CCW choices....357Mag. or 45acp?

CCW choices....357Mag. or 45acp?

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Between these two choices, which one would you choose and why? This will be my personal CCW weapon.

.357Mag. revolver, 2" barrel and 6 shot cylinder.
OR
45acp compact semi-auto, 3" barrel and 6 shot magazine.

Your opinions and experiences are appreciated.
Thank you, Bowhunter57
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Just going with your two choices that you prefer is a real tough call. Personally, I prefer the .45, but you'll be safe with either choice.

Write a list of the comparisions between the two....concealability, reloadability under stress, controlability, how do YOU shoot and handle the respective choices, price, etc.

Have fun and good luck with your choice!
 
Revolver.:cool: The versatility is unmatched by any auto. Way too much can go wrong in an auto that small.

I guess I should qualify that. I carry a S&W 325NG so I put the round I want in the platform I want, a 45 wheel gun.
 
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I have had terrible experiences with 3" 1911 platforms. I steer clear of them since then. If I wanted to CC a .45acp I would go right to the Glock 30 but then again I have already been through many CCWs only to end up carrying the G26, which I love. I choose not to carry a .357mag simply because there are better choices for me. Choose what fits you best. Good luck.
 
The .357 is by far the better of the two from a short barrel. The .45 acp cartridge was designed for 4.5" or better barrel lengths, and suffers from poor flight stability when shot from such a short barrel.
 
My carry options are a Colt Officers Model 1911 .45acp, Taurus 851 .38spl and a Ruger SP101 in .357mag. It has been said before, carry what you shoot the best. I have countless rounds through all three and I am comfortable with them. Having said that I love the revolvers. Shooting at the range and remembering the mechanics of a 1911 is vastly easier then when you have to remeber those same mechanics when a bad guy jumps in front of your family in a parking lot. Simple is better for me. My two cents.
 
Colt Defender with a 7 round mag Their out their for compacts and this gives you 7+1 My Defender has been reliable as can be. Also my New Colt Agent has been to. I don't buy the unrelieable 3". Colt and Kimber seem to have it figured out.
 
Michael, what's a good price for those Colt Defenders and Agents? I have a Kimber Ultra CDP and love it but I really want a Colt for my next small 1911. Before, if you could find them, Colts were horrendously priced, which is why I don't have more than I have.
 
I prefer the .357, but the .38+P ain't too bad either. Either the SP101 or M60. I can comfortably carry my Colt Officer's, but for the sake of simplicity, the 2" snubbies usually go with me.
 
No Contest, .357. With the same round capacity, Ill take the revolver anyday. Murphy's Law is alive and well, if your revolver doesnt fire just pull the trigger again.
 
To all you 5/6 round snubbie wheel gun carriers...Have you ever thought that your SD situation might actually involve multiple BGs? Shot placment may be King but Capacity is definetly Queen and she's got more moves. I'd rather have 11 rounds of 45 ACP than 6 rounds of 357 mag and Im starting to believe I'd rather have 20 rounds of 9mm than 11 rounds of 45 ACP. Try to speed load your revolver faster than I can empty either mag.

And I always carry extra loaded mags.:D
 
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supergas452M said:
To all you 5/6 round snubbie wheel gun carriers...Have you ever thought that your SD situation might actually involve multiple BGs? Shot placment may be King but Capacity is definetly Queen and she's got more moves. I'd rather have 11 rounds of 45 ACP than 6 rounds of 357 mag and Im starting to believe I'd rather have 20 rounds of 9mm than 11 rounds of 45 ACP. Try to speed load your revolver faster than I can empty either mag.
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Anything is possible, I suppose. However, once you splatter one attacker, the others will likely start thinking twice about what they are doing.

Is it good to prepare for the worst possible situation, sure. However I am not going to lug a full sized duty pistol around all day. Concealed carry is all about compromise. A large, bulky gun will become a chore quickly, and often be left in the safe instead of being carried. Smaller guns are more likely to be comfortable and carried more often. We all know that a gun in the safe doesn't help much. Choosing to carry a gun is about finding a balance or compromise between what one is willing to tote the most often, with the amount of firepower it provides.

Those of us that wish to carry small-sized, and small-capacity, guns are choosing to do so because we are comfortable with the ammount of protection they provide for the benefit of easier carry and concealment.
 
To all you 5/6 round snubbie wheel gun carriers...Have you ever thought that your SD situation might actually involve multiple BGs? Shot placment may be King but Capacity is definetly Queen and she's got more moves.
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Can you accurately place more than 5-6 shots on multiple targets that are trying to kill you at 7 yards or less? I doubt I could. Matter of fact, if his buddies don't scram after the first attacker takes a .357 Magnum, then I'm up against much badder ment than I and my goose is probably cooked regardless of the type of gun I have. So, the extra capacity wouldn't do me all that much good anyway. Your best bet in a multiple attacker situation is for your handgun to buy you enough time to remove yourself from the situation.
 
I've given much thought to the 6-shots vs many arguments over the years.

My conclusions, after working many homicides and robberies, and reading FBI stats year after year, and based on my experiences being armed with a handgun everyday for serious, is that it is the first shot that matters most, and the "average gunfight" is still over in 3.2 shots.

NYPD SOP 9 shows a slightly higher number of shots fired in "average" gunfights, 4.8, IIRC . Either number is adequately handled by the capacity of a 5 or 6 shot revolver. Unless you are military/ESU, storming beaches or reinforced crack houses, you are probably very well armed with 5 or six shots. Of course this assumes you know how to place a fast accurate shot with your revolver under pressure. Nothing the matter with a 20 round handgun either, if that is what meets your needs.

I carry a 2.5" pre lock model 66, more often than any other handgun. It is the tool that suits my needs. Get what handgun fits your hand, and your needs, in a caliber you can get accurate hits with quickly. My 0.02 Regards 18DAI.
 
To all you 5/6 round snubbie wheel gun carriers...Have you ever thought that your SD situation might actually involve multiple BGs? Shot placment may be King but Capacity is definetly Queen and she's got more moves. I'd rather have 11 rounds of 45 ACP than 6 rounds of 357 mag and Im starting to believe I'd rather have 20 rounds of 9mm than 11 rounds of 45 ACP. Try to speed load your revolver faster than I can empty either mag.

And I always carry extra loaded mags.
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I carry a G26 when I can and an extra magazine sometimes. Im perfectly fine though with my 5 shot snubby and a speed strip. I dont envision a scenario where I would fire 11 rounds from my 26 and 10 more and still need more. I cant see needing more than that other than being in the middle of a terrorist attack.

I think its good to carry what ones comfortable with but Im not wearing cargo pants and a big shirt and vest when its 80 degrees out just to carry that much around. Like previously posted your not gonna get the drop on 3 people inside 20 feet anyway thats pretty much been proven.
 
However, once you splatter one attacker, the others will likely start thinking twice about what they are doing.
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You hope. I prefer to be a little more proactive than hope.


A large, bulky gun will become a chore quickly, and often be left in the safe instead of being carried.
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I disagree. I've carried full sized handguns, every day for the past 30 some odd years now, and never had a problem carrying the gun, a double reload, and a BUG.

BUG is what the "smaller" guns are for by the way. ;)

If you really wanted to carry a full size gun, you will find a way. Its really no harder than the smaller guns, and when you need it, your most likely REALLY going to need it, and you'll be glad you made the effort.

shots fired in "average" gunfights,
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I guess if your "average", its all been worked out for you.

For some reason when it comes to things like this, I always seem to end up on the wrong side of average. I'd much rather end up with 8 rounds left in the gun and be wrong about needing the rest, than come to realize, the bad guys werent all that impressed with my grand shooting abilities (things happen so fast and all, they probably dont even know the other(s) are down) and I'm down to one shot left in the gun, or worse, empty.

All the statistics in the world are meaningless, the count restarts each time. Who do you trust? Some accountant number wizzard for the FBI?

Me, I dont trust anybody. :)

These little threads all work out the same. As long as the narrow scenarios put forth play out as they seem to be planned, the gun of choice will always be sufficient. Unfortunately, Mr. Murphy always seems to want to ruin my plans. How about you?

Real life is, if you have 5 shots in the gun, you'll need 6, and right now too, nobody is going to wait for you to come out of your "but I'm only supposed to need 4.8 shots to solve this" haze to allow you to reload. Are you REALLY sure you can get it done with 5 or 6? Really?

This is where "toys" can really open your eyes to how well you do under stress (aint Airsoft wonderful? :) ). Its a whole different world when the target is shooting back, and he's trying to shoot you the whole time your trying to shoot him (if you want real stress, just add one more opponent). I'll bet your revolver is empty before you solve the problem, and this is a problem you already know is coming (think about that awhile). Unlike your static targets at the range, real people tend to move and do things your not used to. At least with the Airsoft gun, you dont really die the first time out. Oh, and if your standing still while you shoot, your going to die.

If your basing your shooting skills on how well you shoot nice little groups at a static target, your not being realistic in your abilities.
 
For some reason when it comes to things like this, I always seem to end up on the wrong side of average. I'd much rather end up with 8 rounds left in the gun and be wrong about needing the rest, than come to realize, the bad guys werent all that impressed with my grand shooting abilities (things happen so fast and all, they probably dont even know the other(s) are down) and I'm down to one shot left in the gun, or worse, empty.
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OK, here's a little test. Go to the range, stand seven yards from a sihouette target, and see how quickly you can draw your gun and put six rounds onto the "vital areas" of the target. According to the following link, drawing your gun and placing two rounds into COM of a target in 1 1/2 seconds is considered acceptable. It also states that the average man can cover that seven yards in about the same amount of time. Of course this is all assuming a stationary, paper target and not one that is moving and thusly more difficult to hit. Suddenly those extra rounds don't make much difference do they.

http://www.theppsc.org/Staff_Views/Tueller/How.Close.htm

Likewise, suppose your opponent(s) get to you before you have the chance to make an effective shot. If they injure/disable your shooting arm/hand, you'll be force to try to shoot either with an injured limb or your weak hand which may cause your auto to jam due to a less than ideal hold. Likewise, suppose your opponent(s) are so close that you have to fire at poin-blank range. You run the risk of your full-sized auto being pushed out of battery and not firing. Neither of these situations are as great a concern with a revolver. Both of these situations seem far more likely to me than a prolonged gunfight with multiple attackers.

Real life is, if you have 5 shots in the gun, you'll need 6, and right now too, nobody is going to wait for you to come out of your "but I'm only supposed to need 4.8 shots to solve this" haze to allow you to reload. Are you REALLY sure you can get it done with 5 or 6? Really?
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Are you really sure you can hit your target more than 5 or 6 times in the first place? Are you sure that you can draw your gun and even fire more than 5 or 6 rounds in 1.5 seconds?

This is where "toys" can really open your eyes to how well you do under stress (aint Airsoft wonderful? ). Its a whole different world when the target is shooting back, and he's trying to shoot you the whole time your trying to shoot him (if you want real stress, just add one more opponent). I'll bet your revolver is empty before you solve the problem, and this is a problem you already know is coming (think about that awhile). Unlike your static targets at the range, real people tend to move and do things your not used to. At least with the Airsoft gun, you dont really die the first time out. Oh, and if your standing still while you shoot, your going to die.
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Whether we realize it or not, most of us have a little different mentality when playing Airsoft, paintball, or lazer tag. In the back of our minds, we know it's just a game and thusly we're more willing to take risks in order to win. I'd be willing to bet that your opponents aren't so brave when real bullets rather than 6mm plastic BB's are flying at them.

If your basing your shooting skills on how well you shoot nice little groups at a static target, your not being realistic in your abilities.
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Likewise if you're basing your shooting skills on how quickly you can hit a nice static target that, in the back of your mind, you know isn't trying to kill you, you're not being realistic about your abilities.
 
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