the allure of small guns, big calibers...

Poly .45 autos are very tolerable in recoil.
I don't like the recoil of hot .38s in a J frame, would never buy a small .44 or .45 revolver, but I have no trouble with .45 auto in a Glock 30 or HK45C.
 
Depends on how small and how big a round.

They do make 14 ounce .357 Magnums and even 25 ounce .44 magnums.

Add to this .45 ACPs weighing 22 ounces.

Yes they kick a mite. Mite more than I want (and I have owned them!)

Ever hear of putting a 1000 horse power engine in a VW Beetle?

Know what you get when you do that?

You get killed on the road.

Lesson to learn there folks. You can overpower a gun. Metal is strong enough now days to stick a .50 BMG round in a derringer if you have a mind to (but you won't have one for long.)

The Glock 27, full load, is about as much as I can control rapid fire one handed. I cannot control a S&W 340PD.357 with ANY magnum load one handed.

Deaf
 
The old saying that all handguns are underpowered is true. So I want the least underpowered handgun available. Almost everyone wants small CC guns no matter the caliber.
 
I'm mostly a revolver guy, & if I thought I was heading for trouble, I'd be packing one of two guns... if it were a revolver... either my air lite 5 shot 44 Special, or my custom snubbie single action Ruger in 45 Colt... I'll admit I never felt under gunned with either... & I shoot both of them as well as anything

but I don't live in a big suburban area where I'd assume I'd be more likely to "need" more than 5 or 6 rounds, so guns I mostly carry are guns to carry often & not use much ( hopefully )

I have a prime example of small gun, big caliber, even though the gun is larger than most would carry... the Ruger Alaskan in 454 Casull... but to me that gun is perfect for it's purpose... having handy in bear country...

along those same lines... I'll ask this question... would you rather have a double stack 9mm in bear country, or 6 more powerful cartridges like 44 Magnum or 454 Casull, or 480 Ruger... me, personally I'd rather have fewer cartridges that are better known for stopping that kind of threat...

now if I throw that back into use on bad guys... there is probably a good percentage, that if I should ever need to shoot someone, they'll be on drugs that effect their decision making abilities... they might be as tough to "stop" as a bear... I want a bigger cartridge... we've all heard the stories of bag guys getting shot many, many times... me... I want something that puts em down... if they live, so be it... but I want the ability to stop em in their tracks... break a hip if needed, but something that is capable of ending the fight...

that said... I mostly carry a TCP in 380, as it's a balance between size, weight, & firepower... I'd rather have a smaller gun on my belt, than a duty sized weapon at home in the safe, should I actually need it :)
 
I am a large person. 44 special, 45 long colt, and 45 acp all feel about the same to me: they have noticeable but not unpleasant recoil. The smallest weaon I shoot any of them out of is a lightweight medium frame 44 special snub revolver. It is surprisingly accurate at self defense distances, and the recoil doesn't bother me a bit. (I am probably not a recoil junkie, since I consider 44 magnums not fun to shoot.)

If I am wearing enough clothing to conceal it properly, the 44 is my favorite carry piece. Then the small frame 38. The tiny polymer 380 is for very light summer clothing.

IMHO, people should use/carry a firearm that they are effective and familiar with and have a lot of confidence in. Since I am an older guy, that will usually be a revolver for me. And since I can shoot it about as well (or poorly) as a 38, my 44 special is at the top of my list.
 
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I had absolutely no need for this gun,,,

I had absolutely no need for this gun,,,
But it looked so lonesome on that shelf all by itself.

CharterArmsBulldog.jpg


But the price was very good ($299.00),,,
And I already had a Pathfinder to pair it up with.

So I bought the thing and took it home with me,,,
My justification was that I had 150 rounds of .44 Special laying around. :p

The allure is having the Hammer of Thor in your hand!

Aarond

.
 
They may have 2 barrels, but after the first shot your hand is probably broken, if not your will to pull the trigger the second time.
 
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Me, too, as does the spouse. I had 2 Taurus 431's (3-inch barrels) until she appropriated them for her carry and house guns. Fair repayment, I guess, for a few things I "appropriated" from my Dad back in the day. LOL
 
Hey Folks.

New member here.

I love big bore pistols too Jerrys, i.e. .40 S&W, .44 Special and .44 mag, especially ones I can carry in a jacket pocket or IWB holster. During the heat of summer I wear mine in an IWB with just a tee shirt and shorts. very little printing with the large grips, and with the small old style wooden grips it disappears. This is my bumming around the woods and/or fishing with my twin daughters, cutting firewood, working around the property carry piece.

Be well all. :D


 
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I probably won't get the Charter Bulldog until next Saturday. I will post pics as soon as I do. It is the model with the shrouded hammer. It looked to be in good shape and I got it somewhere in the $250-$275 range (can't remember the exact figure just now).

Did the small handgun large caliber modern era start with the Webley Bulldog?
 
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