what handgun would you choose ?

any revolver, or any semi automatic pistol ? looking at general purpose applications, self defense, possibly shooting small vermin, shooting at the range for fun, etc.

id go for the revolver. easier to understand how they work. some guns are engineering masterpieces. not that thats important, but revolvers are generally known for reliability. though thats probably not as true with the amount of work going into newer pistol designs. it would probably be a 6 shooter, chambered in .357, and have a decently barrel length. 6 inches.

I suppose your revolver would prevail when it comes to hunting. However a good compromise would be, a custom long barreled semiautomatic chambered in the .357sig or 10mm. I suppose i've never been a revolver fan, there are a few out there that i would pick up, such as the taurus titanium (very light gun). Then again the taurus raging bull chambered in the .454casual is a very, very high power load.

The Ruger Super Redhawk is a much better gun in that caliber. The geometry of the Ruger makes directs more of the recoil straight back instead of up. It is also a stronger frame.

If the gun's not going to be getting much attention, then a revolver is the way to go. They can sit loaded for quite a while without springs getting set or any problems like that. Magazine springs and a few others in semi autos can get weakened over time if the gun is left ready to use, whereas a revolver isn't going to have that problem.

If I was going to have 1 handgun to cover a broad range of use, then it would probably be a revolver. You prety much know they are going to go boom when you need them to.

Don't get me wrong, I love my springfield 1911 but a revolver is just a more reliable setup and usually a bit more accurate.

rlpinca makes a good point.
i favor semi-autos though. i just seem to shoot better with them. also in most cases they have higher round capacity.

i carry a semi-auto that's double/single action. therefore the hammer doesn't need to be back all the time.
so the only stress is on the magazine spring which i can handle. most magazines can be left loaded for a long time without loss in performance, but to be safe i alternate magazines every so often.

I heard that keeping a magazine spring compressed over a long period of time is less harmful to the life of the spring than loading and unloading the mag (uncompressing then compressing). Then again a lot of people have said just the opposite lol.

I keep my mags loaded, never have had a problem with any one. They are all factory mags. I suppose in a few years down the road i might have to get replacement springs for them. But then again if the 2004 bill sunsets, hicaps mags will be 70% off lol.

another thing i thought of:

semi-automatics are easier to reload. Even with a speed loader, i can't load a revolver as quickly as i can a semi-auto.
of course this is just my opinion.

quote:

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Originally posted by ubermutant:
another thing i thought of:

semi-automatics are easier to reload. Even with a speed loader, i can't load a revolver as quickly as i can a semi-auto.
of course this is just my opinion.

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but then you have to load the magazine which takes awhile doesnt it ?

thanks for replying. i think the revolver is the way to go for a general purpose gun.

that's true... but someone who's prepared would hopefully have another magazine already loaded which is much faster.

Leaving your mags loaded for long period of time will cause them to eventually fail. This is what we call metal-fatigue.

Loading and unloading the mag will not cause problems.

For some one who want a good general purpose gun that will serve many purposes, purchase a 4" .357

Defesively, the .357 is a fantastic round. You can take medium sized game with it.

If your worried about reloading, then you probably shouldn't be in the fight unless ur toting a mag-fed battle rifle, ie ar, galil, aug, m1a1 etc.