Best Concealed handgun round --caliber, firepower, how much accuracy, penetration??

G

glock06

New member
Assume your daily carry handgun meets your criteria for reliability--
A concealed carry guns is a compromise of sorts--It is just the launch pad for your chosen bullet.

With your present favorite daily carry gun size, shape, and weight-

How important is caliber vs round count vs accuracy vs penetration??

What round is best in your daily carry gun?

Bigger powerful calibers may possibly stop faster
Smaller less powerful rounds make multiple hits easier

Bigger calibers hit harder, but Multiple hits may stop faster

Accuracy-Critical center of mass hits stop threats faster

Penetration reaches the vital organs and terminates the threat

What combination of caliber, round count, accuracy and penetration is satisfactory for your carry gun??

Yes, I know there is no one right answer!!

I like 40's and the 357 Sig Winchester Ranger T rounds alot. If I must carry a mousegun I choose the Ruger LCP. I like FMJ for best accuracy and penetration.

What round do you shoot? Why?
 
I carry weapons chambered in .357 MAG, .40 S&W, and 9mm.

The .357 is my "outdoors" gun. Here in GA, there isn't much in the woods I'm too worried about, other than meth heads with guns, so I figure a .357 round will either take down/wound anything I come across. I'm not too worried about black bears. I usually keep 158 grain JHP's in it when I'm out, but carry 130 grain hydra shok's in it around town.

.40 S&W is the round I carry most, as I find it to be a good size/capacity ratio. I can carry 13 rounds in my SIG 229, but hope it wouldn't take me that many to stop a threat. I usually keep 180 grain Gold Dots loaded up.

9mm +P Gold Dots are the bullet of choice in my H&K P7.
 
Just my personal opinion,accuracy is more the person in most cases rather then the weapon,as far as how many rds the weapon carries,I only see justification for that if your military or LE,Lets face it were civilians and if we have the real need for a pistol to carry 20-30 rds in a clip,something is very very bad were we live,YOU BETTER MOVE!Which as far as I'm concerned leaves the 2 most important to me penetration and caliber. I personally have always been a .45 freak probably due to my stint in the service, I believe it's the best defensive rd,but I have aquired a Sig 9mm thats very sweet shooting and with the modern ammo quite suffcient to do the job,but my last 2 cents falls back to the begining again it's the person practice,practice,practice a .22 is lethal as long as your proficient with it!So I would end in saying the most important thing you want in a pistol is RELIABLITY!
 
I have zero experience with CC, living in a state which doesn't really permit it. But it strikes me that picking a pistol that's actually not a PITA to CC all the time is probably something to focus on, even more than the exact caliber.
 
My main carry is .40 S&W Corbon DPX - 11 rounds. For me, it's the perfect compromise in power, size, accuracy, round count, and reliable expansion.

My alternate carries are (in order):
9mm Corbon DPX - 11 rounds
.380 ACP Corbon DPX - 8 rounds
.38 spcl. Speer Gold Dot Short Barrel - 5 rounds.
.38 spcl. Hornady Critical Defense - 5 rounds.

Everyone has a favorite gun and favorite caliber that THEY SHOOT BEST WITH - THAT'S what they should carry.

The "best" gun is the one YOU like, not anyone else. It will be a compromise of:

1. Fit - It should fit in your hand like you were born with it there.
2. Reliability - It should go BANG about 99.8% of the time you pull the trigger.
3. Accuracy - In YOUR hand. It's how well YOU shoot it.
4. Concealability - It should be comfortable enough to wear and easy enough to conceal so you won't leave it laying on the dresser at home.
5. Cost - You don't want to scrimp on your "life protector" weapon, but you probably don't need a $1,000 Kimber, either.
 
example

Assailant may be a large man on drugs armed with a knife, close range.
I want to at least have a .357 Sig, 40, or 45. loaded with a good hollow point.
Glock, Kahr, Springfield XD, all are quick to use under stress.

Examples of guns: Glock 33, or 27, Kahr PM40 or PM45. These are small / easily concealed and have good power. For more capacity and difficulty of carry the Glock 23, 32, 38 or Springfield 45XD compact.

Sometimes because of circumstances I can only carry a .380 it's not ideal, but it's there.
 
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I prefer the 9mm. Modern hollow points are very well made and if I do my job it will do its job. Lets not make this thread another caliber war, lets face it, all handgun calibers are not ideal in a gun fight anyways, but we cant all walk around with assault rifles. Yes a .45 is bigger and badder than a 9mm but that also means your carrying less rounds and generally a bigger hunk of metal in your pants. I carry a Kahr PM-9 which is as small as a lot of popular .380's out there. The recoil is very controlable, again this is why I choose the 9mm, I can shoot it better, and with faster follow up shots, than my personal skill with say a .45. I have been looking into getting a 10mm glock 26 to carry.
 
While I have no perfect reference to prove my thinking, . . . I doubt seriously if there is any "round" that has a track record of putting down the enemy any better than the .45 ACP.

I know, . . . I know, . . . 9mm will come up, . . . and so will .357 Mag: but our armed forces in the sand boxes have consistently complained that the 9mm is just not enough of a round to be called an "effective" fight stopper; and the old .357 goes "click" on round # 7 most of the time.

That takes us back to just looking at all the possibilities, . . . picking what has the "best" track record, . . . trying it, . . . and if you like it, . . . keeping it.

Mine is a full size, all steel, RIA, . . . 8+1 with another 8 or 16 or 24 backup (all depends on whether I go to the hamlet, 8; village, 16; or city, 24 :D ).

May God bless,
Dwight
 
.45 in single stack configuration does just fine for me.

Though... sometimes I will carry pentagonal .357 pills when it simply isn't possible to have the .45 on hand.

I feel much better protected by the .45 though.
 
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Sig226 in .357Sig with Gold Dots and a S&W 340PD .357 with 38+P Gold Dot Short Barrel

Have also carried :
GI 1911 with Win 230 Ranger SXT
Sig 220 with Win 230 Ranger SXT
Sig 226 with 180 Ranger SXT
Various 38/357 wheelguns with 38Spl +P+Federal 110gr JHP and .357 145gr Silvertips
you can see the results of the 110 +P+ on my web page under Negrete
 
How important is caliber vs round count vs accuracy vs penetration??
Click to expand...
Not very important. Different calibers, rounds counts, etc. just mean a different set of tactics. And as long as the accuracy and penetration are adequate, it doesn't matter beyond that level. If I'm armed with a 6 shot .22, a 5 shot .38, a 17 shot 9mm, or a 7 shot .45, it's all the same. I'm still armed and just need to use my tools in a different manner.
 
Compromise is right. Mine is a "fluffed and buffed" Kel-tec P11 with 12 round magazines carrying 147 gr. Federal HS's. Anything smaller would be a deep-concealed .22 WRM NAA mini revolver around my sock.:cool:


-7-
 
This is what I did

I ran 50 yards and back 4 times, did 25 jumping jacks, and chugged 12 oz of water. I picked up a 40 cal loaded a mag and emptied it fast. Of the 10 rounds 5 were killers (center mass-ish) and 4 were hits with 1 miss.
I repeated the drill 30 mins later with a 9mm. Of the 10, 8 were killers and 2 were cripplers.
I was not moving, I took weaver stance and held my breath. You can always by high dollar self defense rounds for a 9mm that will equal the results of 40 cal defense rounds. 9mm ammo is cheaper and you will shoot more of it. You will carry more in the clip and hopefully eliminate the need for a second clip.
 
I go with a single stack 45 of 8+1 with 230 grain golden sabers. Its fine for me, I keep an extra mag in the pocket. Honestly if 9 shots of 45 don't stop a guy God is sending you a message, "Come see me"
Caliber is the most argued subject in the history of carrying a weapon. The right answer is, personal preference. I can handle a 9mm just fine, even one handed. But I can also handle a 45 just fine, even one handed.
I compared single stack/double stack. How it felt, how it conceals. Double stack mags are usually thick which makes the grip thick, which to me makes it awkward to hold if you don't have the right hands. Round count ties into that.
Heavier bullets penetrate less then lighter ones. I don't see a reason why you wouldn't want the heaviest bullet for your caliber. It is more mass, and more force, which is velocity X mass(not weight!!!)
Again that is preference. You want a smaller hole that goes through 15 inches? Or a slightly bigger one that goes in 10?(these aren't real numbers, just examples)
 
My three carry weapons are 38+P, 9mm, and .380acp. I have the most confidence in the 38, but I feel the other two would surely take care of business if called upon.

Would I rather have a 45 in an armed confrontation? Of course. But I won't go through the aggravation of having to carry and conceal one.
 
10mm auto 200 grain hollow point at 1250 fps in a Colt Delta Elite holds 10 rounds.
Second choice, .45 ACP 230 grain hollow point at 1000fps in a Colt 1911 holds 9 rounds.
Ammo from DoubleTap.

I like the greater penetration of heavy bullets.

P1010978.jpg

I carry an extra magazine and flashlight too.
 
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