Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Basic Handgun Battery, your thoughts?

What do you think is the basic handgun battery for urban and rural. The "urban" category is for someone who lives in the concrete jungle, isn't a hunter, and is really only arming for fun and self defense. The "rural" category is for someone who shoots for fun, defense, and possibly some handgun hunting, or perhaps some dangerous game backup.

Example:

URBAN

Glock 19
Tactical Solutions TSG-22 Conversion Unit
Glock 42

To me, that rounds out the basic "needs" of a handgun owner in an urban environment. Niow if a guy just didn't like Glock's, then he could substitute the S&W, XD, CZ, etc. My choices are more about size than model.


RURAL

Glock 19
Tactical Solutions TSG-22 Conversion Unit
S&W 6" 629
G42, Ruger LCP II, or S&W J frame


"One gun Rural solution"
Lightweight Commander
.22LR Conversion Unit
.460 Rowland Conversion

Either the S&W E-Series Scandium Commander for a .45/.460, or the Colt LW Commander for a 9mm/.460 (I would add a .38 Super barrel personally).

Urban, a Glock 23 with conversions in 357, 9mm and 22lr.

Rural, a good 357 or 44 revolver or a 10mm Glock with conversions.

9mm of your choice. Not too big or heavy.
Need a bigger gun for 4-legged vermin, go .44 magnum revolver.
Last ten years taught me that you can live without .22. That sounded un-American, but the truth hurts.

For defensive carry, all you need are two:

1) Glock 17
2) Glock 43

For hunting or bear defense, you can throw in a Glock 20 for a three gun battery.

For "here"........... Sig320.

Done.

If I *really* felt the need, throw a MG or a 10mm (Sig220) into the mix.

I've never lived anywhere I consider "urban" and hope not to. Suburban, maybe. When I was living in a small metro area of about 250,000 people my carry gun of choice was a 2-1/4" barreled Ruger SP101. It remains a good choice though I traded it for a S&W M60 3" with adjustable sights. For a second, I think I'd stay with .357 but make it a 6" barreled GP100 or 6" barreled S&W 686 "plus".

For rural, I'd go with an accurate .22, a long barreled .357, and a 4" barreled .44 magnum. I've had better accuracy with rimfire semi-autos than revolvers. Probably a Ruger Mk II or Mk III though I suppose I could somehow "get by" with a S&W 41. For a .357, I'm sort of pissed that S&W dropped the 8-3/8" length from the 686 lineup. I guess any good 6" barreled .357 will do. For the .44, my personal choice is a short Super Blackhawk but if I were recommending to someone else, I'd go with a more traditional (for carry) S&W 629 or Ruger Redhawk..

If I looked at where I was living and decided my revolver, backed up by a 12 gauge, wasn't good enough, I'd MOVE.

Tom

Ruger LCR .357 for carry
Sig Sauer .45acp for house
Ruger Super Blackhawk .44mag for woods

For me it goes:
1911 5" in .45 ACP or 10mm
Shield in 9mm or .45 ACP
LCP in .380
Ruger MK series in .22

If I were a big handgun hunter I would throw in a 629 in .44 Mag.

I could do it all with any number of full sized service autos or revolvers, but the small shield and LCP sure make it easier to carry in 95-105 degree humid days.

45LC - Hunting
9mm - Self-Defense
380 - CCW
22LR - SHT-FUN

After the last 22lr shortage, I wouldn't recommend a 22lr pistol to someone just looking to have a "basic" handgun battery. Better to buy a good 9mm, a spare of the same perhaps in a smaller version, and then lay in a good supply of ammunition, primers, powder and brass. Also magazines and spare parts. Take the money saved on the 22lr pistol and buy a high quality air pistol for no-recoil practice.

It depends on how deeply concealed you need your piece to be. My Sig P938 is pretty good for any urban type duty, whatever that is. I've got a lot of guns that will do for rural duty but the Smith Governor is about the best. I would like to add my Ruger Standard for a .22.

I'm pretty rural and far from a handgun expert but I'm pretty comfortable with a Mil Spec 1911 45 APC in the night stand ....
an older 4" Model 10 38 Special for plinking, practice, and general carry......
and a couple of rimfires......1946 K 22 for nostalgia and fun and a fixed sight Single Six for dispatch on my trap line.
Truth is I could get by with only one rimfire but I love em both so I justify their usefulness.

I carry a Glock 43, I have a Glock 22 with weapons light for around the house and I've been toting my Glock 20 to the woods. Sometimes I sub out the 20 for a 5.5" Redhawk.


I need a Glock 19 I think.

I'm rural, and carry all the time. If I have my pants on, there is either a Taurus 380 in my pocket or a 22 revolver on my belt. I've used the 22 to shoot squirrels, possums, groundhogs, and coons. Sometimes, in lieu of the 380, I may pack a 38 snubby. There is a 44 Special revolver in easy reach from my bed, in case something goes bump in the middle of the night. If I leave the place, I usually have the 380 on me, and a Glock 19 in the vehicle, or on occasion a Sig 40 caliber. In my view, a handgun is purely a defensive weapon. If I get serious about having to shoot something, I'll use either a rifle or shotgun, depending on the situation. Now, having said all that, if I found myself in a situation where the threat level was greater than normal, I'd modify my selection of what I carried on me. For example, recently someone that the police had been chasing, abandoned their stolen vehicle near me, and I found their footprints in a muddy field on my farm. For the next few days, I carried the Glock and an extra clip, just in case. There was also an AR close by as well, just in case.

those are certainly not my choices, but to each his own.

The .460 Rowland on a LW commander frame is not a good match. A 5" barreled slide with a forged steel frame is a better match if your going to shoot a lot. Even with all the tricks added. E-Series Sc----- maybe a little.

Het Edwards, can you post a pic of you knife/blade collection sometime. Mighty fine.

Thanks Viking. I don't have a pic of all the knives-edged weapons together. I will certainly do so if I ever get one. I like them, but I've never thought of myself as a collector.

The Estwing chopper is one of a number of Estwing products I own because I am a sucker for them due to their fine hammers and the fact that they are still made here. The bottom knife is a knock off of a Cold Steel Trailmaster and is one of my favorite knives...perhaps my favorite big knife because it's just so handy. TRH gave me that knife.

Ah the Estwing, I took my thumb nail off with a waffle headed framer once. 😡😰😁

A K-frame .357 Mag.

If i could only have one pistol it would be my second series 4 inch Colt Woodsman

The hammers are great, but I've heard them criticized for the handle being too narrow and sharp. Supposedly they will get your finger if you're not careful.

Make sure to shoot and conceal carry a Glock 17 before opting for the 19. You will likely not notice a difference in concealed carry characteristics, but many notice that they shoot the 17 significantly better than the 19. That's been my experience. My 19 stays in the safe. The 17 gets the nod for concealed carry 99% of the time. When it doesn't, it's because I've opted for the 43.

Estwing makes a great tool and their hammers have their place but from a guy that drove 50 pounds of 16 penny nails every day for a decade or more until they invented the nail gun....trust me....the last thing you want for that kind of duty is a metal or fiberglass handle.
I did keep one around for concrete form work though. They're tough as hell and the handles don't break.


Now....back on topic...




Estwing makes several other useful tools. I've had that old Estwing hunting knife for over 50 years. Good ol 1095 steel.

Nice battery, FG.

Plenty of flesh off my right hand went missing back in the day via a 22 or 28 oz Estwing.

Nice blades guys.

Yeah, I was on ladder helping a guy set rafters. I never said a word.

I don't really think in terms of a Handgun battery, I just like handguns. I'd have a tough time narrowing it down by much, but what ever I did would include:
Ruger Six Series
Ruger Redhawk 4.2" 44 Mag
Super Blackhawk 44 mag
S&W M&P 9 and 45
Ruger Single Six combo
Ruger SP101 3" 357 mag

K-22, j m.60 .357, 4'" .357 & a .44 mag ..

Have a couple gglocks & 1911's I keep in my vehicle..

Don't really understand the urban vs rural stuff, but I'll play. These 3 would work for me, though I'd miss the others I have. A 6" .357 M27-2 S&W and an older Browning High Power for a total of 5 would make me very happy.
Bob

These two (A K22 and a Colt NM .45) would be OK, since I don't hunt much with handguns.


My carry gun that's been with me for over 30 years; all I need for now. Probably not the best choice if facing an ISIS suicide squad, but it's worked well more than once during my checkered past

My 642 has travelled more miles with me than any other firearm I own..........don't leave home without it.

What a dinosaur!

Just kidding. Very classic picks.

When I was on the farm, I had 2. A MK II, and a Super BlackHawk. For a short time I had a 459.

That would work.
Bob

OK Kevin,

Your glock .22 conversion is useless with any kind of .22 short, CB cap, shotshell or non standard .22 cartridge. For that reason my basic battery .22 is a revolver.

And your choice of .22s is the most important item in the equation.

Pick a C.F. handgun(s) of your choice to round things out.
As of today, and for myself, I want an LCP II, a 4" model 66 (or 65), a sig p320, and the obligatory 1911 .45.

My basic handgun battery would include
1. .22lr Ruger MK IV or Smith 617
2. Carry gun .357 Mag Ruger LCR
3. Home Defense .357 Mag Smith 627 Pro
4. Hunting gun .44 Mag Smith 629 5"
I could also make a case for a Glock Model 20 for a camping/Hiking gun..........Hb

Basic battery? A couple .22 autos, long barrel and short; couple.22 revolvers, ditto, couple 1911's, some 44's and 41's, .357 snubbie, 9mm for plinking....yeah, basic battery.

With that resolved, who here would give a schitt about a "basic battery "? Okay, just for the sake of discussion, I get it.

For those who keep weapons in your vehicle, do you also park a large surly dog in the vehicle to keep thieves and ne'er-do-wells out?

I frequently park in a lot that is fenced, gated, patrolled and under 100% 24/7 video surveillance. Thieves frequently hit this parking lot and get away successfully.

Certainly not optimal by any means, but it will work. The compensator on the .460's is very effective and it's less abusive than you would think. Still, it's something that would be reserved for very few rounds.

I disagree that .22 choice is the most important; but perhaps it is to you. With the price and availability of .22's these days, the .22 has lost a LOT of it's appeal IMO.

Most people don't use non-standard .22 ammunition which is why I put the conversion unit in my list.

All that said, I actually agree with you on a personal level. My favorite .22 by far is my S&W 617.

Do a lot of big game hunting in urban environments?

Nope. Like I said, I don't do much handgun hunting in rural environments, either.
Bob

I think regardless of the firearm, .22 LR is one of the most versatile and necessary rounds made. It can take small game in ANY setting and if we, God forbid, end up with a situation where ammo would be one of the more barterable items, it would certainly be advantageous to have several thousand rounds of .22 LR in your pack. A .22 LR would be preferable to a quite a few other rounds due to ease of shooting, the amount of rounds you can carry without overburdening your pack, and plenty of people have been killed by .22 LR rounds. Think someone would keep trying to attack you if you shot him in the face 5 or 6 times with a .22 LR? I led off with "regardless of the firearm", and I probably should modify that. I think a 1911 in 45 ACP with a .22 LR conversion kit would be firearm for all situations, as an example. I'm sure other combinations would work well also.

For me:

-Glock 19: city, travel etc
-Glock 20: when Im running, fishing or boating out in the village
-Ruger Redhawk 2.75" hiking or hunting sidearm
-Ruger SBH 454 for primary hunting gun or backup when I bowhunt

-Ruger single 6 convertible 22lr for small game, hiking, hunting etc

I could probably ditch the g19 and use the g20 for that stuff if I really wanted to.

Took the whole side of my left pointer finger off with a framing hammer decades ago... damn wrong-size TECO nails for the joist hangers... it's still numb. The worst part is the moment after you do it before the pain hits. Still have that hammer. It was new then, it's old now. Hey wait a minute......

Handguns are very much like hammers to me- IE, they are tools- and my simple battary is a concealed piece, for which I am currently exploring new options to replace the several Kahr's I've owned, a standard-frame Glock in .40, and a big 10mm Glock trail gun. Tools. Durable, a great value, and effective. Good tools. Not sexy.

Rifles are sexy. Oops, wrong forum!

If I had to pare it down to 3 (God forbid!) I would have to go with:

-S&W 12-2 for EDC
-Ruger Blackhawk .44spl for 4-legged critters
-Ruger MKII .22 for plinking and everything else