# Whats the most reliable handgun?



## bot

I m talking one that wont jam and will shoot cheap ammo from Walmarts to reloads you buy at the gun show. I bought a S&W 9mm which frequently jams and catches the ejecting shells. I bought a Tarus .357 revolver that will not fire when trying to shoot rapidly because the bullet rim hits the frame.
Is their a damn gun that will shoot at aleast MOST of the time without fail? Any ideas on whats the most reliable shooter? Obviously you can't have a gun that is going to jam when you need it most.


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## Shipwreck

There is no "most reliable gun." But, many, many guns are reliable. 

I've had or have Berettas, Glocks, HKs, Walther P99s, S&W99, 1911s, Colt, Springfields and other brands. All functions w/ no jams.


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## Revolver

Most reliable would be a revolver. More specifically Smith & Wesson, Ruger, and Colt. But most quality pistols are pretty reliable when reasonably maintained. I have a Smith & Wesson 39-2 that has yet to jam after I personally put 2000 rounds through it. Impressive when you consider it is a 30 year old police trade-in with all stock parts. 

What is the particular Smith that ails you? Is the recoil spring strong enough?


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## Baldy

I got a Colt .357 revolver that has thousands of rounds through it, and it has fired everytime but twice. They were Winchester factory ammo and the primer fired, but the bullet stuck in the barrel. No powder in them. That was long before I started reloading. I got two S&W .45's that have almost 4000rds through them with one hung casing. I trust my familys life to all three. My guns got to fire 500rds without a problem before I trust them for that job.


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## Revolver

Baldy said:


> I got a Colt .357 revolver that has thousands of rounds through it, and it has fired everytime but twice. They were Winchester factory ammo and the primer fired, but the bullet stuck in the barrel. No powder in them. That was long before I started reloading.


That sounded like a scary situation. Thankfully, I have yet to get any squibs. And I do use Winchester ammunition on occassion.


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## Mike Barham

Most quality modern autos function quite well. Beretta, HK, SIG, Glock and the CZ75 are all, in my experience, quite reliable. With decent ammo and proper lubrication, any of them should do very well indeed. I haven't found older designs like the 1911 and P35 to be quite as generally reliable, though good examples of the older designs can run very well.

Well-made revolvers are reliable also, though far less efficient fighting tools than modern autos. When a revolver does crap out, it is usually pretty much out of the fight. Auto malfunctions can usually be cleared in a matter of seconds by a trained shooter.

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## Baldy

Revolver/That sounded like a scary situation. Thankfully, I have yet to get any squibs. And I do use Winchester ammunition on occassion.

It wakes you up Revolver that's for sure. I carry a brass rod in my range bag for that now. Takes just a mintue to clear. That's the only two I ever had but I have helped more than a few with theirs at the range. I still use Winchester if I buy factory. I have used a couple of ton of it I guest.


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## -gunut-

HK, Glock, Sig and CZ are top in my book


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## hberttmank

I have had excellent results from Sig, SA, Colt, Ruger, H&K, S&W, Walther, Steyr, Glock, Browning, and Beretta. I clean and lube my pistols every time I shoot them, and in my experience with a quality gun if it malfunctions it is usually the ammo or a defective magazine. There is no way I am going to be shooting someones reloads from a gun show. If it is not my reloads or factory loads from a major manufacturer, I'm not going to shoot it my guns.


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## 9x19

Glock 9mms.... any size.

They have become the gold standard of reliability for me. :mrgreen:


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## Maximo

Like most everyone has already said most major manufacturers of modern autos make very reliable guns. Like Mike said a well made revolver generally gets the edge in reliability, but if it does malfunction you’re completely screwed.
I had a Beretta 92f with over 50,000 rounds through it and it never failed in any way at any time, but I have had guns from many other manufacturers that were just as reliable. Right now I have 7 autos and not a single one of them has hiccupped yet.
If a gun feels good in your hand and has a natural point of aim for you, and the manufacturer has a good reputation i.e. Glock, S&W, Beretta, Springfield, ECT then take it to the range and run several types of ammo through it to insure reliability and you should be good to go. Any gun can malfunction at any time so always keep the fingers on your left hand crossed that you never have to use your weapon and the fingers on your right hand crossed that if you do your weapon functions properly.


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## Benzbuilder

When I purchased my S&W 686, I picked up the Taurus revolver at that time. I hated the trigger. It felt creepy. Not to mention that the single action had a suspicious catch in the movement. I didn't like it. To me, the smith was the better gun. It was worth the extra two hundred bucks. Can you really put a price on reliability. Especially, when it may be needed to save your life or the life of a loved one.


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## Hal8000

It's the one I'm carrying... If I didn't believe that, then I'd be carrying the one I thought was... 

How many rounds does it take to prove to you that your weapon is reliable?

1000 rounds w/o a ftf is my magic number! Everybodies is different...

These newer pistols are our ancestors dreams!


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## jimg11

*Most reliable*

In 1992 , after many years of officer purchased revolvers the town purchased 25 Sig P228s in 9mm . Each issued weapon was fired over 800 rounds with out adding a drop of oil or a stroke of a cleaning rod to any pistols until after the transition exercises were over. 25 guns with 25 different shooters and well over 22000 rounds expended with out any type of a malfunction. We cleaned and oiled our P228s with a huge amount of confidence that we had one reliable pistol.
Other guns that I have sent hundresd of rounds through without a bobble are a S&W 669 9mm, a S&W 5906 9mm, a S&W 645 in 45ACP and a S&W 1076 in 10mm. plus my current issue Sig Pro 2340 in 357 Sig.


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## cluznar

*Most Reliable Handgun*

A revolver I would say

But I have a Bersa Thunder .380 and a Ruger SR9c and a Stoeger Cougar 9mm and all have been reliable.
:mrgreen:


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## Hurryin' Hoosier

I'll stick with my Beretta commercial M9. Nary a problem!


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## warbird1

For me it's S&W M&P in 45acp. Out of 7 pistols it's the one I want in my hand if my life depends on it. Any of my Ruger or Colt revolvers.


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## SigmaBoy

I've shot over 500 in my Sigma 9mm and between 300-400 in my Sig P250c 40sw without any issues (so far ). All my loads were from Wally.


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## chessail77

S&W has a lifetime warranty ...send it back and get it fixed....JJ


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## Steve M1911A1

bot said:


> ...I bought a S&W 9mm which frequently jams and catches the ejecting shells...


Sorry-that's not the gun, and it's also not the ammunition.
It's you.

If your grip is just a little loose, or your arms are not fully locked, a semi-auto pistol expends energy moving around in your hands and moving your arms. But it needs all of that energy to operate its recoil-driven mechanism.
If all of that needed energy isn't there, it'll jam exactly as you have described.


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## johna91374

bot said:


> I m talking one that wont jam and will shoot cheap ammo from Walmarts to reloads you buy at the gun show. I bought a S&W 9mm which frequently jams and catches the ejecting shells. I bought a Tarus .357 revolver that will not fire when trying to shoot rapidly because the bullet rim hits the frame.
> Is their a damn gun that will shoot at aleast MOST of the time without fail? Any ideas on whats the most reliable shooter? Obviously you can't have a gun that is going to jam when you need it most.


I've owned about a dozen autos over the years and more then three dozen revolvers. I have learned to stick to the name brands. Ruger, Sig, S&W, Beretta, H&K.

My 226 has well over 15K rds through it. I can't honestly remember the last time it jammed. My SP2022 has around 5000 rds run through it and i hasn't jammed since the second mag. I have a ruger GP100 that has never given me any issues and I run any old crap I can find through it.


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## Overkill0084

Plenty of manufacturers make very reliable guns. However, even the very best have sent a turd out the door. It happens. They all have Customer service numbers for such issues.

I think that Steve 1911A1 might be on to something about your technique. Either way, it's worth eleminating. Have an experienced pistol shooter have a go with and see if the problem persists. 
Ammo: If your talking Wal-Mart Federal, I found it to be on the mild side, & not especially accurate. However, I never had any functional issues with it. Spring for at least Winchester White Box, I found it to be noticeably better.


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## cashinin

My HK USP and my Ruger GP100 357 The best...I do have to say my previous Glocks were very good but my HK kicked them out....


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## knuklhead

I'm just now getting into pistols seriously. I've shot rifles and shotguns a lot my whole life and some pistols but not as much as the other. I've gotten me and my girlfriend Beretta px4 .40s. Both subcompact. I've never had a problem with either one. Plus my cx4 mags will fit in them too. Big plus.


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## Pistol Pete

The most reliable handgun is probably a Ruger revolver. I prefer S&W revolvers but if you buy the S&W you will probably have to send it back to the factory at least once for something but it will go bang every time you pull the trigger. Whatever you get, shoot it a bunch to prove it works.
With the revolver even with a misfire you just pull the trigger again and get a fresh round. I would steer clear of the Taurus/Rossi revolvers, their quality varies a lot. 

Remember, there are 2 kinds of semi autos, those that have jammed and those that are going to jam.

I would steer clear of "gun show reloads". You don't know what you're getting.


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## stantheman1976

I don't own a flock but of everything I've ever heard about them the word unreliable has never been used. If I didn't have specific features I was looking for in my CCW I'd go with a Flock in a heartbeat.

Beretta 92fs is one I've handled and shot plenty. My old man has one and it has never malfunctioned. It is too large to CC easily but it is a real pleasure to shoot.


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## rex

The 92s are a great piece and mine has never puked,but I haven't hit the area where the locking block will go yet.From what I've owned and researched,I'd say HK is the best bet in the auto class.


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## Steve M1911A1

Pistol Pete said:


> ...Remember, there are 2 kinds of semi autos, those that have jammed and those that are going to jam...


That statement shows both bias and ignorance, and should not be presented as a statement of fact.
One might also say that "there are two kinds of revolvers: Those that are out-of-time, and those that are someday going to be out-of-time."

Some semi-autos are unreliable due to poor design. That's true. But the same is also true of some revolvers.
However, most semi-autos are reliable until they are either fed sub-par ammunition, or are fired by people who don't know how to hold them properly.

Most revolvers are reliable, at least until they are handled by ham-fisted fools who try to emulate the way Bogie slammed his revolver's cylinder shut.


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## denner

Head to head, w/ no cleaning or maintenance intervals the Beretta M9/92FS would be hard to beat in the reliability department, at least as far as several military trials and testing for reliability is concerned, no other pistol manufacturer on earth can claim that distinction. Not to say other pistols may be just as reliable, but the M9/92FS has reliability testing credentials above all others. An average of 21,500 rounds before a single malfunction is very impressive.

http://www.americanrifleman.org/videos/artv10-beretta-m9-25-years/


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## cluznar

IMO Bersa Guns and Glock Guns are extremely reliable. Without a doubt! :smt1099

That being said, revolvers are most dependable, however I have little experience with revolvers.


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## cluznar

I have 2 Bersa's that have been excellent.

:watching:


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## Hurryin' Hoosier

If you want to really depart from the "main stream" and buy a gun at a very reasonable price, one which refuses to malfunction, and is built like a tank, pick up a Makarov (a real Pistolet Makarova made in the USSR, East Germany, Bulgaria, or China). They fire the 9x18MM Makarov cartridge, which is mid-way between a .380ACP and a 9MM Luger. "Commie gun" though they may be, they can't be beat!


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## wbfos

As far as auto's i prefer Sig... Revolvers Ruger is great but my most fun shooter right now is a Rossi model 68 that I bought from someone after he did a trigger job on it and I have yet to find any handgun that shoots smoother and yes I would trust my life on it as a matter of fact my wife wants to keep it for herself


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## USVI

My HK P2000 has been 100% reliable through 2000 rounds, most of them American Eagle 115 grain FMJ.
Check this out...Project: Break my P2000


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## Steve M1911A1

Whats the most reliable handgun?
A well-maintained M1911.


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## XD40inAVL

Springfield XD's, have 3, XD9SC, XD9Service and XdD40Service.

Not the first problem for fail to fire, fail to eject, fail to feed through a total of close to 4,000 rounds of whatever we could find to shoot, including steel cased Russian ammo.


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## JMessmer

My HK usp 9mm, Glock 17, and my CZ-75 are all great, never a problem. I like the weight and sights of the CZ the best, but I like the grips on the HK the best. Never a jam on any of them though.


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## paratrooper

IMHO, there is no most reliable handgun. They are all subject to failure at some time under certain circumstances.

Some are better engineered and mass produced than others. But, as long as the human race has a hand in the matter, it's all speculative at best.


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## hof8231

I own a FNH FNX, a Smith & Wesson M&P, a Springfield XD, a Sig SP2022, and a Colt Government. All function flawlessly for me. Personally, I think FNH is very underrated when it comes to handguns. They're known primarily for their rifles but their handguns are great too.


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## hideit

if you want actual documented tests
the 1911 has been the most reliable and trusted by the military from 1911 to 1985 when politics entered the picture
the army tests were really torture tests to failure
the winner was the beretta 92fs and the sig 226
the sig 226 actually won the gun tests but the second part of the contract was regarding maintenance et al stuff and sigs costs were higher so beretta won the contract
then there are the glock torture tests of well over 100,000 rounds
these 4 semi autos are the best IMO
revolvers - stick with the best ruger, S&W, and colt


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## coachroy

Revolver said:


> That sounded like a scary situation. Thankfully, I have yet to get any squibs. And I do use Winchester ammunition on occassion.


Me either but yes the thought of squib rounds especially in a rapid fire session scares the hell outta me!


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## coachroy

hideit said:


> if you want actual documented tests
> the 1911 has been the most reliable and trusted by the military from 1911 to 1985 when politics entered the picture
> the army tests were really torture tests to failure
> the winner was the beretta 92fs and the sig 226
> the sig 226 actually won the gun tests but the second part of the contract was regarding maintenance et al stuff and sigs costs were higher so beretta won the contract
> then there are the glock torture tests of well over 100,000 rounds
> these 4 semi autos are the best IMO
> revolvers - stick with the best ruger, S&W, and colt


I'll have to agree with you on most all of this, My 1911 would never leave my side if possible to always conceal it comfortably knock on wood it has never let me down on a diet of anything I wanted to feed it. The Beretta 92 is an awesome gun as well but again alittle large for everyday, I'll also add the cougar line to this as well, as dependable and alittle smaller. my 8357 rocks!! Sig says to hell and back reliability and you better believe it, a 229 is on my wish list as we speak. I don't own Glocks well just to be honest I think they are ugly as hell(sorry Glock lovers)  Also one thing that concerns me about them is they react very badly to anykind of weak grip. While under normal situations this has never been a problem for me in a heated struggle or where you may have been injured and can't apply the same grip pressure they will FTF!!! While it hasn't quite had enough through it yet to be a confirmed keeper My Springfield XDS may be the best for me all around small slim package, nice meaty 45 round and a pleasure to shoot even for it's size(although I will say 230 ball is a little tough lol) drop to 185 or 200 and it is beautiful!!!


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## Shipwreck

hideit said:


> if you want actual documented tests
> the 1911 has been the most reliable and trusted by the military from 1911 to 1985 when politics entered the picture
> the army tests were really torture tests to failure
> the winner was the beretta 92fs and the sig 226
> the sig 226 actually won the gun tests but the second part of the contract was regarding maintenance et al stuff and sigs costs were higher so beretta won the contract


You should read the GOA investigation into how the M9 was picked. Those facts are not quite right. You can read it here: http://archive.gao.gov/d4t4/130439.pdf


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## Pixsurguy

I've never had a FTF, FTE, or any other malfunction with my three TC Contenders. LOL
Seriously, I've had four different 1911s and after thousands of rounds, the only malfunctions I have ever experienced were my own fault. Lately I've been shooting a Walther PPS and a Steyer M9A1 for maybe 800 rounds between them and only one problem. I am genuinely mystified - I do not understand why not more. These are mechanical devices subject to the whims of bent mag lips, limp wristing, bad ammo, etc. Not too long ago I had a malfunction w/ my AMT Hardballer where the slide lock worked out of position and locked the gun up. I probably didn't have it pushed in all the way. The other was where the front sight flew off the Walther because I had installed the XS Big Dot and did not get the screw tight enough. All in all it is pretty amazing how little has gone wrong.
My hat is off to the industry.


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## paratrooper

No such thing as the most reliable gun. 

Same goes for people was well. :watching:


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## Spike12

That's an impossible question. Can you tell me what the most reliable car is? What is your definition of 'reliable' anyway? .99? .999?

For every gun there is a story of wonderfulness and a story of utter failure.


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## Cait43

The one you finally purchase that is reliable...........


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## Donn

Don't know which S&W you have/had, my M&P's have been money right out of the box. Like the Energizer Bunny.


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## paratrooper

Never been a fan of S&W semi-autos. 

Love their pre-lock revolvers though. The older, the better!


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## rustygun

My one 1911 is a S&W and it has been a 100% shooter out of the box.

Reliability has much to do with the owner as well.


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## Desertrat

Most reliable is usually a revolver...however I have Colt 1911's that have only had one or two FTE after 5,000 or more rounds.


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## Steve M1911A1

rustygun said:


> ...Reliability has much to do with the owner...


That's it, exactly!

There are, of course, some guns which are, by nature, unreliable.
But there aren't as many of them as there are inherently reliable ones.


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