Nightcrawler
New member
What's your favorite defensive semiauto pistol cartridge, and why? What do you think its pros and cons are? I'm going to exclude the rimfires, the .25 and .32 Autos, though.
Favorite Autopistol Cartridge
- Thread starter Nightcrawler
- Start date
IMO, if ya can't haul around a 50 nuthin beats a 10mm. Sure, you can't buy the ammo at Wal-Mart (I never do anyway)... but its hard to find anything that leaves as big a hole at as fast of a speed than the 10's. In fact, it is my belief that if most FBI agents and their counterparts were more avid shooters and more proficient with their weapons they would've stuck with the 10mm round. Who knows...I just know I can't wait to get mine.
C'mon! How many of you guys have ever shot anybody? I haven't and I hope I never do. I do know that I personally do better with a 9mm. I know, I know, that's too small. But, I'm pretty sure that a head shot with a "nine" will do the trick. I love 1911's and I'm constantly debating whether or not to carry one but, the choice for me should be obvious. I am much more accurate with my HS2000 than any of my 1911's. Go ahead and laugh but, the HS is a quality handgun.
Sambonator
New member
I voted for the 45ACP.
These medicine balls don't need much "expansion" to be effective.
I probably would have voted 9mm, if not for the prevailing legal attitude against hicaps.
Sam
These medicine balls don't need much "expansion" to be effective.
I probably would have voted 9mm, if not for the prevailing legal attitude against hicaps.
Sam
Nightcrawler
New member
hmm...
.45 is number one. Being an American classic, that's not suprising. 9mm is number two. Being the most common pistol cartridge in the world, THAT'S not suprising.
Both of these cartridges have been doing well since before WWI. Notice none of the young-uns seem to catch on. LOL
.45 is number one. Being an American classic, that's not suprising. 9mm is number two. Being the most common pistol cartridge in the world, THAT'S not suprising.
Both of these cartridges have been doing well since before WWI. Notice none of the young-uns seem to catch on. LOL
David Scott
New member
Results are just what I expected -- .45ACP and 9mm Para out in front, .40S&W a distant third. Kind of reflects real life.
I voted 9mm, though I have a great deal of respect for the .45. Why? Because you cannot yet squeeze a .45 ACP into a Kahr MK frame. Smaller and thus more easily concealed guns can be built around the 9mm. You can get almost any size pistol you like in 9mm. If you do want to carry a full size pistol, you can have more ammo on tap (my Ruger P95 carry gun holds 16). Why is that important, given that most authorities say only 3 shots are fired in the average gunfight? Well, you might not have an average gunfight. Faced with three aggressive crackheads, I want 5 rounds for each, plus a spare to be ready in the chamber while I swap mags.
Another plus to the nine is that ammo is cheap and plentiful. It's one of the most used cartridges in the world, and military/police standard in many countries. I can get practice hardball for as little as $6/box of 50 (UMC yellow box at Outdoor World in Orlando recently), while boxes of .40S&W or .357 SIG cost $14 - 18.
Without reopening the eternal stopping power debate, I will note that 9mms have been effective in thousands of encounters. Given a decently trained shooter, the 9mm leaves no reason to worry about being undergunned.
My favorite 9mm defensive load? Speer Gold Dot 124 grain +P.
I voted 9mm, though I have a great deal of respect for the .45. Why? Because you cannot yet squeeze a .45 ACP into a Kahr MK frame. Smaller and thus more easily concealed guns can be built around the 9mm. You can get almost any size pistol you like in 9mm. If you do want to carry a full size pistol, you can have more ammo on tap (my Ruger P95 carry gun holds 16). Why is that important, given that most authorities say only 3 shots are fired in the average gunfight? Well, you might not have an average gunfight. Faced with three aggressive crackheads, I want 5 rounds for each, plus a spare to be ready in the chamber while I swap mags.
Another plus to the nine is that ammo is cheap and plentiful. It's one of the most used cartridges in the world, and military/police standard in many countries. I can get practice hardball for as little as $6/box of 50 (UMC yellow box at Outdoor World in Orlando recently), while boxes of .40S&W or .357 SIG cost $14 - 18.
Without reopening the eternal stopping power debate, I will note that 9mms have been effective in thousands of encounters. Given a decently trained shooter, the 9mm leaves no reason to worry about being undergunned.
My favorite 9mm defensive load? Speer Gold Dot 124 grain +P.
CastleBravo
New member
10mm Auto. After I got my first 10mm all those other calibers seemed inadequate. 
