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

Q

Purely based on preference, Id go with the .45 ACP round (whether its 185g., 230g. or of the +P variant can vary depending on the gun). While the full-house .357 Magnum loads are certainly effective, they are just too hard to control (to me at least) when dealing with follow-up shots vs. the .45 ACP.

But, then again, I wouldnt necessarily feel bad having a 9mm, .40 S&W or a .357 Sig capable weapon around either.
 
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.
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Mello2u

I have been known to use the same option. In the last eight years I have carried my G29 more than any other 10mm, but still adhere to your list for second and third.

(I am assuming Wilson Combat mags on the DE? Factory are eight, at least on my original DE mags.)
 
Since when do I, or anyone else need to justify carrying a 20 or 30 round mag, or a gun that holds 20 rounds. Gun owners thinking that need to step back, people one Bill Ruger and the Brady Bunch think that way.

Sig 228 2 15 round mags back up
92 fs 2 18 round as back up

Or my TRP with 4 mags back up

Justification my arse.
 
glock06 wrote:

My answers are in blue


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

How important is caliber vs round count vs accuracy vs penetration??
On 10 point basis, where 10 is tops
caliber 5, round count 6, accuracy 10, penetration 10


What round is best in your daily carry gun?
147 grain +P+ Jacketed Hollow Point


Bigger powerful calibers may possibly stop faster
maybe, maybe not


Smaller less powerful rounds make multiple hits easier
maybe, maybe not


Bigger calibers hit harder, but Multiple hits may stop faster
maybe, maybe not

Accuracy-Critical center of mass hits stop threats faster
maybe, maybe not


Penetration reaches the vital organs and terminates the threat
maybe, maybe not


What combination of caliber, round count, accuracy and penetration is satisfactory for your carry gun??
9mm 10 rounds 90% of shots in 3" circle at 10 yards 12"


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 shoot 9mm, .357 magnum, or .44 magnum simply because I go different places, for different reasons.
 
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I would personally say that it's a toss up between the .357 magnum and 10mm auto.

Both rounds can be used "for defense" against humans and dangerous animals with loads that are readily available. Both have good accuracy and penetration with proper loads and these loads are readily available. Both can be carried in reasonably concealable guns with the .357 having a slight edge in that department (people who carry Glock 29s could argue differently to a degree). The 10mm has the clear edge in capacity/firepower. The .357, being a revolver round, is more tolerable to different bullet designs/construction and the guns that chamber .357s allow the option of using lower recoil, lower noise 38s.
 
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This is a good one

I perfer a revolver. I have semi autos as well but perfer my revolver. I carry either a taurus 3 inch model 85, 38 special or a 2 inch taurus 44 Special. If I am headed up into the Mtns. I usually carry my 6 inch Anaconda in 44 MAG.

For the 38 special I perfer Federal Personal Defense rounds though I do have a few 125 grain Federal Ny Clads that expand REALLY NICE and usually carry two of those with the Federal Persoal Defense or Winchester SXT following.

For the 44 Special I carry 200 Grain Speer Gold Dots. These are Blazer rounds but expand really well.

For the 44 Mag when I go into the Mtns. I perfer 300 grain solids or soft points this is mainly for the critters with teeth that would want to put me on the menu.

As far as limiting myself to just 5 rounds most gun fights don't last more than what is in the gun. If you practice you should not need to carry the ammo store with you. I do carry 6 rounds in my right front pocket.

Most shootings when I was in LE were at 7 yards or under and the vast majority of Fatal shootings are under 10 FEET. All the people I have meet except for one that were involved in LE fatal shootings were under 10 feet the one exception was the length of a car!

As far as penetration goes for personal defense I perfer a light weight bullet that goes in but DOES NOT come out. I don't need a blood trail and you are legally liable for all damage done till that bullet stops! I want the 300 grain for the mtns cause I want to be able to break bones and do as much damage on big critters as possible.

Have a great day.
 
will we ever learn that there IS NO BEST CALIBER? All answers are subjective, and even years of scientific evidence has not produced a clear answer. All calibers have their pros and cons.

Personally, I think the best caliber is the most powerful round that is readily available, can be controlled by the operator proficiently, and is offered in a reasonable firearm that combines size/reliability/weight/recoil charecteristics within the shooters desired range.

For me that caliber is 9mm. I love .45acp. If I had no financial worries, I would have mostly .45acp pistols for HD and a couple of bug out 9mm pistols for CCW when I'm getting lazy. Unfortunately, .45 is more expensive than 9mm and I can't afford to have as many guns as I want. So... I have a Compact BDE polymer and a kel tec PF9. They both fire the same round for logistics, and that round is readily available even during ammo bubbles. The round is powerful enough to do it's job adequately, and recoil is more than manageable in the BDE and reasonable in the PF9.

I can conceal the PF9 wearing nothing but shorts and flip flops. The BDE is easy to conceal in shorts and a long t shirt. I have a two pistols, chambered for the same round, that will fit almost any situation. I am proficient with them, and 9mm is plenty powerful enough. I would feel safe with a .32, but 9mm is what I choose because it's more powerful and less expensive. I don't play into round count too deep, I think most modern autoloading pistols have plenty of ammo (I would trust a revolver too). If you carry an extra mag you will have enough even for multiple attackers.



That's my reasoning for carrying 9mm. It suits MY needs. .32acp would suit my needs as well, but it's more expensive and not as powerful. Since the kel tec is effectively a pocket gun for me, I don't have to worry about feeling too lazy to carry. To each their own, there is no best round.
 
Consider probability; 99.99% of us will never draw our concealed weapon. If you must, then probability is that you are within 10' of your target, giving you one shot, or two if you have any tactical training, at center mass. Forget the double tap and one to the head; you will have wet your pants before that happens.
If the single shot hits target and the threat does not go down, you should not have drawn your weapon, you only ****** him off and you are now dead.
That 20 shot clip is useless, after the first one or two, you are dead.
What you shoot, in general, is not personal preference. Mil experience and LE testing have proven that some just don't cut it. Do most LE carry .357 and larger because of personal preference? They carry these because of probability.
 
In revolvers, I prefer the 357 magnum which can also shoot 38 special. I find this gun and caliber good enough for 90% of all uses. For semi-autos; which have their own advantages of revolvers; I have absolutely no use for the middle calibers. e.g. 9mm, 40sw, 10mm, 327, etc... A semi-auto is for one purpose only. And because I believe shot placement is more important than caliber when debating; I prefer to go with the high end (45acp) when I can carry it. (80% of the time). When situations are such that my sig P220 45acp isn't practical, I carry one of my 32 autos. I don't believe that the 9mm, 40, 10mm, etc.. is any more effective. Not for what I'm capable of doing with it. And as such, the 32acp is easier to carry and easier to shoot. So, I use 45acp when carrying it is feasible; and 32acp when it is more feasible.

I will say that if a person doesn't have the luxury of having more than 1 gun; just like you should have more than one carry holster; then a middle caliber like the 40/10mm or 9mm could be an option. But if you can get a 45acp, that would be my preference. However, I'm not a big fan of extremely small guns shooting 45acp. I just prefer 2 guns for carry. Full size 45acp when I can, and 32acp PPK style when the full size 45acp isn't practical.
 
If you must, then probability is that you are within 10' of your target, giving you one shot, or two if you have any tactical training, at center mass. Forget the double tap and one to the head; you will have wet your pants before that happens.
If the single shot hits target and the threat does not go down, you should not have drawn your weapon, you only ****** him off and you are now dead.
That 20 shot clip is useless, after the first one or two, you are dead.
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That's flawed logic on so many levels. Who is to say that just because BG get's ahold of me that he's going to be as effective without 2 rounds of 9mm (or even .32) rattling around in him as he would be without it. Who is to say that the average CC owner also trains to use his off hand to deflect attacks. Who is to say that the average CC doesn't just stand and let the threat close, but draws and fires while retreat. Where are you getting your statistics from, personal opinion?
 
put two experienced shooters 10' apart. In a 4 second span, there is no retreat, there is no one armed defense. If your first shot does not remove the threat, there is a 40% chance that you wil receive the next hit.
If you are not an experienced, under stress, shooter, the probability swings to the intruder.
 
put two experienced shooters 10' apart. In a 4 second span, there is no retreat, there is no one armed defense. If your first shot does not remove the threat, there is a 40% chance that you wil receive the next hit.
If you are not an experienced, under stress, shooter, the probability swings to the intruder.
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Great, you have a mantra for one of the 5000 different variables of deadly threats out there. Most SD scenarios won't go down OK corral style. You will likely be ambushed, your attacker will be just as scared as you are as soon as the first shot is fired, even experienced shooters will likely not achieve a 50% hit rate @ 10' in a SD scenario, trigger pull will occur until someone drops, your attacker may not be armed with a firearm but a knife, you pinned an in a shootout @ 50' with the opportunity to utilize cover, etc. etc.

Not to mention the fact that I'm not going to just sit still, draw, and fire. You may have to, you may get in a SD situation in a phone booth, but movement is your friend. You may get tired of carrying that 4 lb 6" barrel six shooter and decide not to carry it. You may not have the money to afford ammo for it.




I agree with one thing. If you're going to carry that .357 or .44 every single time, even though you're tired and you don't feel like strapping it on, then that is the better choice. Well, assuming that you've practiced the manual of arms enough to be proficient. No arguments from me. .22 in the hand is worth better than a howitzer in the safe. If you're gonna carry that howitzer and be proficient at it... then go for it.


Now, am I trying to argue against carrying a hog leg and against big calibers? No, not at all. Note I said that "I think the best caliber is the most powerful round that is readily available, can be controlled by the operator proficiently, and is offered in a reasonable firearm that combines size/reliability/weight/recoil charecteristics within the shooters desired range.". What I'm trying to say, however, is that you're much better off to be proficient with many rounds of .32 or 9mm than you would be to practice once a year with .44 magnum and be limited to 6 rounds. Every man has a reason for carrying what they carry.
 
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Now, am I trying to argue against carrying a hog leg and against big calibers? No, not at all. Note I said that "I think the best caliber is the most powerful round that is readily available, can be controlled by the operator proficiently, and is offered in a reasonable firearm that combines size/reliability/weight/recoil charecteristics within the shooters desired range.". What I'm trying to say, however, is that you're much better off to be proficient with many rounds of .32 or 9mm than you would be to practice once a year with .44 magnum and be limited to 6 rounds. Every man has a reason for carrying what they carry.
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"Reasonable firearm" is the real point of debate here, and in my opinion, everyone is right. You choose whatever caliber fits your firearm, and I wager most CCW carriers will carry a pistol with the most firepower they can tolerate. By that, I mean the largest handgun they can tolerate, and that seems to be the most personalized choice of CCW carriers. Some of us like/don't mind carrying around the biggest handgun we can conceal. Others really get annoyed by the extra weight, so have dramatically different choices in their CCW and caliber. Hence why CCW choices range from a Ruger LCP to Full-sized 1911 with extra mags.
 
glock06

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

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
Click to expand...

In my previous post I did not address these parts of glock06's post.

In choosing the most powerful cartridges that I can competently handle, I have had to train extensively to achieve the skill necessary to be able to hit my targets within an appropriate time for the distance with acceptable accuracy. I have been to API (Gunsite) many times over the last 25 years. I have participated in IPSC matches for years. I practice both live fire and "dry" presentations. I am always in condition "yellow" when out in public.
 
I am no expert on ammo effectiveness but I do recall some retrospective handgun studies have shown that multiple hits from ALL calibers of handgun ammo was usually required to stop a dedicated attacker.

I think we need to think in multiples of shots for any preferred handgun round. Others can suggest tactics far better than I but certainly as suggested above--if attacked move violently and start shooting as you practiced. MULTIPLE HITS after 2 to the chest to the CNS are the goal.
Can it be done? Depends on the man shooting the gun.

Ammo type?? Our troops are not impressed with the stopping power of 9mm ball, but hopefully I won't be shooting ball ammo from a full size gun.I would hope to have a more effective bullet than FMJ in a full size gun.
 
IMHO the best all around self defense round is the 357 magnum. I carry two different bullets depending on time of year. 158gr LCSWC in winter and 140gr JHC in summer.
 
I carry regularly the calibers shown below. The caliber depends on weather, dress, temperature, activity, etc. The lauch pad influences what gets launched. :)

.38, 9mm, .357sig, .45acp.

I'd like to add a .40 to the mix; have not figured out which one, yet. Probably an M&P, but one never knows...

My priority is having a firearm that I will carry (enjoy carrying): I must have it with me in order to use it; I must also be proficient with it. Regardless of the caliber if I cannot deliver accurate hits, it's all for naught. :eek:

Enjoy,
 
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I choose to carry a Smith 642 in .38+p. From my experience it hits the sweet spot between power and packability. Other guns have seemed too bulky/too heavy, and going any lighter in this caliber would feel masochistic. The gun fits comfortably in my pocket. I can use .38 mouse loads for practice and stout +p loads for carry.

5 rounds in the gun and one or two speedloaders on the belt feels like plenty to me. The likelyhood of ever getting attacked by more than one offender is pretty much nill in my city.

I also like it because the ammo can be used in my hiking gun, which is in .357. Either caliber (.38, .357) is pretty well established and easy to come by, too.
 
180 gr JHP (right now Black Talon) in my .40., 230 +p Gold Dots in my 1911,.
Im going to shoot this up and go with the EFMJ for both pistols in the near future. :eek:
 
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