Rock Island Armory Tactical 1911 45ACP.
Tactical just means it has Novak modern sights instead of the old GI sights that old timers on the gun forums like to complain they can't see well enough. The 1911 is the quintessential handgun for most people, and I've never shot one. The RIA models are supposed to be a lot of bang for your buck, and feed lots of different types of ammo reliably.
I'm a revolver lover and don't have much interest in buying any more semi-autos, but every gun fan needs a 1911 to round out the collection.
Colt Detective Special Mk-II 38sp.
This one I'd like to have for concealed carry, if and when I ever get a permit to do so. I love my Colt Trooper, and the DS-II is considered one of the best snubbies ever produced, so why not stick with the Colt name? The mark II models are made a little stronger and have a shrouded ejector rod, so I'd prefer one of those. They also hold 6 rounds vs only 5 in most all other snub-nose revolvers, including the Smith and Wesson Chief's Special.
Ruger Blackhawk Single Action Revolver 357.
I'd take a 45 Long Colt or 44 Special just as happily. I've never used a single-action but hear great things about them. Not as practical a weapon comparatively these days, but they are supposed to handle and point really naturally for some people. And the Blackhawk models are designed to handle very heavy loads(specialty ammo manufacturers even designate "RUGER ONLY" loads), so they make great hunting handguns.
Smith and Wesson 1917 45ACP.
This may be the most expensive gun on the list, and possibly the hardest to find. In the WWI era the 1911 45ACP was introduced to the US Armed Forces as the standard issue sidearm. When Colt couldn't keep up with demand to manufacture these expensive weapons, Smith and Wesson re-fitted their existing 45LC large frame revolvers to fire the tons of surplus 45ACP cartridges laying around, using moon-clips to hold them in place in the cylinder. These days the Colt autos produced in that era are prized by collectors and worth gobs of money, while the Smith 1917 revolvers are beloved for their shoot-ability, accuracy and speed of reload.
That's the short list for now. I'd love to own plenty more guns, but these four would hit all the right spots in my brain to (maybe) keep me satisfied for a while...
