get a TT-33 or a CZ-52. They’re all about $200 or less, and the ammo is cheap (but corrosive, which isn’t usually a problem unless you’re a lazy cleaner).

It’s an extremely high velocity round that penetrates metal like a rifle. It’s like a Five-seveN, but decades earlier, and cheaper to shoot. dmatsch, I see them advertised occasionally, and they’re not that expensive when you compare to the Mateba or even some 1911s.

19

I agree about the CZ-52. It’s fun to shoot but clean it immediately afterwards.

Doors, I’ve been wanting to buy a .50 Desert Eagle for years. I just haven’t been able to convince myself I need it. Do it! Buy it! Then tell us how you like it.

If you decide not to, then I agree with Senor Beef’s advice on purchasing an H&K firearm with the exception of the VP-70 (horrendous, godawful trigger).

VP-70 link

20

I think you are in serious need of a S&W 686.
Best wishes,
hh