Your minimum SD handgun - Where do you draw the line ?

[Fun2Shoot]

My first personal self defense handgun was a .32acp Walther that my father gave me when I moved out of state as a young man. Better than a tire iron, I thought at the time and it was free.

My first new SD firearm that I laid down my money for a few years later was a High Standard 22mag 2-shot derringer that I wore on my leg or in a wallet-type holster.

Both of these guns are below my minimum standards of today. They are either too under-powered, are too few rounds available or just plain unreliable.

After three decades of handgun knowledge gained from both my personal experience and the knowledge and experiences of respected others, the absolute MINUMUM handgun that I will stake a life on would be a:

Bersa Thunder .380 or a snubby .38 +P revolver. No less is enough for me.

The .380 in a reliable small frame like the Bersa with it's 7-shot magazine and the S&W snubby .38 +P with 5 shots are the point at which, due to power and round count, I will NOT cross below.

What's YOUR true, real life and death, minimum self-defense handgun and why?

 

[Waywatcher]

A 17HMR snubby in my hand beats my 12 gauge at home.

But I dont own a gun less than 9mm.

 

[rustymaggot]

well, considering the only handgun i own you guys would consider worth using for hd i absolutely refuse to give up for even a second, so its locked safely away. it was my fathers gun and he passed away when i was a kid. i will never use it for anything that would risk its confiscation. even for a second.

so for me its my ruger mark I. if you count pistol caliber carbines, then my m1 carbine is the go to choice.

EDIT: oh yeah, and why.....

aguilla sss .22lr ammo gets average of 9 inches into gelatin from a pistol. and thats after the bullets tumble and turn sideways and all that. pretty decent wound for a 22.

 

[Tomac]

I currently have an Inox Tomcat in .32acp that I consider my personal lower limit although I generally prefer a more powerful cartridge (the .32 was used by the German police for many years w/no complaint). The Tomcat has the advantage of *always* being w/me when carrying something bigger/heavier is inconvenient or impractical.
Tomac

 

[tegemu]

I am a 1911 .45 ACP man but I feel comfortable with 9MM or .38.

 

[McCall911]

So far, it's been a minimum of .380 for me also. I suppose it's because I felt more comfortable with the slight edge in caliber and bullet weight over the .32 ACP. Still, the .32 has held a certain amount of fascination for me and I wouldn't rule out buying a moderate-to-low-priced, but decent handgun in this caliber.
So hurry up, W-2's! I think I've got plans for my income tax refund!

 

[Baba Louie]

Whereas I prefer something a little bigger, a .22 in the hand, knowing that I can place 6 - 10 shots accurately is somewhat comforting. Hopefully, said recipient of the small (but accurate) barrage will not be under the influence of pain/stimulus numbing narcotic, cause it'll take awhile for his blood pressure to drop. I've shot deer through the lung/heart w/ a .30-30 and had to track a blood trail approx 100 yds before, which leads me to think that anything short of a 12 ga at point blank range into the central nerve system allows plenty of opportunity for return fire from a determined adversary no matter what he is shot with.

Then again, there might be more than one aggressor on the scene. So the more rounds of a larger caliber available, the better I think I'd feel.

Actual day to day carry is 5 rds of .357 or .38+P in a model 60 or 7 rds of .45 in a 1911 SA Champion. I'm quite certain that if I knew I was going to need to use either, I'd want two of each in a larger caliber and a friend or two with same backing me up.

Several years back here in LV, an off duty LEO was attacked in a convenience store parking lot by a group of angry young men due to his breaking up a beer run they had planned on pulling off. During the melee in the parking lot, wherein he was physically attacked by several disappointed and angry teens, said Officer finally managed to pull out his BUG (a .22 revolver) whereupon he shot one of the yout's. It took 5 - 6 hrs for the now not so angry young thug to expire, but... his shooting did stop the attack (they all fled the scene).

In another instance here in LV, several LEO's were off duty at a local tavern, enjoying refreshing adult beverages listening to a local band (comprised of other off duty LEO's of a musical bent) when a young ner-do-well or two burst in with guns in hand intent on robbing the place. One very brave off duty LEO, who was willing to be a good witness until he realized that the yout was about to shoot someone, pulled out his BUG (a .25acp I recall reading) and went toe to toe (actual touching distance) with the misguided yout who had a .40 caliber something-or-other. While the LEO was shot several times he did live, whereas the robber expired (but I do believe he did so in the parking lot IIRC).

So where I think bigger is better, training and mindset is apparently at the top of the list.

 

[Autolycus]

For me nothing below .38 caliber in a handgun.

I personally prefer the .40 S&W but your views may vary.

 

[armoredman]

9mm, power floor for CCW, just my opinion.

 

[Ala Dan]

Last Resort Weapon

Rarely seen anymore, a Iver Johnson TP-22 in .22LR. I no longer have it,
as it was taken by the perp that car jacked my wife back in OCT. of '94.
Never ever malfunctioned, and cost a measley $124. Wish I had it back.

 

[Snarlingiron]

15 or more rounds of 9mm (minimum). I carry a Glock 19.

 

[dhoomonyou]

9mm or 38 spl.

 

[Phillip Allen]

anything...it gives an edge but doesn't cure the problem...that is MY responsibility...not Smith and Wesson's

 

[jad0110]

I'm definitely not one of those guys that feels uncomfortable with anythng less than a 50AE.

Honestly, I'd take ANY gun, period. 45 or 17, doesn't matter, it beats throwing rocks and sticks!

That being said, I feel comfortable with any medium or large bore cartridge with good quality ammo. Affordability and availability do figure in, so 32 H&R Mag isn't an option for me, as good of a round as it may be.

My favorite SD round is the humble 38 Special in +P guise. Loaded with the FBI Load (158 grain Lead Semiwadcutter Hollopoint), it will get the job done as good as any other handgun round - with proper shot placement of course, like anything else.

 

[TOADMAN]

38spl+P from a 2 inch barrel..

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

9mm in a pistol and .38 Spl in a revolver is my personal minimum standard. These will increase the likelihood of stopping an attack over lesser cartridges. I would consider a little .32 or .380 as a backup or "last resort" gun, however. With small but still eminently shootable guns like the Kahr PM9 there is little reason to carry an even smaller gun.

 

[Old Fuff]

When I knew Bill Jordan, The Border Patrol's shooting ace, he sometimes carried a lightweight S&W snubby chambered in .22 WRM. as a back-up. But he could shoot fast and hit exactly where he intended to.

I don't trust the rimfires because of potential ignition problems, but I have carried a Colt 1908 Vest Pocket pistol, as well as a Baby Browning on occasion. I am very confortable with a .32 or .38 snubby, with or without Plus-P ammunition. Regardless of the ammunition/caliber used, stopping an attack depends on bullet placement, not necessarily size.

Note the recent case in New York City, where several police officers using 9mm Glock pistols with high performance(?) ammunition shot a suspect 13 times...

And he survived.

 

[AirForceShooter]

.380 is the smallest round I'd consider for CCW. After that rocks work

AFS

 

[mountainclmbr]

I usually carry either a Para Ord 12.45 for 13 rounds of .45 total or a Kahr MK40 for pocket carry if I can't conceal the .45. I would feel comfortable down to .38 or 9mm, but prefer larger cal. The Glock 19 would not be a bad choice either due to capacity of the normal magazines.

 

[KINGMAX]

.25 auto

I have a small .25 auto Davis Derringer that I use as a' Rest - Stop special'. I slip it into my watch packet, pull a T-shirt over it when I go into a Rest-Room or reststop area. I have even put it into a plastic soap dish when using showers at campgrounds and parks.

I do have a 22 magnum six shooter that is pretty mean w/ one of the Hornaday 49 gr. bullets. OUCH It is moving fast, it will SPLAT ****** six times.

As the norm, I carry a GLOCK 21 in .45 acp. for SD.

 

[jem375]

That's easy..........9x19mm

 

[bpisler]

38spl +P's in a small revolver or 9mmP +P's
in a small semi-auto.

 

[SnWnMe]

Anything that spits out a bullet is better than a melee weapon.

 

[420Stainless]

I carry a .380 with me most of the time. I've often considered the purchase of a small NAA in .22 WMR, but have thus far been satisfied to own only one pocket handgun. At home its a dog, shotgun, and .45, but I really don't expect to meet many folks in the street that are so determined to get what I have that multiple hits will be required to deter them. I suppose there is always the possibility of running into a suicidal nut, but I don't really factor them into my selection process.

 

[chipp]

22lr