My Personal Handgun Caliber Dogma

[LookAtYou]

Note that my shirts have a pattern or print, and are loose fit, another example:
View attachment 1076547

Yes, the wind can be a factor, I live 300 yards from the beach; pattern or print helps break bulge if shirt is wind blown into me.
Also, having a claw on the holster helps hold (push) the grip toward my body; these are my AIWB holsters:
View attachment 1076548

ETA: current ammo in the Glock 17 is Ranger T 127 +p+ the 22 has 180 HST.

Ever considered a smaller 9mm for carry, like the Sig P365? Or the M&P M2.0 9mm 3.6", or even a G19?

 

[CDW4ME]

Ever considered a smaller 9mm for carry, like the Sig P365? Or the M&P M2.0 9mm 3.6", or even a G19?

Good question.
Prior to a few months ago, the smallest gun I normally carried was a Glock 19.
I have a Sig 365 but have no difficulty concealing the Glock 19 which I can shoot quicker.
In Jan (this year) I got a Glock 17.5 and really liked it, much prefer the gen 5 grip over gen 3-4 and the 17 grip better accommodates my hand than a 19.
I'd been carrying the 19 in a simple kydex clip-on and with a loose fit shirt (as pictured) the grip did not unduly bulge AIWB.
I've been shooting a long time and the 17.5 made me feel like I was in my peak 30 years ago with the ease that I could shoot it quick & accurate.
I wanted to carry the 17 but am anal about not obviously printing; the solution was a holster with a claw to help push grip toward my body.
Having a claw on the holster made concealing the 17 no more difficult than the 19 that had been my minimum for the past 4 years.
Glock 35.4 top - Glock 22.5 center - Glock 17.5 bottom


I liked the 17.5 enough to get the 22.5 and am pleased with it.
The 22.5 has a thicker (heavier) slide than previous generations of Glock 40's - subjectively recoil is on par with the 17.
If I was going to enter a shooting competition I'd take either the 17.5 or 22.5 - (30 years ago, I won a "Top Gun" competition with a 17)
If I have to defend myself its like a competition on whether I stop the threat(s) before incurring serious or lethal harm; I carry what I'd take to a competition.

 

[Anchorite]

Good question.
Prior to a few months ago, the smallest gun I normally carried was a Glock 19.
I have a Sig 365 but have no difficulty concealing the Glock 19 which I can shoot quicker.
In Jan (this year) I got a Glock 17.5 and really liked it, much prefer the gen 5 grip over gen 3-4 and the 17 grip better accommodates my hand than a 19.
I'd been carrying the 19 in a simple kydex clip-on and with a loose fit shirt (as pictured) the grip did not unduly bulge AIWB.
I've been shooting a long time and the 17.5 made me feel like I was in my peak 30 years ago with the ease that I could shoot it quick & accurate.
I wanted to carry the 17 but am anal about not obviously printing; the solution was a holster with a claw to help push grip toward my body.
Having a claw on the holster made concealing the 17 no more difficult than the 19 that had been my minimum for the past 4 years.
Glock 35.4 top - Glock 22.5 center - Glock 17.5 bottom
View attachment 1078867

I liked the 17.5 enough to get the 22.5 and am pleased with it.
The 22.5 has a thicker (heavier) slide than previous generations of Glock 40's - subjectively recoil is on par with the 17.
If I was going to enter a shooting competition I'd take either the 17.5 or 22.5 - (30 years ago, I won a "Top Gun" competition with a 17)
If I have to defend myself its like a competition on whether I stop the threat(s) before incurring serious or lethal harm; I carry what I'd take to a competition.

I like my 22.3, sure need to find and try a 22.5.

 

[JR24]

I like my 22.3, sure need to find and try a 22.5.

I feel the same, but with a 23.

No, that’s not right. I liked the 22.4 and really love the 19.5 so I feel I should try a 23.5.

I’ve got an HK P2000 LEM I should really sell or trade, but I’m hesitant because it’s my only .40 and I have a ton of .40 bullets for reloading, maybe replacing it with a 23 would be the call to make.

 

[CDW4ME]

I like my 22.3, sure need to find and try a 22.5.

Comparison pics of 17.5 and 22.5
The 22.5 slide is thick enough that it won't fit the holster I have for the 17.5 - it does fit my 20/21 holster.




Shooting the 22.5 then the 17.5 there was subjectively little difference in recoil.
I have a 22.3 and the 22.5 has less felt recoil; IMO, the thicker (heavier) slide on gen 5 is what Glock should have done from the start with 40.

 

[The Night Rider]

dog·ma
/ˈdôɡmə/

noun

1. a principle or set of principles laid down by an authority as incontrovertibly true.
   "the rejection of political dogma"

 

[Old_Grouch]

dog·ma
/ˈdôɡmə/

noun

1. a principle or set of principles laid down by an authority as incontrovertibly true.
   "the rejection of political dogma"

Authority
au·thor·i·ty | \ ə-ˈthȯr-ə-tē

noun

1. (archaic) an individual cited or appealed to as an expert

2. (modern) anyone with an opinion and an internet connection

 

[The Night Rider]

Authority
au·thor·i·ty | \ ə-ˈthȯr-ə-tē

noun

1. (archaic) an individual cited or appealed to as an expert

2. (modern) anyone with an opinion and an internet connection

Truth

 

[Mr. Mosin]

My personal dogma is "Carry what you can reasonably conceal, irrelevant of cartridge." For most, that's something along the lines of an LCP. It's absolutely astonishing that pocket .25's and .32's protected civilian populaces the world over for a solid century (and still do today), but suddenly a .380 is barely adequate. News flash... bad guys didn't just start roaming in packs... they've done that for years.

Edit: suddenly everyone feels the need for a minimum daily carry to be 50+ rounds of "Super Duper XXX Insta-Death Cartridge Mk. XXVIII", when quite simply.... you turn Thug #1's skull into a window with no glass, Thugs #2-#5 will scatter like dust in the wind... if they don't; well that 50+ rounds of Insta Death Cartridge Mk. XXVIII ain't gonna do you much good... you'd be better off with a proper long gun.

 

[CDW4ME]

My personal dogma is "Carry what you can reasonably conceal, irrelevant of cartridge." For most, that's something along the lines of an LCP. It's absolutely astonishing that pocket .25's and .32's protected civilian populaces the world over for a solid century (and still do today), but suddenly a .380 is barely adequate. News flash... bad guys didn't just start roaming in packs... they've done that for years.

Edit: suddenly everyone feels the need for a minimum daily carry to be 50+ rounds of "Super Duper XXX Insta-Death Cartridge Mk. XXVIII", when quite simply.... you turn Thug #1's skull into a window with no glass, Thugs #2-#5 will scatter like dust in the wind... if they don't; well that 50+ rounds of Insta Death Cartridge Mk. XXVIII ain't gonna do you much good... you'd be better off with a proper long gun.

A Glock 19 is reasonably easy to conceal with a untucked shirt; and tuckable holsters are a thing, though I've no need for one.
In the past, no internet; people can now see bad guys soak up 5 hits or more of 9mm and not be quickly incapacitated.
Multiple attackers is independent of caliber, 25/32acp has less ASAP potential than 9mm.
Glock 26 was released in 1994 in response to 10 round mag limits - people wanting more than 5-6 rounds has been going on 30+ years.
Thugs scatter after the shooting starts, maybe or maybe they continue to shoot back:
https://www.kktv.com/2022/05/05/war...-would-be-robbers-now-homicide-investigation/

I once did a survey on another gun forum as to what size handgun did they typically carry; over 200 responses and 2/3 carried bigger than a pocket gun.
Most people (myself included) would rather bet their life on at least 9mm than 25/32/380.

 

[Mr. Mosin]

And ... here we go

 

[tubeshooter]

Well - it *is* a "caliber dogma" conversation...

...at least it's not like a completely unrelated topic is being discussed (e.g. recreational shooting, etc.). This time, anyway.

 

[Mr. Mosin]

I'm *not* dressing around a duty gun- a belt gun. I'm *not* (and I *can't*- my work is an NPE, and my uniform is required). Outside of work, odds are that (if I had a belt gun) it'd be on my belt. I personally go five places outside of the house- work, church, the dollar store, very rarely to the doctor, and *Walmart*. The most concerning place of those five is by and far Walmart.


That, and you missed the point. If crap hits the fan, you need a long gun. A handgun is good only for convenience and concealment; excepting a handful.

 

[brmiller]

Given that every bullet potentially has a lawsuit attached to it, I favor the concept that the best self-defense firearm is the one that's never actually fired and, if fired, is shot the minimum number of times. That means marksmanship is king, .40 is superior to 9mm, and one or two holes from a controllable Big Bore like .45 and .44 special are persuasive. Personally, I just don't get the concept of the need for a "high capacity" handgun with extra magazines for the typical civilian whose objective is to break contact and not close with the threat. Hence, Glock 23 or Kahr CW45 for me.

I suspect that too many movies have been watched, by those who have never been in a firefight. I could be wrong though.

 

[Autodidactic]

Have you shot a .380 out of a 10 oz gun?


Oh, I think it does.


.45 Colt or ACP

Right, pocket .380’s def have recoil.

 

[Autodidactic]

That right there is the key! What you want. Not what somebody else wants or, even less sensible, what somebody else thinks you should want.
In my [not so] humble opinion the only wrong decision a person can make regarding what to carry is to choose to carry nothing. (assuming carry is legal, of course)

(Looming gratuitous lecture about calibers, penetration, and defensive carry choices)