In your opinion, what are the best pistols ever designed?

toreskha said:

The 1911 is probably the best, except for that low mag capacity. Having to reload after 7 rounds is cutting it a bit close.

I'll add another superlative, though - IMO, the parkerized 92/96 FS is the most visually attractive handgun ever produced. That's just my opinion, of course. In fact, I finally had to get one just so that I can look at it every single day. It's also a wonderful firearm by itself.

I know nothing about revolvers, so I won't even go there. I've fired fully auto M-16, AK-47, an Uzi knockoff and a few others. My favorite one was the MP-5 - compact, well-designed, accurate, easy to load, etc. It's too bad they're so expensive.

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That should only be a problem if you're not able to hit what you're shooting at.

In your opinion

Semi-auto: Springfield Armory XD-45 - they took the best features from available pistols and designed a great gun. I had a guy tell me he didn't like the XD because of the lack of a frame safety. To each his own.
Revolver: Dan Wesoon .357. The one weapon to own because you can have a 4 inch barrel for duty, 2 1/2 inch ofr off-duty, and up to 15 inches for silhouette shooting. The barrel of the DW is inherently more accurate than other revolvers, because it is secured and under tension on both ends, where other revolvers are secured on one end only.
Full auto: MAC 10 in 9mm - you load the magazine with .380 ammo to avoid the sonic crack of the 9mm. More fun than a truckload of monkey-filled barrels.
These selections are my own opinion. Please don't get on my case because it is not a 1911 or a Colt Python or an Uzi.