Best Carry Cartridge ? (PICK-UP TO 3)

I picked 9mm, .45ACP, and .357MAG. The 9 and .45 are obvious choices, and I'm aware you can split the 2 with the .40S&W... but I'm not a big fan of the .40. For a revolver, I think the .357 provides a balance of power, vs firearms small enough to carry concealed (think J-frame.) I think the .38SPC is a viable defensive round, but the .357 trumps it with versatility.

I didn't pick 45 ACP because I don't own one otherwise that would have been obvious

I only picked .38 Special and 9x19 as that is what I own. If I still had and carried a .380 that would have been my 3rd.

.45 ACP in a single-stack compact.
.40 in a double-stack compact.
9mm in a micro.




GR

38sp and 22lr. When I get a smaller 45acp revolver i'd add that.

Pistols:
380 ACP for pocket carry
9mm X19 for CC
45 ACP for trail/camping/hunting sidearm

Revolvers:
38 Special snub for pocket carry
38/357 Magnum snub for CC
44 Magnum for trail/camping/hunting sidearm

Although I don't own one the 38 Super is also a very good pistol round that was left out of the list & may be a favorite of some readers.

No love for the 41 mag? I would carry one in the woods and in town. Will take care of anything I would run across here in GA. 4in barrel for woods and 3 in for town carry.

I’ve open carried a 38 Super, a 45 ACP (both 1911s) and concealed carried a 9mm.

45 acp- the king in my opinion. Subsonic so it won't blow your eardrums out if fired in a tight space, large diameter- as big or bigger than many expand to if you're lucky. Best all around.

380- everyone should have a pocket gun, I prefer 380 to 9mm but I won't go down that rabbit hole right now.

10mm- capable for the woods and good in town to but carefully selecting your load is crucial . one guy will say it's way too much for 2 legged critters in town and then the next guy gripes that factory ammo is the same power as 40 SW. Well we all know 40 is capable and good for social work and we've all seen what full power 10mm is capable of. It's actually in my opinion the most versatile cartridge ever chambered for a bottom feeding handgun. Why wouldn't everyone carry one?

I picked 380, 38 special, and other (32 magnum). When I think of concealed carry, I think of compact and light weight guns.

Garandimal said:

.45 ACP in a single-stack compact.
.40 in a double-stack compact.
9mm in a micro.




GR

Click to expand...

^This. Thus endeth sermon.

9mm because of cost and availability. Back in the good ole days anyway! And capacity.

40s&w because I like it as much as 45acp but with more capacity and usually a smaller grip.


357 mag for revolvers.

9mm EDC in a Glock 43.
40 S&W for HD and travel.
44mag (and 45 Colt) for off pavement wandering.

Hmm. I picked .357 mag. From an SP101 to a 3” 65, easy to carry. Reasonably effective.

357 Sig as I usually carry a P239 DAK.

I’m not that big on capacity. A: I have dainty little hands and double stacks don’t fit me and, B: are more difficult to conceal for me.

I’m really big on as much horsepower as I can control.

And .32 cap as it fits my Walthers and Seecamp for that gun that just has to be concealed.

Depends on what you mean by best.

Whatever your carrying is best. Carry all the time even if it’s .22.

These days I carry 44 special, 38 special, or 380acp.

Missed:

32 H&R Magnum
38 Super
9X23 Winchester
45 Super / 450 SMC
460 Rowland

Less well known:
356 TSW (awesome round trying to make a comeback)
9 Major

They're all a compromise and best compromise is an oxymoron.

I went with the puny power. 32sw, 32acp, and 25acp. If only 38sw had been listed... thought process being that the guns are tiny, super concealable, and a better deterrent than horrid flatulence. Of the 4 I have carried all of them. I order of power... 32sw in a old junk solid frame revolver. Possibly an American Double Action or clone thereof. 25acp in a Raven jammomatic. 32acp in a West German Walther PP. 38sw in a few guns, another American Double Action, a S&W safety hammerless, and for giggles I carried a S&W 38 single action 2nd model during deer season for coup-de-gras purposes. Actually was hoping to use it on random vermin such as an opossum.

22lr - bumming around, pest control, ranch carry
9mm - everyday carry
10mm - woods/hunting carry

Only needed one choice, only carry one the .40. Maybe someone else can have the two I didn't take?

gnappi said:

Only needed one choice, only carry one the .40. Maybe someone else can have the two I didn't take?

Click to expand...

.40 is not a bad choice. I was “forced” to carry a Glock 35 and after 10 years, replaced by a Glock 22.

No issues. At all. It’s a good all around pistol round.

I chose .40, 9mm and .380:

9mm: reasonable diameter, high pressure, bolstered in the last 30 years by much improved expanding bullets. The .308 Winchester of handguns: jack of all trades, master of none. Probably the best caliber for those who do not reload as it's (normally) cheap and easy to find practice ammo and good SD ammo.

.380: Loaded hot, it'll get nearly 1/2" of expansion and 12" of penetration...the bare minimum to meet the FBI criteria. My favorite handload is a 115 grain HDY XTP at 1050 FPS from a 3.6" barrel. Why is "barely passing" ideal? It's ballistically sufficient, and can fit into blowback handguns. My P232SL with black G10 grips, Tritium night sights and an 18 lb Wolff spring is my favorite carry gun. The huge downside is that the .380 is rightly maligned for substandard performance when using bad loads from very short barrels. A 90 grain bullet at 800 FPS from a Bodyguard or LCP is a poor caliber because the bullets will not reliably expand, and even then lack the velocity to adequately penetrate. Probably best left to handloaders, though Underwood 90 grain XTP loads are VERY good (they'll reliably expand after denim to 0.4" and penetrate to just a shade under 12").

.40: Almost replicates the terminal ballistics of a .45 but with a narrower bullet and higher pressure. I use 200 grain HDY XTPs which get 900 FPS from the 3.9" barrel in my P239. I can't make up my mind if I prefer "plenty of stopping power" or "just enough" (see above), but having two carry guns isn't the worst thing in the world.

Odd thing is, .357 Sig is overwhelmingly my favorite pistol caliber, but in a carry size gun, its ballistic advantages turn into a deafening muzzle blast with 9mm +P ballistics. But with a long barrel, it can compete with a 10mm (147 grain XTP at 1360 FPS) or a 7.5 FK (90 grain copper at 1950 FPS).