The Down Range Forum
Member Section => Handguns => Topic started by: GI Joe on December 24, 2010, 01:50:34 PM
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I have been reducing guns owned and commonizing ammo between guns. My G17 is a keeper, My 357 mag may be trading stock.
I have considerd the guns mentioned above, some of them I have owned before. Enjoy the poll!
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Not sure if you are looking to skew the results towards an answer that you want, but where is the 1911 option? If you are trying to discount it because you feel it is outdated, the title should of been " one handgun to do everything.............EXCEPT 1911". If you are trying to truly answer the question, then ALL mainstream guns should of been included. JMHO!
Brian
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I wouldn't be looking at full size if carry is an option unless you live somewhere darn cold or wear a suit most days. I'd trade that G-17 for the G-19 (or equivelant). You lose nothing in terms of accuracy and it does carry better. As far as a 1911? Its a nice gun (I have a hi-power which is almost the same design), but I don't like a manual safety on an SD piece. Others disagree and thats fine, its just an individual thing. The Colts have been around for a hundred years for a reason, but for civilian concealed carry, I personally prefer a DAO pistol without a safety or a revolver, preferrably in .357
FQ13.
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Given those choices, I'd go with the MP - I assumed that was M&P. In real life, I'd say "none of the above."
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None of the above needs to be an option. The closest I have to a one gun does it all is a compact Para Ordnance LDA.
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None of the above needs to be an option. The closest I have to a one gun does it all is a compact Para Ordnance LDA.
+1
But with a Commander.......... Only one that covers all basses.
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If you take back country living, hunting/survival into account a Glock 20sf would be hard to beat for a versatile, do everything semi auto pistol.....if you could afford to feed the beast. You can load it for personal defence agains 2 legs, or step it up for the woods.
I don't think many handguns can do as much, with a good number of rounds in the mag.
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The .357 is the one I would keep rather than any of those wimpy 9mm's.
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None of the above.......... Glock 19 or compact 1911
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I voted Glock, but if I were being limited to just one handgun...I would likely go with either a 4" 686 Smith and Wesson or something along the lines of a model 58 chambered in .41 Magnum.
Another possibility would be the Model 610, chambered in 10mm auto which will also accept the .40 cal rounds...loaded with full moon clips....should make for a great all around revolver.
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The .357 is the one I would keep rather than any of those wimpy 9mm's.
+1 or even a .44?? S&W, or Ruger Police Service Six? The .357 is a viable option to cover the OP,
Based on the choices, my G21 .45, would cover the given parameters. Sure it's a rail road tie, but it is concealable, and not uncomfortable to carry.
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Actually, given my choice between a 7-8 round 1911 or one of the new "hi-cap" .357s that also hold either 7-8 rounds (I really haven't looked at them) from Smith or Taurus, I'd give the revolvers a long hard look if I were going to the sand box. It will always go bang, its the same capacity and speed to fire and the more robust round would seem to offset the slower reload. Though watching guys who are good wth speed loaders, its pretty darn fast with the wheelguns, and deploying to face the ragheads is plenty on incentive to practice. FWIW.
FQ13
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The .357 is the one I would keep rather than any of those wimpy 9mm's.
When I posted earlier I was pressed for time (errands ;D ) so I did not explain my reasoning and perhaps sounded snottier than I intended.
The OP said One hand gun for all purpose, that would range from plinking to self defense and hunting. With the exception of the Glock's all the listed choices are primarily 9mm, which, until the introduction of newer bullet designs was considered minimal at best for self defense , and is still considered a joke for a hunting round. with the .357 you can shoot .38 specials which will do any thing a 9mm will do, plus, you have the option of switching to full power magnum rounds for self defense or hunting game of deer size or larger. It is worth remembering that in it's early days the .357 magnum was used by one hunter to take every variety of game in America. (I forget his name, but some one else will know who I'm talking about ).
Also, in an "only one gun" situation a semi auto is a poor choice, if your magazines become damaged, and they will, you no longer have any pistol, just an awkward, very short, club, this makes even a lower capacity 6 round revolver a far more practical choice than any of the massive capacity "wonder nines" that mall ninja's are so enamored of.
Unless you are a mall ninja, then I would suggest a Glock 20. 10mm, it's to much gun for the squirrels and rabbits you are more likely to be shooting in a survival situation, but it holds a lot of effective rounds, and mall ninja's are not noted for their ability, so that becomes important.
I do not consider the .44's revolver's because of the all purpose stipulation, while a .357 K frame revolver is about the upper limit of concealable pistol, that is still capable of taking larger game the .44 is just to heavy and bulky for concealed carry.
While I carry a 1911 for an every day CCW, the .45 ACP cartridge is a close range fighting caliber, while people have killed bears with it it is a poor choice as you have to be much closer than with the .357 since with the larger slower bullet you are trading effective range for hitting power, it's a bit large for smaller game and you are again dependent on fallible magazines.
As I say, I own both, if I'm going down town I grab the 1911, If I was fleeing with what I could carry, it would be abandoned in favor of the .357.
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+1 for .357! A 4 inch .357 is the best balanced all-around gun. Defense, Comp, Hunt, plink and easy for the less motivated family members to use. In an auto, the closest would be a 10mm. A 10mm revolver might fit the bill too, since they can also shoot 40, but then you have to move up to an N frame and that screws the CCW a little bit.
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An affordable list that I like. I have a couple of M&P's and they are great however....one that you left off the list that is on the less expensive end of things is the Ruger SR-9. I carry a full sized one...if I didn't carry that it would probably be one of the M&P's (which I voted for). The P90 is a boat anchor...reliable, but a boat anchor.
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The "target" shooting and survival sort of skews it in my book. Got to be a .357 revolver, because of the versatility of the round. Personally, I'd go with a 6" stainless, like the 686 or 66.
However, I'll take issue with the reliability of revolvers over semi-autos. I've owned and shot enough revolvers to know they are subject to malfunctions. Cylinder lock is easy to achieve with just a little foreign matter inside the frame. One could argue that a closed breech semi-auto is more reliable on the first shot, since it's action is entirely enclosed and fairly impervious to contamination.
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This is a tricky question to answer.
What are the percentages for the situations listed?
Will you leave it at home more than conceal carry it? Will you carry it every day, but use it at the range once every three to six months? How bad is the crime in your neighborhood? Is it detroit level or are you in the white collar suburbs or do you live in a retirement community full of senior citizens? Do you hunt?
Since you already have a G-17, have you thought about seeing if you can get the shorter barrel and slide from a G-19 to switch to for concealed carry duty. (I hear that they are interchangable from Eric Shelton and Bob Mayne on the Handgun World Show Podcast. Episode 90. http://www.handgunworld.com/?p=558 (http://www.handgunworld.com/?p=558) )
I've been trying to dowsize my ammo differences too, and recently bought a 1895 Marlin .357 to go with my .357 revolver. I figure these will do fine for home defense in my area. For concealed, my wife has a 380 so I'm gonna get one for me as well.(Mixed collar neighboorhood in a retirement economic based area.) If I was in Detroit or the border suburbs, I'd have a Glock 17 with the 30 round mags and a Kel Tec Sub 2000 carbine that accepts the glock mags and hang the concerns of overpenetration. (it's gonna be house to street shooting anyway there.)
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Couldn't bring myself to pick anything from that list... :(
I will say, at least the Beretta 92SF is pretty! :)
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Downsizing for ammo is a good idea but I don't think one gun will do it for SHTF scenario. Then you'll need to scrounge and you'll need 9mm, 45 acp, and 357 to use what you can find.
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This is an impossible question. Its like asking what is the best gun? I get asked that question every day I work. My answers are: Guns are similar to tools. The tool must fit the job. The gun must fit the application. This is the reason people buy different guns. Welcome to the addiction! My job is to feed your addiction!
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My vote would also be a Glock 20 although you could sub either a 10mm 1911 or 10mm EAA Witness if either of these worked better for you. They can all be concealed fairly easily and although 10mm is not as readily accessible as a lot of ammo if it is your only handgun I'd hope you'd have a nice stockpile of different loads. Since +P+ 10mm loads from Cor-Bon and others is very close in ballistics to 44mag and regular FMJ loads are mild enough for plinking it's really the only round that can be easily carried, available in high capacity if needed and is sufficient to stop basically any 2 or 4 legged creature in North America. My 2nd choice would probably be a Scandium framed 8 shot S&W 357. Its nice to not have to settle for only 1 gun.
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I have never owned anything on the list so I picked the Ruger. Every 4 years I re-qualified for my CCW with my KP-89 until last year when I used my Walther P99 since that is one of my carry guns. A Glock could be my choice if I had any real range time with one but I never really warmed to them because of their looks.
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Mort, the thing to remember about the Glock is that it is nothing more than a "shooting tool".
If you want, "Craftsmanship", beautiful blueing, clean lines, etc buy a S&W or a 1911. If you just want a blaster that will go bang every time you pull the trigger, go Glock.
Think AK of pistols ;D
The G20 10mm would be my second choice for this thread, and is the only one on the list even worthy of consideration since despite the price and availability issues with ammo it is the only one that will take down deer or larger game.
The only valid complaints I have ever heard about the Glock are that some folks are not comfortable with the grip angle, or the diameter of the double stack mag is to big for their hand, also, single action shooters don't care for the longer DA trigger pull.
Those are all subjective opinions and not "faults" in the design.
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Something else to think about, many states have laws reguarding the use of hang guns while hunting.
examples are min barrel lenghts, min power factor, min cal, min OAL, has to be center fire and max capcity( this one is very rare)
So make sure you check your local laws.
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Hunting isn't on the list, but if you are looking to hunt you need to look at a revolver which also isn't on the list.
I don't see any single gun on the list that I would vote for as a do all for your list, so I won't vote.
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Hunting isn't on the list, but if you are looking to hunt you need to look at a revolver which also isn't on the list.
I don't see any single gun on the list that I would vote for as a do all for your list, so I won't vote.
Ah, but suggest one. You might have something the OP didn't think of. My view on these things is that you can ignore the list and still be constructive if you A) respect the price point, B) consider the desired mission, and C) offer a useful reason why weapon d as opposed to A,B, or C is worth a look. just my .02.
FQ13
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I must have been the only one to vote for 92f. The m9 just seems to do all of the above, ammo is cheap and mag capacity it good.
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The Glock 20 is my 1st choice, if I could have 2, it would not be in list. Hard hitting, accurate, capable of taking big game, wanted to be Texas Parks and Wildlife officer, the wait was 2 years, so I did not pursue that, but I decided the Glock 20 was the pistol, for this job.
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Hunting isn't on the list, but if you are looking to hunt you need to look at a revolver which also isn't on the list.
I don't see any single gun on the list that I would vote for as a do all for your list, so I won't vote.
There is nothing wrong with hunting with the right automatic. the only real issue is in standard autos the only decent cal is 10 mm. yeah there is the mag research in several hard hitting cals, but those are not a standard auto. frankly I'd rather see some one hunt with a gov length 1911 in 45 acp then a snubby in say 38 spl. The longer the site picture, the less likly you are to miss.
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I think what's throwing all of us here is hunting versus concealed carry versus range gun. These are very different applications. The only real winners are a 4" .357 or a 10mm, and the ten is expensive to feed and ammo can be hard to find. 40 yards at bambi and concealable and range accurate is a stretch (doable, but a stretch). Combining the apps and looking at a general purpose gun, the .357 seems to be the leader, 10mm in second place. A Desert Eagle is its own category. Its a purpose built weapon and outside of the price range. Plus, how the heck do you conceal one?
FQ13
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I think what's throwing all of us here is hunting versus concealed carry versus range gun. These are very different applications. The only real winners are a 4" .357 or a 10mm, and the ten is expensive to feed and ammo can be hard to find. 40 yards at bambi and concealable and range accurate is a stretch (doable, but a stretch). Combining the apps and looking at a general purpose gun, the .357 seems to be the leader, 10mm in second place. A Desert Eagle is its own category. Its a purpose built weapon and outside of the price range. Plus, how the heck do you conceal one?
FQ13
I tell you what, you buy me one, and I'll find away to conceal one, deal?
I actually know a guy that can conceal a 8" Xframe, and does a very good job of it. Stu is one of those guys that always wears cammo cargo pants and a tactical vest all the time. Let me put it this way, when he shows up to the range, I pack up and leave. He is one of the few people that I know that can legally own guns, but shouldn't. Infact I don't think he should be allowed to own power tools either.
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I would like to thank everyone for their replies and opinions. I think the discussion has been very good. I think you can do everything with one gun if the caliber is big enough. You can shoot small animals with a larger caliber(shot placement needed) but a small caliber is not effective on large animals. We all know larger calibers work well in SD applications and they will all work on putting holes in paper and banging gongs and silloettes.(sp)
It would seem to me that performance on target, shot placement, etc would be primary considerations as oppossed to concealment etc just for the fact that the weapon has to perform when pulling the trigger.
With all this said I do not practice this entirley! But it is good to think about. I currently use for CCW, HD and target practice a S&W 686, G17 and an 870. I give up some concealablity espesically with the 870 but they all hit hard and where I aim.
Thanks again.
At Ease!
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My $0.02....take it for what it's worth....
First....let's take the hunting option off the table. You should keep a shotgun and/or rifle for that use. Not that you can't hunt with any pistol...but the long-gun is a better choice for that task.
Second....in any decision where CCW is an option, smaller is better. You can use a smaller gun to target shoot easier than you can conceal a larger gun. By smaller, I mean a compact or subcompact pistol or revolver in a service caliber....like a Springfield XDsc or a Ruger SP101.
Third....if financial problems are a concern, I'd lean toward the revolver. No magazines or recoil springs to regularly replace...and revolvers aren't as picky about the ammo they use. You can save a lot of money on these items.
Fourth....keep a .22lr pistol (and rifle) in your battery. A .22lr revolver or pistol (depending on the type of your service-power handgun) will enable you to practice important things like target acquisition and trigger control inexpensively and helps you save on ammo costs. Plus, a .22lr handgun can be pressed into service as a SD weapon....better than harsh language.
Hope this helps.....
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The Glock 20 is my 1st choice, if I could have 2, it would not be in list. Hard hitting, accurate, capable of taking big game, wanted to be Texas Parks and Wildlife officer, the wait was 2 years, so I did not pursue that, but I decided the Glock 20 was the pistol, for this job.
That was my point exactly, if I could only have one it would have to be a 10mm and to me the Glock is the easiest to conceal. If I can only own two then the 10mm drops off my list for ammo issues and I probably go Glock 30 (maybe 19 or XDM) and a 3"-4" .44mag. I know the .44 would be in for sure I'd have to think long and hard on the 9 vs 45 for the other.
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I'd probably go with the Glock .40 Compact with a slide and barrel conversion for the .357 Sig. But please don't ask me to make the decision because I'd probably have to bury some in the back yard so no one knew.
Just me I guess,
Richard
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Based on the criteria and the responses given it kinds of lends itself to nominate the Sig P250 (with a revolver backup in .357).
Four different calibers in two three different frame sizes, lightweight, Sig Sauer accuracy in a convertible handgun.
Just need to spend the money and carry the extra mags and barrels with you when the SHTF. I think I just convinced myself to look a bit further into this little beauty!
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Based on the criteria and the responses given it kinds of lends itself to nominate the Sig P250 (with a revolver backup in .357).
Four different calibers in two three different frame sizes, lightweight, Sig Sauer accuracy in a convertible handgun.
Just need to spend the money and carry the extra mags and barrels with you when the SHTF. I think I just convinced myself to look a bit further into this little beauty!
I bought one a while back and couldn't get rid of it fast enough, thankfully I almost broke even on it. Hands down worst trigger pull of any auto pistol I've ever owned and just felt like a hunk of crap in my hand. In compact form it wasn't quite so bad but with the full sized frame and barrel assembly it was the most out of balanced gun I've ever picked up. The trigger felt like I was trying to pull 40 grit sandpaper through wet bondo with a 30# weight tied to the end. I'm not a huge fan of Sig's "good" double action triggers and this one is at the bottom of what I've seen them produce. It also wouldn't really work in the only one gun sceario since it's not available in 10mm and that is the only auto pistol caliber safe for large or dangerous animals. You could have the 10mm Glock and buy a .45 barrel and mags much cheaper. .45 is at least much more available and cheaper than 10mm for most of your needs. The EAA Witness series are just about as modular, you can't change the grip length but you can go longer barrels, with or without compensators and change more caliber choices than the Sig with barrels and magazines. On top of that you have an all metal pistol. If you look carefully you can just about buy a Witness full sized and compact for the price of a "2sum". If you like the 250 more power to you, to each his own. As far as I'm concerned I wouldn't own another if you gave it to me (but I would accept it then promptly sell it). ;D
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Absolutely agree with Tombogan and M25 operator on the .357 and G20. Problem with the G20 is ammo. Hard to find and expensive. I am a Glock fan and carry my G30SF .45 ACP daily. All that you want can be found in a .357 by Ruger or Smith and Wesson.
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As far as I'm concerned I wouldn't own another if you gave it to me (but I would accept it then promptly sell it). ;D
I appreciate your review, I'll keep looking or stick with what I know works. Now that I'm out of the Peoples Republic, I have a huge assortment to choose from. I'm awful choosy and take my time anyway so I might have come to the same conclusion on my own but you've save me the hassle.
Thanks.
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I appreciate your review, I'll keep looking or stick with what I know works. Now that I'm out of the Peoples Republic, I have a huge assortment to choose from. I'm awful choosy and take my time anyway so I might have come to the same conclusion on my own but you've save me the hassle.
Thanks.
Timothy, now that you're a free man, I'll repeat an earlier suggestion. Buy a Bond (see my post on the .410). Congratulations on your emancipation. Who knew you had to break South to get free. ;D
FQ13
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Timothy, now that you're a free man, I'll repeat an earlier suggestion. Buy a Bond (see my post on the .410). Congratulations on your emancipation. Who knew you had to break South to get free. ;D
FQ13
But, it's not the same state I left 14 years ago. They got all in our junk about firearms over the last decade or so. I'm still going naked cuz of the new rules and residency, training, money, more money and something called, money!
Taking the NRA Basic Pistol course in a couple weeks, apply for the CT CC permit, reapply for my MA non-resident permit, apply for the RI non-resident permit and I'm good. After all that I'll be out another 300-500 bucks.
Ya gotta realize, in about three minutes and a wrong turn I'm in Rhode Island which isn't a bad thing when I'm unarmed. A completely different story when I'm healed... I don't have much of a choice.
My kingdom for National Reciprocity!
ps....don't start TAB!
;D
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Timothy, now that you're a free man, I'll repeat an earlier suggestion. Buy a Bond (see my post on the .410). Congratulations on your emancipation. Who knew you had to break South to get free. ;D
FQ13
When you're in Mass the only worse direction is West, (NY) even East is a better choice (Atlantic Ocean )North is best though (NH and Vt. )
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When you're in Mass the only worse direction is West, (NY) even East is a better choice (Atlantic Ocean )North is best though (NH and Vt. )
Yes, I would most certainly prefer drowning over living in the state of New York...
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I appreciate your review, I'll keep looking or stick with what I know works. Now that I'm out of the Peoples Republic, I have a huge assortment to choose from. I'm awful choosy and take my time anyway so I might have come to the same conclusion on my own but you've save me the hassle.
Thanks.
Don't discount it just because it didn't work for me, they're selling so obviously somebody likes them. I had one of the first "2 some" sets so they could always improve on them. I'm glad to give a review and I'll tell it exactly like it was for me but everybody is different. I compare every regular carry pistol to a Glock, if it won't do the same thing either better or for less money then I don't see a point. I make exceptions for 1911's or other pistols I find specifically collectible or that I just want to own but when it comes to a carry gun it usually needs to out Glock a Glock.
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Why's the Glock choice limited to full size? A stock G30 holds just as many rounds as a G21, and with magazine extensions is actually more comftorble / controlable / concealable.
What Santa brought me. :)
(http://i703.photobucket.com/albums/ww40/BigCheeseStick/P1010950.jpg)
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My one handgun would be a revolver. The reason why,I am disabled by type one diabetes and osteo. I do not have to bend over to pickup brass so,that is why I choose a revolver. I do love Rugers and S&Ws revolver from the .22 to the 44 mag by these two gun makers for their quality and accuracy. rich642z
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I didn't vote in the poll due to two platforms not being in consideration.
The first is the 1911 for concealed carry, home defense, target shooting, plinking and what-not. The second, and would be my first choice if I could only have one handgun for everything with a caveat, would be a 5" .357 Magnum. The caveat being that bears or larger dangerous game weren't a realistic possibility. If I was in Alaska, or other Moose/Bear country I'd be inclind to go with a larger caliber.
I don't thin one handgun can fill all the roles that we ask a handgun to perform, but some come close. The closest, IMO, is the 4" - 6" .357 Magnum. That is just my opinion though, and worth what you paid me for it.
Biker