Have gun, will travel...

[PALADIN85020]

It occurred to me that world travelers might look to find ONE handgun that they could take almost anywhere in the world, and not lack for a local ammunition supply. That handgun would not be subject to dumb restrictions like magazine capacity, type of action, etc. In short, if you can pass it through customs, you can find ammo for it anywhere. I think I have one gun in my inventory that would probably pass muster with these criteria.

It's an "old model" (naturally) Ruger .357/9mm convertible. There shouldn't be anywhere that one could not obtain ammo for it. In the Western Hemisphere, .38 special and .357 magnum ammo should be readily available. In Europe, the Middle East or Asia, one should be able to pick up 9x19 (Luger) ammo for it with no problems.

Here at home, I enjoy its versatility. 9mm ammo can be had a whole lot cheaper, and it's fun to plink with. For serious social purposes, the .357 magnum will do just fine, thank you. A reminder that all 9mm guns are not automatics, and that single actions will eject the empties with no problems!

John

 

[Lee Martin]

I agree....that would be a good choice.

 

[gramps]

The question is, would you be allowed to take it to those European countries.
gramps

 

[dixie884]

Or Mexico..............

 

[loiblb]

Would you be able to use it in Japan? :lol:

http://shar.es/gELbd

 

[sourdough44]

Yep, most likely USA use with restrictions in other countries.

 

[Green Frog]

Has there ever been a factory convertible 357/9 mm sold on the mid-frame FT platform? That seems like the ideal combination to me, but then again, I'm funny that way! :mrgreen:

Froggie

 

[steve b]

Or Canada ? Its a nice thought though and I can't fault your logic on caliber choice. steve b

 

[Big Rack]

I'm not sure but i think that several countries in Europe and S. America forbid ownership or sale of military caliber ammo. I think a lot of foreign 9mm's are 9 mm Kurz not Para. For some reason I think the same is true in Mexico.

 

[gak]

I don't believe we've seen a 9mm convertible midframe yet--another easy, no brainer for Ruger. Oddly, we haven't even seen just a solo .357 FT reproduced since the 50th Anniversary, and that's a number of years now. Folks wanting a new midframe .357 have to get the NV, my choice anyway, but a lot would prefer the FT. There's always the Bowen (etc) route, but you're talking $350+ by the time you're all done (whether finished by "him" or your local smith (cylinder+fitting+finishing).

 

[FergusonTO35]

The caliber bans of some countries would be a problem as the 9X19 and .357 are banned in alot of places. The .38 Special shouldn't be a problem if you had a .38 only cylinder. I would say a Single Six convertible would be a good choice for world travel. .22 LR is available everywhere and .22 Magnum is a decent defensive round with good bullets.

 

[DGW1949]

I'm not a world traveler by any stretch. Heck, I don't even like leaving my home county here in Texas. But that aside....considering the uncertainty of today's world, I can't argue that owning a heavy-duty revolver which can fire an assortment of widely-available cartridges just might turn out to be real-handy one day. I also like the fact that one of those cartridges happens to be the current US military/NATO round.

Mine is a lot like the OP's, except that I choze the 6-1/2" barrel version and substituted an XR3 gripframe. It's not my favorite handgun and the fact is, I don't presently use it much. On the other hand, I can't think of another gun that would be easier to kept fed, or that could be put to as many uses. In my mind, that aint a small thing.

DGW

 

[Ruger4Life]

I know from being stationed in Europe and travelling, you will go nowhere with a gun without special permits, in which you must prove your need of a firearm and have special permission from the country you are entering. In other words, you must be a government "elite" to travel with a firearm and not be questioned.

That being said, I figure a blackhawk in .357/9mm would fit the bill nicely for international travel and availability of ammo.