The "All-Round" or 'Beginners' Handgun:

You can't buy a new Ruger 'Standard' .22" rim fire semi-auto for US$37.50 any more (as you might have back in 1962!) - but the latest iteration - the Mark IV - is still an excellent choice for both new and old shooters.

The Ruger Mk. IV will set you back anything between $500 - $700 nowadays in US depending on the model .. I'd guess comfortably double that in NZ dollars here. But it's a gun than you can learn how to shoot with, maybe use for hunting & pest control where permitted, self-defense, and for competitive target shooting & fun plinking.

A good solidly made 'Two-Two' of this type is a piece that might be passed-on down through generations of shooters. You won't wear-out the barrel of this type of shooter.. A great all-round gun with affordable ammunition. - We shoot "Economy IPSC" at our club using 'two-two' autos.

Going up towards the centre-fire pistols .. this is where personal choice and interests start to direct where you are going. If you get serious about "bulls-eye" ISSF target shooting - (International Shooting Sport Federation) there are specialist pistols that come with special grips - and everything else - including special prices.

 but if you are "into" practical pistol or self-defense you'll likely be needing a high capacity auto-pistol ..

- perhaps a standard Law Enforcement arm such as the Glock 17 or a "race gun" for the enthusiast gamer ..

- There's plenty of choice around - and specialists happy to take your money 😊😊 - but I'd like to suggest that the one gun that has a claim as the most versatile - second only to a 'Two-Two Auto" is a full sized revolver - perhaps in stainless steel:

A Ruger GP 100 357 Magnum.

There's not much that you can't do with a versatile centre-fire revolver. My choice is for stainless steel over blued - as scuff-marks & scratches easily polish-out on stainless. Some folks love S&W or Colts .. some, like me, get tumescent over Rugers 😍 - but any decent revolver is a pleasing work-of-art that is both good to admire, - handle, and shoot.

Shot loads, duplex loads, wad-cutters, lead-nosed hollow-points, can all safely work in the "clockwork" action revolver .. with a double-action or single-action choice.

  A revolver in your chosen length barrel 3",4", 5" or 6 inches - and probably in the most versatile caliber of .357 Magnum (or even 38 Special) will let you shoot light fun, target loads - or when the mood is on you .. blast-off big megaton deafening explosions to rattle your teeth - even if they are still in a glass in the bathroom. There is no likely-hood of ammo shortages in .357" - ever - as many millions of these guns have been sold since 1934 - the first magnum.

A close relation to the 357 Revolver is the-new-kid-on-the-block and I reckon that The 327 Federal Magnum is maybe even more versatile than the 357 .. as it will shoot 327 Magnum, 32 H&R Magnum, 32" S&W Long, 32" S&W, and even the .32 ACP. - But the 327 has only been around since 2007 / 2008.

Ruger have made 7 shot GP 100's, 6 Shot Sp 101's,

 EIGHT SHOT Single Actions - and the compact 6 shot LCR..

- All made possible by the 327 Federal Magnum. This cartridge has been around ten years and it's still regarded by many as 'new'.

Marty K.

P.S. Here's a link to video of a guy getting 20 inches penetration from an old Nagant revolver in 7.62 x 38R (a 'thirty-two').


http://www.guns.com/2017/08/16/running-surplus-russian-nagant-revolver-rounds-through-gel-video/