[badbadtz560]

pretty self-explanatory... let's make it more fun..

say if you have a pistol of all the popular calibers, and they're still loaded in their range ammo (i dunno.. u just came back from the range or somethin).

BG invades - which caliber guns would you feel comfortable grabbing and which wouldn't you?

and.. does it differ where you are?



I'll start by saying I carry .45 FMJ just b/c I'm cheap to buy HP... but I wouldn't feel nearly as comfy w/ 9mm FMJ.. and those are the only two calibers I know

[ArmedBear]

.45 FMJ bullets are as big around as, and twice as heavy as, an expanded 9mm JHP. So, I suppose if you trust expanding 9mm for defense, you ought to be able to trust non-expanding .45.

That said, an expanded bullet does a better job of transferring energy (helping to stop an attack), and is less likely to overpenetrate and hit someone behind the BG.

[David E]

If I HAD to use fmj, it would be .45 only.

But since I am not forced to use it, I'll pay the going price for JHP's, because my life is worth a couple extra dollars.....

It's stupid to skrimp on my last line of personal defense.

.

[FunkyD]

Agreed with ArmedBear. If you only have FMJ, get the biggest round you can get.

That being said, 7.62x39 FMJs are pretty freekin' effective! :)

[TAB]

45acp, 44 spl/mag, 45 colt, 454, 460, 500

[rhoggman]

I carry PD ammo in all of my carry guns except for the .380, but I really don't think PD is a complete necessity.

I know there is a danger of a round continuing to travel beyond your target, but I'm not sure the probability of that round causing huge problems is EXTREMELY HIGH.

I would not take a shot at someone if there was another person directly behind my target regardless of what kind of ammo I was using. So while the round impacting objects that are not alive is assured, the round(s) impacting living targets is extremely small.

There is always the chance of a ricochet, or a stray round flying far way and hitting a person; however after about 70 yards the odds are about as good as winning the lotterey. I'll take those chances.

I am of the opinion that you should find a SD/ PD round for your carry gun, stick with it, but not purchase it too often. The costs are ridiculous, and ball ammo will kill too...

In fact most ball ammo will leave two holes instead of one. Instant kills are not likely no matter what kind of ammo you use, and most people proabably take about 120 seconds to bleed out. So unless you devistate the heart or hit someone in the head, the phsycological effect of being shot is what will most likely bring them down.

I don't want to shoot, or kill anyone, but If I had to I'm not trying to save their life, I'm trying to save mine, so I could really care less what kind of ammo they are being shot with.

A lot of people really get pumped up with PD/SD ammo and they do for good reason. Some of it is "proven" and it is really good stuff, but I have a hard problem buying into all the hype because I am also a hunter. I have recovered all kind of rounds from large animals. Most ammunition is absolutely devistating when shots are placed where they are supposed to be.

[Norinco982lover]

I think my CZ-75b with 16 rounds of FMJ 9mm would at least "slow down" a BG. :) But yes, I would much rather it was an XD-45 service if I had to shoot fmj.

[riverdog]

off the top of my head, .45 ACP, 5.56 NATO 55 gr FMJBT, 7.62NATO (.308Win).

The 9mm FMJ here is all 124gr NATO ball. Carry in 9mm is 147 gr Gold Dot JHP.

[Duke of Doubt]

FMJ is a carry round, not a home defense round. Home defense means revolvers loaded with all sorts of nasty stuff; hollow points, shot shells, wadcutters, etc. The primary home defense handgun is a revolver, and no revolver need be loaded with FMJ.

[rhoggman]

FMJ is a carry round, not a home defense round. Home defense means revolvers loaded with all sorts of nasty stuff; hollow points, shot shells, wadcutters, etc. The primary home defense handgun is a revolver, and no revolver need be loaded with FMJ.

I'm not sure I follow this?

[rcmodel]

FMJ in:
.25 ACP, .32 ACP, & .45 ACP sometimes.

LSWC, JHP or SP in:
32-20 WCF, .380 ACP, 9mm, .38 Spl., .357 Mag, .44 Spl, .44 Mag. & .45 Colt.

BTW: There are very few FMJ even made in any revolver calibers other then .38 Spl.

rc

[Duke of Doubt]

rhoggman: "I'm not sure I follow this?"

What I mean is, for carry the FMJ is fine because high-capacity and reliability take precedence over stopping power. But in your rec room, stopping power is king, and capacity doesn't matter. If for some bizarre reason a half dozen .44 magnum hollow point rounds dont stop the assailant, grab another revolver and put 6 more into him. And if that fails, RUN.

[PO2Hammer]

.45, 10mm, .40, .38 Super (130 grain flat point @ 1,250 fps).

Of those the .45acp is least likely to over penetrate, or be the least lethal if it does.

I would feel just fine about using .45acp hard ball at home.

[riverdog]

In a handgun FMJ is range fodder with the exception of .45 ACP. The only FMJ calibers known for their stopping potential are for rifles.

[JBinMontana]

I don't have a problem with 45 FMJ ball ammo it feed 100% reliable each and every time. I don't have to worry about heavy coats etc.

[ljnowell]

rhoggman: "I'm not sure I follow this?"

What I mean is, for carry the FMJ is fine because high-capacity and reliability take precedence over stopping power. But in your rec room, stopping power is king, and capacity doesn't matter. If for some bizarre reason a half dozen .44 magnum hollow point rounds dont stop the assailant, grab another revolver and put 6 more into him. And if that fails, RUN.

I still dont follow your path of thought. You can never count on being able to grab another gun. IMO the concept of ball and HP would be exact opposite. I would rather have HP for carry because of the reduced risk of through and through. In my home its me and my wife and kid. A lot different than a crowded downtown street or some such. A lot easier to keep from hitting 3 people with a stray round than a possible 300. I also dont understand why you would want to be less armed in your home.

[CWL]

The only gun I make a specific point of carrying FMJ in is my .32ACP KelTec P32. In this tiny caliber, I want penetration penetration and more penetration. Small caliber, weight, velocity combined with short barrel, no way there will be consistent expansion and penetration from a JHP.

I would have no problems carrying FMJ in any of my other calibers though, just don't make a specific point to do so.

[Duke of Doubt]

lj: "I still dont follow your path of thought. You can never count on being able to grab another gun. IMO the concept of ball and HP would be exact opposite... I also dont understand why you would want to be less armed in your home."

Not less armed; MORE armed. .44 magnum beats any regular autoloading round, especially with hollow points. And in my place, you can ALWAYS count on being able to grab another gun.

[ljnowell]

Not less armed; MORE armed. .44 magnum beats any regular autoloading round, especially with hollow points. And in my place, you can ALWAYS count on being able to grab another gun.


I dont know, personally I would take 13+1 rounds of .45acp hollowpoints over 6 rounds of 44 mag anyday. Dead is dead, you arent going to kill them any more "deader". Plus, when the lead is flying at you, and you are pinned in a room where there are no extra revolvers, then what? Its not like you can leave a loaded revolver in every room of your house, if you did they would probably be used against you in this situation.

[ArmedBear]

Since you don't have to worry about size and weight so much, a belt-fed home defense firearm is probably the most desirable.

[KegCommando]

BG invades - which caliber guns would you feel comfortable grabbing and which wouldn't you?

Given your scenario of the BG invading right after you come back from the range, I'm going to feel comfortable with whichever one I can grab first.

I'm not going to waste precious time looking for a particular gun.

If it happens to be the .22, then it's head shots.

[ArmedBear]

When I get back from the range, I'd be SOL. I'm usually not carrying any ammo. Sometimes, I no longer own any ammo for the guns I took to the range, though I may have a bunch of empty, dirty brass.

[Funderb]

I'd trust surplus 7.62x54r to take a BG out, did you see what it did to the gel block? (on brassfetcher)
I know it is a poor comparison, but there is something to it.


Armedbear: I guess you'd be relying on the rack of the shotgun to scare them away then? :neener:

[CoRoMo]

50AE

[JIMBOB]

None

[JWJacobVT]

My 10mm handgun gets reloaded with 180 gr jhp before I leave the range. I do however carry two mags of 180 gr fmj on my duty belt in case i wish penatration vs expansion.

[woad_yurt]

I carry FMJ in my Kel-Tec P3AT. .380 doesn't really have enough energy to expand and penetrate well so I go for the guaranteed penetration of FMJ.

For my .38SPLs, I load 148 gr hollowbased wadcutters with 4 grains of HP-38 for the range and for home. They go about 850 fps and, again, reliable hollowpoint expansion seems to start at a higher velocity, like over 1000 fps, at least. Thus, I opt for the punch-out-a-plug action of the wadcutter.

[Duke of Doubt]

lj: "Its not like you can leave a loaded revolver in every room of your house ..."

Yes, we can.

lj: "... if you did they would probably be used against you in this situation."

Highly improbable.

[tostada]

That's a weird question. I would never choose to carry ball ammo because it was "good enough" in a certain caliber. Even if I happened to have a .500 S&W on my night stand, I would prefer it to have hollow points (hopefully reduced recoil).

As far as what I would be comfortable grabbing, I would grab whatever I could grab the fastest! If I had a .22 right in front of me and a .45 on the other side of the room, I'd empty the .22 before I went to get the other one.



ArmedBear:
".45 FMJ bullets are as big around as, and twice as heavy as, an expanded 9mm JHP. So, I suppose if you trust expanding 9mm for defense, you ought to be able to trust non-expanding .45."



HUH??? Nobody else cares to disagree with this statement? :eek:

The only time I've ever heard of good 9mm JHP failing to expand larger than .45" was after going through two sheets of 20-gauge steel on that one FBI test.

9mm is .356" diameter.
9mm Hydra-Shock expands to 0.60" usually.
9mm +P Speer Gold Dot expands to 0.70" usually.
9mm +P Speer Gold Dot expands to 0.51" through denim.
9mm Federal HST expands to 0.89".
9mm Federal HST expands to 0.75" through 4 layers of denim.

So 9mm JHP expands as much as twice as big around as .45 FMJ. I would not go using any ball ammo thinking it was going to work as well as JHP in a slightly smaller caliber.

A whole lot of people have been killed with ball ammo in both 9mm and .45, but we can certainly do a lot better than that. Modern hollow points are up around a full inch of expansion!

[woad_yurt]

Its not like you can leave a loaded revolver in every room of your house....

Wanna bet? I'm even covered on the toilet. By the way, here's an observation: zinc guns don't oxidize in the steamy humidity of a bathroom. Of course, stainless would be better but that's another purchase for another day....

....if you did they would probably be used against you in this situation.

You'd be right if my adversary knew beforehand where they were stashed.

[Mello]

badbadtz560
What calibers would you carry FMJ? if any?

say if you have a pistol of all the popular calibers, and they're still loaded in their range ammo (i dunno.. u just came back from the range or somethin).

BG invades - which caliber guns would you feel comfortable grabbing and which wouldn't you?


The 45acp with a truncated cone FMJ is the one with which I would feel most comfortable if limited to FMJ as per your scenario.

Duke of Doubt

FMJ is a carry round, not a home defense round. Home defense means revolvers loaded with all sorts of nasty stuff; hollow points, shot shells, wadcutters, etc. The primary home defense handgun is a revolver, and no revolver need be loaded with FMJ.

Duke,
Perhaps to you home defense means revolvers, not to me. Even if the most numerous handgun type is the revolver that does not make it number one in effectiveness. An applicable definition of primary is: "of first rank or importance or value". Thus, we can both be correct. Your position that primary means of the first rank by virtue of numbers; and me by virtue or the value of the greater effectiveness of the semiautomatic pistol.

Most people are restricted to revolvers because of finances or lack of knowledge or interest in firearms.

[ArmedBear]

HUH??? Nobody else cares to disagree with this statement?

Note that I disagreed with it, myself, in the next line.:)

Expansion isn't everything. If it were everything, then hardcast lead bullets and bonded FMJ bullets wouldn't be the choice for dangerous game defense. However, they are. Those express rifle bullets they use to stop rhinos -- they are non-expanding.

The 9mm is not "slightly smaller" than .45 ACP. Bullet WEIGHT matters, too.

Fancy bullet technology does make the 9mm work better than it would if it were limited to FMJ -- but cold-weather clothing can stop it from expanding.

[David E]

If your modern semi-auto jams on modern JHP's, then you need a different gunsmith !!

.

[woad_yurt]

....the value of the greater effectiveness of the semiautomatic pistol

I Disagree. I have a S&W K-frame next to the bed because, for me, it is the most natural shooter I have ever held. In low light after being awaked from a dead sleep, I want something with which I am the most proficient and comfortable.

There are some great semi-autos out there and I own some but for effectiveness in crazy conditions, I want to be in my comfort zone and I can shoot that beat up Model 10 the best of all.

Now, if it gets really, really crazy, I do have a Star MOD30MI hi-cap 9MM with two extra magazines in a little pouch readily available, too. But, I’d empty the revolver before going to the 9MM. I can shoot the Star well but not as well as I can the S&W.

[S&Wfan]

Duke,
Perhaps to you home defense means revolvers, not to me. Even if the most numerous handgun type is the revolver that does not make it number one in effectiveness.

Hmmm . . . name one bottom feeder caliber that trumps a 125 grain .375 hollowpoint in most effectively taking the fight out of a man with just one round.

And I know of no bottomfeeder that's a match in any way in downing lots of whitetail deer as my Holosighted Model 29 S&W .44 Magnum revolver has taken through the years.

Ounce for ounce, a revolver can function properly with a much stouter round. That's a fact!


. . . Your position that primary means of the first rank by virtue of numbers; and me by virtue or the value of the greater effectiveness of the semiautomatic pistol.

Au Contrair! I have loved ones in all directions in my home, and I cannot "spray and pray." Each shot has to be carefully taken . . . and go exactly where it needs to if necessary.

PLUS . . . AUTOS CAN BE PUT OUT OF COMMISSION EASIER!
It takes very little to push the slide back a tad on a bottomfeeder and it will not fire, and in a fight things like this WILL happen immediately if the BG knows anything about disarming a fella with an auto pistol.

Plus, don't count on being able to fire from a firm, proper grip and stance! You might be knocked on your butt with an attacker's hand already pinning an arm . . . and if you tried to fire from a cocked wrist position, lip-wristing results can jam up virtually any bottom feeder.

Or . . . in the struggle for the gun, the mag falls out, due to the BG's desparate fingers gripping that area . . . LOTS to go wrong with high dollar bottom feeders AND cheap brass pukers ones too.

Most people are restricted to revolvers because of finances

WRONG! Those with limited finances buys a used Glock or other make of Tupperware. Lots of bang for the buck. However, they don't weigh enough to use effectively as clubs once that brass chucker runs dry or jams and the other guy keeps on trying to kill you afterward!

A TRUE FIGHT TO THE DEATH OVER A GUN IN THE DARK . . .
BTW, I personally know a guy who's life was saved by his own S&W revolver about 20 years ago. It's still messed him up . . . for he didn't wake until the BG was on him, beating the holy crap out of him. My friend had the gun tucked under the sheets and yet, being disorientated and from the pain, he didn't get to shoot the guy.

Instead, it was a long, bloody fight to the death for control of the gun and both men suffered greatly. During the fight for the heavy revolver, the original wooden grips were broken off on the BGs head but the guy was strong. In the end, the BG was dead in a massive pool of blood after the owner finally got control just long enough to pull the trigger. Most autos would have been rendered inoperable long before then for a myriad of reasons!!!

Like I said, the home owner has never been the same since. His sense of security was shattered and the horror of his situation that night, and what he had to do to survive, haunts him still today. At least he survived, thanks to his rugged S&W revolver still functioning when he could finally get control of it.


. . . or lack of knowledge or interest in firearms.

Not only is this an elitist and offensive statement, your whole reply set off my B.S. meter BIG TIME.

Son, you obviously don't know what you are talking about!

A REAL SERIOUS SELF DEFENSE HANDGUN FOR THE HOME . . .
Here's my main house handgun, a big, heavy N-framed S&W 25-2 revolver, with the barrel chopped down to 3 1/4" . . . virtually nothing for the BG to grab in the dark. Home defense handguns need to have short barrels so the BG cannot have a good a chance to grab your gun. Did you even know this?

Look at the front sight, it is hand-filed just as sharp as a knife blade, and it would do a number on a hand . . . or face, or whatever you had to use it on in a fight!
http://216.77.188.54/coDataImages/p/Groups/363/363373/folders/277718/2220845IMG2474-2.jpg

Plus . . . six serious rounds of .45ACP FOR SURE . . . and accuracy to put all six rounds into one ragged hole at 10 yards . . . about the length of most houses. This gun is one big azz, serious self defense weapon for home defense.

Hey you all with a knowledge of wheelguns AND ammo . . . check out the "Flying Ashtrays" in the tubes of this bad boy . . . :eek:
http://216.77.188.54/coDataImages/p/Groups/363/363373/folders/277718/22176851.JPG

T.

[ljnowell]

lj: "Its not like you can leave a loaded revolver in every room of your house ..."

Yes, we can.

lj: "... if you did they would probably be used against you in this situation."

Highly improbable.

Sorry, In my home, like many other people here, there are children. I would not be irresponsible enough to leave a loaded gun in each and every room of my home. If you can do that, good for you. It would surely be a lot easier to just carry a semi auto though.

[David E]

What makes the .357 (not .375) so great?

If you're citing the alleged "96% one-shot-stop" statistics, that has been debunked many times. Do a quick google search.

Why is that stat misleading? Because it IGNORES any incident that had more than one hit. For all we know, 100 guys got shot once, 96 of 'em stopped right there......but 500 others were shot multiple times and kept coming.....but it still yields that "96% one-shot-stop" stat.

A revolver is still a viable choice, but not without penalty.

A K-frame .357 is light, which means it's going to kick pretty hard when you shoot it, especially if you grip it with the poor technique shown in the picture above.

.

[Kind of Blued]

None.

If a gun doesn't feed JHP ammunition I won't carry it for self-defense.

If the cartridge for which the gun is chambered is so weak that a JHP bullet won't penetrate much, I won't carry it for self-defense.

[C-grunt]

Id grab whatever was closest. I know a 9mm FMJ through the heart is pretty effective.

Also, I would place the standard 45 ball round far less effective than a quality 9mm hollowpoint. Any ball ammo has a habit of pushing meat out of the way towards the edges, where a HP has sharper edges and cuts through. Thats why the wadcuttes arent a bad choice. Many hunters use SWC to give both penetration and good damage due to the "lip".

Really, I think a .40 FMJ with its shape (turncated cone???) is probably the most effective out of the big semi auto 3.

[C-grunt]

Incidently, right now I have FMJ in my new 1911 simply because it hasnt proved itself yet.

[ColinthePilot]

If I had to choose, it would be .45.
Since I don't get the choice of caliber when I'm carrying FMJ, it'll be 9mm.(military)
When I'm carrying as a civie, its premium 9mm JHP. Don't yet own a .45. When I get one, I'll never carry FMJ.

[mr.mafia]

45acp, police 40, or the 38 special. i would grab the 45acp first then the 38 special.

[purebred]

rhogmans got it right!:)

[JohnKSa]

BG invades - which caliber guns would you feel comfortable grabbing and which wouldn't you?I wouldn't feel severely handicapped with any of my SD/HD guns loaded with FMJ instead of JHP rounds. That includes a range from .380ACP to 10mm/.357Mag.

Not because I believe FMJ is particularly effective, but rather because I don't believe JHP is hugely more effective than FMJ.

However, given the choice I would virtually always pick a premium JHP over FMJ.

[Girodin]

name one bottom feeder caliber that trumps a 125 grain .375 hollowpoint in most effectively taking the fight out of a man with just one round.

umm, a .50AE? Dependiging on the load a 10mm.

Always interesting to read peoples various takes on HD firearms, tactics and terminal ballistics.

[Duke of Doubt]

mello: "Duke,Perhaps to you home defense means revolvers, not to me. Even if the most numerous handgun type is the revolver that does not make it number one in effectiveness. An applicable definition of primary is: "of first rank or importance or value". Thus, we can both be correct. Your position that primary means of the first rank by virtue of numbers; and me by virtue or the value of the greater effectiveness of the semiautomatic pistol. Most people are restricted to revolvers because of finances or lack of knowledge or interest in firearms."

I'll take my .44 magnum 29-3 loaded with JHP any day of the week over anything with a slide. I carry an autoloader concealed, but serious home defense means a revolver with a serious cartridge. I have a few around, but the primary home defense arm is that 29-3. Show me an autoloader more powerful, and I might change my mind.

[deacon8]

Well, if we're going with FMJ, I want the hole to be big. For the guns that I own, that would be either a .45 ACP, or a .44 mag. And I would trust either with FMJ, though that would not be my first choice. I want something that enters big and leaves twice as big! However, a lot of people were effectively incapacitated, or killed, by a .45 ACP with FMJ during WWII. So keep that in mind.

I don't use a certain bullet to prevent too much penetration. I use a certain bullet in case I need to put a bad-guy down for the count! And don't give me your $.02 worth on that...please. I don't live in an apartment.

[JImbothefiveth]

.22LR, (but I don't think FMJ is made for that) possibly .22 magnum, .32 ACP, maybe .380 ACP. In other words, those that might not reach anything vital with hollowpoints. 9mm and up, and probably .38 special and 9mm makarov, I feel safe using hollowpoints. .45 ACP is one of the few pistol self-defense calibers that has decent stopping power with FMJ, according to what I've read, but that runs the risk of hitting a bystander, so I'd use hollowpoints.

[deacon8]

Mello,

"Most people are restricted to revolvers because of finances or lack of knowledge or interest in firearms."

That is purely BS! You have some semi-auto(of which, I own some as well), therefore you are more rich and more knowledgeable than me because I like a S&W 629 the best?! Holy smokes, I don't even know what this has to do with original topic, but it deserved attention.

[Nautilus]

In handgun calibers... .45 in my 1911's. The only way for me to be 100% confident in mt 1911's are using quality mags loaded with FMJ. But they aren't my primary defensive handguns either. But if I had to use them i would be confident they would get the job done.

[JImbothefiveth]

In fact most ball ammo will leave two holes instead of one. Instant kills are not likely no matter what kind of ammo you use, and most people proabably take about 120 seconds to bleed out. So unless you devistate the heart or hit someone in the head, the phsycological effect of being shot is what will most likely bring them down.
But hollowpoints expand in the target, making them more likely to hit something vital(if it's a caliber that will go through at least 1 foot of ballistics gelatin with hollowpoints), and I'd guess that would also increase the psychological factor. The police use them for a reason.

I don't want to prolong a life-or-death struggle, because that increases my odds of going from life to death.

high-capacity and reliability take precedence over stopping power.
Get a reliable polymer gun, such as an M&P or glock, and make sure it's reliable with hollopoints. Most police departments use these or similiar guns, and use hollowpoints for a reason.

Home defense means revolvers loaded with all sorts of nasty stuff; hollow points, shot shells, wadcutters, etc.
Wadcutters are usually target ammo, designed to make a clean mark in paper targets. But, if you got some Self-defense level preformance ammo with wadcutter bullets, they might be a good choice if the hollowpoints won't reach far enough in ballistics gel, because they have a greater frontal area than a regular FMJ. Just make sure you aren't buying underpowered target ammo!

As for revolver shot shells, I wouldn't use those for self-defense. They are usually loaded with small amounts of #9 shot. (Although off-topic, do you know where I can get these cheaply? They could be fun for plinking :) )


Also, I can see how revolvers could be better for home defense, as they are less likely to jam in a struggle over them. (This could be a bad thing though, if it gets taken in the struggle.)

[Mello]

S&Wfan

Duke,
Perhaps to you home defense means revolvers, not to me. Even if the most numerous handgun type is the revolver that does not make it number one in effectiveness.
Hmmm . . . name one bottom feeder caliber that trumps a 125 grain .375 hollowpoint in most effectively taking the fight out of a man with just one round.

S&Wfan,
To name two rounds which trump the 125 gr 357; 135gr 10mm and the 155gr 10mm.

deacon8

Mello,

"Most people are restricted to revolvers because of finances or lack of knowledge or interest in firearms."

That is purely BS! You have some semi-auto(of which, I own some as well), therefore you are more rich and more knowledge than me because I like a S&W 629 the best?! Holy smokes, I don't even know what this has to do with original topic, but it deserved attention.

There are estimates that there are 250 - 280 million firearms in the US (http://www.americanfirearms.org/statistics.php#5). Most of those firearms have been in existence for decades. I do not have research to back up my claim, but over the last 30 years I have seen an increase in the purchase and use of semi-autos by both police and citizens for defensive use. For example, before 1975-1980 or so most urban police departments only allowed revolvers. Once those departments went to autos they sold their revolvers to the general public. I bought some for $90 each. It is my contention that most people who possess handguns do not seek training, or practice, or have much interest in guns. This group of citizens was a gun for protection. They want something inexpensive since they don’t plan on using it except in an emergency. The people on THR.org are the people interested in firearms. We are a minority. Most people who own firearms rarely even shoot them. Their guns are stored away in a drawer or on a closet shelf wrapped in a sock or a shirt.

[3pairs12]

When I want to shoot cheap I shoot Blazer Brass in my 40sw. Thats the only handgun I shoot it in. The 38 spls get reloads so I can get them from a buddy JHP cheaper than anything else so thats all they see.

[Guillermo]

FMJ out of a 45 is just fine

[mrt949]

32 in my kt 380 . kt fmj. gold dots in my seecamp 32.

[deacon8]

Mello,

Ok...so a lot of departments sold off their revolvers. Why do I care about what the police do with their choices in guns? I was simply curious (to say the least) about your opinion regarding revolvers. I like 1911's...at lot. The military liked them for many decades, but they switched to 9mm. Does that mean I have to like the 9mm, just because the military does? Absolutely not. I'll stick to my .44 mag. And I hope good citizens of America (all of them) have guns, of some type, somewhere. Does it matter if they are semi-auto? No. They ARE a little more complicated than revolvers you know...Of course, it might take only the purest gun-guru's to know that.

Back to the original post. My vote for FMJ is-the bigger the better, because there isn't going to be much expansion after the fact. That is what I think.

[deacon8]

P.S. What makes you think revolvers are so much cheaper than semi-autos?That's not the case at all.

[Mello]

deacon8,

My point is that most people have revolvers for defense; like Duke of Doubt said. Most revolvers in the hands of the citizens of the U.S. are cheaper than autos. There is a larger supply to meet the demand which keeps the price down. Look at the millions of 38 special revolvers out there that are worth $100 many from police departments. Additionally, there are still millions of cheaply made revolvers out there that the gun grabbers used to call saturday night specials which originally sold for less than $50 in 32 and 22 caliber. When I used to go to gun shows about 20 years ago the greatest number of cheap handguns were revolvers by far.

That is why there are more revolvers available at a lower price than autos, financial issue. Also, because of the greater complexity of the auto many people choose the revolver because they don't want to take the greater time and money to train with an auto; that supports my knowledge and finances issues.

I'm not talking about recently manufactured guns. I agree the 44 mag is a powerful round. Few people have the skill to be able to use full power loads in self-defense. A 240gr bullet at 1400fps in a N-frame S&W is a hand full, not to mention the muzzle blast and recovery time.

[Girodin]

but serious home defense means a revolver with a serious cartridge.

I hope we are talking as a backup, because serious home defense to me means a long gun.

Granted that it is not the formost concern if it comes to that but touching off a .44 mag revolver in enclosed spaces, particularly poorly lit ones is going to be an experience and follow up shots are likely to be a chore afterwards.

To each his own, a .44 mag has a heck of whallop no doubt but it is not my ideal HD gun, or even HD side arm, for a number of reasons but that is me, my preferences, and my situation. I laugh every time some one on here talks in absolutes about a caliber, platform or model that is best for something like home defense. What is good for the goose is not always good for the gander. I have a hard time imagining my 105 lbs girlfriend shooting a .44 mag very well. One could conjure up countless other examples. I own revolvers and simply do not feel right now that I shoot any of them as well as various semi autos that I own, that alone makes those particular autos a better HD choice for me. My father is much the opposite and has relied on a revolver for years. I think we have both chosen well.

[ArmedBear]

But hollowpoints expand in the target, making them more likely to hit something vital

Not by a lot.

What modern bullet design does mean is more energy transfer to the target.

If a .45 caliber or smaller non-expanding bullet is enough to drop the largest dangerous animals in the world, expansion isn't everything.

Expansion makes a smaller, lower-recoil round like the 9mm act more like a larger bullet.

It isn't a larger bullet, though. Expanding bullet designs rely on assumptions, and these assumptions will not always be true. Sometimes they don't expand. Then you end up with a little bullet, end of story.

Would I want to be shot with 115 grain 9mm FMJ? No.

But does a fancier 115 grain bullet turn it into a 230 grain bullet?

No, it does not. No way, no how.

There's more to a bullet than its diameter.

6.5 Swede works well on elk -- because it's a heavy bullet, not because it has a large bore. 6.5 mm is pretty small.

[Boba Fett]

I'd probably go for the 45. I like the 9mm, but I've read a lot about over penetration and since this is for home defense AND we are restricted by FMJ, I'd go with 45 over 9mm.

I would avoid magnum rounds for home defense from the standpoint that if it is night, you'll probably blind yourself and after the first shot you'll be deaf as well.


But for home defense, get a shotgun.