In the 1911 or Sig thread I mentioned a very basic battery of handguns thread I had done a few years back on another site. I figure it would not be a bad one to do here, as this place is FAR more switched on when it comes to pistol craft.
So here is my basic battey that I would be comfortable with covering my needs as a handgunner:
#1. A 9mm Glock (G19 or G17) though the 19 makes the most sense (for me). Hard to beat as a primary CCW piece, you can compete with it, and it would obviously work well in the home defense role as well. I literally could toss a coin between the G17 or 19 though, as I have never had any problem hiding a G17, and shoot one slightly better than the G19.
#2. A 1911 of high quality. While the G19 can do most of the same things, I would never want to be without a super accurate 1911.
It can be used in various types of competition, makes a solid carry gun, Works very well in the small game hunting role, plus home and animal defense, etc. Shown is my well worn 1st gen Kimber, but these days I would definitely pick my Baer.
#3. A J Frame for pocket carry, and days that you don't feel like carrying a gun. These days there are a good number of guns that can work well as a pocket gun, like the G43, but a J Frame with Laser grips is hands down my favorite pocket/BUG. They are actually FAR more accurate than most believe or give them credit for. The CT grips make all the difference in the world though for shooting precisely, especially in low light.
#4. A large frame revolver like an N Frame in .44 magnum or .45 Colt. Again, there are now other platforms that can cover many of the things a large bore revolver does well, like a .460 Rowland on a 1911, or even the .45 Super in a HK, large frame Glock, 1911, or whatever. That said, a 5" N Frame is (in my opinion) one of the single most versatile handguns around, capable of taking virtually any land animal from Moose to rodents.
I very much prefer the .44 mag over the .45 Colt due to the fact that quite often the guns chambered in .45 Colt have throats of various sizes. They can be reamed out to correct this, but generally speaking that is a problem that is quite rare with .44 mag guns. I have owned numerous Model 25s, and a number of Ruger single actions, and almost all needed attention to get uniform throats.
However, the .45 Colt when properly reamed can cover the same "Mice to Moose" that a .44 mag does. I have a couple of single action .45s that are excellent shooters, but I have had far more that were not.
#5. A high quality .22, such as a Woodsman, Buckmark, MKII, etc, preferably threaded for a suppressor. These days an excellent Marvel conversion kit on a 1911 can easily fill this role, but I still prefer a trim little Woodsman/Huntsman for a rimfire trail gun. They make great trainers for introducing gun shy or apprehensive shooters to pistol shooting, and a high quality one will last generations. I know that each of my girls will receive their own .22 semi auto pistol when they reach the right age, and are on their own.
Since I originally took that picture, there have been numerous guns and products (like conversion kits) introduced that I could use, and modify the list, but the above picture represents a nice battery that would work great for me.
I am interested to hear what others would choose if limited to 5 handguns, or aspire to accumulate 5 guns for a battery.
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Originally Posted by Lost River
