Caliber Wars: then and now

[JO JO]

For quail I like 20 or 28 gauge, myself....I did shoot a grouse once with a 38, though.

That's funny dang I phone should be qualification my bad

 

[hdwhit]

dr0 wrote:
When looking for a full sized or mildly compact sized pistol do you still favor the tried and true .45, or are you a 9mm guy? Or, do you still like the split-the-difference strengths of the .40.

For home defense, I use my grandmother's S&W 38 Special with Glaser Safety Slugs since there is no place in the house where the backdrop of a shot doesn't have someone on the other side of the wall.

The 9mm is the most popular handgun cartridge in the world and it is a model of efficiency and economy, so it's sort of a must-have.

I also inherited my grandfather's M1911, so if I feel the need for a large lump of steel throwing out a massive, slow moving bullet that is almost certainly going to leave all of its considerable energy in the target, I have that option.

Don't think I need anything more.

 

[BobWright]

Ummm.............Around 1870 the US Army adopted a .45 caliber revolver, and around 1875 adopted a shorter version of that round. In 1892 the US Army adopted the .38 Colt cartridge, and most of the World's military forces adopted similar small caliber sidearms, running into the .32 caliber range. Only England clung to the big bore revolver with their .450s and .455s. When a pistol of 7.62mm was introduce into the Army Pistol Test trials of 1900, it was quickly removed due to the scorn of the US Army officers. "Has to be .45," they demanded. So, in 1909, while debate was still in progress, the ARmy bought some more .45 revolvers. And the 7.63 pistol was hurriedly rechambered to 9mm. But stronger heads prevailed and the first auto pistol of the US Army was a .45 caliber. And that pistol served through two World Wars and a few police actions, with aplomb.

Me? I still cling to the cartridge that was introduced in 1873 to protect my hide.

Bob Wright

 

[lsudave]

Removing hype from the equation, most pistol ammo does acceptably well, IMO. Placement is key, as none will work like a phaser set to disintegrate; for military usage, a pistol is meant to allow you to get to a rifle ASAP.

So that being said, 9x19 works for me. It's a proven round, it's inexpensive to shoot at the range, and it gives you more capacity than larger calibers do. I have a Beretta 92FS, Sig P226, Cz 75, 3rd Gen S&W, Star 30MI, and Hi Power, all in 9mm, no desire for 40 cal in them. For fullsize duty guns, I prefer 9mm over others; as an example I have both a Tokarev (Norinco T-54) and a Star (Modelo Super B), both in 9x19, instead of their more 'native' chambering (7.62 Tok or 9 Largo).

The main exception to that- in a 1911, I want .45 acp. I just think it's the way a 1911 should be.

 

[481]

To answer the question-

Let's hear from other 'caliber warriors' old school or new. Have you preferences changed?

Never really preferred any one caliber over another. If it works, that's fine with me. .357 Magnum, .45 ACP, 9mm, .38 Special, .38 Super, .40 S&W...all loaded with a premium JHP, they are all fine.

 

[SonofGilnockie89]

In the years since I began shooting handguns I have fired and examined all manner of them. My first pistol was a Kahr CW9. After spending too much time on this forum I fell victim to the ridiculous notion that the 9x19 isn't sufficient so I made the jump to a G23. A few months of sore hands later (my carpal tunnel didn't appreciate the .40) I traded it out for a G19 which I loved. I randomly became bored with the Glock and I actually tried things out with a full size 1911 in .45acp.

The feeling of a tent pole stuck in my waistband got old quickly and I ended up with a G17 which was then traded for yet another G19.

I seem to always drift back to the 9mm Glocks no matter what else I use for awhile.

 

[Gordon]

Seen people shot with various things for 60 years; I grew up from about 9 or ten in Chic Gaylords cop shop in an old Furrier locker in NYC as my uncle was a NYPD Gold Shield then and I was even at that age into guns
The .38 was considered adequate in both Special and S&W (!) guise . On and off duty that was what was carried. State Troopers did have .357s because they had to deal with vehicles and it was believed they penetrated better, which I am sure they did. Now remember if you ran away from a cop in those days you could and would be shot ! A 9mm was highly thought of as a anti personal caliber as was the king- .45 , but police of the time were generally not authorized it's use, outside the southwest
I was given my first 1911 at about 14 by a WW1 major and my father "kept" it for me until I was 18 , he was an NRA competetor and it became his hard ball gun and was worked over by Austin Behlert
. I can picture his face, he and I were close he passed about 10 years ago I think ) in NJ and later Bob Chow in SF when I got it in the 70s . I learned to shoot it well as a youth and later used the issue 1911a1 to shoot the only enemy I know I hit for sure in VN and it worked well . I learned from conversations with Col Cooper 35 years back that sure there are more powerful rounds but the .45acp is about the limit of average human's ability to control for rapid accurate shots. He did dream about a possible .40 tho.....
I have been told the .357 works very well as an anti personnel round and it stops as well as or better than anything out there that is controllable even today! I used to be close friends with a real spook who used one in Germany after we won WW2 for cleaning up the remaining bad guys, he was the closest thing to an assassin with a license to kill I have ever heard of and he continued to use his .357 on bad people in Europe , Africa and Central America until the late 70s when he was well into his 60s. He used an 3.5" model 27 and a 5" Registered Magnum and shot lead hollowpoint ammo. He shot mostly to the head, NOBODY survived he said . Here is a picture of my old 1911 which I still have and will be passed down.

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Here is an old 5" model 27 so there you are caliber wars !

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[Tcruse]

I was a die hard 45 type of guy, got 6 of them, and then Arthur (arthritis) came into my life. Recoil and Arthur don't get along very well.

I still have all of my 45's, can't seem to give them up but, I rarely shoot them anymore.
Although I find the 45 uncomfortable to shoot, I still love the 1911 platform.

I have since bought a 9mm Range Officer. I like it so much, I'm looking into to buying a SA Custom Carry or a Dan Wesson in 9mm.

I also have a Sig 938 in 9mm which is a sweet little gun that you can't even tell you're carrying it.

I may have gravitated to the 9mm but, I'll always love the 45.

Just got a Pointman 9 Dan Wesson. Recoil more like a .22LR than anything else. Really nice gun, glade I spent the extra to get a really fine piece of equipment.

 

[CapnMac]

Caliber wars can be fun--actually, much better when they are in good fun. Flame wars and the like being more than a bit under-productive.
Becasue it largely becomes, "best battle rifle" or "best squad automatic" and near as pointless. Every one has a champion which they cleave to; or they are just "meh."

After all, none of this is as serious as iOS versus Android

 

[armoredman]

The best is what I've got and everything you have is junk!

Yeah, that does get old, doesn't it.

 

[tactikel]

I started out old school with .357 S&W 28, next a .45 acp-love them both, tried a .40 hated it. IMHO improved bullet technology has made all the caliber wars moot. Now, my CCW is a 9mm Shield, the .357 and .45 sit in the safe.

 

[Blkhrt13]

I love 38 and 357. I want to get more guns in both. But lingering here is making me want a 9mm real badly.

 

[Mayvik]

My "go to" is a Hi Power, but my only polymer service pistol is an M&P in 357S (although I have the 40 and 9 conversion barrels). 9 is fine, but sometimes a 1911 feels right too.