You Have the Choice of 1 Handgun to Save Your Life,Any Location. Which Gun?

[bruno2]

The 88 magnum.

[KodiakBeer]

Just shoot them twice with a .44!

[gcburt]

I guess with the vague parameters, we gotta assume worst-case? Multiple threats? Low/no light? Armored?

In that case, I'm gonna have to go with my trusty ol' M-134 Mini Gun -- 6,000 RPMs of 7.62 goodness ... uh, or, failing that, the ol' M61A1 20mm ...

Oh, not on the list?

Worst case scenario, I'd want something in high-cap .45 ACP; perhaps an SA XDM with a few spare 14-round mags stoked with 230 gr Gold Dots ... Although I am the most accurate and have the most trigger time with the 1911, I'm thinking sheer firepower would be a requisite.

Ol- Dog - I've fire lots of M-134 rounds from the front of G-S Model Cobras and the side of the old A-model 58

[Old Dog]

heh heh, fun ain't it?

[bruno2]

Until you run out of electric. GE should make an emergency crank handle for those.

[armoredman]

I'll stick with the one I carry all the time now, my CZ SP-01 Phantom.

[Aaryq]

Until you run out of electric. GE should make an emergency crank handle for those.

Wow...that would be a wonderful idea, so long as it was removable, otherwise you'd have that crank flying around on standard mode and probably rip someone's arm off.

[Selena]

I have it on good authority that the best gun in the world is the one you can get your hands on when the animal by-product hits the air conditioning.

[JEStucker]

Had to choose the .45 ACP, but it was a tie for me between the 9mm Luger (Why isn't the 9mm Mak on there?) and the .45 ACP. With the exception of an old Smith Model 10 .38, almost every handgun I own are in those calibers.

[Johnny Dollar]

Had to choose the .45 ACP, but it was a tie for me between the 9mm Luger (Why isn't the 9mm Mak on there?) and the .45 ACP. With the exception of an old Smith Model 10 .38, almost every handgun I own are in those calibers.

I sympathize. But we only have 20 poll choices. We need more. As LH pointed out, the .45 Colt is missing also. So is the CZ82 ,9x18 Mak,a fine pistol that I own. And there are others that could have been included.

Hopefully, we'll be able to expand the number of poll choices shortly.

[Johnny Dollar]

At this point,the mighty .45ACP is out dueling the .357 Magnum and 9MM by score of 11-6 to 4.

Still a lot of time left. But if history in these polls is an indication,John Browning, gone these almost 90 years,will win again. The man from Utah is always going to be # 1 in these United States.

Doesn't Utah have a John Browning Day? Considering all he did in helping the United States (and our Allies) win 2 World Wars and more, shouldn't he be honored nationwide?

[pmeisel]

If my mom hadn't made my dad give his .45 away when I was a little guy, I would probably be voting .45 too.

Mom, you're a hoplophobe.....

[Johnny Dollar]

If my mom hadn't made my dad give his .45 away when I was a little guy, I would probably be voting .45 too.

Mom, you're a hoplophobe.....

My Mama Said! 1963.

[Zipperhead]

Save your life is a very wide all encompassing statement. I honestly figure my life will be more in danger from starving than from anything else. A .22 is likely to deter the average wanna be robber, I buy, keep, and can carry more ammo (best bang for the buck), it is lighter and there are a lot more rabbits, birds, and small game around plus a pistol is going to mean real close range for larger game anyway. Further more large predators in this area (other than two legged ones) are mighty few and far between.

My uncle was out deer hunting one year when he went to sleep while sitting in the sunshine under a tree. When he opened his eyes, there was a nice 5x5 white tail watching him from about 15 yards away. He took a shot from his Colt New Frontier .22 revolver aiming just below the point of his chin. The deer took off but was later found dead about 100 yards away under a low growing fir tree. A .22 in the right hands, under appropriate circumstances, is powerful medicine.

Zip

[Zipperhead]

At this point,the mighty .45ACP is out dueling the .357 Magnum and 9MM by score of 11-6 to 4.

Still a lot of time left. But if history in these polls is an indication,John Browning, gone these almost 90 years,will win again. The man from Utah is always going to be # 1 in these United States.

Doesn't Utah have a John Browning Day? Considering all he did in helping the United States (and our Allies) win 2 World Wars and more, shouldn't he be honored nationwide?

Yup. He is. Every gun store in America sells his inventions, whether a 1911 in .45 acp, an Auto 5 in 12 ga., or an 1885 in .45-70. Every time somebody buys a JMB inspired firearm, he is honored. I can't imagine a better way to be remembered!

Zip

[Johnny Dollar]

Yup. He is. Every gunq store in America sells his inventions, whether a 1911 in .45 acp, an Auto 5 in 12 ga., or an 1885 in .45-70. Every time somebody buys a JMB inspired firearm, he is honored. I can't imagine a better way to be remembered!

Zip

By,gosh,you are right! We.don't need a formalized event. The people are speaking every day!

[BritishHistorian]

I pick a .357 Magnum. I wanted to go with .454 Casull but I went with .357 because I would assume that you only get that one handgun for everything (including saving your life). You can load it for everything from super-hot .357 rounds to weak paper-punching .38SPL, and if you're defending yourself from ticked off snakes, there's snake shot too (without having to worry about a gun cycling like it would in an auto).

Now if a cape buffalo is charging me, and I have a .357 I may feel under-gunned but I would also use some software in that situation...like not being around cape buffalo.

.357, for all the same reasons. Assuming I had a reloading bench (heck, or even a lee loader in my pocket:-), I could reload for just about anything. Sure, .38 Wadcutters won't be quite as cheap as small game collectors as .22s, but reloading makes that difference smaller. At least 2/3 of the "Stopping Power" articles I've ever read that actually had statistics claimed .357 125gr is about the best stopper for human aggressors out there, 158gr JSPs for deer, hard cast for predators.

If we're going to play "one gun wish" - Dan Wesson revolver reamed to .357 Maximum, with 2,4 and 8 inch barrels While I'd prefer to face that Cape Buffalo with at least a .416 caliber rifle, something like a 180 grain hardcast .357 Max from an 8 inch barrel would be more reassuring than any other handgun with a caliber starting with "3"...

[Loosedhorse]

I'll go with the .454 revolver as my "one planet, one handgun" choice, because of its combination of versatility and carriability. Sure, you can go with grizzly/buffalo 360gr loads at 1400fps if you want to.





But you can also choose "lighter" .45 Colt SD loads. That way, unlike the .88 Magnum, it doesn't shoot through schools.

[shep854]

Given my 'druthers, I just won't be 'there', wherever that is!
If I can't evade but can get the handgun & caliber I want, I'd go for my .45 out of my Combat Commander.

My .38 J-frame is for if I don't get to choose...

[NEOKShooter]

I voted .45 ACP but there's an interesting twist on a .357, from that limited list, that might push it over the top. I could carry my .357 revolver and my .357 lever-action. I may only get one handgun in your scenario but if I also have a long gun in the same caliber, that could change things.

And I still want to get the 608 8-shot .357 from Taurus. I can't post a link or picture because this free wireless at the hospital is anti-gun.

[Zipperhead]

Yup. He is. Every gunq store in America sells his inventions, whether a 1911 in .45 acp, an Auto 5 in 12 ga., or an 1885 in .45-70. Every time somebody buys a JMB inspired firearm, he is honored. I can't imagine a better way to be remembered!

By,gosh,you are right! We.don't need a formalized event. The people are speaking every day!

For purposes of full disclosure, I have at least one of each of the above mentioned JMB inspired guns. (My 1885 High Wall is a .30-06, tho.)

And I love every single one of them!

Zip

[230RN]

>Ol- Dog - I've fire lots of M-134 rounds from the front of G-S Model Cobras and the side of the old A-model 58

>heh heh, fun ain't it?

>Until you run out of electric. GE should make an emergency crank handle for those.


>Wow...that would be a wonderful idea, so long as it was removable, otherwise you'd have that crank flying around on standard mode and probably rip someone's arm off.

^ LOL.

And there should be a loose-cartridge gravity-fed hopper on top. Just in case you run out of belt.

After all, you'll never run out of gravity.

[TCB in TN]

My uncle was out deer hunting one year when he went to sleep while sitting in the sunshine under a tree. When he opened his eyes, there was a nice 5x5 white tail watching him from about 15 yards away. He took a shot from his Colt New Frontier .22 revolver aiming just below the point of his chin. The deer took off but was later found dead about 100 yards away under a low growing fir tree. A .22 in the right hands, under appropriate circumstances, is powerful medicine.

Zip

A hit with a 22 is better than a miss with a 45....... IME most people (there are exceptions) shoot a .22 better than larger rounds, for a number of reasons, practice (based on cost), much lower recoil, and the fact that the .22lr is quieter making them easier to shoot accurately, just for starters.

[Bill from Boomhower, Tex]

Altough I've been a hunterfor 30 years, then, have had all my hunting guns put away, collecting dust as a result of loosing my son to accidental gun shot, ( my wife still has a hard time) I voted for the .com45 acp. I've been carrying/stowing a Colt Agent revolver in .38 Special for 24 years now, but I would feel more comfotable with the .45 acp. I just don't own one presently. After hunting almost 30 years, we lost a son to accidental discharge of an Old Model Blackhawk in .357 in '95. A month later, I was in a bad truck wreck, and became disabled. Shortly afterward, I stopped hunting, and packed away all my guns, reloading gear, and books/magazines on the subject to gather dust. Since then, times have changed, and the concept of hunting has evolved into a bygone luxury and secondary to home and personal defense, at least as far as I'm concerned. For me, gone are the days of driving 150 miles to the deer lease, and being alone with a rifle for several days, hearing nothing but the wind blow through the oak trees, and the cows mooing. Nowadays, you may drive 4 miles to Walmart, and need a weapon, maybe even at a stoplight enroute there. My wife and I each got licensed recently, and for more than 3 years now, I've been patroling the streets of Boomhower with Code Blue, Citizens On Patrol, being the eyes and ears, aiding Police. Since being issued a Police radio, and helping through covert details, I've become privy to just how criminal the streets we take for granted have become. Yes,I don't have one yet, but am looking for, and I voted for the .45 acp.

[Johnny Dollar]

Bill,welcome to GRM. Thank you for that moving post. My deepest sympathy over the tragic loss of your son.

May you be comforted by all those wonderful memories. God bless.