In the beginning there was an XXX caliber

[jdstone]

Let's start at the beginning.

Before selecting your ideal gun, Choose your caliber cartridge for LE duty and/or personal defense from among the following:

1) 9mm Luger (9 X 19mm)
2) 357 SIG
3) 40 S&W
4) 10mm Auto
5) 45 Auto

Please state your 1st choice and give reason(s) for your selection. Also state reasons for rejecting the others.

Please rank your choices from your 1st choice to the last.

I think this should be a real eye opener.

Let's don't get into the caliber doesn't matter, shot placement does, i.e. 45 vs 22. Assume you are buying YOUR gun ...

Thanks,
--John

 

[Rex Feral]

Okay, here is the way I see it:

1) .45 Auto- I like heavy bullets and penetration, and if the bullet fails to expand I have still punched a relatively large hole through my target.

2) 9mmP- I really like this round in it's 124-127gr +P or +P+ loadings, decent penetration and fairly reliable expansion.

3) .40 S&W- I don't have a tons of experience with this round, but the numbers look good. In my hands it seems less accurate and more "snappy" recoil wise than .45 or 9mm in the H&K USPs that I've tested side by side, so it takes a back seat to them.

4) 10mm Auto- A bit overpowered in full house loads, duplicates the .40 S&W in low end loads. Ammo is expensive and not nearly as common as my top 3. A fun hunting round, but not a great choice for a fighting handgun.

5) .357 SIG- A very short neck to grip the bullet in a high pressure round, this round tempts Murphy a bit too much for me. Any Q.C. problems with this round could mean ka-boom city. I'll take a .357 snub over a .357 SIG autopistol any day of the week, thank you very much.

These are all my personal opinions, Your milage may vary.