What Caliber Do You Carry Most?

[north east redneck]

I voted .45, because I do carry it and this is an autoloaders thread. Honestly, the 442 .38 is the most carried gun I own.

 

[exbrit49]

Like quit a few other respondents, I didn't vote as I usually carry 38Spl or .357Mag. I have plenty of semi autos but prefer to carry a revolver. Each to his own.

 

[Rexster]

Well, temporarily, 9mm. This is largely influenced by my chief (big-city PD) authorizing 9mm as an alternative duty pistol cartridge in September 2015. The .40, when fired in my high-bore-axis P229 duty pistol, had become painful to shoot. (Getting old is not fun, and the big-bore Magnums I had fired in the Eighties are probably what caused most of the problem.) I switched to 9mm, for the lesser per-shot recoil, and to Glock for the lower bore axis and the potential additional cushioning effect of the flexing polymer frame.

Notably, 9mm is becoming our standard primary duty pistol cartridge this year. A cadet class which will graduate later this year will have to use only 9mm duty pistols, unless a future chief changes the policy again. (Present officers, at least at this point in time, will not have to switch to 9mm. We buy our own duty firearms, within policy guidelines, and previous changes have generally allowed for existing weapons to be "grandfathered."

9mm is not, however, safe upon its throne. It is simply convenient to carry the same cartridge/platform on and off the clock, and I am likely to retire later this year, or early next year, or perhaps move to a non-patrol assignment. My second-most-carried cartridge is .45 ACP, presently in full-sized all-steel 1911 pistols. .45 ACP, fired from all-steel low-bore-axis 1911 pistols, is not painful to shoot, at least at this point in time. Without the five/six-nights-a-week duty pistol factor favoring the G19/9mm, I might revert to carrying 1911 pistols most of the time, and both of mine are chambered for .45 ACP.

Ii is also quite possible I will largely revert to revolvers after retirement, and none of mine are 9mm revolvers. Candidates include .38 Special, .357 Magnum, and .45 Colt.

 

[CPLofMARINES]

9mm but .38 Spl Rem GS 125 grn. +p in a J frame mostly

 

[d'zaster]

380
9mm
40sw

 

[PCFlorida]

9mm (Remington R-51) or one of my 10mm's. Depends on the weather, so 9mm in the 8 months of summer and 10mm when it is cooler.

 

[22250Rem]

I voted 9mm for my usual carry Glock G-19 but I've been known to have a 4" S&W 686 handy which is a 357 revolver but that usually has some 158 gr. hard cast SWC +P+ 38 Special handloads in it.

 

[ritepath]

I currently only have 3 carry sidearms. Two are 9mm M-F taurus G2, Saturday Shield, and Sunday LCP.

I'm gonna pickup a new BBQ CZ p-01 or PCR soon...also in 9mm of course.

 

[johnnylaw53]

I voted 9mm as that was the only one listed that i sometimes carried. Most of the time it is a .32 kel tec and sometimes .38 spl but the snub nose have been mostly replace by Ruger lc9 when i carry something bigger then the .32

 

[bluzman]

Only 9mm.

 

[Stephen Ross]

My 1911 (45 auto) was not the ideal carry pistol so I purchased a Sig 320 compact (9mm), and this is my current carry weapon. Doesn't shoot like my custom 1911, but shoots well enough as my main carry and would put my life in its hands.

 

[armabill]

38 SPL.

 

[cbpat1]

40 S&W, 45 ACP, 9mm, 10mm in that order.

 

[harrygunner]

Wondered why I've never voted in this poll. Then, I saw 10mm wasn't included.

I carry a 10mm every day, everywhere.

 

[1911 guy]

.45ACP. Not because it's superior to any other defensive caliber, but it's what I have. All my pistols are chambered for it.

 

[Klint Beastwood]

only a .45 acp. Small and compact CCW gun like the shield .45 will still hold about 7 rounds + or - 1. This bullet has been tested and has survived the century. the 9mm may have an edge in barrier penetration, but i dont think its enough to discount the .45 as well as i dont plan on shooting many people through walls or cars so there's that.

http://www.personaldefenseworld.com/2017/03/9mm-40-45-acp-stopping-power/

 

[Nanook]

9mm usually, although I prefer the .45 ACP. Sometimes it's just too big to carry, so I go with 9mm.

 

[stchman]

I carry my .380ACP LCP. I'm going to start carrying my Shield 9 in the cooler months.

Other.....

357 SIG about 90% of the time, when I can't conceal that a 9mm.

Chuck

Does this mean that .357 SIG firearms are more concealable than 9mm firearms?

 

[hdwhit]

.25 ACP

 

[veprjack]

9mm

It it's HOT or I need to make the gun disappear, my .380 LCP2 BUG gets promoted to primary.

 

[DM~]

Sadly, there's no .357 mag. on that poll, so I couldn't vote!

DM

 

[Zerodefect]

Sheesh. Due to Ohio constantly changing climate, and the fact that I have a different pistol for every climate and scenario now. It's all starting to balance out.

Normal day: Glock23, .40 or .357
Normal night: different Glock23, .40

Hot sweaty weather, or I choose NOT to carry: Kahr P380 .38, or Jframe .38 (both are small and useless, but conceal great)

Nights away from crowds Glock 41 or 1911, .45
Winter: .40 or .45

I avoid my 9mm's. 2 extra rounds isn't better than more power IMO.

Also worth noting: My .40 only shoots one mag of defensive ammo a month (or less). My .45 shoots defensive ammo every single time I use it. I'm comfortable with ball ammo in the .45, and HST in .45 has similar recoil to ball. I've noticed significant performance differences between ball and HST in .40 and 9mm. If 9mm JHP is much hotter than WWB, then you better train more with that JHP.

If I didn't have uber reliable Glocks, I'd only carry .45 and .45gap. Because It's unlikely that I'd shoot enough 9mm or .40 JHP to ensure reliability. 1000 rounds of ball, and 25 rounds of JHP, does NOT prove that a pistol is reliable with JHP.

 

[Chuck R.]

I carry my .380ACP LCP. I'm going to start carrying my Shield 9 in the cooler months.



Does this mean that .357 SIG firearms are more concealable than 9mm firearms?

No, it means in my case I have a small single stack 9mm that's easier to conceal than my double stack 357 SIG.

Chuck

 

[johnnylaw53]

I have to go with 9mm since it was the only choice that i do carry, but i carry it very seldom the caliber i carry most is .32

 

[Redfisher60]

Currently a 642 38 for carry. HD is 45 acp Tracker Titanium.

Looking at switching to HD 9mm PPQ with laser and looking at a PPS 9 for carry.