Classic Fighting Handguns Of All Time

Guns Magazine, Annual, 2001 by Charles W. Karwan

From the dusty streets of the Old West to far flung front lines, here are the masterpiece firearms that did battle!

In the world of fighting handguns a few stand out as all-time classics. These guns have certain immortality and wide recognition that goes far beyond their intrinsic value as fighting weapons or collectors' items.

These classic fighting handguns are best defined as having "lasting significance or value." The criteria used for selection are (1) a long period of production and use; (2) wide distribution or adoption; (3) widely copied; (4) wide recognition or fame; and (5) certain immortality.

Only centerfire cartridge handguns were considered for these classics. Certainly, there are several percussion or even flintlock handguns that qualify as classic fighting handguns but are better suited for another disccusion.

After considerable deliberation, here are the nine fighting handguns that receive my nomination as all-time classics. In the approximate order of introduction, they are the Colt Single Action Army (SAA) revolver, the Webley .455 top break revolver (Mark I through Mart VI), the Mauser M1896 Broomhandle pistol, the Smith & Weston Military and Police revolver, the Luger pistol, the Cold M1911 pistol, the Walther PP pistol, the Browning 9mm Hi-Power pistol and the Glock G17 pistol.

Colt Single Action Army

I doubt that the Colt Single Action Army would be left off of anybody's list of all-time classic fighting handguns. It is, literally, a revolver of song and legend because of its association with the settling of the American West in the last part of the 19th century. This gun played a part in one of the most colorful and exciting places and times in history.

The Cold SAA, chambered for the equally immortal .45 Colt cartridge, was the standard U.S. Army handgun for about 20 years and the substitute standard for another 18 years. No other repeating handgun has been factory chambered for as many different cartridges. Some 29 different chamberings are known, ranging from .22 rim-fire all the way up to .476 Eley, including the modery .357 Magnum. The most popular chamberings in the pre-World War II series were .45 Colt, .44-40, .38-40, .32-20 and .41 Colt, and .45 Colt and .357 Mag. In the Post-World War II series.

If, as they say, being copied is the sincerest form of flattery, then the Colt SAA is one of the most flattered handguns of all time. A partial list of manufacturers of Colt SAA copies, past and present, includes Ruger, Hy Hunter, Great Western, Sauer, Arminius, Uberti, Hammerli, Remington, Armi Jager, U.S. Patent Fire-Arms, Freedom Arms and many others. The quality of the copies varies from outstanding to terrible.

Famous and infamous users of the Colt SAA include Wyatt Earp, Jesse James, Buffalo Bill Cody, President Theodore Roosevelt, General George Patton and John Wayne. Introduced in 1873, it has been in almost continuous production, except for a short break during the following World War II.

There is also no question the Colt SAA has the hard-to-define quality of "immortality" that comes from wide recognition as a result of books, movies, TV and legend.

Webley Big Bore Revolvers

The next selection for all-time classic status is more controversial. The Webley big-bore revolver is a double-action, top-break, simultaneous-ejection model, first introduced commercially in 1877 and adopted in an improved stirrup latched version by the British Army in 1887. The military version, chambered in .455, passed through various "Mark" designations, ranging from the original Mark I to the Mark VI adopted in 1915 and remaining primary standard in the British Commonwealth militaries until 1936 and secondary standard until 1947. That is 64 years of continuous military service!

The first five Marks look remarkably the same with only minor differences. All feature 4" barrels and a round bird's head grip. The Mark VI had a 6" barrel and a square butt grip. Due to its use in World War I, the Mark VI was made in larger quantities than all the models put together.

Webley .455 revolvers were used throughout the British Empire by the British and colonial military and police forces. It gained a reputation for effectiveness and reliability second to none and was always extremely popular among its users.

Its .455 cartridge was one of the great service revolver cartridges. It launched a 265 gr. .45 bullet at the ambling velocity of only 620 fps. The result was a cartridge and handgun combination with relatively mild recoil, but with good penetration and excellent stopping power. The .455 Webley was rated superior to the .45 Colt in stopping power in the famous Thompson/La Garde tests that resulted in the adoption of the U.s. .45 ACP cartridge.

The Webley even had what was probably the world's first efficient revolver speedloader. It was developed in 1896 with an improved version appearing in 1914, just in time for World War I.

The .455 Webley had the admirable characteristics of ruggedness, reliability, accuracy, stopping power, mild recoil, fast reloads and modest weight. Truth be known, it's as good a service pistol as just about any modern revolver. That's impressive for a revolver developed in the 1870s! From a purely technical point, the Webley .455 was so markedly superior to the Colt SAA in virtually every aspect except pure power, I doubt if the Colt would have been nearly as popular if the Webley had been an American product. It was truly the "Peacemaker of the British Commonwealth."