.45 ACP vs 9mm vs .38 Special

JK Knives

JK Knives

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What's your preference? I'll start off by saying that even though I love the .45 ACP, (my first center fire handgun was a .45 ACP Colt Combat Commander back in 1978), and probably shoot my full size 1911 better than my other firearms, I just can't see carrying over 2 1/2 lbs of steel every day. (I know, buy a lightweight compact, buts it's not in my budget). As for 9mm, I do enjoy shooting my custom Glock 17, and even though it's not small, it's still reasonably light. My little Sig P290 has really surprised me with it's accuracy. Then there is the .38 Special. I have always been a huge revolver fan, and still believe there is a place for a small or medium frame .38 Special.
Let's hear your thoughts.
 
The only handgun I own is chambered in 9mm, so my opinion will be biased.
I enjoy 9mm because the ammo is reasonable. I can get 2 rounds (sometimes 3) of 9mm per 1 round of .45
That argument alone is a no brainer for someone who likes to shoot.
 
My everyday carry gun is a Colt detective special loaded with 110 gr. + P.
I love the .38 special as it can be hand loaded in everything from light mouse loads to darn near .357 mag loads for shooting in my .357's
 
The only two things that matter for self defense is that you go with something that will likely be on hand when you need it and that you are able to hit your target with it. The caliber and number of rounds are secondary. If you need 15-17 rounds to persuade your target to stop attacking you then you will likely never make that far anyway, so it is not going to matter.

n2s
 
MTURBO said:
My everyday carry gun is a Colt detective special loaded with 110 gr. + P.
I love the .38 special as it can be hand loaded in everything from light mouse loads to darn near .357 mag loads for shooting in my .357's
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I had a Detective Special in the early 1980's, and still kick myself for getting rid of it!
 
not2sharp said:
The only two things that matter for self defense is that you go with something that will likely be on hand when you need it and that you are able to hit your target with it. The caliber and number of rounds are secondary. If you need 15-17 rounds to persuade your target to stop attacking you then you will likely never make that far anyway, so it is not going to matter.

n2s
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I got the little Sig 9mm and Taurus .38 for smaller guns to carry. The Sig holds 6+1 and the Taurus holds 5, so those are the two I've been practicing with.
 
not2sharp said:
The only two things that matter for self defense is that you go with something that will likely be on hand when you need it and that you are able to hit your target with it. The caliber and number of rounds are secondary. If you need 15-17 rounds to persuade your target to stop attacking you then you will likely never make that far anyway, so it is not going to matter.

n2s
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I agree, to an extent.

I would not recommend an inexperienced shooter to carry a .45 with 8 rounds. I would also not recommend an inexperience shooter, who is smaller than average, carry a .22lr revolver. It has it's pros and cons, but it all comes down to "What is the largest caliber that you can effectively control and quickly place as many rounds on the target as possible?" In my case, it's a full size 9mm. I can effectively control the gun and put rounds on target, faster than I can with a .40 or .45 caliber firearm. It just so happens that the added benefit of a full sized firearm, is added rounds.

I carry a Glock 17 with 41 rounds of 9mm. I don't intent to use 41 rounds to stop the threat, I intend to use as many as necessary to stop the threat.
 
not2sharp said:
The only two things that matter for self defense is that you go with something that will likely be on hand when you need it and that you are able to hit your target with it. The caliber and number of rounds are secondary. If you need 15-17 rounds to persuade your target to stop attacking you then you will likely never make that far anyway, so it is not going to matter.

n2s
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Good point. I trust that my Hornady 124g hollow points will do the job with one or two shots. Even if I am holding 15. :p
 
You might not be aware that Glock makes pistols in .45 ACP as well...... they even have one that holds 10 + 1 that weighs 2 ounces less than your G17 when both are loaded. (G30S) I only point this out after reading that you liked the .45 ACP, but switched because you didn't want to carry a 2 1/2 lb. firearm. I made the switch to Glock this year. It's "good enough". The trigger is horrible. I even dumped money into Zev this, Ghost that, it's still less than "run of the mill" 1911 trigger.
 
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I prefer 9mm because of the cost. That and the fact that it is all I have right now, besides one .380.
 
slowrie said:
You might not be aware that Glock makes pistols in .45 ACP as well...... they even have one that holds 10 + 1 that weighs 2 ounces less than your G17 when both are loaded. (G30S) I only point this out after reading that you liked the .45 ACP, but switched because you didn't want to carry a 2 1/2 lb. firearm. I made the switch to Glock this year. It's "good enough". The trigger is horrible. I even dumped money into Zev this, Ghost that, it's still less than "run of the mill" 1911 trigger.
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I am aware of the Glock .45, but a new gun is not in my budget at this time.
 
I think a revolver is a no brainier unless you train extensively with a semi automatic. Clearing failures to feed, operating safetys can be major obstacles if you are not highly trained. As for caliber, I like the .357 Magnum. My carry gun of choice is a 5 shot Ruger SP101 2" barrel with the bobbed hammer in .357 Mag. I shoot it quite a bit and am not recoil sensitive. As i'm sure you all know you can also use all the .38 ammo .38 +P etc. in this gun.
 
Yeah, I would like a .357mag handgun one day. That way my wife could shoot .38 in it also.
Plus, I could also get the .357mag Henry lever gun since I would already have the ammo...

*When is that lottery drawing again...*
 
A loaded question, if ever there were one. 

I don’t really have a caliber preference, per se, as I figure that shot placement is worth more than caliber or round count should the mess hit the fan. I carry a .357 almost every day, be it a scandi j-frame, l-frame, or n-frame. Where I live, I’m more worried about 4 legged critters and snakes, so I carry 2 rounds of snake shot and the rest are heavy loads. Seems a decent system for me based on my needs.

I alternate with other firearms from time to time depending on my needs or wants for that particular day. If I carry a .45, it’s a Springfield XD-S in my pocket or a S&W 325 Thunder Ranch on my hip. The 1911s usually stay in the safe. Just a preference, as those things can be damned heavy – I love my Colt McCormick Factory Racer, but its not a practical carry gun for me.

When I go hiking, I carry a .44 (Ruger Alaskan) or an 8-shot .357 (S&W TRR8).

Otherwise, I’m all over the place. Own a .380, bunch of .38 spl/.357 mags, several 1911s in .45, a 5.7, a .357 sig, a bunch of 9s, and a couple of .40s.
 
DAVE_M said:
I agree, to an extent.


I carry a Glock 17 with 41 rounds of 9mm. I don't intent to use 41 rounds to stop the threat, I intend to use as many as necessary to stop the threat.
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Being in NOLA I would say that 41 rounds is suitable. Hell, you might have to shoot two alligators and a snake before lunch! Then youll still have enough left to take on the gang that corners you on Bourbon St. :p
I kid I kid. New Orleans is a great city.
 
heefageLA said:
Being in NOLA I would say that 41 rounds is suitable. Hell, you might have to shoot two alligators and a snake before lunch! Then youll still have enough left to take on the gang that corners you on Bourbon St. :p
I kid I kid. New Orleans is a great city.
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I'm actually closer to Metairie, but everything is considered New Orleans down here :D

I would carry an extra spare magazine if I lived in the actual city! I'm typically carrying an OEM Glock 17 round magazine + 1 in the chamber, with a spare OEM 17 round magazine and +6 TTI Firepower base pad :eek: The weight really doesn't bother me, it's more of a reassurance that I'm prepared when the SHTF.
 
not2sharp said:
If you need 15-17 rounds to persuade your target to stop attacking you then you will likely never make that far anyway, so it is not going to matter.

n2s
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Odds are against ever having to draw on someone, but there is no guarantee you will face only a single attacker. Personally I carry 8+1 (124gr Federal HST 9mm) & I don't leave the house without a spare mag. Saying nobody needs xyz is the way anti's try to justify infringing on our rights. That being said, I do enjoy shooting .38 but have only carried my revolver a handful of times. There is no ballistic advantage to .357 from a 2 inch barrel over .38 so I opt for 135gr +P Speer Gold Dots.
 
And that SHTF can happen very quickly down there. I was in the evacuation of Katrina and all those cars piled up on the interstate leaving was uter chaos!
The traffic was so slow that people would just get out and start walking around. Cars were overheating and running out of fuel. It got crazy real quick.

It took us 12 hours to get from N.O. back to Vidalia. And usually its only a 3 hour drive.
 
Itchinesu said:
Odds are against ever having to draw on someone, but there is no guarantee you will face only a single attacker. Personally I carry 8+1 (124gr Federal HST 9mm) & I don't leave the house without a spare mag. Saying nobody needs xyz is the way anti's try to justify infringing on our rights. That being said, I do enjoy shooting .38 but have only carried my revolver a handful of times. There is no ballistic advantage to .357 from a 2 inch barrel over .38 so I opt for 135gr +P Speer Gold Dots.
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Good points and thanks for making your first post on my forum!
 
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