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• Doug

  5/3/2013 4:14:18 PM

  Fired Glocks, watched them choke on less than PERFECT ammo. Stovepipe city at the range, would NOT count on them on the job!

• Jeff

  10/1/2012 7:35:57 PM

  There are an awful lot of S&W guns on this list. I like them myself and I have a 629 but I don't feel I need 3 different models before I die. A whole lot of people would say Sig Sauer made the best pistol of all time. The P210 is on my bucket list for sure. And there's a bias toward historical significance here too. I'd rather have the 10 best guns rather than the 10 most significant from a limited time period and that's what this list boils down to.

• Mack Missiletoe

  9/29/2012 9:52:24 PM

  I shot a Glock compact 9mm of sorts a friend owned. Since I want a full size I did not enjoy it. It was far too light and felt like plastic. For a carry piece it would have worked. I hated that 'safe' trigger. It felt stupid against my superior finger. I have trouble buying plastic. I consider polymer guns 'throw away' in that I would not miss them if I traded them. I liked the way the 4th gen Glock 19 felt in my hand. But it's still plastic... no offense.

• Mike

  9/25/2012 9:51:13 PM

  That’s a hell of a list, I have owned 4 of the 10 that is on the list but I think you should have added one more just for fun. The S&W 500 4 inch. This is a kick in the ass to shoot. it is truly a big boys handgun or big girls handgun. After 20 rounds you are done for the day.

• steve chalk

  9/22/2012 12:12:34 AM

  Great list, but without a doubt missing one of the all time best military issue sidearms.The SIG p210 perhaps the most accurate mass produced pistol ever.

• Steve

  9/21/2012 7:36:41 PM

  Good list! Of course with so many different opinions out there you stirred up a lot of good natured trouble. I have a few of the guns on your list but have to agree with Dave Cohen the S&W 500 is outrageous and should definitely be on everyone's list! It is incredible to shoot and you can't stop grinning like an idiot when you are done shooting. Very expensive ammunition is the only thing keeping me from shooting mine every trip to the range.

• thomas

  9/21/2012 3:00:06 PM

  I'd sure like to pop a few rounds from the new 2011 manufactured by Arsenal Firearms. what a beauty of a weapon!!

• Robert Mitchell

  9/20/2012 8:45:28 PM

  If you like military pistols, then in the "must have/most used" category, along with the 1911 and Hi-Power, one must include the Walther P-38 and Beretta 1951. The '51 Beretta is the direct progenitor of todays Beretta 92/M9 and has been used by many militaries, including Israel and her Arab foes, who both made knock-off copies. And Beretta got their twin lockup system from the P-38, which was the first full size pistol to also have a double action trigger and was used by many military and police agencies

• Ray

  9/18/2012 8:17:42 AM

  Jerry Lee picked all the guns that i have owned and the ones i wish i would have bought years ago. Very fine choice and very good taste in firearms.

• Val Brahm

  9/5/2012 2:57:16 PM

  Hate it, Don't like the trigger, besides most cops don't know guns, and would carry a brick if told to and they didn't have to pay for it.

• Rich Arant

  9/3/2012 2:54:33 PM

  The Colt Python is the best of the best to look at and handle, Royal Blue, 2 1/2 inches, elephant ivory grips.

• rdusa

  9/2/2012 4:26:39 PM

  Ditto on the Colt Pythion. Also, I'd give a nod to the Hi-Standard .22 auto and the 1851 Navy. I prefer Sig, but I suppose you should give Glock credit for starting the plastic gun movement.

• Harvey

  9/2/2012 3:36:28 PM

  I agree with others about the Model 1911...mine and other serviceman's side arm. The Colt Woodsman is OK but I prefer HiStandard .22 target autos.

• Harry

  9/1/2012 1:47:28 PM

  Except for the woodsman, I had them all--and also the Python, 1911s, Lugers, and a .50AE Lucifer's Hammer by Gary Reeder. The 1911 belongs on the list. The Colt Detectivr Special also belongs there in place of the J frame. I agree the 1917 Colt or Smith belongs there in place of the Glock--although I did some satisfying shooting with a Glock 17 and 19. Today I would not be without my Bersa CCW or my 1903 Colt Pocket. But when size does not matter, my 1911 style Nighthawk Predator presides.h

• Dustin

  8/29/2012 9:04:06 PM

  The list is spot on but I would get the Glock out of there and put the M9 in it'S place.Did we all forget the long and faithful service it gave us in the united states military and still give to this day.

• Ian

  8/28/2012 5:10:53 PM

  Single Action Army Luger Walther P38 1911 Hi Power Colt Python S&W Model 29 Glock Desert Eagle Ruger Mk.III

• Walter H

  8/27/2012 3:36:00 PM

  There was a time when I thought I would enter into competition handgun shooting. I assembled what was then, a good working arsenal for punching paper targets in 22, 38, and 45 calibers. They were the S&W Model 41, the S&W Model 52-2, and the Colt Gold Cup Series 70. None of these great handguns were mentioned for the Bucket List. Maybe they weren't really that good except in my dreams. Now that I am an old geezer I have let them go one at a time over this past year. As we speak, (or read), my favorite, the 38 Master 52-2 is on Gun Auction.com. Oh well.

• Gene P

  8/24/2012 2:54:28 PM

  Have to say that I miss the absolute best semi-auto I own , namely; the Beretta 92FS. Clean or dirty even with the cheapest 9mm ammo , it just keeps on firing.

• Joe

  8/24/2012 2:06:32 PM

  I once had the Browing high Power. A very well made and ballanced gun that COULD NOT hit the broad side of a barn from the inside. Shooting about 35 feet I aimed for the top of the backboard (which was over my head) and the bullet hit the ground 3 feet in front of the backboard.Bought a Ruger P91DC (in 1999 or 2000) .40 S&W 8 out of ten shots in pieplate at 50 yards.

• Ed Peterson

  8/23/2012 10:30:09 PM

  I have owned all but the SAA and the Woodsman. I prefer Ruger's Blackhawk because it is much stronger. I have fired but not owned the Super Redhawk Alaskan - nice gun - I had design input with Mr. Ruger on the original Redhawk (see the 1979 Guns and Ammo annual). I carried the Glock 22 with my badge number and the Wyoming Highway Patrol "winged wheel" etched on it while on duty. I never did like it - not near the gun the H&K USP compact is! I have one of the S&W 340PD "no weight" 357 magnums. MUCH more recoil than a Model 36 with 38's - it is worse than my S&W 500 [now THAT's a bear gun - and I live in grizzly country.] A Colt Detective rotates the wrong direction, but it does hold 6 shots. The bottom line - buy what you like, shoot it often enough to shoot it well, and never be far from at least one handgun.

• Mike

  8/23/2012 10:21:25 PM

  Ah, so many fine handguns, so little time. I thought the list was a good one. I haven't owned or even fired all of the ones on the list but I have read reviews by people who shoot a lot and they like all of them. From the humble and grossly underrated .22 all the way to the big, kicks like a mule .44 there was something for everyone. Can't please all the people all the time, but it sure is easy to rile them up. My friend has a S&W .357. I got to say it packs a wallop. And you can still shoot .38s for less money and less punishment. .22 makes a good pack and survival weapon. You can carry 200 rounds without breaking your back. I have owned three on this list and liked them. Maybe I'll own all before I kick the bucket maybe not. We'll just see what comes my way. For now the 1911 in .45 fills the big ticket and the little .22 lets me plink for penneys a day. I suppose I really should get a light weight revolver for concealed carry but I'm too cheap to lay out gobs of money. Maybe a bargain will show up one day. Yeah and maybe I win the lotto or get hit by lightning. Anyway, guys, be careful out there. Keep your ear to the ground and your shoulder to the wheel. Now if you can hit anything in that position, you are a better shot then me. .............later...............

• Aaron

  8/23/2012 6:12:13 PM

  Several comments recommend the Colt Python should be included. I have shot both the Python and the King Cobra. I prefer and own the King Cobra, thus it gets my recommendation to be included.

• Jim Peden

  8/23/2012 12:14:07 PM

  Pshaw.... he forgot the Luger, the Colt Python, the Broomhandle Mauser, the P-38, the High Standard 104 target pistol, the British Webley, the 52 S&W and a dozen others far more interesting than this Wal-Mart collection.

• Todd

  8/23/2012 10:51:51 AM

  No Luger ???

• jonp

  8/23/2012 7:16:16 AM

  I've been fortunate to own all of these firearms except for the Glock which I dislike immensely. No knock on the Glock, I just don't care for them. Like any good list people are fighting over what should have and have not been included. Mine woudl have included a Ruger Blackhawk as the handgun which re-ignited the single action and helped revitalize an industry.

• C. J. Hall

  8/22/2012 6:28:05 PM

  Yuck. First off, it does not have the classic 11 degree grip angle of a 1911 or most target guns, so if I instinctively point shoot, I hit the sky. (It's OK IF you only own and train with a Glock - like the average cop. But serious target shooters can't mix.) Second, I'm not a fan of striker fired pistols, though Glock IS in fact pretty reliable. I prefer an external hammer. Third, I WANT a safety, not a silly trigger within a trigger. Fourth, will I be able to pass a polymer pistol along to my grandkids? Or will the plastic be dust? Steel endures. I won't buy one.

• JC

  8/22/2012 4:08:19 PM

  Sig Sauer P229 in 357Sig

• David Fagan

  8/21/2012 5:24:08 PM

  Sig P210 (M49) - unquestionably best. Walther P5.

• Gene Hogan

  8/20/2012 10:56:42 AM

  You left out a S&W K-22 Why?

• LWB

  8/18/2012 3:10:42 PM

  I would have had the Colt Python, a Ruger MK III 22 pistol and a Freedom Arms single action in any caliber.

• d. barge

  8/17/2012 1:07:59 PM

  can't limit it to 10- sorry. I have, or do own ,m ore than half of your list but why even try to limit yourself to just 10?

• Peter Caroline

  6/17/2012 9:31:59 PM

  Good grief! I've owned all ten of these guns. Does that mean the end is near?!

• thomas griffin

  6/17/2012 3:34:46 PM

  I have owned 7 of the 10. One pistol left out, IMHO, is the Colt Python.

• Bob P

  6/14/2012 8:15:53 PM

  Surprised the Walther P-38 didn't make the list but the PPKS pic did. I own three Walthers a P-38, ppks in .32 cal. and P-99 in S&W .40 cal. Not all firearms especially hand guns don't have to be big calibers to be big fun to shoot. I own a few on this list and another one that should be on here I think is the 1903 colt automatic pocket pistol chambered in .32 ACP. The Browning 10-22 chambered in .32 cal not quite as nice as the pocket pistol. I do like my 1911 and my 1911A 70 series combat comander too. The .44 mag does tend to make other people stop shooting when you fire it at the gun range though. I get the smirk when they do knowing that big bang of a .44 mag just got their full, undivided attention and shut up the glocks, sigs, and beretta shooters with one or two rounds in the 10 ring. That .32 gives me the same smirk when I am just plinking away with it and nobody notices.

• David Chalk

  6/14/2012 9:41:35 AM

  You might want to consider the German Luger for this list. I second the motion on the Beretta open-slide 92, 96 etc. Good idea...now let's see the list for the long guns!

• Tom Arline

  6/14/2012 4:42:21 AM

  How you left out the Colt Python 357 I don't know...

• Scotty

  6/13/2012 10:27:17 PM

  My favorite guns are the one's that lit up my children's eyes...they're on this list!

• Frank

  6/13/2012 9:37:50 PM

  Uhhhhh, where's the M9?

• Gary Henson

  6/13/2012 5:46:47 PM

  Where is the Colt Python, 357 ?

• Carl P.

  6/13/2012 5:42:29 PM

  You missed the best handgun ever made... Colt's Python.

• USAF Security

  6/13/2012 5:20:47 PM

  #11 the Beretta Model 92. Not because of its capabilities but because i have seen it in every newer movie that has guns.When people think of guns their first image is either the M1911 or the M9

• Coraider

  6/13/2012 5:06:34 PM

  No SIG...thats just not right. I also have many of the guns in the article, but I love my SIG P220 Elite Stainless!

• Wookie

  6/13/2012 11:42:52 AM

  Great list. For me personally, I would have thrown out all the revolvers except for maybe a United States Revolver Caliber .45 M1917, and added P08 Luger, Walther P38, Broomhandle Mauser or Colt 1903. I would also replace the Colt Woodsman with the Browning Buckmark.

• Dennis

  6/13/2012 10:46:28 AM

  reat selection of weapons. I have 7 of the 10 firearms listed. I carried the Smith & Wesson Model 27 as a State Trooper for many years. I kept a Smith & Wesson Model 29 in my patrol car for an additional weapon. When our department changed to semi autos, I carried a Colt 1911 until I retired. It was the most dependable friend when working alone in the mountains. I carried a Chief's Special for a backup weapon for 31 years. I now keep a Glock model 22 for an emergency weapon, why, because they work.

• John C

  6/13/2012 8:09:56 AM

  I think this list can be characterized as modern, self defense, and parochial. There are other guns I would have added/considered. The 08 Luger, the Mauser Model 1896 (broom handle), the Le Mat percussion revolver (9-.42 rounds and a 16 guage in the center) the Remington XP-100, the Sig p210, and the and perhaps a couple of real target pistols like the Vostok Toz 35, the Hammerli 208.

• Bob

  6/12/2012 10:31:52 PM

  I realize that you are going for popular and well designed more than unique, but what about the Coonan .357 magnum?

• steve comus

  6/12/2012 10:27:26 PM

  I own all of the guns mentioned, and more. What about a Luger? Jerry is on target, but face it, 10 guns just isn't enough. What about a Ruger Bearcat? Good thoughts, but the number needs to be increased because there are so many totally exciting guns out there and too many is not enough. Good job, Jerry. Thanx.

• Bob

  6/12/2012 8:58:45 PM

  I would not change anything here. This is pretty much a premier group of 10 favs. I have had four of the ones above.

• Dave Cohen

  6/12/2012 8:18:15 PM

  What about the iconic, cannon-like outliers, rather than the stately, old, and/or dime-a-dozen pistols? A bucket list should include the wild, crazy, and fun things you never could get around to; not the daily, workhorse tools that you see every day at the range. What about, for example, the S&W 500 Mag, the Desert Eagle, the Wildey Magnum? The 500 is currently the most powerful handgun available (not countng MRI's BFR, which is esentially a knockoff, with loads available with muzzle energies in excess of 3000 ft-lbs, and ALWAYS gets everyone's attention when it goes off (it is also quite intimidating simply lying on a table); the Wildey is available in multiple calibers, barrel lengths, and is the only handgun with an adjustable gas operation; and the Desert Eagle, also available in multiple large-bore calibers, and whose accuracy is fantastic due to it also being gas operated, rather than blowback,is probably the most recognized handgun around, due to being prominently featured in hundreds of movies (and, it is a BLAST to shoot.

• Michael Baker

  6/12/2012 7:32:19 PM

  Great List! I might substitute Bill Ruger's Mark I for the Colt Woodsman.

• Skee D.

  6/12/2012 7:13:38 PM

  OK, I get it. The best "bucket-list" handgun for each popular caliber. I guess I agree with about 85% of 'em.

• Jim Macklin

  6/12/2012 7:08:13 PM

  I've owned most of the guns on your list, in some cases, several. But my list includes the Ruger Hawkeye .256 WM., Ruger Super Blackhawk, S&W 52 , still wanted, Browning Medalist, I regret selling most of those guns. I think my son is served by my old pre-70 series Government Model and I think my current Springfield Armory is a much better built handgun than the Colt. I'd like to have a Ruger SR 1911.

• John McPherson

  6/12/2012 6:53:30 PM

  I refuse to shoot a Glock, just too much plastic. Most of the others I have in the safe.

• Tom

  6/12/2012 5:59:14 PM

  Not a fan of Glock's. There are way too many guns out there that are nicer looking and fine shooting.

• Big D

  6/12/2012 5:32:21 PM

  Forgot the HK USP40 ...

• Cliff Burgess

  6/12/2012 5:19:27 PM

  I am sure that trying to be fair in giving Colt and S&W three each your had to make some hard choices. As an owner at one time or another of many Colt and S&W handguns, I'd give the Colt Python the nod over the S&W 27 and the S&W 4 over the Colt Woodsman. no arguement with your other choices though there are many makes and models not listed that are close to being worthy.

• Dirk

  6/12/2012 3:54:33 PM

  I am surprised that there was no Magnum Research Desert Eagle XIX in there. After all this list seems to contain many TV and movie famous guns.

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