Favorite carry handgun caliber

[GOPerfect]

Yep, let us start the caliber war.

Let's go back and forth over which caliber for handguns is the best.

My vote is for the 9mm. I have always liked the round, with all of the advancements, you can't go wrong.

Some of the smaller calibers; I never understood why small sizes would be carried for protection.

 

[ECU Pirates]

My vote is for the 9mm. I have always liked the round, with all of the advancements, you can't go wrong.

Some of the smaller calibers; I never understood why small sizes would be carried for protection.

By that rational why not carry a .45? You know a man's caliber. JK! I carry a 9mm in the warmer months but my favorite carry gun (in warm weather I still carry it at times) is the Sig p220. Since it's a .45 that means my favorite carry caliber is a .45

I carry a .380 at times (deep concealment) but it's rare.
I carry a 9mm (p239) most of the time in warmer months
I carry a p220 when I can (most of the fall and winter)
My woods/hiking carry guns are .357 mag and 1omm. I'm thinking of selling the revolvers and using the Glock 20 for this role.

We also all know your fav gun is a Glock 22 and your fav caliber is the .40!

 

[xcentrk]

I go back and forth between 9 and 45. If I lived in a free state, I think 9 would have more of an edge because I wouldn't be limited to the 10 round mags and could get the full capacity of my pistols.

This will be an interesting thread to follow.

 

[carpediem]

I like .40 and .45. I went with .40 since you can only pick one. I do on occasion bring the .45s out of retirement for a while though. Not really partial to 9mm.

 

[GOPerfect]

Kind of funny, my favorite go to gun for EDC is my XDS 45ACP. I love shooting the 1911's as well. Most of my carry guns are chambered in 9mm. Just like the ways it shoots and feels.



BTW, I hate the Glock.

 

[carpediem]

I have never fired a Glock. I might like them but don't know. I do like the 1911, and I have one of the Baby Eagle compacts. That's my EDC. Good gun, has never jammed or anything.

 

[ECU Pirates]

The only Glock I have is a 20. I used to have a bunch but I'm a sig guy now.

 

[Jem45472]

Hmm, how to put it? I like the 45, but carry 9mm. 9 is enough to get the job done and having more capacity to do it.

So I voted 45,even though I usually carry a 9.

 

[Greywolf224]

My daily has always been my .40. Lately I switch out to my .357. The 9mm has been my safe queen and rarely if ever gets shot.

 

[Dr. Evil]

I carry 9mm. I have smaller than average hands so shot placement with better control works for me.

 

[Jem45472]

I carry 9mm. I have smaller than average hands so shot placement with better control works for me.

Sounds like the thin gripped 1911 is in your future. Kidding aside, my hands are on the smaller side, and a 1911 feels good. You have one?

 

[Dr. Evil]

Sounds like the thin gripped 1911 is in your future. Kidding aside, my hands are on the smaller side, and a 1911 feels good. You have one?

No. I like to carry one type of gun instead of having different types. I don't collect, I only carry for self defense. I have 2 pistols that have similar action so there is familiarity between the two. Always used a self defense pistol with no external safety's and striker fired. Not wanting to deal with safety's, decocker, etc..

 

[Marine Cpl]

9mm all the way for the reasons stated below in this ultra long post. Here are some copies and pastes from another forum I posted in and put together.

Below are two videos. One 9mm and the other .40 S&W. Both rounds tested are the heaviest for caliber available. Both are standard pressure. Both tests are made by the same guy using the same brand of ammunition out of the same brand of pistol. The only difference between the two were an inch of deeper penetration going to the 9mm and a millimeter of larger expansion going to the .40 S&W. A human body will never know the difference.

Speer Gold Dot 147 gr

Speer Gold Dot 180 gr

Even if you were limited to full metal jackets, both rounds will penetrate with complete pass-throughs through a human body and keep going. One will leave a .355 caliber hole and the other will leave a .40 caliber hole. The human body will also never know the difference between less than half a millimeter of size between the .40 S&W and the 9mm going at about the same velocity.

And below is for the .45 acp fan boys. While it is true that the larger round is almost a full millimeter larger than the 9mm, the lower velocity at around 800 to 900 fps for the 45 acp is terrible against hard barriers. If you look at the video linked below, all calibers that had a muzzle velocity of a lot less than 1000 fps failed to penetrate the frying pan. For a police agency or anyone for that matter in my opinion that may have to shoot through a hard barrier, the 45 acp is a terrible choice.



In short, the 9mm and the .40 S&W can stop an attacker about equally and can also penetrate harder barriers easily unlike the .45ACP. With a good round from a good manufacturer, the 9mm is about equal to the .40 S&W. You are talking about less than a millimeter in expansion and about an inch in penetration difference.

This is why the FBI sees it that way and have switched over. You are talking about minute differences between the .40 S&W and the 9mm that don't mean much in wounding but mean a lot in recoil and controllability. The 45 acp may wound a tad bit more in soft tissue, but you lose capacity and barrier penetration.

For me, I choose the round with more capacity that costs less, has less recoil for follow up shots that is easily controllable by shooters with smaller hands, all while having a higher velocity than the .45 acp to penetrate hard barriers. Your hands may easily control the recoil, but your wife's, young sons, or daughters may not if they had to pick up your sidearm.

Nobody has ever wished they had less rounds in a gunfight and more recoil for the fight of their life while their lone target or multiple targets are moving in and out of cover. And no matter how good you are in controlling a higher recoiling gun, you will have even more control and be faster and deadlier with a lower recoiling gun that has more capacity against multiple moving targets.

 

[Deplorable Me]

.357 if I'm hiking in the woods, cutting timber, mostly because I can carry snake shot. Two snake shot, 4 158gr JHP.

If I'm carrying money for business, 9mm summer, .45 winter. 10 round mags.

 

[togmaster]

.45 ask any 1911 guys.

 

[Criticalt]

9mm, 357, 45, in that order.

 

[Toecutter]

9mm

 

[Magnus]

.45 ACP, because I feel comfortable with it and the only other caliber I have is a .38.

 

[Cleck]

Only bought the Shield in .40 because I don't trying to keep multiple stores of ammo. I already have that and .223, which I know is nothing compared to some of you, but I like to buy as much as I can when I do, so I didn't wanna break it up into 9mm and .40

Otherwise, I would have bought 9 so that I could buy more of it at a time, and cheaper.

 

[Phazer]

I'd just like to be allowed to carry in this anti-constitutional state.


(I know....I know....."Same song , different thread. Sorry.)

 

[Podmonkey]

9mm has the best balance of capacity, controlablity and performance, for now. Between .40 and 9mm penetration and expansion is similar. That will change when a manufacturer designs a bullet that takes advantage of the extra kinetic energy the .40 has and expands to a disproportionately greater amount for the same penetration. I'd go .45 in a restricted state though, extra expansion with good penetration and the relatively low pressure makes it very controlable.

 

[MoMan]

My vote is for the 9mm. I carry a Glock 19, w/15 round magazine. I also carry an extra mag on my weak side hip.
Sorry Folks, I live in "Free America"!

ETA: If I'm going fishing, I'll also toss the Judge in the tackle box for snakes.

 

[Dr. Evil]

My vote is for the 9mm. I carry a Glock 19, w/15 round magazine. I also carry an extra mag on my weak side hip.
Sorry Folks, I live in "Free America"!

High capacity mag? (I know, I know...standard capacity). Baby killer!

 

[MoMan]

BUT.... it can't be a Baby Killer because it's not evil black (mine's in FDE!!). So you should be able to have it in New Yorkistan! Amiright??

 

[Dr. Evil]

BUT.... it can't be a Baby Killer because it's not evil black (mine's in FDE!!). So you should be able to have it in New Yorkistan! Amiright??

 

[Marine Cpl]

A .45 will steal your soul but not if you hide behind frying pans.

Because of that, I dumped that caliber.

 

[Phazer]

I'd go .45 in a restricted state though, extra expansion with good penetration and the relatively low pressure makes it very controlable.

That was my thinking when I purchased a Glock 36. I figured, "Why not have a compact 45?" Gotta tell you, though...that pistol is way flippier than any of my 9mm compact and subcompact pistols. I could certainly use practice with recoil mitigation. But, when it comes to getting a 2nd shot on target, I'd personally prefer a 9mm. That said, my Para P10-45 (double-stack 45 with 10+1 capacity) is even flippier than the Glock 36 despite the P10-45's all-metal construction. The wide, compact, short, grip on the P10-45 is not that very comfortable unless the mag has a pinky extension. At short range (under 10 yards), 11 rounds of 45ACP is comforting to have in hand. The dang thing is too thick to carry. But, it has place in a room for home defense.

 

[ECU Pirates]

And below is for the .45 acp fan boys. While it is true that the larger round is almost a full millimeter larger than the 9mm, the lower velocity at around 800 to 900 fps for the 45 acp is terrible against hard barriers. If you look at the video linked below, all calibers that had a muzzle velocity of a lot less than 1000 fps failed to penetrate the frying pan. For a police agency or anyone for that matter in my opinion that may have to shoot through a hard barrier, the 45 acp is a terrible choice.



In short, the 9mm and the .40 S&W can stop an attacker about equally and can also penetrate harder barriers easily unlike the .45ACP. With a good round from a good manufacturer, the 9mm is about equal to the .40 S&W. You are talking about less than a millimeter in expansion and about an inch in penetration difference.

This is why the FBI sees it that way and have switched over. You are talking about minute differences between the .40 S&W and the 9mm that don't mean much in wounding but mean a lot in recoil and controllability. The 45 acp may wound a tad bit more in soft tissue, but you lose capacity and barrier penetration.

For me, I choose the round with more capacity that costs less, has less recoil for follow up shots that is easily controllable by shooters with smaller hands, all while having a higher velocity than the .45 acp to penetrate hard barriers. Your hands may easily control the recoil, but your wife's, young sons, or daughters may not if they had to pick up your sidearm.

Nobody has ever wished they had less rounds in a gunfight and more recoil for the fight of their life while their lone target or multiple targets are moving in and out of cover. And no matter how good you are in controlling a higher recoiling gun, you will have even more control and be faster and deadlier with a lower recoiling gun that has more capacity against multiple moving targets.

How does the frying pan test go with JHP's? A .45 fmj might not penetrate like a 9mm fmj but .45 hardball makes a larger hole. It's a give and take I guess. Many look at that kind of penetration as a negative. If I'm ever in a shoot out in a frying pan factory I will take a 10mm or a .357 sig. In a free state I'm a 9mm guy for most situations. In this dump of a state I will take 10 230 grainers.

This is a creepy name for a channel but interesting results.





Edit: I see he used JHP and FMJ in frying pan test.

 

[Podmonkey]

That was my thinking when I purchased a Glock 36. I figured, "Why not have a compact 45?" Gotta tell you, though...that pistol is way flippier than any of my 9mm compact and subcompact pistols. I could certainly use practice with recoil mitigation. But, when it comes to getting a 2nd shot on target, I'd personally prefer a 9mm. That said, my Para P10-45 (double-stack 45 with 10+1 capacity) is even flippier than the Glock 36 despite the P10-45's all-metal construction. The wide, compact, short, grip on the P10-45 is not that very comfortable unless the mag has a pinky extension. At short range (under 10 yards), 11 rounds of 45ACP is comforting to have in hand. The dang thing is too thick to carry. But, it has place in a room for home defense.

Hits on target trump everything.

 

[NYGuns]

I carry 9mm 90% of the time, and .380 sometimes during the warmer months (mesh shorts, etc.). Hornady Critical Defense is my carry ammo in every carry firearm of mine.