Best Pistol Caliber for Self Defense

smallpoxgirl · Moderator Joined: Nov 08, 2004 Posts: 6470

It's one of those immortal questions that will never be answered. Never the less, I thought it might be interesting to see peoples feelings.
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green_achers

I voted ".45" because it's the best caliber I have and, from a doomer POV, there's an awful lot of it around for replenishing supplies. However, from a pure carrying-for-self-defense perspective the .40 has a lot to offer.

Edited to add: Did someone actually vote for .45 GAP, or was that a mistake?
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eXpat · Light Sweet Crude Joined: Jun 08, 2006 Posts: 1081

The eternal debate, 9mm or .45? I personally prefer the .45 but unless you have a nice Para Ordnance P14 in .45, I have to go with a high capacity 9mm.
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smallpoxgirl · Moderator Joined: Nov 08, 2004 Posts: 6470

smallpoxgirl · Moderator Joined: Nov 08, 2004 Posts: 6470

I voted for 9mm. My argument is this. A: If you're using a reasonably powerful pistol caliber(i.e. 9mm, 40, 45, or 357), then it's really shot placement not caliber that is the most important factor. B: The most important factor in shot placement is training and practice. C: 9mm is the cheapest, thus affording the best ability to train with it.
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Loki · Expert Joined: Apr 08, 2006 Posts: 1298 Location: Cascadia

Where's .17 HMR?

I also chose 9mm, for basically the same reasons you outline SPG. I'd also add that, for people with fat little paws like my own, high-cap 9mms are easier to grip than high-cap .45s. The G21 is too big for my hands to comfortably grip, but the G19 fits my hands perfectly.

I think anything over 9mm/.38sp is perfectly acceptable, particularly when modern JHPs are used. I would feel underarmed with anything under a .38sp---don't care for .380 or, even worse, .32.

magician

9mm also has a flatish trajectory. its not .357 by far but 14 bucks dosent buy you 100 rds of .357. also even wallmart has varias types of 9mm. last time i was there they only had one box of .45 in the whole store. two types of .357 for about 19 bucks for 50 rds. to me having owned .357 and 9mm handguns, 9mm is a compromise round. less recoil, cheap, widely available, lighter in weight for transport, more rounds in the mag (act now before hr-10-22 passes!!!!) and if a less trained friend or neighbor has to use it they are more likely to be familiar with how the round shoots and be able to be somewhat effective despite more limited experience.

the cons are obvious, stopping power, stopping power, stopping power. yeah people say all kinds of things and extol the virtues of this or that 9mm hollow point but i read somewhere in guns and ammo mag that they give desired results and expand corectly like 40% of the time (i cant cite a source for that). and that 40% isnt the cheap hp's its the good expensive ones. winchester white box would not give 40% expansion rates. for this reason and because im poor i just shoot solids. especially in the winter when people wear coats and stuff.

those other calibers all outperform 9mm in a variety of ways. no doubt about that. but for general handgun for non-military use id say 9mm is the best compromise round for anyone of limited financial means.

Aaron

40SW

Lightweight
Adequate punch
Adequate rounds per clip

And the most important factor... I own a gun which shoots them.

Smile

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lateStarter

Pretorian

i'd say it depends on how comfortable are u with a bigger gun. After that the bigger the better I'd say.

DomusAlbion

I own a H&K USP 45 and a Beretta 92FS 9MM and from use I can say I prefer the 9MM. I can place more shots, faster and with more accuracy with the 9 while the 45 will jump all over the place.
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Loki · Expert Joined: Apr 08, 2006 Posts: 1298 Location: Cascadia

PrairieMule

Tough question, all of the calibers have their pros and cons. I favor a .357.

I think the correct answer is whatever the shooter is most proficient with, if we are strictly speaking about 2 legged predators. I think if someone like SPG is proficient with a 9mm they are just as equally or more deadly than someone with a .357. I don't think there is a right or wrong answer, only a poor match of gun and owner.
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Kingcoal · Last edited by Kingcoal on Mon Mar 26, 2007 5:10 pm; edited 1 time in total

Here's a site: Link where a guy likes to hunt Javelinas with combat handguns (it takes all types.) He compared the 9mm and .45 auto and found that he gets similar knock down power with both calibers with the right loads. He found that the heavy JHP bullets in front of a +P load works the best. For years there has been an on going controversy between the 9mm luger and .45ACP calibers. In FMJ, the .45 is better, but as this guy found out, still inadequate to knock down a Javelina. What I found surprising was that he found heavy hollow points work best. The fast, light JHP don't penetrate enough.

A Taurus PT92 has a capacity of 17 rounds of 9mm. Pared with the right loads, it's probably the best handgun in a fire fight.

9mm vs. .45
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eXpat · Light Sweet Crude Joined: Jun 08, 2006 Posts: 1081

PrairieMule wrote