StarDust1
Member
Interesting, .40 S&W falls to a rather uninspiring 4th in the polling...I've always held that the good 9mm hollow points are just as effective as anything else with the exception of .45 ACP...
What caliber do you carry most for Self Defence?
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Position in the pole has nothing to do with effectiveness, Stardust. If that were true, 10mm, 41 mag, 44 mag, 357 mag would be on top (or 454, 460, 45 Super, 9x23, etc.)
What people carry is their chosen compromise between ease of carry, cost, and perceived effectiveness and magazine capacity.
Ken
What people carry is their chosen compromise between ease of carry, cost, and perceived effectiveness and magazine capacity.
Ken
It's just a popularity contest, and the top three have been around for a long time. I also see that 10mm Auto is currently slightly behind .32 ACP and way behind .40 S&W. I guess people don't think much of it as a defense caliber, or .357 Magnum vis-à-vis .38 Special for that matter, then....
I highly doubt that .45 ACP offers much over 9mm per round, and .40 S&W obviously falls in between them. Any two of them could go away today, and it would not be a great loss regarding capability. Just pick the one that offers its slight advantages in areas that you favor.
I agree that we could all survive if one of those three went away. Of course, that would still leave 357 Sig and .357 Magnum
I just do not favor 9mm for self defense. However, if you compare a heavy weight 9mm +P to a similar weight 40SW, the speeds are close. If you compare a 180gr 40SW to a same weight 45 +P, the speeds are very close. Of course, there is no legitimate 40SW +P.
45 Super is close to 10mm performance.
I've debated 10mm for a carry gun, but haven't found any Dan Wessons on dealer shelves
I think most people see 10mm as more of a hunting cartridge and some might fear being labeled "excessive" if they ever need to use it in self defense. I've concluded that if I want to get up to that power level, .45 Super would be easier and much less expensive.One of the reasons I don't like 9mm is that I've found myself thinking "I have plenty of rounds, I don't have to be as accurate". Carrying only 5 or 8 rounds, I know I had better make each shot count.
Ken
LeontheProfessional
Member
G27 - .40s&w
Choclabman
Member
More than happy with 9mm 124gr +P's.
Jonah71
Member
I've never had a ftf with my 9mm Taurus PT Pro.. So I carry it at all times.
MCgunner
Member
Hell, I'd rather rely on the magnum than a puny .45, myself. 
9mm (hard to argue with 18 rounds of 9mm 147 XTPs on tap) most of the time, sometimes a CZ-40P in .40 S&W (11 rounds on tap) or S&W 1006 in 10mm Auto (10 rounds on tap) when I'm feeling like I need a workout.
But, mainly the 9mm if I am out and about. I can put all 18 rounds inside of a 2" circle at 7 yards in under 8 seconds, so the combination of capacity, lethality, firepower, and flexibility (multiple BGs) in tactical employment win my vote.
But, mainly the 9mm if I am out and about. I can put all 18 rounds inside of a 2" circle at 7 yards in under 8 seconds, so the combination of capacity, lethality, firepower, and flexibility (multiple BGs) in tactical employment win my vote.
armsmaster270
Member
357Sig in a Sig 226
bwsmith2850
Member
When I bought my G27 the Job required that I buy a Glock for off duty (or a Sigma if you begged really hard and we feel like saying yes today.) I went with .40 because it would feed the magazines from the G22 so it made for a better BUG. I could get free practice & duty ammo from the range which would answer the silly lawyer question of 'why did you choose those awful hollow points that you shot my client's poor relative (who was just turning his life around after 20 years of being a thug) with?' 'They are what the Dept issues.'
dolittlebb
Member
9mm 50%, .45 and .38 spl divides the rest of the time.
I carry a .357 but it is loaded with .38's and that is all I need. At the distance of most conflicts the .38 will handle it, and I can put all my shots on target in a short time. For me its not about extreme power but the ability to hit what I'm aiming at.
deputy tom
Member
So far it looks like .38 SPL. is leading.tom.
content
Member
Hello friends and neighbors // I use .38 special +P
Because it will work great in my city carry 442, 1 7/8" and my rural carry 586, 6".
Because it will work great in my city carry 442, 1 7/8" and my rural carry 586, 6".
smoothdraw
Member
subsonic hallow point 45 ACP. More gentle to the ears. Much compatible with my 1911. More forgiving with miss hits because it will still create big wounds wherever it hits. Slow and big diameter after expansion, transfers more energy to the BG.
Recoil in 1911 easy.
Recoil in 1911 easy.
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That's true, and what this shows is how close they all are in overall performance. However, I will say that, if anything, .40 S&W and .45 ACP are closer to each other than they are to 9mm+P. For example, in ballistics charts of factory self-defense loads, with approximately equal expanded diameters .40 S&W will usually penetrate a couple of inches or so deeper into ballistic gelatin; and given approximately equal penetration, .40 S&W will expand to a slightly larger diameter. The differences are not large, but you do get a little something in return for heavier recoil and a small reduction in magazine capacity, which are trade-offs in themselves. Between .40 S&W and .45 ACP, the overall difference is very small, with .40 S&W favoring penetration and .45 ACP favoring diameter. In large-frame pistols with 5" barrels, .45 ACP has a tad more potential, perhaps, while .40 S&W has the advantage in smaller pistols as well as an advantage in capacity. Pick whichever of these three calibers suits you personally (or if you love light, fast bullets then .357 SIG has them all beat), but the differences are hardly great.
By the way, one area that most people aren't overly concerned about is hard barrier penetration, but there are some differences in that regard, too. Briefly, given equal sectional density, larger, slower bullets (e.g. .45 ACP) generally deflect less when penetrating barriers at an angle (e.g. car windshields) while smaller, faster bullets (e.g. 9mm) tend to penetrate better (i.e. can get through more barrier material). The latter may seem counterintuitive at first glance, but that's what the combination of equal sectional density and greater speed can do. Of course, there are other factors such as bullet design and construction, but I mean aside from those. Obviously, .40 S&W splits the difference in this regard, more or less.
Obviously this depends on the specific platforms being considered, but I just wanted to point out that in general the difference in the number of rounds available between 9mm and .40 S&W is usually smaller in the same basic platform, usually like 2 rounds (e.g. 17+1 versus 15+1 in full-size Glocks). And states that still have a 10-round per magazine limit eliminate the difference altogether, of course, although 9mm's lighter recoil advantage still remains.
NinjaFeint
Member
PM9 with Corbon DPX 115gr+P for my daily carry... Occasionally carry GP100 with whatever nasty .357 125gr JHP I can find.
Over 75% of people polled carry either a 9mm, a .45ACP, a .38sp or a 40S&W. 9mm, the top choice makes up about a third of that category.
The other 24% carry something other than those 4 with the .380ACP heading up that list and making up a quarter of the "something else" category.
It would be interesting to be able to poll the general population to see how their carry caliber selection differs from the gun enthusiasts polled here. I'd be willing to bet that .380, .38 and .32 would score much better.
The other 24% carry something other than those 4 with the .380ACP heading up that list and making up a quarter of the "something else" category.
It would be interesting to be able to poll the general population to see how their carry caliber selection differs from the gun enthusiasts polled here. I'd be willing to bet that .380, .38 and .32 would score much better.
NinjaFeint
Member
I can tell you that the gun enthusiasts I know almost all carry 9mm or more powerful. I can also tell you the non-enthusiast gun owners I know almost all carry .380 or smaller and usually it's an LCP or Kel-Tec.
This really proves nothing but I thought it was interesting that your point applies to people I know.
NMGonzo
Member
.380 becausemy bersa works for most situations
.9mm on my p2000sk because it is a hair bigger than the bersa
.357 when i need to conceal deep on my 605 taurus
.45 whenever i can, which is not summer.
.9mm on my p2000sk because it is a hair bigger than the bersa
.357 when i need to conceal deep on my 605 taurus
.45 whenever i can, which is not summer.
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