What is the best SHTF handgun caliber?

David - not to fudge the issue but - in part this is almost a 'cal' wars'' issue Or could be so - steady on folks - make judgement based on availablity!

Indeed the shere availability of 9mm does make it perhaps the prime candidate and if we leave out any arguments as to opined ''effectiveness'' then it would be my prime choice. I usually have that cal in 1k increments, whereas .45acp I doubt I ever have much more then several 100 - but that of course is down to my personal useage.

Beyond that - I might say too - ''what you have most of'' !! And that for many folks could also be 9mm. Agreed .40 is a well used cal by LE but - thinking strictly of ''civilian'' availability, then again 9mm comes back into the picture IMO.

I guess too (leaving centerfire for a moment) we should not forget the lil'.22 even if mouse category - after all - many folks have plenty - I reckon I have 5k at any one time - and also it's very available too.

Pick the one you like and can shoot well. Then stock up on ammo. I wouldnt buy a specific caliber based on what "might" be available.

Be prepared, have several of each caliber. even 22

Like Aneat said, at least one of each is my philosophy.

Why, .50 GI, of course. Everyone should know this.\

Actually, I've stocked up on .38 & .357; can be used in the most practical of all handguns, the four-inch .357 and the lever-action carbine ... easy to reload, and using lead bullets, if it comes down to it, could even make your own ...

I guess that is why P5 and I became buddies... we think so much alike. I agree with his post except that in .22 I would make certain that my "little" .22 pistol is exceedingly accurate. Otherwise, I agree on the rest right down the line.

Except I think a man should have more ammo than that!

if limited to one cal it would be .22 lr if not i would own multiples lol

Will this apply to squirrels?

forget

everyone forgets, that in a really in depth SHTF scenario, there is going to be alot of .40 ammo laying around with police forces.

veryone forgets, that in a really in depth SHTF scenario, there is going to be alot of .40 ammo laying around with police forces.

with all due respect Bull , if its a shtf by any means there will be NO ammo laying arround , what you carry is what you will have , maby at some time ya can trade for some ( why i said if i can have multiple i will if not i have a .22 pistol )

I have a couple hundred rounds of 9MM on hand, but I have a couple thousand rounds of .45 ACP FMJ and 500 Black Hills 230gr GD. That said, I went with .357/.38, not for PD or HD, but because of its versatility. There's a couple thousand rounds of various loads of .357Mag (GD and XTP). Revolvers here go from the GF's SP-101 through the various 4" and 6" revo's to my 8 3/8" S&W Mod 27, then there's the Marlin 1894 -- very versatile.

Well Hi Jody old friend

Re the 22 and accuracy - I'd not feel too disadvantaged with either my 22.45 as a semi - or the venerable pre K22 revo.

What I did drop back in tho add was - leaving aside the factory ammo aspect - in a ''situation'' I would have enough brass and consumables normally, to be able to set too and generate many (many!) 100's of rounds of various cals - even if getting on/making do with cast bullets.

I expect 38/357 could yield 1,000+ quite fast and as far as 9mm - well - so many darned cases - probably 5,000!!

perhaps the best gun ever in a shtf scenario is this one. the one you have with you and ammo for.
if you have all the ammo in the world but no gun your sol and no matter the gun you have it's a paperweight without the correct ammo.

there is going to be alot of .40 ammo laying around with police forces.

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Oh, that's right, I remember all the kindly new orleans officers handing out .40 ammo and 12gauge shotgun shells to everyone, worried about their safety and doing what they could to offer what protection was available.

The cops won't give anyone any ammo during SHTF.

Down to one handgun in SHTF? .44magnum, light loads around 600ft/lbs. 1000 ft/lbs for alligators.

Ahhh, P5 that old K22 will do a fine job of popping a rabbit in the head at distance. I would use my old High Standard (which I am getting tuned and Parkerized at the moment) or one of my S&W 41s, one of which is getting the same treatment.

Isn't it amazing that with either of us having numerous guns and in many, many calibers... that when we distill it down to the basics we end up with the OLD .22 - but of course with lots of modern marvels in ammo.

That reloading stuff does help a bit to get your ammo holdings up a LITTLE...

What is the best SHTF handgun caliber?

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I honestly don't know! That's why I have most of those on the list!

Sorry to be a crank.....but how many times can this beaten horse be brought back to life? What is the fixation with being in a SHTF situation? Sounds like a wierd OCD to me. Of course, bring on the flames....its only the internet

If the S hits the F, whatever is in your closet is likely to be all that's available.

If there is still ammo available, maybe you just need to clean your Fan......

+1 to paul on dead horse for most of us , howeaver that isnt all of us , its good to rehash " dead horse " issues because if we didnt we would all be shooting longbows , or working on our samari act lol , new folks welcome and feel free to jump inn dont mind us old grouches

I'm going with 357/38. but I also have a S&W Model 34 and I keep a couple thousand rounds of 22. ammo.

While I have a fair supply of 9mm in the closet, around 5K rounds, I think that something stouter, like .40 S&W is also viable, and splits the difference between the 9mm and .45 ACP (not GAP).

.22lr as the universal caliber

9mm as the most common

.45 is what i wish was most common...

Imagine you're a working cowboy or a guide in Alaska, and you're actually out in the wilderness, responsible for your own survival for weeks on end. You look down at your belt. There's a handgun there.

What is it?

It's probably not a semiauto.