.357 or .45ACP

[Nightcrawler]

Okay, let's pretend for a minute that all of your favorite guns were available in both chamberings. That is, there were 1911s and Sig P220s in .357 Magnum (it'd be an interesting gun, anyway) and plenty of 686s and GP100s in .45ACP.

Which cartridge would you rather have, if you could only have one? Don't forget to take .45 Super into account. Buffalo Bore makes a good batch of that.

And remember, hypothetically, you can have your favorite pistol in either round.

[jrpeterman]

Just my opinion, but the .357 can do anything the .45 can with more accuracy out of the box and out to a greater distance.

[Kahr carrier]

45 acp.:)

[FPrice]

The .45ACP can do anything the .357 Magnum can do. AND make a bigger hole.

[Kevin]

45acp, it can do about anything the 357 can do without the recoil and muzzle blast.

[10-Ring]

45 acp :D For me, more versatility & my reloader is all set up for it

[dude]

.357

2" subs for close in
6" Dan Wesson & Lever Action for out @ 100 yards


no need for an auto

[Spoonman]

.45 ACP, hands down.

No, wait, .357magnum.

Wait, what about....

Oh, Nightcrawler, you are an evil man. :D

My head hurts.


Clif

[Joe Demko]

Why can't I have both? Who are you to tell me I can have just one? In fact, I insist that you send me one of each immediately.

[Nightcrawler]

A limited edition Smith & Wesson, with "Golgo 13" engraved on the barrel, is on the way. Same make and model as the one Golgo-13 used in that old anime movie.

Also, a custom nickel-plated 1911 with "Golgo 13" on the slide is on the way as well.

Keep checking your mailbox.

Are you checking? It could be there now. Go look. *snicker* :p

:neener:

[perry]

Thats not a fair question,but if it came down to which one would last for ever, then it would be the 686 smith.:cuss:

[MJRW]

I choose .45 magnum with the recoil of a .22.

[charleym3]

Tough choice. The midbore is thinner in a wheel gun for the same capacity, but the bigbore has less muzzle blast and felt recoil for the same power level. Or maybe it's just the grips. Hmmm. Can I get a lever action in .45ACP? I promise to shoot only flat points.

[CWL]

Nightcrawler,

Seems to me I recall seeing this exact poll before on TFL.

You starting up the polls and flame wars all over again?

Actually, it isn't really possible to compare the two because one is a wheelie cartridge while the other is a semi cartridge. It'd take an awfully BIG (but thinner) Sig P220 to cycle .357 Mag shells!

I'd stay with the .45ACP. It's always worked as a plinker & manstopper.

[Schuey2002]

You can't go wrong with either one. But, I'd have to with .45acp..:D

[trapshooter]

Both. There, now. Everybody can be happy with that. I am.

[duncan]

357 sig!

[gryphon]

I picked .45ACP because I can handle the recoil better.

[New_comer]

Don't forget to take .45 Super into account Well, in that case, I'd take the 45, fired thru a HK Tactical or MK23. Or maybe in a STI Trojan longslide :D

Otherwise, it's the 357 magnum for me, in GP100 or 686. But a DE in 357 wouldn't be that bad a launch platform... :D:D:D

[bedlamite]

10mm :neener:

[Standing Wolf]

I prefer the .357 magnum because it's more accurate and packs more punch, and can be shot in small, medium, and large guns.

[chaim]

My favorite calibers are 9mm, .45acp and .357mag (with .38spl very close to those). These are so close that it is really hard for me to say I have a strong preference. That said if I could only keep one gun or chambering it would be .357mag. It was my first love, it still puts a smile on my face to a degree the others don't (though I do really love both 9mm and .45acp), and it is incredibly versatile with many options in magnum loadings plus the ability to shoot everything in .38spl.

[Ala Dan]

Gosh, I like 'em both; but I voted for the .45 ACP!

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

[DillHarris]

.357 -- it's the only handgun I've got right now. Nothing wrong with either, but 357 can gain more out of a carbine length barrel. Something just "American" about both of them though. It's kind of like asking the difference between bacon or sausage, they're both great.

[triggertime]

I'll take the .45, thanks. I'm not too enamored of the .357 due to its blast and flash. Firing a quick cylinder-full in a darkened shoot-house was enough to cause me to see the light. Literally!

[Skunkabilly]

Get a Glock. ;)

[Archie]

(Aside to Skunkabilly: Son, come here. I keep telling you, you HAVE to take your medication. Seriously.)

The 45 ACP shines as a defensive round, and the 357 Magnum shines as a general purpose round. I feel comfortable with either.
The Model 25 is a perfect revolver in 45 ACP. I believe Grizzly or Desert Eagle made a 357 Magnum semi-auto. But the fact is, the 1911 is where the soul of the 45 stays, and S&W revolver is another way of saying 357 Magnum. (Or 44....)

Why am I choosing? I've got both!

[Slow]

If I could have .45 in a GP100 that gets my vote if @ 10yds or less if @ 15 + I'll stick with .357

[3 gun]

For this poll, I picked the 357. Great round in great guns. Plus very versatile with many ammo choices. But since this is America, I have and will keep both.:D

[rick458]

.45 ACP Because I can hit with it
all I can do with a 357 is make loud noise
I have wanted a Coonan Arms though

[emann]

.357 but in the Sig version. ;)

[Blackhawk]

.45

I'm prejudiced.

[Alan Fud]

Pick your favorite load in each and let John Taylor's Knockdown Calculator (http://www.familyfriendsfirearms.com/tkds.htm) decide. ;)

[PATH]

With the S&W 27 and the 1911 Colt Series 70 I don't have to make a choice. I got both. I will never play favorites.:D

[coonan357]

having both on a 1911 platform ( and its not a sig!!) it is one of the toughest decisions I would have to make hmmm.. para lda 14-45 VS. Coonan357 ... can I get back to you tommorrow on this ?? :scrutiny: :scrutiny:

[HadEmAll]

As a round, I like the .357 much better, but I like the pistols available for the .45 much more. So, has to be .45 for me. (But I like the .40 better than both)

[Big Boomer]

now that is just mean. I would have to take both though! Muzzle blast is fun, but if I could have my 1911 fire 357 mags with the same performance ooooo my!

[Monkeybear]

I voted the .357

I have always enjoyed shooting .357 and never felt lacked anything in the handgun dept.

I like the .45 just fine but it has never sparked any real interest for me. Most of my auto loaders are 9mm. If I want to plink with something more expensive than 9mm its always gonna be .357.

[jungleroy]

I would say of the two .45 would be my answer.
I like my 240 grains of lead going 850 fps, accurate and mild, lets me shoot all day.

[guntotinguy]

I personally like the .45

[Hunter0924]

.45 Automatic for me.

[jgo296]

if you could only have one round the 357 is more versatile
and can penetrate much much deeper if loaded too

[MaterDei]

.45ACP all the way!

Both are great classics but the 45 is more versatile.

[Bearhands]

1. 357 for me, no jams, works on game (38's for small game, 357 up to whitetails) and just feels right and is more versatile.

2.Until they invent a brass-sniffin' dog so I don't have to chase it and find it and retrieve it, the 357 is a way better choice.

[cornman]

.45 is for one thing, defense. The .357 is great at defense, and hunting small (.38) AND large game if needed.

[Hokkmike]

Lets see, I have a choice between a 200 pound or a 225 pound fullback with equal speed and agility? Hmmmmmmmmmm......I'll take jersey number .45.

[Walkalong]

.45.

[LKB3rd]

I like them both, but would not feel comfortable shooting a .357 without ear protection, so I chose .45

[azredhawk44]

I go .45 over .357.

Less blast, larger diameter in case of hollowpoint failure for defensive purposes.

Larger diameter and capable of using hard cast lead offerings at .45 Super power levels for hunting or backpacker's defense.

Frankly, anything that you intend to use a .357 for in backwoods defense (including smaller bear in the lower 48), a .45 will also dispatch when loaded with forethought and intelligence.

About the only thing the .357 beats the .45 at is long range shooting, and I've never been a huge fan of that with pistols.

[41magsnub]

holy hell.. who resurrected a 5 year old .vs thread???

[Snapping Twig]

Damn! Hard question!

Depends on what you're going to do with it.

.357 for hunting deer/pig and longer range shooting.

.45acp for SD.

The recoil of .357 takes it out of the SD role in my mind, although it works just fine and a second round may end up being academic.

.45acp with cast TC bullets steps up the effectiveness and IMO makes it hunt-worthy at closer ranges.

Both is my answer.

[jpsimms]

.357 no question.
revolvers are cool, snub for ccw, 6 inch m66 for fun & hunting,
and if you feel that you need an automatic use the desert eagle in .357mag

[springmom]

Thread necromancy is frowned upon and frequently brings a closure. What on earth was the point of this?


Springmom

[Fourbits]

As a bullseye shooter I love my 45ACP LWSC in an accurized 1911.
I tend to "plink" with lightly loaded 38 special in my 357 revolver.

[Fishman777]

Someone said that .45 acp can do anything that a .357 magnum can do, but leave a bigger hole. That is pretty funny.

.45 acp is not even close to hot .357 magnum when it comes to penetration. .45 acp is a good round, don't get me wrong, but I would consider it vastly underpowered for hunting because of its lack of penetration. Buffalo Bore's 180 grain hard cast +p rounds travel at up to 1500 feet/second and have a sectional density of .202.

.357 magnum is more versatile, and in my opinion, is very easy to shoot when using a medium framed, stainless steel revolver.

[weisse52]

45 ACP, Not wild about the blast and recoil of a 357.

[Brian Williams]

my 1911 fire 357 mags with the same performance ooooo my!
Get a Coonan.
I have been here since the beginning and didn't vote the first time around.

[earplug]

My carry gun is a 642, I guess my new carry gun is a four shot 45 acp?
I hate this type of choice.
Or is my new game gun a 8 shot 627 to replace my 625's? Would a five shot alloy L Frame in .45 acp replace my J Frame?
Can't we have more then one caliber in life?

[rantingredneck]

I have 3 .45's and only 1 .357.

that being said, I'm glad I can own both :D.

[hankdatank1362]

5 YEARS BOOMER!!!

5 YEARS!!!!


J/K... had to give you a hard time, you thread necromaniac you.

[chris in va]

That's funny there's actually a term for thread resurrection.

But anyway, I posted a similar poll...SP101 vs Sig 220 if I had to sell one of them. The 220 was the clear favorite. I tend to agree, follow up shots with the 45 are a LOT easier.

[jgo296]

what about a 10mm ? 357 energy in same gun as any .45 with higher capacity

[Hook686]

To download the .357 magnum loading for a 170 grain JHP bullet to the energy level of a 230 grain JHP in .45acp, the .357 magnum becomes a 'pussycat' with regards to recoil.

Geesh folks that keep believing the .45acp can do anything that a .357 magnum can.

Buffalo Bore shows top energy in a .45acp+P load to be a 185 grain JHP at 1150 fps for 543 ft-lbs of energy.

http://www.buffalobore.com/ammunition/default.htm#45acp

Buffalo Bore also shows its top ebergy load for the .357 magnum (note no +P required) is 802 ft-lbs with its 125 grain JHC bullet at 1700 fps.

http://www.buffalobore.com/ammunition/default.htm#357

[P. Plainsman]

Tough call. In principle I prefer the low-pressure, heavy-bullet profile of the .45 ACP -- less hairy to touch off in low light without ear protection.

But you can fit multiple rounds of the skinny .357 in revolvers much smaller than with any big-bore cartridge. And quality .357 rounds have nasty terminal ballistics. The .45 is perhaps easier to deploy well, but the .357 Magnum is at or near the top of the list of handgun cartridges one would least like to get hit with.

[shooter429]

Nothin wrong with ol acp, but it just cannot compete with the .357 in raw power, flat trajectory etc. and loaded lightly the .357 is just as accurate. I think I'd want a 1911 AND a 686. :)

shooter429

[BikerRN]

.357 all the way.

I love the versatility of the round.

[GJgo]

I traded my latest .45 (G30) in for a .357 (686) last week, in fact. If I lived somewhere where 2 legged threats were all that concerned me, I might have stayed with the .45. However, I live somewhere where 4 legged aggressors can also be a real concern and the .357 is a far better multitasker. :) Plus, it shoots more accurately, and IMHO, is just more fun to shoot.

[Nightcrawler]

This is interesting, guys. I started this thread more than five years ago.

I now own a .45 and a .357. :D

[SAWBONES]

Threads like these are truly silly when unqualified, and basically serve as nothing but a caliber popularity contest.

"Suppose you could only have one"; yeah, BUT FOR WHAT?

Would my expected needs be for CCW, home defense, hunting, woods-walking, target shooting, plinking, hiking in the Antarctic, or walking across the Yukon? One might be better than the other, or neither might serve, depending upon conditions.