Perfect revolver/pistol??

[Remington40x]

Foxtrapper:

You can't just post something like that and not tell us more about it, like who made it and what it weighs and how it shoots and, well, you get the picture....

Rem

[rjohns94]

see, thats what I'm talking about. very nice foxtrapper

[rjohns94]

Remington40x - i carry a speed six with stag grips for my primary carry (nowadays) and I considered it as near perfect but I'm thinking the shorter barrel, fixed sights and .357 is a bit light for all around perfect for me. For shooting fun and carry reliability, the rugers are way up on the near perfect list.

[rjohns94]

buckeyeshooter,
hate to tell you, someone let the air out of that bear

[Hanzerik]

Yep, quoting myself;
The more I looked at pictures of SBHs the more I wanted one, so I just got back from the funstore after putting a 4 5/8" Blackhawk in .44 Mag on Layaway

...Hopefully my wife doesn't freak out when she eventually finds out

...SNIP...


With that being said, I have really been wanting a .44 SPL/MAG to go with my .44Mag leverguns. And one of these, or a .44Mag SBH would be nice to have.

For an all around packing pistol,my 4 5/8" Lipsy's Flat Top in
.44 Special is becoming a favorite!

[salvo]

Congrats, post some pics when you get it!

Here are a few more favorites

FA 83 Premier Grade .475 Linebaugh


Ruger Bisley Vaquero .44 Mag


1957 Ruger .357 Flat Top


Chopped Ruger SBH .44 Mag

[rjohns94]

ScottS,

Very nice. I once thought that the Mag Na Port Arms "Predator" was the ideal perfect gun and it very well might be. Your chopped SBH in .44 reminds me of it. I was thinking today that perhaps a Bisley version Predator just might be the cats Meow, in .45 Colt/.45 acp.

[salvo]

The Predator definitely inspired my first chop, I even dished out the crown like the Predator, no ports though. I bought it new in 1990 and chopped it before even firing it!

[rjohns94]

Most excellent!!!!

[Streetstar]

Perfect pistol for me is the one i can hit the most with in a caliber that is serious enough to take a deer in a pinch, is awesome for self defense, and can be downloaded for plinking.
This is the most accurate revolver in my repertoire. Which is saying something because i own its brother with an 8 3/8" barrel also.

I can shoot well with my Springfield GI 1911A1 also, but i dont think the round is nearly as versatile as the .357/.38 combo for my use

[kimwcook]

Scott, I like all your handguns, but I fell in love with your Vaquero the first time you posted it. That's a nice looking perfect pistol packin piece.

[salvo]

Thanks kimwcook, the black front site really made it more user friendly for my eyes! And the Bisley grip does make it a pleasure to shoot loaded hot.

[2ndovc]

Scott, I like all your handguns, but I fell in love with your Vaquero the first time you posted it. That's a nice looking perfect pistol packin piece.

Me too! Sharp lookin' sixgun!

I also like my Single Six .32 H&Rs for packin pistols especially if I'm carrying a rifle.
With a pocket full of Shorts, Longs and Mags. they're a lot of fun.
Need a good holster though.



I've also been thinking I want a Ruger 22/45 lately. ( the list just grows and grows ).

jb

[2X22]

I have a few different PPP's, but I'm really starting to get partial to this little 4 5/8" .44 special Ruger that I've been shooting of late. A 255 SWC and 7 1/2grs of Unique gets everything done I want to do anymore.

2x22

[dr walker]

NIce looking guns everyone.
My perfect revolver is a Smith an Wesson 19.

[COSteve]

I got to go a different route than most of you. Yes, the Smiths and Colts and Rugers are great but wheel guns all suffer from two shortcomings; low ammo capacity and relatively heavy weight. The 357mag is marginal for large game (bear and elk) but is helped significantly by shooting it out of a longer, 6" barrel. The same is true of the 10mm round.

If one compares Double Tap’s premium 158grn 357mag ammo’s performance in a 6” 357mag revolver to their 165grn 10mm ammo’s performance in a 6” Glock, you’ll note that while both produce much better performance in the longer barrels, the 10mm just edges out the 357mag’s performance even with a slightly heavier bullet making a slightly larger hole.

In addition, the G20L's ergonomics generate substantially less felt recoil which allows the shooter to place more well aimed shots into a target in a shorter amount of time. In addition, practice sessions with the Glock and full power ammo can routinely consist of 100 rd sessions with no discomfort; an amount that would be painful with a 357mag Smith, Colt, or Ruger.

Comparing packing weight between a 6” S&W 686 in 357mag and my 6" G20L reveals that the G20L's empty weight is dramatically lower. S&W lists the 6” model 686 as weighing 44oz empty (47.5oz with 6 rds of 158grn 357mag ammo). My G20L w/o the magwell (configuration I use when I carry it in the field) weighs 33.2oz empty and 47.0oz fully loaded with 17+1 rds of 180grn 10mm.

That means that when I pack my G20L, I've got a ½oz lighter total sidearm weight that produces slightly better performance in a larger and heavier bullet and I am carrying triple the ammo capacity vs a 6" 357mag S&W 686.

[salvo]

That's one trick G20!
I have a Gen 3 G20 tuned up the trigger and springs and got a 6" Jarvis barrel to shoot my reloads, I like it with the stock length barrel better though, I think I'm going to shorten the Jarvis and be done with it. As you pointed out the G20 has alot going for it.

[Rifleman336]

well ok then.

my fav 357 mag.





173 gr 358429 with lots of room to spare

Great gun. I have the same model in .44 mag, but I have been looking for a .357 Redhawk for over 5 years with no success. I know the Redhawk is overbuilt for the .357, but I'll bet Ruger could sell a million of them, especially in the 4" barrel. I know, I know they have the GP-100, but there is just something about the Redhawk. . . . . .

I've been thinking it would be great, if they'd bring back the .357 Redhawk, and so it wouldn't be just a bigger heavier GP-100, I think they should take a page out of the S&W playbook and bring it back as a 8 shot. You can't say their isn't enough steel in the cylinder to do it!! Oh well, one could always dream.

Rifleman 336

[Remington40x]

I really want one of those 5 inch Redhawks in .357. As soon as I recover from my recent Martini rifle binge, I'm going to track one down and buy it. If only they'd actually manufactured them in blue. I've looked a long time and never even seen a hint of one with blue finish rather than stainless. I do have a blue .41 Magnum, so I know they exist, but the blue .357 seems to be completely a creature of myth and legend.

[willygene]

i have a 4 inch mod 19 s&w and a cimarron thunderer both in 357 hard choice but the thunderer carries so well plus im a single action kinda man, nothing against the glocks great guns started carrying one in 1989 in law enforcement till i retired from it in 2005, still own one just dont use it much anymore.

[KirkD]

Well I'm going to break ranks here and propose a radically different revolver, but I will explain why. If I were ever in a serious shoot-out, I would take the Cimarron Schofield http://www.cimarron-firearms.com/Specia ... ofield.htm over a Colt SAA for one reason ...... speed of ejection and reloading. For the past several years, I owned a few different original S&W top breaks chambered in 44 Russian and 45 Schofield. I've sold them all now and own an original Colt SAA chambered in 45 Schofield. The BIG difference, and it is a big difference, is speed of ejection and reloading. With a top break like the originals, or the modern Cimarron, you hit the latch with your thumb, the action pops open and all six cases are simultaneously ejected. Gun is empty in 1/2 second. I can then drop two at a time into the cylinder and snap the action shut; I'm ready for round two. I could also use a speed loader if I wanted. Of course, there are more modern revolvers that have the cylinder swing out and that can also be reloaded with a speed loader, so let's ignore them. I'm just writing this to stir the pot a bit.

Having said that, that is the only reason (albeit a big one if you are ever in a prolonged shooting situation) I'd recommend the Cimarron Schofield. So why do I now own a Colt SAA? Well, there is no such thing as a perfect revolver. Here's the pros and cons:

Schofield:

pro: fast ejection and reloading (you can use a speed loader for these as well)
con: the ejection system is not as rugged as a Colt's. In sub-zero temperatures, original springs would sometimes break. This may not be a problem with modern metals used in the Cimarron.
con: top break design is not as strong as the Colt's.
con: if frame eventually stretches, you cannot screw the barrel in another turn like you can with a Colt SAA
con: long barrel. However, the barrel can be easily cut down, and most original Schofields eventually had their barrels cut to around 5".
con: more moving parts

Colt SAA:

con: not as fast to eject and reload. In a firefight, that could cost you your life
pro: stronger frame design
pro: simpler design; less moving parts to cause problems
pro: if frame eventually stretches, just screw the barrel in another turn. Action can be tightened up to like new. Not so with a Schofield

For me, the pros for the Colt outweighed the single con, and I sold my S&W top breaks and went over to the Colt SAA ... Not the first time that has happened. The US Cavalry did the same near the end of the 1870's.

So much for stirring the pot. If I ever thought I might get into a prolonged shoot out (no wish to, by the way), I have a Springfield 'Loaded' 1911.

[COSteve]

My understanding is that the US Cavalry came to the same conclusion about reloading the 1873 Peacemaker and that's why they went with the Schofield. I can see that on horseback, the Schofield would be much faster and easier to reload.

[KirkD]

Some regiments were equipped with the Schofield, and others with the Colt SAA. The 45 Schofield cartridge fit in both guns, so it was used as the primary cartridge for a time, though there were some mix ups. The Schofield was definitely the pistol to have in a dire situation on horseback, but I think the Colt SAA won out in the end because it was a simpler, easier to maintain design. I think there was also some politics involved as well, however.

[Meeteetse]

I got to go a different route than most of you. Yes, the Smiths and Colts and Rugers are great but wheel guns all suffer from two shortcomings; low ammo capacity and relatively heavy weight. The 357mag is marginal for large game (bear and elk) but is helped significantly by shooting it out of a longer, 6" barrel. The same is true of the 10mm round.

If one compares Double Tap’s premium 158grn 357mag ammo’s performance in a 6” 357mag revolver to their 165grn 10mm ammo’s performance in a 6” Glock, you’ll note that while both produce much better performance in the longer barrels, the 10mm just edges out the 357mag’s performance even with a slightly heavier bullet making a slightly larger hole.

In addition, the G20L's ergonomics generate substantially less felt recoil which allows the shooter to place more well aimed shots into a target in a shorter amount of time. In addition, practice sessions with the Glock and full power ammo can routinely consist of 100 rd sessions with no discomfort; an amount that would be painful with a 357mag Smith, Colt, or Ruger.

Comparing packing weight between a 6” S&W 686 in 357mag and my 6" G20L reveals that the G20L's empty weight is dramatically lower. S&W lists the 6” model 686 as weighing 44oz empty (47.5oz with 6 rds of 158grn 357mag ammo). My G20L w/o the magwell (configuration I use when I carry it in the field) weighs 33.2oz empty and 47.0oz fully loaded with 17+1 rds of 180grn 10mm.

That means that when I pack my G20L, I've got a ½oz lighter total sidearm weight that produces slightly better performance in a larger and heavier bullet and I am carrying triple the ammo capacity vs a 6" 357mag S&W 686.

YEA, BUT IT IS SO UGLY. . . . . .

[COSteve]

Maybe to many on this forum cause you're biased to wheel guns but in the larger world, my G20/21L has been repeatedly praised as a 'real looker'. Go to a practical pistol event and ask them what they think of it. You'll get a completely different answer than the common one here.

BTW, it's still the perfect pistol for me.

[madman4570]

Steve,
Beauty friend for sure, is in the eyes of the beholder and nothing wrong with that(I like that Glock myself, and its cool with those extras you have on it)that 10mm is an awesome cartridge.
That is one potent weapon to be respected and if the time ever came that it was ever in need, really not much beats that handgun.
Absolutely can see the case you have made. See ya !

[rjohns94]

Steve, Your point is well made. Uncle Ted (nugent) made that same point years ago and in the years since that gun has come out, I have owned two of them. Not with the bells and whistles like yours, just plain jane and they shot like a house on fire. Only problem with me and that pistol is that PA won't allow semi's for hunting. but for everything else, you have made an excellent point.

[Meeteetse]

Maybe to many on this forum cause you're biased to wheel guns but in the larger world, my G20/21L has been repeatedly praised as a 'real looker'. Go to a practical pistol event and ask them what they think of it. You'll get a completely different answer than the common one here.

BTW, it's still the perfect pistol for me.

Of course it is. . . .Sorry my attempt at a joke failed, but some of you need to get a sense of humor. I would never have commented on your Glock if I really didn't like it. Mine may not look like yours, but the four I have are the best for what they were designed to do, "shoot well". Steve, maybe you're living too close to those Rocky Mountains and the altitude is causing a problem. Take a look at my Avatar, I have some experience in that area. . . .

[COSteve]

Not to be argumentative but your response wouldn't likely be viewed as a joke by anyone who didn't know you personally, especially on a site that specializes in leverguns and wheelguns. Whatever, each has his/her likes and favorites so the 'Perfect Revolver/Pistol' is really only in the eyes of the beholder.

[vancelw]

Meeteetse, I took your statement for what it was (especially with the explicatory smilie and winkie, just to make sure.)

I would certainly call some of my revolvers "beautiful" to gaze upon, especially my SS Vaquero .45 Colt and my .38 Sp Cimarron conversion. But in a shoot-out, my Glocks and my S&W M&P .45 acp would be beautiful.

I don't think I own a truly "ugly" gun (not even my AR or SKS) and anyone's comment to me about such nonsense would HAVE to be a joke. (unless they were a bunny-hugging, tree-climbing, left-leaning, "save the gay whales" type individual-then they'd be the joke.)

encore243c.jpg

Here is my favorite pistol. I had to sell it because it was more accurate than my deer rifle and tempted me to take shots at distances that I had no business taking with a hand cannon. Of course, I have re-accumulated most of it again and am looking for that next, perfect pistol barrel.

(I forgot to take my ski mask off-my nephew was embarrassed to take my picture. Uncles are good for something)

[rjohns94]

i too took the comment tongue in cheek due to the appropriate use of smileys.

[rjohns94]

I like the lipsey's blackhawks in .44 special that several of you have posted. Mine is a Bisley in .44 special, 4 5/8inch barrel that is on its way to Mag Na Port, International for an action job and the SS mag-na-life process that is a hard chroming of the gun.





Once that is done, it will close to PPP (would be there if it was .45 colt I think)

[kimwcook]

Mike, that ought to be a real nice package when you get it back. That package in 45 Colt would meet my thoughts on a PPP too.

[COSteve]

i too took the comment tongue in cheek due to the appropriate use of smileys.

I re-read my responses and I guess it sounds like I was offended. In fact, I wasn't but rather just recognizing the bias towards wheel guns this site has as opposed to a site about semi-autos. Nothing wrong with than, it's just a fact. I really took no offense to anyone's comments and am sorry if I sounded like I did. I just meant to explain my position. Also, a thick skin runs in my family. On another note, I've got to agree that the Smiths are classic beauties and of course the Colt SAAs a great lookers too. But my bias isn't so much how a pistol looks, but rather how it performs. True, I had my steel slide hard-chromed when I last updated my G20L to a USPSA 'Limited' configuration (magwell, std trigger guard, and extended mags) but that was 'just because' I could.

As a utilitarian weapon, the longer slide/barrel enhances three important elements. First, the sight radius is 28% longer than stock so that aiming at longer ranges is easier. I routinely practice on an 8" steel plate at 100yds standing unsupported. Second, the longer barrel really allows the performance of the 10mm to reach it's potential, much like a 6" barrel on a 357mag. Third, the 4¾ oz heavier muzzle really makes the pistol balance better and it soaks up the recoil dramatically even though it weighs only ¾ the weight of a 6" Smith 686 when both are empty (33 vs 44 oz) and that means a ton of difference carrying it in the field all day.

In my book, ergonomics is a significant element in a 'perfect' revolver or pistol and the Glock beats all of the revolvers and SAAs by a huge margin in that department. For instance, even with my full power 'nuclear' loads, my G20L has significantly less felt recoil and is considerably faster back on target than my 7½" barreled Colt clone shooting much lower performing 38spl+P loads. If one compares the two platforms using full power 357mag loads, the difference is considerably more pronounced.

I found that I can fire three well aimed hot 10mm rounds through my G20L in the time it takes me to fire a single aimed 357mag round in my Colt clone simply because of the ergonomic differences. Also, I routinely fire 200 rds of hot 10mm a session without any discomfort let alone wrist pain. I would not even attempt that with 357mags in my clone as it's design batters the hand and wrist more because of the high bore axis and small grip. And the difference with the shorter, lighter 4⅝" barreled SAA would be even worse!

BTW, this is the way it looked before I updated it to it's current USPSA configuration. 15+1 rounds in a stock mag configuration. This is how I carried it in the woods most often. Loaded with DT's 200grn hardcast ammo, this is an elk killer at close range (as some have done with theirs).

[gak]

Steve, I'm mostly a revolver guy but have and appreciate a nice auto--I have a particular fondness for my Daewoo DH40. and I'm (finally) soon headed to 1911-land--"just because"--some 56 years on! Yours is an amazing gun!

[Catshooter]

Steve,

Got big hands, do ya?

That's my only objection to the large framed Glocks, they do be biggish.

What ballistics do you get with that six incher? Not asking for loads.


Cat

[COSteve]

Actually, they are on the large size with long, thinner fingers. You'll note that my G20L has a Hogue HandAll on it that actually makes the grip a bit bigger. For me, it's makes the pistol lock into my hand better because of the palm swells. Even so, I do have a decent sized hand.



As to your question on ballistics from my G20L, I have two 10mm loads that I've worked up which, while I call them 'nuclear' level, are actually not absolute maximum loads as I'm only seeing the tiniest bit of primer flattening. I've shot a few thousand of them through my G20L with no slide peening or stress noted. They are:

Range conditions: 73° sunny day, light winds, at 6,100 asl.
180grn Speer Gold Dots at 1,423fps yielding a ME of 809lb/ft.
165grn Speer Gold Dots at 1,503fps yielding a ME of 827lb/ft.

My G21L configuration is no slouch either as I've achieved some decent performance with my 45 Super loads too.

Range conditions: 73° sunny day, light winds, at 6,100 asl.
200grn Speer 'Flying Ashtrays' (nickname for a discontinued HP with a hollow the size of a small hot tub that was replaced by Gold Dots) at 1,237fps yielding a ME of 679lb/ft.

Win HP loaded on left, Speer 'Flying Ashtray' on the right:

[Griff]

Ain't readin' thru 5 pages of responses, so if I'm redundant... sobe it!

Ain't this sorta like askin' which car or truck is best? Which cigar, which brandy/beer, or blondes, brunettes or redheads? Ok, maybe not... redheads are best!

Back to the OP:

Even tho' it falls short by 2 rounds, my Combat Commander in .45ACP, due to its comfortable carry


edges out my brace of Colt SAAs


which I prefer because I've shot them far more than my S&W 65, even tho' I carried it for the most of 26 years!


Wished I had four matchin' holsters, 'cause then I'd carry

four 1851 Navies!

[COSteve]

Wished I had four matchin' holsters, 'cause then I'd carry

four 1851 Navies!

Now that would be a great looking rig!

However, I'm betting that it would take the term "hard to conceal" to an entirely new level.

[Griff]

Some regiments were equipped with the Schofield, and others with the Colt SAA. The 45 Schofield cartridge fit in both guns, so it was used as the primary cartridge for a time, though there were some mix ups. The Schofield was definitely the pistol to have in a dire situation on horseback, but I think the Colt SAA won out in the end because it was a simpler, easier to maintain design. I think there was also some politics involved as well, however.

Although politics can't be ignored, the stated reasoning was the Colt's ability to do less than cylinder full reloads.

Wished I had four matchin' holsters, 'cause then I'd carry

four 1851 Navies!

Now that would be a great looking rig!
However, I'm betting that it would take the term "hard to conceal" to an entirely new level.

Who said conceal, I'm thinkin' INTIMIDATE!

[Hobie]

I have the Lipsey's and the USFA guns. I have 1911s but I don't see them as field guns. I have .38s/.357s but think the .4something is better. I still think the BEST is the FA-97 but whether it is in .41 Mag, .44 Spec or .45 Colt seems to be a draw.

As to the Glock... My stomach ties up in a knot when I handle one. They simply don't fit my hand and don't warm my heart.

[COSteve]

As to the Glock... They simply don't fit my hand and don't warm my heart.

But they would light your fire if you really, really needed the extra ammo that they carry to keep you alive!

But hey, that's not what most of us will use for our criteria. Even though I have a CCW and use it, I don't depend upon my firearm to protect me as much as the vigilant perspective it helps me to maintain. Having the ability to ultimately defend me and mine, I feel more responsible to ensure I keep us out of situations where that ability could be called upon.

[Griff]

But hey, that's not what most of us will use for our criteria. Even though I have a CCW and use it, I don't depend upon my firearm to protect me as much as the vigilant perspective it helps me to maintain. Having the ability to ultimately defend me and mine, I feel more responsible to ensure I keep us out of situations where that ability could be called upon.

Ah yes.... the brain, our best self-defense weapon!

[Rexster]

I've been following this post since day one, and still can't make up my mind. Theoretically, an FA 97, .45 Colt or .44 Special, 5.5" barrel, but I have never fired one. I have handled a few of them. The closest thing I own is my Accusport .45 dual-cylinder stainless Bisley, which I have yet to determine is a favorite or not, or how close to perfect it might be.

I have nothing against autoloaders, and my Les Baer Thunder Ranch Special is a contender for Perfect Packin' Pistol. (Not to be confused with prefect Huntin' Pistol!) I decided, finally, to remove the thin grips and installed Strider Gunner Grips. Now, the rear sight needs to go; I don't like tritium in my rear sight, or at least not two tritium dots.

My USFA sixguns are really very nice, but cannot be perfect, as I have come to really need higher-profile sights.

My working-class roots and policin' experience just might exert their influence, and I may decide one of my 4" to 6" Ruger GP100s is perfect, after I install a Bowen Classic Arms Target Rear Sight. That is on my short to-do list. After all, a GP100 performed perfectly for me one night in 1993, in a contest which had no second place winner.

[gundownunder]

I'm with Griff on this one,

Who said conceal, I'm thinkin' INTIMIDATE!

Nothing says " back off dirtbag " quite like 20 rounds of heavy lead.

We don't get to carry in Oz, so handguns are all about paper punching and steel banging.
My first perfect pistol was my Ruger Single Six .22, its still a lot of fun, but six shots in 4 seconds with my worn out old thumbs is really hard work.
Then a couple of weeks ago I picked up my new perfect pistol, a Ruger Security Six in .357. Its fun, its a fire breathing dragon at night, but, now I know I still can't hit the broad side of a barn in double action.
I guess for fast shooting I will need to make my next perfect pistol a 1911 in either 9mm or 38 super. Besides, I've still got one vacant pistol slot in the door of my safe.

[txpete]

my newest in 45 acp.it fits my hand well and do like having 13+1.



pete

[KirkD]

Some regiments were equipped with the Schofield, and others with the Colt SAA. The 45 Schofield cartridge fit in both guns, so it was used as the primary cartridge for a time, though there were some mix ups. The Schofield was definitely the pistol to have in a dire situation on horseback, but I think the Colt SAA won out in the end because it was a simpler, easier to maintain design. I think there was also some politics involved as well, however.

Although politics can't be ignored, the stated reasoning was the Colt's ability to do less than cylinder full reloads.:

That reason does not make sense to me. When the Schofield is dropped open, the empties eject, but the longer live rounds stay in. To me this is an advantage.

By the way, there may be a bias towards wheel guns on this forum, but I'll own up to owning this as well ....

[Griff]

Some regiments were equipped with the Schofield, and others with the Colt SAA. The 45 Schofield cartridge fit in both guns, so it was used as the primary cartridge for a time, though there were some mix ups. The Schofield was definitely the pistol to have in a dire situation on horseback, but I think the Colt SAA won out in the end because it was a simpler, easier to maintain design. I think there was also some politics involved as well, however.

Although politics can't be ignored, the stated reasoning was the Colt's ability to do less than cylinder full reloads.:

That reason does not make sense to me. When the Schofield is dropped open, the empties eject, but the longer live rounds stay in. To me this is an advantage.

Possibly not in the case of an infantryman, but for the mounted trooper in the midst of a charge, it is an entirely different set of circumstances. I think I remember where the source for this is, I'll hunt it up next week while I'm home.

By the way, there may be a bias towards wheel guns on this forum, but I'll own up to owning this as well ....

Very nice!

[JReed]

Here is my perfect one. She has been with me many a mile and shoots very well.

Ruger Vaquero .45colt 7 1/2'

[Meeteetse]

As to the Glock... They simply don't fit my hand and don't warm my heart.

But they would light your fire if you really, really needed the extra ammo that they carry to keep you alive!

But hey, that's not what most of us will use for our criteria. Even though I have a CCW and use it, I don't depend upon my firearm to protect me as much as the vigilant perspective it helps me to maintain. Having the ability to ultimately defend me and mine, I feel more responsible to ensure I keep us out of situations where that ability could be called upon.

Each to their own, enjoy your Glock.