What Pistol should I get?

Question

I am looking @ buying a Glock 17 9mm, or a Smith and Wesson 325PD in .45, or a Taurus Tracker .357 Magnum, or a Smith and Wesson .357 magnum.
I like 9mm cause its plentiful, I like .357 cause it can shoot .38s and possibly 9mm, and I like the .45 for stopping power. I am an avid outdoorsman and am unsure of what to get. I would like a gun for self defense.(Against animals and two-legged predators...) Please help.

Answer 1

I'd go with the Glock 17. Cheaper than a S&W (even 9mm is cheaper than .38 anymore), easier to maintain, parts everywhere, and very durable.

Answer 2

Hard to pick a 'do it all' handgun. Can't go wrong with a Glock and .9mm ammo is found world wide. A .357 Magnum certainly has its advantages, but you won't be casually firing .9mm ammo out of it (unless you find an old Ruger Blackhawk in .357 Mag. with the interchangeable cylinder for .9mm). The Blackhawk, however, is a single action revolver. So that brings us back to the .9mm or the .357 Magnum.

If you are concerned with 4-legged predators as well as 2-legged, then definitely go with the .357 Mag. Neither the .9mm nor the .45 acp are hunting rounds.

Best.

H

Answer 3

You want a "do everything gun". . .

As an avid outdoorsman, I suspect you know the 9mm is probably to small to stop any dangerous animal. I have always been a fan of the .45 ACP, but only has a self defense/duty weapon. The round certainly does have shocking power but, I think, in heavy boned, heavily muscled dangerous animals, it lacks penetration. I would go with a .357 Magnum. Plenty of power and enough penetration for the meaner critters on the planet.
BTW, you mentioned wanting to shoot .357, .38, and 9mm through the same gun. Ruger did make a single action revolver that would do this, but you had to change cylinders. I do not think the gun is available any longer, except on the used gun market.

Ya know, you have the prefect excuse to buy TWO guns. One for self protection and one for hunting. Two guns are always better than one gun.

Answer 4

The Smith 357 would the most logical choice. I would not want to attempt to stop a bear with a 9 or 45. If I could get only one pistol, I would get a 357 with a six or eight inch barrel. I can shoot Gatorade bottles at 100 meters, with open sights. At this distance, the 357 would still have some stopping power. The Seals discovered 9mm sucks at distance (Granada).

Answer 5

If you can only get one, I would look at the .357 magnum. You will have the .357 for wilderness defense and the 38 special for home/urban defense. The 38 special is a decent self-defense round and the .357 magnum will serve your needs in the wilderness.

Personally, I would consider the Taurus or a Ruger, S&W is too expensive.

Answer 6

Definitely go with the .357. Not only can you shoot the .38's for cheaper target practice and fun shooting, but you have a gun that is legal in most states which allow handguns for deer hunting (due to the higher muzzle velocity.) I think that you will find it will have the best stopping power at a longer distance, but I would recommend going with an 8 inch barrel to improve your accuracy as well. I have used mine to take a couple of deer, and have been very happy with the results.

Answer 7

I'd go with the 9mm because you can squeeze the most rounds off with it in the shortest amount of time. My favorite model is the Ruger P95. The stainless barrel really stays clean. It fits perfectly in my hand too. Great for those two legged trouble makers.

As far as predators go, for bear, gator, moose, buffalo, or deer, you really need a long weapon. A pistol probably won't do the trick. Even against a man-sized predator like a cougar, wolf, or pig - you'd need to be really close, really accurate, and dump the clip into the animal to stop it. I recommend a short barrel Winchester 300 shotgun with rifled slugs and buckshot every other round.

Answer 8

.44 revolver would be my suggestion for what you describe.It is capable of(not saying it will) taking down just about every animal in North America.If .44 is too heavy a load,go with .357.If you are just using them for self defense in the woods,get one with a 2 or 4 inch barrel.If you want it as an all purpose survival weapon,go with 4 or 6 inches.if you want it as a Hunting pistol,6 to 8 inches.I reccomend 4 inches as it absorbs a decent amount of the recoil and is still somewhat compact.Go with a S&W double action large frame revolver.And use hollow point bullets.

Answer 9

If I was going the pistol route I'd buy a Glock 17. You can't beat the 17 round capacity and the great reliability. Go with the 9mm. You won't regret it.

Answer 10

There are only two(2*) best choices for your purposes, either the 357 Magnum or 45acp*... Never ever consider the 9mm*.. They are not LETHAL* enough*....