Just how much it too much?

[396chevy]

Ok so I'll looking at CCl guns and I'm wondering what caliber. 45acp +p 230gr JHP is what i'm carrying now in a usp. At what point is it considered "overkill". 40S&W? 45acp? 10mm? 357mag? 44mag? Yes I know shot placement is key. Tell me your thoughts on which caliber, I'll worry about which gun later. So what do you say, just how much is too much?

 

[Boris bush]

I met a guy one time that carries TWO FN57s WITH the extended mags in a dual shoulder rig. I believe he was starting to get to the point of overkill, maybe.

In my lowly opinion when it comes to your safety, there can be no such thing as overkill as long as you are comfy with it and have the skills to use it.....

 

[Nasty]

Evaluate your risk level.

Walking your dog around a quiet nice residential area or are you spending time in a rowdy inner city area with a high crime rate? Are you blending in or flashing your cash? Do you live in a third world nation with paramilitary in charge or drug lords?

No one can tell you what *you* need...you have to take responsibility for yourself.

 

[chieftain]

Yes I know shot placement is key

See you knew the answer all along. Not caliber.

If which caliber is what you are asking, you really don't understand the question.

When choosing a gun or platform to potentially fight for your life with FIRST choose the gun or platform. Reliable, reliable, reliable, fits you and your proscribed mission, not you fitting it. You either know how to maintain it properly or learn. Then get it in the caliber it was originally designed for (inherently more reliable in virtually every case). Make sure you can get parts when needed for regular maintenance (such as springs) and replacement parts.

That's how you choose the gun you should carry. Caliber should not be the question.

Go figure.

Fred

 

[Welding Rod]

If there comes a time when you think you are really about to have to use it, whatever you picked you will probably be wishing it was more powerful and carried more ammo in the mag.

There is no such thing as too much as long as you can use it well.

Personally my choice changes primarly based on if I am in an urban or a rural environment.

In the city, a double stack 9 or a single stack 9 with a spare mag seem to me to be enough. Why? In the city you can run to help, aid will come sooner or later, there are other targets to occupy the bad guys' attention, and the bad guys aren't likely to loiter.

In the sticks, I want a service size double stack .45 with spare mag at least. Why? No where to hide or run to, no help coming nor anyone or ability to call for it, there are no other potential victims to distract the bad guys (who are likely armed with long guns), distances are likely to become longer, and the bad guys have all the time in the world to finish whatever they intended to do in the first place.

 

[bdb benzino]

I would say 44mag is a bit much for self defense. Although it is purely a personal decision.

 

[Justin Holder]

I read about a guy that used a Kimber 10mm to defend himself from a crazy man with a stick that was yelling "I'm going to kill you".

Apparently he was "over prepared" because he was later convicted of manslaughter when the jury decided, by carrying such a "powerful" gun loaded with hollow points, he must have been out looking for trouble.

Whether your carried by 6 or judged by 12, your pretty much out of luck either way.

I guess I'll keep carrying my 10mm and hope for the best.

 

[gofastman]

Apparently he was "over prepared" because he was later convicted of manslaughter when the jury decided, by carrying such a "powerful" gun loaded with hollow points, he must have been out looking for trouble.

what was his name?

no offense to you but that sounds like pure BS

 

[MikeNice]

Justin, That is why some instructors tell their CCL classes that they should try to mimic what the police carry. So depending on where you live that changes unless you go with the FBI carry caliber at the time.

To answer the original question, I would say a .454 snubbie might be overkill. I actually saw a guy trying to shoot one on TV. He was no little guy but that thing was punishing him. It looked like a five year old trying to shoot a .357Mag snub.

The most over the top thing I've seen somebody try to cc was a matching pair of S&W 24s with 3" barells. He had a custom shoulder rig with one on each side and bandolier style ammo storage on the front straps. I think that may have been too much.

 

[MikeNice]

Gofast, I've heard the story told two ways. One is that the guy was convicted and the other is that he got off but spent a small fortune on defense fees. It may be an urban legend, but it does influence the way some people choose their carry piece.

 

[KaintGetwright]

His name was Harold Fish. I don't have time to read the full story right now but I'll leave a link to a website dedicated to his case.

http://www.haroldfishdefense.org/

 

[Justin Holder]

I'm pretty sure I read a brief description of the case in "Combat Handgunner" written by Massad Ayoob, although I may be mistaken on the name of the magazine.

 

[Manco]

Ok so I'll looking at CCl guns and I'm wondering what caliber. 45acp +p 230gr JHP is what i'm carrying now in a usp. At what point is it considered "overkill". 40S&W? 45acp? 10mm? 357mag? 44mag? Yes I know shot placement is key. Tell me your thoughts on which caliber, I'll worry about which gun later. So what do you say, just how much is too much?

Purely in terms of terminal performance vis-à-vis what you want to accomplish, they're all too little, so in that sense there is no overkill. In the sense of doing the best you can, if you can't shoot a certain caliber just about as well as the next smallest down--and by that I mean both quickly (BLAM-BLAM-BLAM!) and with good accuracy--then for you it's overkill (either use a smaller caliber or train until you can shoot it well enough). There are other considerations, of course, but I presume that you're referring to per-round effectiveness.

 

[sarduy]

at what point is it considered "overkill". 40s&w? 45acp? 10mm? 357mag? 44mag?

.50bmg

 

[Bullnettles]

Over-kill to me is the point where I'm not able to make follow-up shots in quick succession (ie 44 mag, etc). As for the guy who defended himself, it's not his fault in choosing that caliber and type; it's the government's fault for not defending the victim. Carry what you need to be safe.

 

[Welding Rod]

what was his name?

no offense to you but that sounds like pure BS

Not BS. Dateline did a special on the case several years ago, including video segments of the trial. The gun's cartridge and the bullets used was made to be an issue in the case by Micheal Lessler, the Coconino County prosecutor.

At the time I wrote the prosecutor Micheal Lessler as well as the other prosecutors in the office in protest.

 

[DasFriek]

This may be me, But the perfect CCW gun would be a 12 gauge semi auto shotgun with 8+1 shells with Buck and Ball ammo. With a belt that holds 15 extra rounds.
Thats the firepower i want, But in the size of a Glock 30.

In reality tho, If you can carry it and conceal it its not overkill.
Someone out there no doubt carries a Desert Eagle .50AE and imo its not overkill. Same for a S&W 500. Its dumb imo, But not overkill.
Of course if your in the wild with dangerous game nothing is overkill as Grizzlies sure do get hungry.
If you have the ability to Open Carry id say 50 BMG in semi auto as its a tad heavy and long.

 

[Sapper771]

I carry a G17 . I feel confident that it can do the job that I require it to do.
I know shot placement is more important than the caliber, so I worry myself over training more to become better, rather than the caliber debate.

I carry three magazines on me, along with a flashlight and two folding knives. I often get accused of being "over kill" by some that either don't carry or carry a smaller, lower capacity firearm, usually with no spare magazine. I also take heat from the big bore guys for not bringing enough "gun" .....this proves that it is a personal thing. Carry what YOU are proficient/confident with, not what "Joe-Joe the range lizard" tells you is the best.

I have known a few that carry 44 mag revolvers because of its power, but they can't put rounds on target due to the recoil. They also couldn't afford to train with the revolver due to the cost of ammunition. I have also seen a few that carry dual full sized pistols.....but I have yet to see the question that it answers.

To each their own, I guess.