Home Defense Caliber Poll, 9mm, .45 or .357

Which Caliber For "Home Defense Handgun" 9mm, .45 or .357 mag.

  • 9 mm

    Votes: 53 20.7%

  • .45

    Votes: 166 64.8%

  • .357 Mag

    Votes: 37 14.5%
  • Total voters
    256
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I cannot believe more have voted for the 9mm than the .357. Does this have anything to do with the .357 Magnum being a revolver cartridge?

'cause if I want to put someone 6 feet under I'll choose the .357, if I want to send them to the hospital or go there myself I'll choose the 9mm.
All other things being equal, ie, shot placement.
 
hello hags,

i can't answer why other people have gone for the .40, but i can tell you why it is my pick.
1- the performance is near that of a .45
2- the capacity is close to a 9mm
3- double stack 45's are too thick for me, but the .40 is not.

i guess it is the best of both worlds FOR ME. slightly more umph to it than a 9mm, and a few more rounds than a .45

that said, the 9mm and .45 are both great SD rounds imho. i just liked the .40 a little better.
 
I cannot believe more have voted for the 9mm than the .357. Does this have anything to do with the .357 Magnum being a revolver cartridge?
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For me it does. The 16rd. capacity, plus the fact that I can shoot my CZ75 faster and more accurately than my GP100, are the primary reason I chose the 9mm. However, if I could only keep one handgun, it would be the .357, because it has a broader range of applications.


cause if I want to put someone 6 feet under I'll choose the .357, if I want to send them to the hospital or go there myself I'll choose the 9mm.
Click to expand...

It would be interesting to know how many people were put 6 feet under by the 9mm versus the .357 magnum, worldwide. In any case, I prefer more more rounds in my fighting gun.
 
No Vote

...

While at Home:

First, and foremost, IF I can get to either, one of my shotguns, bar none..

Then, IF I'm in my home office and have to gun and run, it's a 45..

IF it's night time, bedtime, it's my 9mm with CT laser grips..

IF I had personal choice, and the time, it would be one of my 40 S&W's that I shoot the most accurate, and the fastest, with follow-up shots.. my main daytime ccw weapon of choice..


Ls
 
It would be interesting to know how many people were put 6 feet under by the 9mm versus the .357 magnum, worldwide. In any case, I prefer more more rounds in my fighting gun.
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Why's that? :confused:

I'm sure with the 9mm being a NATO round in use around the world for a number of years by police and military it has been used in more firefights than any other handgun cartridge.

You'll get no argument from me on that. That doesn't mean that it's the best round for home defense.

For me it does. The 16rd. capacity, plus the fact that I can shoot my CZ75 faster and more accurately than my GP100, are the primary reason I chose the 9mm. However, if I could only keep one handgun, it would be the .357, because it has a broader range of applications.
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Let's face it, if you need 16 rounds in a combat situation you're doing something wrong, or you're really in deep ****.
I do see your point, but.......................as said here before, shot placement is king!
 
Let's face it, if you need 16 rounds in a combat situation you're doing something wrong, or you're really in deep ****.
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Since fights can be unpredictable, I don't really know how many rounds are enough.

I'm sure with the 9mm being a NATO round in use around the world for a number of years by police and military it has been used in more firefights than any other handgun cartridge.

You'll get no argument from me on that. That doesn't mean that it's the best round for home defense.
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I didn't say it is the best. I have yet to see definitive proof of which is the best. I''m just saying there is plenty of evidence that the 9mm works. Don't get me wrong, I don't have a ton of confidence in any handgun caliber. Whether I have a 9mm, .45 or .357, I plan to shoot until the attack stops, or I run out of ammo. I just think the 9mm can be as effective as any other handgun round, assuming the shooter does his part.

as said here before, shot placement is king!
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I agree 100%. This is why I mentioned that I shoot my CZ75 the best. At least, of the guns which I own.
 
.45 cause of it makes bigger holes, is quieter than the others and recoil isn't that bad. In Federal HST or Winchester Ranger T, the .45's expand to over an inch. That's like punching silver dollar sized holes in bad guys!
 
What the hell does the .40S&W offer that the other three don't?

I, like many others don't see a need for the .40S&W when you have the 9mm or the .45ACP.
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The .40 S&W is a modern, high pressure cartridge. Some tests show it close to .45 stopping power. Yet it holds more rounds and is offered in the same sized frames as 9mm. It's supposed to be a compromise between in 9mm and .45 both in terms of stopping power and fire power (capacity). However, if you live in a state like California (as I do) that limits magazines to 10 rounds, there is no compromise compared with 9mm.
 
The .40 S&W is a modern, high pressure cartridge. Some tests show it close to .45 stopping power. Yet it holds more rounds and is offered in the same sized frames as 9mm. It's supposed to be a compromise between in 9mm and .45 both in terms of stopping power and fire power (capacity). However, if you live in a state like California (as I do) that limits magazines to 10 rounds, there is no compromise compared with 9mm.
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Why not get a .45 that holds ten rounds?

I thought the .40 was a result of the FBI looking for something comparable to the 10mm but easier to shoot.
I didn't think it has anything to do with filling the gap between the 9mm and the 45ACP.

I don't wanna hijack this thread or cause an argument but I am one of those people who don't see a need for it.
We can agree to disagree on that. :D
 
I shoot my .357 mag. revolver very well ... better than any other handgun I've owned (1911 & carry 9)

and it has tons of power to spare.

simple as simple can be.... point gun - pull trigger.

when time is on my side.... thumb cock the hammer and shoot single action w/ a very nice trigger.
 
Quote:
Since fights can be unpredictable, I don't really know how many rounds are enough.

Hopefully none.


Ask yourself this, if you had just one round in your weapon, which of the three choices would you want it to be?
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If I have only one shot from a handgun to stop a fight, I suppose I will need rely on hope. Personally, I don't think there is enough of a difference in effectiveness, between the calibers mentioned, to make a real difference. I'm not going to sit here and try to convince you that one round is the "best".

As stated earlier, I agree with you that shot placement is probably the most important factor. That being the case, my choice is the gun I shoot most accurately, which for me, is my CZ75 chambered in 9mm, YMMV. However, given a choice, Id rather be holding my shotgun, If I'm in a bad situation.
 
If I have only one shot from a handgun to stop a fight, I suppose I will need rely on hope.
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That's an interesting concept -- because we actually rely on one shot from a handgun to stop a fight. My experience (based on combat, not self-defense) is that you will experiennce a 90% degradation in skill when the chips are down.


The statistics seem to bear that out -- most winners of gunfights get only one hit.
 
That's an interesting concept -- because we actually rely on one shot from a handgun to stop a fight. My experience (based on combat, not self-defense)
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Doesn't the military use a rifle as their primary weapon? In any case, I've said more than once in this thread, accuracy is probably the most important factor in stopping an attack. Furthermore, I'm no expert, nor do I claim to be. I certainly don't know which handgun round is the best. I'm just not confident enough in my skill as a shooter, to keep only one round loaded in my handgun, or shotgun for that matter.

I'm going to leave this thread to you guys for now. However, I will check back later to find out which handgun round is actually the best. :D
 
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