A Different Way to Look at the Caliber Question

[Tallball]

Caliber wars type of topics come up a lot.

Maybe this is a new way to look at it...

You fly to stay with a friend for a week. He has a nice place out in the country. You're going to hike, go fishing, hang with mutual friends, ride motorcycles... various fun things you really enjoy doing.

The area is "iffy" at times. There are the occasional two-legged miscreants, but no large dangerous animals.

Your friend is a big 1911 fan. He has 1911 type pistols in 22, 32, 380, 38 special, 9mm, 357 magnum, 40 caliber, 10mm, and 45acp. They're all reliable and accurate and have similar triggers and sights. Due to their different sizes and specific magazines, they all hold the same number of rounds (8?).

Your friend offers to lend you one of his 1911's to carry around his property and keep by your bed at night. Which one do you choose?

Putting the question this way removes the variables of handgun type and capacity.

(Having trouble with pictures today.)

Citadel 1911 9mm

• Tallball
• Apr 6, 2019

RIA 1911 45acp

• Tallball
• Jun 26, 2019

 

[Armored farmer]

I am a big fan of .45acp.
I can name several legit reasons for choosing it.

 

[kidneyboy]

45acp for me.

 

[bearcreek]

Caliber wars type of topics come up a lot.

Maybe this is a new way to look at it...

You fly to stay with a friend for a week. He has a nice place out in the country. You're going to hike, go fishing, hang with mutual friends, ride motorcycles... various fun things you really enjoy doing.

The area is "iffy" at times. There are the occasional two-legged miscreants, but no large dangerous animals.

Your friend is a big 1911 fan. He has 1911 type pistols in 22, 32, 380, 38 special, 9mm, 357 magnum, 40 caliber, 10mm, and 45acp. They're all reliable and accurate and have similar triggers and sights. Due to their different sizes and specific magazines, they all hold the same number of rounds (8?).

Your friend offers to lend you one of his 1911's to carry around his property and keep by your bed at night. Which one do you choose?

Putting the question this way removes the variables of handgun type and capacity.

(Having trouble with pictures today.)

I'd bring my own. No need to borrow one. I get what you're trying to do though, so I'll play. I'd pick the 10 mm, not cause I think it's the best option, necessarily, but because I've not had a chance to fire one and have always wanted to.

 

[film495]

45ACP, but only becuase I've fired several 1911s in 45ACP and am familair with it. Every time I shoot someone brings one, so - I shoot them fairly often. I have much less exposure to .357 and never fired 10mm, so - I'd just not pick them cause I have no idea how I shoot them. To me the only real reason to consider 9mm over 45ACP, is the magazine capacity that usually exists, but here you've taken that out of the equation, so 45 ACP it is.

 

[drband]

9mm is great to shoot in a 1911, but .45acp just feels right in that pistol.

 

[AJC1]

I'd choose 45 because if it's likely I'm doing to shoot I'd appreciate not having permanent hearing damage. 18kpsi is a lot less than 35kpsi. It's the only low pressure round listed.

 

[Heir Kommt Die Sonne]

I'd pick the 10 mm, not cause I think it's the best option, necessarily, but because I've not had a chance to fire one and have always wanted to.

Its not the "44 magnum of autos", but the recoil is pretty fierce enough. Shoot a Glock 29 and WOW, you'll see what I mean. Even the full size 20 knocks you around.

 

[Heir Kommt Die Sonne]

That said, I picked 10mm. If I'm restricted to 8 rounds, either it's gonna be .45 or the 10mm. 10mm because it's more comparable to .357 Magnum in a dedicated autoloader cartridge.

 

[someguy2800]

If I have to have a 40 ounce steel frame gun that holds 8 round then might as well be 45. If I can choose my own gun then there is no situation where it will ever be a 1911 or a 45.

 

[.38 Special]

I'm not sure it matters all that much, against a human adversary. That said, I am a power junkie, and have no use for the .380 under any circumstance. I'd be happiest with a 10 mm or a .45 ACP.

 

[CDW4ME]

I'd pick 10mm or 45. Tip of the scale going to 10mm.
Same calibers as my 1911's with one 9mm being the exception.
In before somebody picked 32 acp - but given some people repeatedly rationalized low capacity in the is 5 or 6 enough thread somebody picking 32 won't surprise me.

 

[LimaCharlie]

10mm

 

[JCooperfan1911]

In terms of sheer affectiveness, .45 ACP is and always will be superior to all others on that list.

There is no replacement for displacement, and the huge .45 caliber and heavyweight bullet is devastating on target.

10mm uses a much smaller projectile and is limited in bullet weights. Gelatin testing shows lackluster results compared to ACP.

 

[fxvr5]

No 38 Super? No 9X23 Winchester?

 

[wcwhitey]

All of the above! I carry an LCP sometimes, a .38 J frame mostly. Next up depending are a Kahr CM9, Sig P239, P226 in 9mm and once in a while a 1911 in .45 ACP. In the field it can be any number of Revolvers in .22 up to .44 Magnum. Different tools for different jobs! If I had to though I would pick a .45 for your premise. I trust a .45 ACP 1911.

 

[Terry G]

I mostly carry 9MM, but this time of the year it's .45. A CZ 97b in a shoulder holster. I wouldn't have to borrow, I always have one or the other on me.

 

[Hartkopf]

With limited capacity I would take 45ACP.

 

[Slamfire]

I picked the 45 ACP because of my familiarity with it punching holes in paper. Not because I have conducted extensive live shootings of human beings with different calibers, and observed the differences in lethality between the cartridges.

So, my decision is based on opinions, myths, and legends.

 

[.38 Special]

In terms of sheer affectiveness, .45 ACP is and always will be superior to all others on that list.

There is no replacement for displacement, and the huge .45 caliber and heavyweight bullet is devastating on target.

10mm uses a much smaller projectile and is limited in bullet weights. Gelatin testing shows lackluster results compared to ACP.

Caliber war!

Several places offer 230 grain bullets in the 10mm. Doubletap claims 1100 fps in theirs, which slightly exceeds even the wildest .45 ACP +P, to the best of my knowledge.

 

[jar]

How long is my stay? Can I do a caliber du jour?

 

[Tallball]

I chose 45 also. I think I can shoot it about as fast as 9mm, and it makes a bigger hole. Seems like 10mm and 357 might be slow to get back on target after the recoil.

I have 1911-ish pistols in 380, 9mm, 40, and 45. Almost won auctions for 32's a couple of times (Star, maybe?).

A pistol du jour would be obviously be the most fun. A 380 Government is probably adequate for SD. No one has chosen 40 S&W, even though it's a fun 1911 cartridge. 10mm and 357 sound spicy. 38 special wadcutters,,, why not? I don't do 22lr or 32acp for SD, but the rest of them fall into my "acceptable" category. It would be fun to carry a different one each day and shoot it some.

 

[Zendude]

Are we limited to ball ammo in this scenario?

 

[Rexster]

I know what to expect, firing .45 ACP with a 1911. Low flash. Low blast. The amount of muzzle flip will be familiar, so, the rhythm of shot-to-shot recovery will be familiar, which could be important if target transition become important. This transition could be from one anatomical point to another, on the same opponent/target, or from one opponent/target to a different opponent/target. I know that there are some number of duty/service cartridges that will work more-or-less equivalently, and there are others that I use, but in a 1911, well, .45 ACP makes the most sense, to me.

 

[wcwhitey]

“Almost won auctions for 32's a couple of times (Star, maybe?).” The little Llamas were pretty cool!