[Ian11]

I was wondering if anyone here through their own experience or choice decided to devote themselves to just one caliber for their handguns? Some of us here are fans of a particular type of gun or a particular brand. Instead, is anyone here a devotee of one particular caliber? Only .357 SIGs? Only 9mms? Only .357 Mags? Only .45 ACPs?

Tell us what those handguns are and why you came to this particular decision.



*Naturally, people are gonna say why they're choice is better than others. But this thread is not meant for back and forth debate or criticism. I didn't post a poll because this is not a contest. We see enough of that here. This is their opportunity to rant and rave about what they chose, why they chose it, and what delights them about their favorite caliber.


Thanks.

[sm]

Yes , .45ACP

Ok, darn I hate these "one" choices. So for ME...

I'm big on gun fitting shooter. I like 1911 style for that reason ( among others, like trigger) So In semis I like 2 guns the best and the 1911 being the first,BHP is second in 9mm. I have a revolver favorite too, K frames, so that means the .357/.38 cal. This is how I made my CCW, SD handgun choices so many years ago. Being a C.I.T. , I won't change. ;)

[arinvolvo]

Currently, 9mm is my favorite.

Many reasons.

Availability...you can find it anywhere.

Price...By far, next to 22, the cheapest to practice/plink/have fun with.

Power...I feel that it is more than adequate for HD or SD situations, expecially with the right loads, and especially with the easy availability of 9mm Hi cap mags for many pistols.

Ammo Selection...Every ammo manufacturer that I know of produces 9mm...but what is great, is that most manufacturers produce the 9mm in a wide variety of loads/bullet weights. Finding a 9mm round that meets your specific balistics needs is usually easy.

Pistol Selection...there are a huge selection of 9mm pistols to be had on the market. just about any size, or form factor you could dream of.


Now if only SIG would make the 230/232 in 9mm I would be a happy camper.

[PowerSlave]

I prefer the 45 . Mainly because it works and I prefer the larger bores .
Being a 1911 NUT dont help either .:banghead:
The other reason being I have been reloading the 45 for 6-7 years and have several good loads worked up.
The only other round I am really interested in is the 10mm.

[CWL]

I own 12 calibers but have to admit that i shoot .45ACP more than the others combined.

Plan on keeping with this tendency.

[firestar]

9mm is my fav also. I have guns in other cals but if I had to just have one handgun cal, I could make do with 9mm.

Good thing I can also have .22lr, .32acp, .380acp, .38spl. .357mag, etc.:D

[J Miller]

My very first centerfire revolver was a SA .45 Colt.
My favorites are still .45's. .45 ACP in autos, and .45 Colt in revolvers.

[Frenchy]

All K-Frames in .38 S&W Special.

[popbang]

I own guns in several calibers, but my favorite is .45 Colt. I use it for big game humtin g as well as CCW. My thoughts are that I like the ability to shoot a wide range of loads and the old Colt fits that bill well. For CCW loads that match .45 ACP +P are easily obtained and not punishing. For Hunting a big heavy bullet at a reasonable velocity gives anything I shoot lead poisoning real quick.

[9x19]

.22 Long Rifle is the one I shoot the most rounds of in a year, and will always have a place in my gun room.

9mm is the centerfire cartridge I shoot the most, in pistols, revolvers, and rifles... likewise I'll never be without one.

I own a number of other calibers in pistols... .32ACP, .380ACP, 9x18 Mak, .357SIG, .40 S&W, .45ACP, 10MM, and soon .45Glock, but these are just recreational calibers for me.

In revolvers, I only shoot five, .22 LR, .22 WMR, 9mm, .38 Special and .357 Magnum, again all are recreational.

[TallPine]

For me, it is revolvers only (at least right now) so I limit myself to:

22 LR
38/357
45Colt

That about covers the range of anything I could ever need.

[Mike Irwin]

Variety is the spice of life.

And I likea SPICY life. :)

[Pappy John]

The .44's have been multiplying in my safe lately. First it was a Redhawk Hunter followed by a 4.6" Vaquero. Then it was on to Smiths. I bought a 29-8 Mountain Gun in March then I added a 696 two days ago. I like making LARGE holes in my targets so I don't need the spotting scope to check the hits quite so often.

[sanchezero]

9.

[gamegod86]

I can see an argument for only 1 caliber. The "SHTF big time" argument. It's easier to stockpile a single caliber.

That said, I have several calibers. I mostly shoot 9mm, for economic reasons.

17HMR is also fun for some reason.

Todd

[jerryd]

My favorite is the 45, kimber tgt 2, kimber pro cdp, colt comm.,SA full size ss, also 380 , p-22,glock 19c love the feel of 1911 in my hand, the glock feels too squarish,but is my hot weather carry gun, otherwise kimber cdp. Waiting on a DW 10mm razor back, another honey i really need this!!!!!

[45auto]

Considering everything I'd go with the 45, big surprise looking at my screen name.

I love shooting but I'm not a "caliber junky". The less calibers I have to enjoy all the types of shooting, the better, for me at least. It's something to go into the gun so it goes bang.

The 45 can be downloaded to shoot very soft or "up-loaded" if you want some more bang. Very controllable in the right gun.

Very accurate caliber, easy to load(big), wide variety of components and good buys on new ammo, and low pressure. You really have to work at it to blow up a 45ACP.

Self defense; I think a bigger bullet is better in a handgun, at least one that is controllable. At worst, it's as good as the best 9/40, etc. loads and at best, it's a superior stopper. Depends who you ask! You only loose mag capacity if it's not better, not a big deal in my situation.

And, the first reason was years ago I wanted a 1911 and it came in 45 ACP, so that's what I shot.

Maybe, someday I'll get one in 9mm and say what a great caliber that is too!!

[Zach S]

I've got 6 guns, 4 of which are .45ACP, and another (BUL M5 commander)that I'm considering buying.

The two other ones are a .38 (mainly got it for Mom as a housegun) and one 9mm so I could punch twice as many holes for the same money. I know 22LR is dirt cheap, but its just not that fun for me.

[RustyHammer]

Most common are:

Wheel: .357
Auto: .45 ACP

Many others competing for "honorable mention".

Rusty

[Sunray]

Geezuz, that'd be like having only one woman. That's sick.

[NordicG3K]

No question, I'm a certifiable 10mm Auto nutcase! Got hooked on the 10mm back when the Bren Ten first came out, but didn't get serious about collecting them until a couple years ago. It's got great power and versatility for an autoloader cartridge and fills all my needs. Some comment on how it's popularity has dropped considerably since it first came out and complain that there aren't many 10mm guns available, but to me that's part of the attraction. It just makes finding them all the more fun! I've got 15 10mms now (or is it 16?) and the wish list keeps growing!

[Smoke]

Other than a .22's and a lowly .380 (shhhhhh) I stick with 45acp for autos and 45 Colt for wheel guns.

I prefer 45acp over all others I shoot it better than any other (9mm, .40, 10mm, etc) That I have ever tried.

Then chalk me up to the psycho 1911 owner too, so whats a guy to do.

Now for the bizarro side of this picture: I am working on a couple of frames that I can switch out slides and barrels to have other calibers available on the 1911 platform. Currently have .38 Super, .40S&w, 400 Corbon, and pieces of a 9mm. I really don't know why I'm doing this.......

[Devonai]

I am satisfied with the ballistic information I've found about a stout 9mm +P load. Plus, I have more accuracy with the 9mm than any other caliber I've owned or tried, and that includes side-by-side tests with Beretta 9mm/.40s and Glock 9mm/.40s. My worst accuracy was with a Sig 239 in .40. I did better when I owned a Glock 27!

Therefore, all three of my current handguns are chambered in 9mm Para.

[CZF]

Count me in as another 10mm advocate. Once you own a
mighty TEN everything else pales in comparison.

Guys who have traded in their 41 and 44 Magnums tell
me the 10mm kills deer as well as the Magnums. Doesn't
seem possible on paper, but i've also read the same thing.

10mm is one caliber that can do most everything, from
Hunting to home defense (frangibles) and is a terror
on targets!

Very flat shooting and accurate... even at 100 yards!

I wish all my guns were TENs:)

[tlhelmer]

No! I like .38, 9mm, .357 magnum, .40, .45 .223 etc...

[Bobarino]

i'm a .40S&W devotee. why? because, ummmm, errrrr....i just am. am i the only one?

Bobby

[HeavyHaul]

Bobarino, no you are not the only one. I also love my .40.

Bill

[MikeJ]

I can't say that I'm a devotee of one particular caliber but I do think I am a devotee of two; 9mm and .38 special. When I began shooting about 20 years ago my first handgun was in .22 which didn't give me quite enough oomph to satisfy my quest to feel like I was really shooting a gun with some power behind it and although I got a kick out of the .357 and .44 magnums I didn't enjoy extended sessions as they were a little more oomph than what I was looking for. The 9mm and .38 seemed just right, kind of like Goldilocks and the three bears. :rolleyes: I did jump on the .40S&W bandwagon and still think its a great round, particularly out of my Sig 229, but I have gone back to what I originally found to be most enjoyable for me, the 9mm and .38. Cheers, Mike

[MJRW]

Nope. I've got .22, .22 magnum, .380, 9mm, .38, .357, and .45. I'm more concerned about platform than the round.

[Jeff]

As far as the guns that chamber them, I prefer shooting the .45acp, because I own a H&K USP with 12 round mags and that is a LOT of firepower in the palm. Fun!

As far as the actual round is concerned, I will take the .357 mag over ANYTHING. Superior combination of stopping power (that's right-- stopping power is real; it means the effectiveness of the individual projectile in stopping the target), distance, control, economics, variety of guns, etc.

The .357 mag is the mutt's nuts.

[Tacblack]

9mm, I have some others but like the feel and speed of the 9mm. Works so well for most of my shooting. If not for my IPSC limited 40 the 9mm would be about all I shoot.

[10-Ring]

Not to just one caliber, but I did downsize which calibers I was going to have. Currently they are: 22lr, 38/357, 9mm & 45 acp. I eliminated 40 S&W and 10mm. I go in phases, last year it was 45 acp only, right now I'm in a 9mm exclusivity.

[BowStreetRunner]

I guess im not really a devotee but I want another 9X18 handgun to go with my mak....a PA 63.......just for fun :D
BSR

[TheeBadOne]

I think I am more of a devotee of a particular handgun than caliber. My .44 Mag S&W 629 Mountain Gun has a special place in my heart and on my hip because it carries so well while afeild and is very accurate (and hits hard with my .240 gr XTP's over Win 296). The total package is the appeal to me. Also, I just like big bullets, and thus have a .454 too (SRH). But the handy dandy light/small Mountain Gun still has it all over my SRH for me. I would not consider myself in the 9mm camp as I dearly love the .45 ACP. That said, my Kahr MK-9 is just the sweetest little thing (again, it's the package). My Glock 27 in .40 S&W, same thing.
As far as being a devotee, if the laws of physics didn't apply for my carry guns they'd be .45 ACP. I do have a S&W 4516 that gets carry when I can hide it on me (mostly fall/winter). Man does it feel good to have a 2 clips of those big pumpkins on your side. :)

[22x9]

Actually equally devoted to 2 calibers: .22LR and 9MM Luger.

[Parker Dean]

Whew, this is a tough one...

On the one hand I like the ballistics of the .357 but revolvers don't fit my hand too well. In fact the DW 15-2 I had would hurt the bottom joint of my thumb after a couple of cylinders worth of shooting. Not bad, just uncomfortable.

So that means I tend to like 1911's but there are no common cartridges of .357 power in the 1911.

Oh, hold it! The 10mm fits the bill nicely on BOTH counts. I guess that's why I bought a DW RZ-10 :D FWIW, I can run Silvertips through this thing all day long (or until my wallet flattens out). I can't wait to get some reloading equipment.

So for me its .357 in revolvers and 10mm in autoloaders. No, I do not want a 610. The more I study S&W revolvers the less I find to like.

[cool45auto]

Like the others, I like 'em all. But my favorite is 9mm. I shoot this better than the others I own. My Vertec is the only 9mm pistol I own but I want another Beretta.

[Ala Dan]

Why NO, cuz I like any caliber .22 short and above
that goes B-A-N-G!:D :uhoh: (LOL)

Best Wishes,
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member

[Skunkabilly]

My Vertec is the only 9mm pistol I own but I want another Beretta.

Get an Elite II.

9mm for me.

.308 for rifles but I wish I had a decent .223 :fire:

12ga for shotgun. Pretty hard to mount tactical doodads on .410 O/Us :p

[andy]

Yep, the .40 *&*. I know a lot of you guys hate this cartridge but it works for me. Only handgun I own now.