Thanks to Skeeter I have the perfect Trifecta!

[BruceB]

Looking at the lists of guns on this thread, and also into my gunsafe, it's pretty obvious that the "trifecta" is actually more like looking in the closet and deciding which shirt to wear today:

-short sleeve?

-long sleeve?

button-down?

-plaid?

-pastel?

-cotton?

-polyester knit?

On a daily basis, I generally carry a Ruger LC9. BUT, as soon as I begin thinking about what to use or carry BEYOND the mundane, day-to-day 'pacifier'..... well, the possibilities are very wide-ranging indeed.

The nice thing is that virtually anything I decide to carry will suffice for the worst eventualities (I don't carry .22s). Also, exercising the "other" guns beyond the daily-carry piece keeps me current with the different "feels" and controls, and gives the guns some needed shooting time as well.

Still, I must say that I consult Skeeter's writings rather frequently... "Good Friends, Good Guns, Good Whiskey" is lying on my kitchen table even as I post this.

[grampa243]

Glock 30 that is my everyday/combat carry.

A J-frame ( the wife has a taurus 905)for pocket carry.

GP100 with 6 inch barrel. for hunting and target shooting.

(before the 22LR crunch i would have put a Ruger mark III in my top three. but now i load 38spl. for less.)

[Forrest r]

Extreme accuracy coupled with 4 & 5 way adjustable triggers and hand fitted target grips. A 10m air pistol/25m sport pistol/ 50m free pistol.

[IMG][/IMG]

[Lefty Red]

A little different train of thought on my Trifecta .....

1- S&W Model 38 No-Dash Airweight Bodyguard for Daily pocket carry.

2- Glock Gen 3 OD 26 in 9mm for Serious Social Work ( always with
the Model 38 as back-up ).

3- Glock Gen 3 OD 32 in 357 Sig for backcountry & woods bumming
( with either the G26 or S&W 38 as back-up ).

I have gotten away from the 10mm and 44 & 357 Mags due to old hand and arm injuries, and feel comfortable in my choices. YMMV

All we would have to do is add a 22lr conversion kit (when the price and supply stablize) and I think we are covered.
Jerry

[Petrol & Powder]

The CCW is easy - some S&W DAO J-frame in 38 Special (442, 642, 640, 40) ; done.
The next two guns are a bit harder.
I'm kind of with Lefty Red on the Glock 19 but I could substitute any number of combat type handguns in that role including: H&K P7, Walther P5 or even a S&W model 65 or Ruger Speed Six with say a 3" barrel.
The last one is where it gets really tough to choose.
The first thing that comes to mind is a N-frame in 44 Special with a 4" barrel but a good .22 like a Ruger MK II could round out the three.....

[aap2]

Hard to pick just 4, but if I had to:
1. Defensive use-Glock 19
2. Target/plinker 22lr-Ruger 512 MKII
3. Knockabout woods gun-Colt SAA 44 special 2nd generation
4. Centerfire target-Sig Sauer P226-X5 9mm
But I could still be happy if I only had one pistol: Ruger Old Model Blackhawk .357 (my first and $99 new in 1973) or my ancient Colt Police positive 38 S&W...

[BruceB]

Forrest;

I bought a TOZ-35 Free Pistol like yours many years ago.

Being a left-hander, and also being on the wrong end of the horrendously-long supply line from Russia (then USSR), I set out to build a set of left-handed grips.

Using the right-handed grips as a sort of "pattern", one-inch mahogany planks were used to laminate the grips up to the thickness needed to create the wrap-around/curl-over contours.

Metal pins re-inforced some areas to prevent breakage.

The effort was worthwhile, and even today the home-made grips serve well.

I haven't fired a Free Pistol match in decades, but it's still a fascinating activity. I consider the Free Pistol to be the "sling-shot dragster" of the handgun world..... utterly useless EXCEPT for its designed purpose, where it excels.

(For anyone interested: it's called a "Free Pistol" because the rules are relatively "free" of restrictions.... unlike most competitive pistol events.

-it must be fired one-handed

-It has to be .22 LR;

-it may NOT use optical or any other sights than regular open irons;

-the grips cannot extend back far enough to support the wrist.

That's about it!)

The result is what you see at the bottom in Forrest's fine photo. The trigger can be set to measure in OUNCES.... I think my own TOZ 35 has it set about 4 ounces right now. It's a martini-type falling block action with a set trigger.

The course of fire is sixty rounds, fired in 2.5 HOURS with unlimited sighters. The ten-ring at 50 METERS (55 yards) is about one inch in diameter.

To say it is "difficult" is about the greatest understatement that exists in the shooting world.

[Markbo]

I could not choose just 3. But I could begrudgingly and with great trepidation do 4:
Kimber Pro CDP Alloy frame commander .45 ACP for carry
Ruger MK II Competition 5.5" stainless .22 for target & small game
"Hartonized" Ruger Single Six .32 H&R (I have no use for a .357 since making this gun)
Custom FA .41 mag for anything larger. Which means I would close the door on handgun hunting anything larger than whitetail deer. See why I say begrudgingly?

[waco]

Kimber 1911 .45ACP
S&W 29-5 .44 Mag.
S&W 14-2 K-38

that would about do it for me

[harley45]

Anyone else notice the trend of N frames and 1911s?

[Michael J. Spangler]

I would have to say my top 3 would include
1911 variant
S&W revolver. Probably a 686 for all purpose work. Though most any K/L or N frame could be argued over the other.
For carry it would have to be my s&w shield right now. Great little gun for sure.

[Lefty Red]

Anyone else notice the trend of N frames and 1911s?

Yea, and with all the information on the WWW, you would think these guys would know better.
Jerry

[Urny]

Have to put my .02 in on this one.

Commander .45 ACP
New Frontier 7.5" .44 Special
Cobra 4" .38 Special.

All by Colt.

Of all the gun writers, Skeeter was the best read for me. I am more given to rifles than handguns, but Skeeter's work always kept a lively interest in handgunning, and I wonder if any handguns would have ever entered my possession if there had been no Skeeter. H. V. Stent was my favorite rifle writer, though I never found much of his work in U.S. publications.

[Forrest r]

Forrest;

I bought a TOZ-35 Free Pistol like yours many years ago.

Being a left-hander, and also being on the wrong end of the horrendously-long supply line from Russia (then USSR), I set out to build a set of left-handed grips.

Using the right-handed grips as a sort of "pattern", one-inch mahogany planks were used to laminate the grips up to the thickness needed to create the wrap-around/curl-over contours.

Metal pins re-inforced some areas to prevent breakage.

The effort was worthwhile, and even today the home-made grips serve well.

I haven't fired a Free Pistol match in decades, but it's still a fascinating activity. I consider the Free Pistol to be the "sling-shot dragster" of the handgun world..... utterly useless EXCEPT for its designed purpose, where it excels.

(For anyone interested: it's called a "Free Pistol" because the rules are relatively "free" of restrictions.... unlike most competitive pistol events.

-it must be fired one-handed

-It has to be .22 LR;

-it may NOT use optical or any other sights than regular open irons;

-the grips cannot extend back far enough to support the wrist.

That's about it!)

The result is what you see at the bottom in Forrest's fine photo. The trigger can be set to measure in OUNCES.... I think my own TOZ 35 has it set about 4 ounces right now. It's a martini-type falling block action with a set trigger.

The course of fire is sixty rounds, fired in 2.5 HOURS with unlimited sighters. The ten-ring at 50 METERS (55 yards) is about one inch in diameter.

To say it is "difficult" is about the greatest understatement that exists in the shooting world.

Shooting a freepistol course is extremely challanging, if every 3rd shot was a 9 the score would be 1 point away from the worlds record. In the 100+ years of the sport a 581 is the worlds record, most nra experts shooot in the 560's.

Another pistol sport that is extremly hard & is becoming popular in my area. Standing silhouettes. No Creedmore position, no supports of any kind, just offhand @ 1/5th scale rifle targets on a 100yd course.

[IMG][/IMG]

For a centerfire trifeca:
1911 45acp along with a 22 conversion kit
daw wesson 15-2 with the 7 bbl set
contender with the 6 different bbl's.

[Markbo]

Ok first let me be clear that i do NOT participate in standing silhouette competition. So please explain to me... what possible advantage do you get mounting a scope that high?

Oh yeah...you`re cheating on your pistol choices!

[Mtnfolk75]

Lefty Red,

No need for a conversion, I have a MkIII 22/45 P4 & about 2.5k CCI Mini-Nags stashed out for the grandmunchkins .......

[Lefty Red]

Lefty Red,

No need for a conversion, I have a MkIII 22/45 P4 & about 2.5k CCI Mini-Nags stashed out for the grandmunchkins .......

I am thinking of putting a MKIII in layaway! I really miss my 22lr pistols.

[Moonie]

1911 (full size for OC officers for CC)
NMBH 45/45 convertible
Security Six 357

[Forrest r]

Ok first let me be clear that i do NOT participate in standing silhouette competition. So please explain to me... what possible advantage do you get mounting a scope that high?

Oh yeah...you`re cheating on your pistol choices!

I use a modified taco hold & that setup allows me to use rifle scopes on that pistol. That's a 4-12 with the bdc elevation wheels in it. Easy enough to just put lines for the different yardages on them instead of counting clicks. I normally run that scope on 12 or switch over to a -18 sightron with a target dot.

http://www.kenlightmfg.com/

[Markbo]

Yhanks Forrest. I knew there would be a good reason.