How and why (your favorite caliber)

M

MINSH101

New member
How did you come to love your favorite caliber? Why is it your favorite?

This question is asked because we all have a story to tell. I'm curious as to how folks gained exposure to their favorite caliber. Was it the military? Or a family member long gone?

My favorite is the .357 magnum. My uncle Levi was a deputy in Louisiana and one time, in the early to mid 70's, he came to visit my dad. He asked me to grab something from his suitcase and there it was...a beautiful snub nose revolver in .357 magnum. During his visit he emptied it and let me hold it. That began a love affair that I carry to this day. The reason why it's remains my favorite is its stopping power and versatility in ammo selection.

Thanks for sharing
 
I evolved to 9mm, used to call it "nine sillymeter", way back in the day only carried 45ACP, 357 or, eventually, 40SW. Ammo evolved and I grew older, and suddenly the Parabellum was looking like a better choice. Also, my favorite pistols largely only came in 9mm, from CZ, when I discovered that CZ fit me like a glove. Being able to hand load it for cheap with home cast bullets was the icing on the cake, and the top quality modern ammo made it good enough for carry. It just sort of happened.
 
As the second civilian (if you would) of IALEFI, The International Association of Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors. 1954 to 2004. as soon as I obtained my first Glock 17, in 1984! Bought directly from Austria, a group of 10, whilst I was a partner of Practical Pistols Inc, Toronto Ontario, Canada.

The President of IALEFI at that time, a senior Police Officer, named Bob Hunt, and I never saw eye to eye on hi-capacity semi-auto pistols! He was an S&W revolver man.

"Pray and spray guns" Was his statement.

And as the Glock 17 was in 9mm? That became my favourite calibre and still is.
The only change, going to Glock 19, from 17! Gen 4 with night sights (sitting behind me, on my bedside table at this time) going in my holster, after the shower (me not the gun!) I find I shoot the 19 just as good as the 17, and quicker from the holster.
 
I was issued a 9mm back in the 70s when I first started to work for Uncle Sam and went overseas (non-military), then when I switched agencies in the 90s, I was issued a .40.

Retired and today I carry a 9 around town in a HK P30SK, however, when out in the woods/hills in the western states, I carry a Beretta .40 with 200 gr Buffalo Bore ammo.

Carry the smaller handgun around town just to cut the load, not worried about it being seen where I live and I know from previous experience, a 9 can do the job if ever needed. But honestly, the chances of ever having to use it around here are as minimal as could be for two-legged problems; four legged is much more common; thus the larger round.

Benefits of living in a very small town in the middle of nowhere.
 
My choice is the 10mm. Versatile like the 357Mag, but easier to package in a semi-auto.

I discovered it in a trade when I jumped from a 1911 Commander to a Tanfo Witness. Just an enjoyable round that has slowly killed my enjoyment for most things between it and 22LR. I like my 9mms and my HD/carry choices would be in 9mm, but I don’t enjoy it like the 10mm.
 
.45 ACP. It was the first centerfire pistol round I ever fired back when I was 8 or 9 out of dads Remington Rand 1911 and I've been in love with it ever since. I just wish I had the Remington Rand.
 
My favorite in a semi-auto is 9mm ...( in a full sized 1911 )... when I was in military it was in a .45 acp...and I loved that for a long time / fell out of love with it as arthritis in my hands has gotten worse in last 5 yrs..( so went with a full sized 1911 in 9mm ..from Wilson Combat...and it will always be there.

My all time favorite revolver caliber is .357 Mag...in an N frame S&W ( model 27 )....its a gun I will always have.

I have been shooting 1911's and S&W revolvers for 55 yrs or more ...my grandpa used to take me outside town, and we'd practice when I was pretty little../ as I grew, guns and calibers got bigger...at about 12, I settled on the 1911 in .45 acp and a S&W model 28.
 
44 special. I like revolvers better. It shoots a big heavy bullet without much recoil. It puts big holes in things.
 
In handguns? 25 ACP. I suppose it is the nostalgia factor along with the cumulative weight of experience.

I have, and load for, 9mm, 38 Special and 45 ACP. But my 25 ACP was my first handgun and it was the handgun I happened to have on hand the two times I needed to consider the use of deadly force. Fortunately for me, the assailants in both cases decided to leave as soon as the gun was produced.
 
I have 2 favorites. When I was a kid I worked and save for what seemed to take forever to by my first hand gun a .22 cal. Colt.
I carry a .45 acp. ever day.
 
Glock 29 in 10MM. I put it next to my beloved SP101 and found I was getting twice the capacity in the same size gun that with high power loads was easier for me to shoot. Pretty well abandoned the .357 at that point in favor of the 10MM being my "favorite".

At this point I'm whittling down to only have 9MM and 10MM handguns (ok and a .22 or two).

I like being a little "off the beaten path" but not so far I cannot get factory ammo and the .357 was a little too mainstream for me. Not loving the current 10MM resurgence for the record either.
 
Too Many Good Answers. I have revolvers in 22 LR, 38/357, 40/10mm, 45acp/45AR, and 480 Ruger. I like all of them for different reasons.
In Semi Auto's I have a G35.4 and a G23.4 in 40 S&W. I have owned a 1911 Colt in 45acp in different versions for the last 40 some odd years. My latest is gaining ground fast a Glock 38 Gen 3 which is a 45GAP in a Glock 19/23 size package.

About the only popular one on others peoples list missing from mine is the 9mm.

I do not just have a single cartridge I like best.

Bob R
 
I’m not sure I have a favorite but if I had to choose I’d probably say 9mm.
The reason is a bit silly: way back before I’d even held a real gun I played the the video game Resident Evil 2 at my cousins house at Easter. The protagonist uses an HK VP70 in 9mm and I thought it was the coolest thing. Other games in the series leaned towards the Beretta 92 also in 9mm. From that point, before ever actually firing it I loved the 9mm.

I suppose in some ways that experience is still in the back of my mind. Though now improvements in the technology, price and availability factor into the mix somewhat.
 
My favorite is still the lowly .22 lr. I never realized it until I was out shooting with a few buddies. None of us were good shots with a handgun, but we had set up bowling pins and one of the guys walked to about the 30 yard line and started shooting at them. I had a Glock 23, a buddy had a USP 45 I had sold him that day, and I think the other one was a Glock 19. Hundreds of rounds were shot between 3 of us at those pins and we only hit a few, we were horrible! I think an unspoken “man card” rule meant that none of us dared to take a single step closer when it was our turn. For some reason I decided to try my old High Standard Double Nine, and subsequently knocked down 9 pins in a row from that same distance. The next month I bought a Buckmark and didn’t pick up another handgun for a year. When I started shooting centerfire again, I bet my group sizes were 4 times smaller, if not more. Years later I probably still shoot 1,000 rounds of .22 for every 50 rounds of centerfire.
 
.45 ACP.
My dad had couple of old Colts, and shooting them were among my first experiences shooting handguns.
I became something of a disciple of Jeff Cooper, decided the 1911/.45 was the pinnacle of service/competition handgunning, and never looked back.
After following "stopping power" debates for years, I decided that I liked large, deep holes, the more the better, and .45 ACP was the best way to ensure it.

Also, virtually all the shooting I do is in competition, and my initiation was shooting one of those old .45s of my dad's, and that just reinforced the appeal.
 
.45 Colt. I love SAA style revolvers, it can be loaded or factory loaded from mild to wild. Big holes are easier to see than little holes.
 
.45 Colt here also. First handgun my wife bought me, liked it so well I now have 12 Ruger single actions that will handle Ruger Only loads. Have 1894 Winchester and 1894 Marlin in .45 Colt also. Can also shoot it in my 5 shot Bisley .454 Casull.
 
I'm with bassJam. If I could only have one caliber it would be .22lr, thank goodness I am not limited to one though...:D.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top