Your Favorite Semi-Auto Pistol Caliber and Why

What is your favorite semi-auto pistol caliber?

  • .50 ae

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • .44 mag (semi-auto)

    Votes: 1 0.3%

  • .450 corbon (or similar)

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • .45 acp

    Votes: 115 35.4%

  • 10 mm

    Votes: 27 8.3%

  • .357 mag (semi-auto)

    Votes: 3 0.9%

  • .357 sig

    Votes: 10 3.1%

  • .40 s&w

    Votes: 32 9.8%

  • .38 super (or similar)

    Votes: 7 2.2%

  • 9mm

    Votes: 135 41.5%

  • 9mm makarov

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • .380 acp

    Votes: 14 4.3%

  • .32 acp

    Votes: 7 2.2%

  • .25 acp

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • .22 rimfire (any)

    Votes: 47 14.5%

  • Other

    Votes: 11 3.4%
  • Total voters
    325
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.40

-putting 9mm in a fullsize pistol is like putting a 4 cylinder Dodge Neon engine in a Dodge Viper. Both will get to a grocery store just fine, but nothing wrecks a tire wall, smears a new concrete wall, or slides off a cliff on a mountain road, better than a real Viper.

It's just weird seeing a one inch wide slide chamber something so small.
-I can handle more power with negligible loss of speed
-recoil is nothing, still
-I'm more comfortable with more power. 9mm is the bare minimum acceptable caliber.
-can be loaded soft or heavy for competition
-Glock 23.4 might be the best CCW ever. And a Glock 35.4 can hold it's own in USPSA against $5000 pistols, all day long, without a single worry of reliability.
-it's only a matter of time before 9mm fails famously again.
-I can make a fair argument that .40 is more reliable in auto's than 9mm.

.45 is still one of my favorites. But it does suck at certain barriers.
 
Last edited:
Zerodefect said:
.40

-putting 9mm in a fullsize pistol is like putting a 4 cylinder Dodge Neon engine in a Dodge Viper. Both will get to a grocery store just fine, but nothing wrecks a tire wall, smears a new concrete wall, or slides off a cliff on a mountain road, better than a real Viper.

It's just weird seeing a one inch wide slide chamber something so small.
-I can handle more power with negligible loss of speed
-recoil is nothing, still
-I'm more comfortable with more power. 9mm is the bare minimum acceptable caliber.
-can be loaded soft or heavy for competition
-Glock 23.4 might be the best CCW ever. And a Glock 35.4 can hold it's own in USPSA against $5000 pistols, all day long, without a single worry of reliability.
-it's only a matter of time before 9mm fails famously again.
-I can make a fair argument that .40 is more reliable in auto's than 9mm.

.45 is still one of my favorites. But it does suck at certain barriers.
Click to expand...

Where is the empirical evidence that the mighty power upgrade of the .40 has stopped threats faster? I've yet to see any real world data that indicates this.

Without that, in gel you get, with quality ammo like HST, what, maybe an inch more penetration and less than a 1/10 more expansion (diameter, mind you, so halve that for the margin of turning a near miss to a hit) for more recoil and fewer bullets.

What, also, is your definition of a negligible loss in speed?

Personally (and of course your are likely to be different) I found the .40 (Glock 23) cost me about 20-25% split times vs the same platform in 9mm (Glock 19). Sure that's only a few hundredths of a second, but that's a whole extra round in any given second, which would probably be far more likely to end a fight than 0.03 extra radius in expansion.

At least that's how I look at it.
 
Since I could vote for 2 calibers, I voted 9mm and 22LR.

It used to be 9mm and 45ACP but lately, I am finding myself shooting more and more 9mm, especially with 9mm carbines and 22LR, especially with CMMG 22LR conversion kits for my ARs.
 
My neighbor shot himself in the thigh a few weeks ago with a 9mm hollow point round while cleaning his Glock. He's OK after $62,000 worth in medical bills (added to whatever his insurance paid). I saw him this morning & he showed me the scars. One entry & three exits. Actually I imagined that it would have been much worse. I'll talk to him & see if the next time he shoots himself he does it with a 45 ACP. He'll be able to tell us all if there's a difference between the two.
 
JR24 said:
Where is the empirical evidence that the mighty power upgrade of the .40 has stopped threats faster? I've yet to see any real world data that indicates this.

Without that, in gel you get, with quality ammo like HST, what, maybe an inch more penetration and less than a 1/10 more expansion (diameter, mind you, so halve that for the margin of turning a near miss to a hit) for more recoil and fewer bullets.

What, also, is your definition of a negligible loss in speed?

Personally (and of course your are likely to be different) I found the .40 (Glock 23) cost me about 20-25% split times vs the same platform in 9mm (Glock 19). Sure that's only a few hundredths of a second, but that's a whole extra round in any given second, which would probably be far more likely to end a fight than 0.03 extra radius in expansion.

At least that's how I look at it.
Click to expand...

Fair enough. But I'll take the extra inch of pen and the extra quarter inch or Reliable expansion for the extra cost any day.

Then there's barrier penetration, amount of deflection after said penetration, and weight retained after penetration.

My splits are only slower for .40 and even .45, by the same amount of average variation with 9mm. So with .45 I'm only as slow as my slowest 9mm split. Completely negligible. Although I'm slower with 9mm than I think I should be.
 
Last edited:
Zerodefect said:
Fair enough. But I'll take the extra inch of pen and the extra quarter inch or Reliable expansion for the extra cost any day.

Then there's barrier penetration, amount of deflection after said penetration, and weight retained after penetration.

My splits are only slower for .40 and even .45, by the same amount of average variation with 9mm. So with .45 I'm only as slow as my slowest 9mm split. Completely negligible.
Click to expand...

Fair enough, to each their own.
 
mushu said:
1911 ruger lw commander 9mm cheap lots of shooting and the ammo is cheap i don't pick up brass
Click to expand...
I didn’t know a I had a twin brother! Go figure. That’s my gun. That’s my cartridge. Leaving the brass on the floor is how I roll. The only correction I would make is that in the 9mm version it isn’t called the LW Commander, just the SR1911 Commander Style. Yes, it has an Al frame, but they dropped the LW designation on the 9mm.
 
.45... because it’s fun, has the perfect amount of power, controllable recoil and great accuracy potential...and did I say it’s fun?

FC55822C-922D-4D07-A422-8D9C6916374B.jpeg

Six at 7 yds (fairly) rapid fire. 200 gr SWC over 4.2 gr Bullseye.

Stay safe!
 
I chose the 45 ACP because the only other pistol rounds I've ever shot were 22, 9mm & 380. I like the 22 for practice but I get bored with it pretty soon. The 380 I shot last week for the first time. A friend offered me to try his Glock 380. I was really impressed with the 380 round (I though it as a 9mm until he corrected me) & that little Glock pistol. Ive got nothing against the 9mm but I don't own one so I'm used to my 1911/ 45 ACP & quite happy with it.
I've never shot a 10mm but I read quite a bit about it & it must be a very powerful round because it is recommended as a "bear effective" by some knowledgeable folks. I assume that if it is what they say it is a Glock in 10mm could be a better weapon than a 44 mag revolver in a bear emergency situation.
Anyway I think it's very informative when we get together & offer our personal experiences & preferences.
I shoot a lot of 44 Mag but this thread has opened my interest on the 10mm. Hopefully someone will show up with one I can try soon.
 
Now let’s not forget that this topic is about what is your favorite semi-Auto pistol cartridge. If we were debating which was the best, things could get ugly.
For those that can’t seem to understand, look at it like what is your favorite drink, or your favorite ice cream. And then tell us why you like it. Mine would be coffee and salted caramel.
When it comes to Semi-Autos, I will always have a 1911 in 45 Auto and a 22 of some kind.
There’s nothing to agree or disagree about, it’s just about what you like.:)
 
GunnyUSMC said:
Now let’s not forget that this topic is about what is your favorite semi-Auto pistol cartridge. If we were debating which was the best, things could get ugly.
For those that can’t seem to understand, look at it like what is your favorite drink, or your favorite ice cream. And then tell us why you like it. Mine would be coffee and salted caramel.
When it comes to Semi-Autos, I will always have a 1911 in 45 Auto and a 22 of some kind.
There’s nothing to agree or disagree about, it’s just about what you like.:)
Click to expand...
And so why your ".380 is for little girls" reply in a previous post?
 
I think Gunny was just kidding around...

Hokkmike said:
And so why your ".380 is for little girls" reply in a previous post?
Click to expand...


I like the .380, I have three of them haunting the safe and one that’s carried a lot... but it’s not my favorite handgun cartridge by a long shot. It admirably serves its purpose, but for pure steel ringing, pin bouncing, hole punching fun I’ll take the 1911 in .45 ACP. :)

Stay safe!
 
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