Find the gun in one (or more) of those calibers that suits you the best.

Then worry about the caliber, or pick the one closest to your lucky number. Doing it in the other direction is pretty much an exercise in mental masturbation.

i have multiple guns in the .45, 40 and 9mm. I like all of them and shoot all of them well. IF i was going to a handgun fight, probly bring a 10mm glock with lots of 15 rounders, of the 3 calibers in discussion? a hi cap .45ACP glock. whats in my nightstand ? sig 229r with a light in .40, loaded with Fed HST.

9mm ----> .45 --------------------------------------------> .40

I pick 9mm 1st because they are cheap to shoot, have the most rounds to a mag, and is the easiest to shoot. Long history of stopping power.

.45ACP is 2nd because even though I like the kick of it more then the 9mm, I can not overlook the fact that the round count is normally half of a 9mm.

.40SW is dead last because its a very useless round. I have personally seen officers take down deer after 3+ shots with that round while it took me one shot with my 9mm. Poor performance and the horrible kick make it a no go for my holsters.

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Don't look, reload and shoot!

That has more to do with shot placement than anything else.

Ha ha ha...

And yet there are .40 loads with so much MORE power than the 9mm. Still you think it is underpowered. Each to his own.

And horrible kick? I am surprised how light the kick is! Very controllable. Perhaps if one starts with a .50 or .44 mag and works his way down....

This reminds me of something I read in that FBI report about preconceptions. If I flip a penny 10 times and heads comes up 7 times, then I flip a dime 10 times and heads comes up twice, which coin would you use if you wanted to flip heads?

I've used 11 shots from a 12 gauge with 440 grain slugs to drop a deer. I think we can't use the deer scenario for any definite data.

Now looking at real data, the Speer ballistic chart lists many different available shells for the 9, 40, and 45.

Speer Ammo - Ballistics Tables

The closest bullet weights for the 9 and 40 are 147 and 155 respectively in the Gold Dot Hollow Point round.

The 9mm leaves the barrel at 985 fps and has 317 ft/lbs of energy.
The .40 leaves at 1200 fps and has 496 ft/lbs of energy.
The smallest .45 is the 185gr at 1050 fps and 453 ft/lbs.

Those numbers make the .40 stand out for the high pressure round it is. But there are many numbers out there.... The .40 at 180gr slows WAY down and loses power, down to 985fps and 420 ft/lbs.

There is a 9mm +p available in 124gr at 1220 fps and 410 ft/lbs. Pretty dang respectable round there!

I think they all are so close it's not worth arguing.

Oh come on Lost Lake, stop filling up this thread full of data. I want hearsay and speculation

Well then, I HEARD, you can hit a PCP hopped up super zombie, in the thumb, with a single 230 Ranger JHP and take him out of the fight!!

Sends them tumbling!!

I heard it on the internet, so it must be true!! Regards 18DAI.

LOL ... you and 18DAI are funny.

Reading some more I found super hot reloads in 9mm that are pushing 500 ft/lbs of energy!!!

I won't say what the .40's can do with hot reloads because that's just getting beyond silly.

I don't know why I am involved in this. I must apologize and bow out. It's like pushing a rope. I was so unreasonable not even months ago, when I would say the ONLY weapon I would ever trust my life to is a .357mag. I'm sure I sounded like an ding-a-ling and I should have listened to those much wiser folks I was sure were idiots at the time. Now I will carry a .380 and be happy as a clam.

If you see me lying there dead after a gunfight with my smoking .380 in my hand, feel free to call me an idiot.

Stop the debate--here's the answer!

Get 3 third generation Smiths---

Say a 6906 for 9mm
How about a 4013 for the .40
And maybe a 4513 for your .45

Carry one in an IWB, the other in a paddle,
and the third in a shoulder holster.

All three will have similar controls

During Armageddon, it won't matter what
ammo you pick up/scavenge cuz you'll have a
gun for it...

Got a hi-cap; got good penetration; got one that'll
stop bigfoot in his tracks if you hit the pinkie; got a
combo...

If you are ambidextrous you could use two at once

Take down & cleaning is very similar

If you find a good Smith gunsmith he will be able
to work on all



Lad

My two favorites in the semi-auto class are the 10mm and the 45ACP. Both rounds are man stoppers. The Glock 20 or 29 in
10mm and Les Baer/Wilson in the 45ACP.

Just my humble opinion, and my two main carries.

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We were winning when I left.

Ah, even better... get a .40 M&P and carry two extra barrels in 9mm and .357acp. Use whatever ammo you find and have less to carry so you can move faster!

Besides the high pressure .40 cal puts out much more power than a .45 acp....You don't want to be on the weak side of that battle

Shot placement does nothing when your round can not penetrate. Point blank shot into a dogs chest that was trying to attack him bounced off the dog chest bone(?) and exited out of this rear leg. I have reason to believe that if the same officer had a 9mm or a .45 that the dog would have been down for good.

When in my post did I say that the .40 was "underpowed"? Nowhere. I said that the .40 had poor performance which is means much more than the power that the .40 has. You can throw out all of the data that you want to but it does nothing when you compare something that is on paper to real life. I will never trust a .40 to save my life and would put the .40 just above a .380. 9mm and .45s are the only rounds that I will use.

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Don't look, reload and shoot!

Since the OP was looking for the best overall semi-auto round:

10mm.........makes a decent sized hole with plenty of power due to excellent velocity, especially if you handload. This cartridge is for big boy's.

45ACP.........Don't really have to depend on high-tech expanding hollow-points. That near 1/2" hole is not gonna shrink. Inherently very accurate. My carry gun is a custom Springer SS compact loaded with 45+P.

357Sig.........I threw this one in, as I do respect a 357 round traveling at speed. No personal experience here, but any round that approaches 357Mag revolver performance has to be considered. I'm simply not a fan of bottle-necked pistol rounds.

40 S&W........Let's face it folks.........the only reason the 40 short and weak is still around is because the "ladies" at the FBI could not master the 10mm. Plus it can be loaded into semi-auto platforms that were previously for the 9mm Para.

9mm Para........the quintissential Euro lightweight. Depends on expanding hollowpoints to barely keep up with all of the above loads as to stopping power. Full sized pistols will hold a third or more box of bullets. That said, most gunfights are over in 1-3. Best feature of this round is that there are plenty of really compact carry guns that are chambered for it. Certainly better than a .380ACP.

That's the way I rank them!

Attached Images

SA Compact ss.jpg (70.4 KB, 50 views)

I like the 9mm because it is cheap. If someone attacks me, I don't want to have to spend nearly a buck to stop him.

If only one cartridge, only one choice - 10MM.

Love these kind of threads! I could argue for every post made thus far, but I think I will go this way today!


Springfield XD-45. 14rds. of the old tried and true .45ACP. Big hole, plenty of capacity. Great for HD, carry, and a fun day at the range.

Choose the most powerful round you can handle. Start with the .45 and work your way down if necessary.


WG840

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Freedom above all else.

LMAO!!!!!! This is by far the best post I have read in MONTHS!!!!

Since when is 500 ft/lbs weak? Why would you admire the 357 which is a caliber in the 500 lb class and disrespect the .40 which is in the same class? I can see giving the 9mm a pass on power because it can hold so many shells. But the .40 holds nearly as many rounds with 30% -50% more power than the 9mm. It holds more rounds than the .45 and delivers the same blow. The reason the FBI and most law enforcement has gone to the .40 is not because they want dishwater soft hands and mild 9mm recoil, it's because they don't want to bury their people.

In the end they are all good if the proper bullet is chosen. While the 9 will never be as powerful as the .40, it will still be effective with the right round. I will not tear apart the 9mm, it has a place in self defense. If you refuse to look at ballistics and believe hard facts, maybe you would believe Massad:

Choose your ammo...police style by Massad Ayoob Issue #93

If you don't believe Massad and all the facts, then I give up.

Lost Lake..........I read your article. It seems that even the best 40 S&W loads are a bit short of 500 ft/lbs........I'm assuming these are loaded to Saami specs of 35K. A 185gr. Gold Dot for 45ACP+P can easily be driven over 1100fps for over 500 ft/lbs. of energy at about 10K less case pressure. I'm not going to fight you too hard on this one, but let's compare apples to apples. I'm not aware of any 165gr. jacketed bullets for the 45ACP, but it doesn't take much imagination to see that when comparing equal bullet weights......the 45ACP will easily outperform it. I seem to remember that for 40S&W, the standard ballistics for a 180gr. bullet was 975fps. That load just barely makes major. I have no issues with folks that want to pack the .40. It's certainly better than a 9mm Para, but it ain't no modern day 45ACP. That's why I ranked it where I did. Feel free to build a case for it being better than the 357Sig.

@ Marcus88, how does what you say make any sense? What if they were using low powered rounds or a horrible bullet design? There's no way that a 40 S&W is going to be less effective than a 9 mm, because if that were the case, the heavier, even slower moving 45 acp would be even less effective and we all know that just isn't the case! Quality ammo in the 9mm, 40 S&W or 45 ACP is going to be way more than enough to get the job done, it's just up to the user to make the shot count and hit their target.

I fully agree. My point is all these weapons have an effective round and you should find one and use it.

A side point is the .40 has many commercially loaded rounds in the 484-496 ft/lb range (Speer Gold Dot 165gr & 155gr) while the same manufacturer lists the .45 at 404-453 ft/lb (Speer Gold Dot 230gr & 185gr ).

So to say the .40 is underpowered is just not the case. In these rounds the .40 is up to 23% more powerful than the .45. If the ultimate goal is to use a round with 500lbs of force, the .45, .40. and .357 will fit the bill.

Information from the Speer chart found here:
Speer Ammo - Ballistics Tables

To drag back up the ill-fated .41ae for ballistic comparison with the .40 S&W number seem to be more significant. This was the data I found.

"41AE that at 170gr, which can be set to run at 1150 fps for 499 ft lbs of ME to 1215 fps and 557 ft-lbs (which matches the IMI factory load)."

Practice, are we talkin- Practice. Well for Practice, a 9mm 115gr. fmj!! It,s less expensive to shoot,and you can usually get a comparable model in any Brand of your choice to move up to a better DEFENSIVE caliber! Now, you should consider which you SHOOT the best, .45acp,or .40 s/w---you have a choice in loads that you can handle,[Double-Tap, should be considered, choose your load and performance]. I personally use DT,.45-185gr. Noslers, and .40 s/w 150gr. Noslers. Be alert and be safe.

Here we go again.

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N.R.A. BENEFACTOR Member

I vote for the 45 ACP semi auto. It has proven stopping power and the added benefit that there are a number of great S&W revolvers chambered for this cartridge.

they will all do the same job, and there are arguments for any of them being the "best". For me, 9mm works best simply because I shoot it better than either the .40S&W or .45ACP, and with it being less expensive I can also afford to practice more. YMMV.

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"I'm your huckleberry."

.45 ACP period, The End.

(but I'm an old fashioned guy)

/c

Sounds like a good answer to me!

You shoot the nine the best, and you like it best, then it's the best!

My best new gun is the BG380, and I haven't shot it yet. Been carrying it everywhere... Don't even know if it has a firing pin! But it's so cute!!!!

While my favorite caliber is 45acp (see my name!), when someone asks for "all-around" I think plinking, target shooting, possibly light competitive shooting and home defense. From that perspective only, I would lean toward the 9mm. Economical, plentiful availability of ammo including surplus and a good weapon to learn/teach on especially for female shooters. 45acp is the undisputed king but in this application, 9mm is worthy of mention. Ed

There is no "best" caliber. As you can see, you get the same result as if you would have asked what the "best" vehicle to own is.

They all have their plusses and minuses
9mm- Can be had in smaller handguns than the others, less recoil, more capacity in handguns of the same size, cheaper to practice with. Cons- in all but the hottest loads, usually not as effective.

.40- Pros- more capacity than the 45, more power than the 9mm. Good track record "on the streets". Cons- more recoil than the 9mm, less power than the .45

.45- Pros- power, power, and oh yeah, power. Cons- capacity, and you really can't get really small compact guns in .45.


Others have given you the best advice I can think of- the best is the caliber you will practice with, carry all the time, and make hits with. If you choose a .45 because it's the most powerful, but don't practice because you don't like the recoil, only carry 50% of the time because of the weight of the gun you chose, and can't hit the broad side of a barn because of the recoil and lack of practice, then the .45 is not the best caliber for you.

Me personally, when I carry an autoloader, I carry a .40 M&P. I like the .40's "best of both worlds" characteristics, and no critter I've ever had to put down with it ever required more than 1 round.

How about the 45 Win Mag

How about .357 Magnum?

I like it !! Great looking semi auto, but $1200 msrp?? .45 acps can be had for less, but I like the concept of .357 semi auto.

Coonan - Coonan Classic .357 Magnum Automatic

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Inconsistently consistent

Well, I happen to like and use the 10mm for my best all around semi-auto. I handload, so I can go from mild to wild performance with these perfect 10's! Bullet weights from 135gr to 220gr and construction of jacketed lead core, copper solids and cast alloy to deal with the intended target.

However for vesitility, by swapping barrels & ammunition ONLY, I can shoot 40S&W, 357SIG, 9x25Dillon from the same gun, again from mild to wild performance just because of the best all around semi-auto pistol being the perfect 10mm.

Warning! Not advisable but!
Heck if push came to shove, the extractor of the 10mm pistol will usually hold a 40S&W secure enough to be shot from the 10mm chambered pistol with some reliability...

So is the 45 - but it is still 'kicking.'

(None better IMO.)

I just like my calibers to start with a "4"

These are the best threads to read...everybody is correct. Everybody has their own personal choice and that is what matters. What you shoot the most accurately IS the most deadly. I have many .22's, 9's, .40's and .45's...shoot all reasonably well. Not a master but I hit what I shoot at within an inch or 2. I'm still a believer in "2 to the chest and 1 to the head" and all of my practice follows this principle.

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Bob

No you are not. I compete with a .40, I have shot thousands of rounds of the .40 and have....well, alot of em in the safe. I believe the 10mm or .41 mag are probably the ultamate hand gun load, but I still stick with the .40. the guy that said the .40 is a useless round..........well I just don't understand that, kind of an ignorant thing to say.

These threads are so entertaining! Does anybody else remember when the gun magazines always had a least one article in the 9mm vs 45 ACP vs 357 magnum debate?

Now for my 2 cents... I chose to bet my life on bigger, heavier bullets at moderate velocites. That means 45 ACP. I personally think it is slightly better than the other choices. They are all only handgun cartridges. It isn't like we are considering rifles and shotguns. That is really where the power is.

they are all good choices if you choose what you know how to use.

2 nd Gen G17 9 mm 17 rounds of 124 gr GDHP at 1300 fps-The best auto IMHO

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T. Johnson

Every "debate" like this ALWAYS needs to include the 10mm!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That said, I'm very, very, very fond of the .45 as well...

I shoot both .45 ACP and 9MM Luger fairly well, though I enjoy the big bore much more. Can't seem to get a good handle on the 40 S&W so I sold them and won't buy another in that caliber.

Like the others have said, carry and shoot what you shoot the best and are most comfortable with. I keep a .357 mag by my bed and a 12 gauge in the closet but the gun I keep in the bag is the 9mm. Ammo is cheaper, I can afford to shoot a lot more and I feel confident with it. My son shoots a 40 and he is very good with it, I certainly would be happy to have it if I needed it. The what caliber is best debate could go on forever, everyone has a favorite and its usually what THEY shoot best.

I wouldnt say that, I remember reading in the Elmier Keith book Sixguns that he found the 38 special and 9mm to be lacking in stopping power and had found that the old 38/40 and 44/40 winchester cartridges were the better choices for it than those two cartridges and both of those are in the ballpark of the bullet weight and velocity the 40 SW and 10mm put out.

mind you that was from a book written in 1955 and ammo wasnt as good as it is now, so as long as you can handle the gun well pretty much any gun will do as long as your using hollowpoints or semi wadcutters if its below 40 cal since the flat nose of the wadcutters delivers more energy to your target than FMJ's and hollow points are hollow points.

after all as long as you can hit your target where your aiming pretty much any gun will do, regardless if its a .25 or a .45

Since CA limits to 10 rounds anyway, the hi-cap advantage of the smaller cals is gone. So .45 is my fav.

BUT, my 9mm gets more range time due to ammo cost and my kid's preference for the softer recoil.

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Jon

how the hell is that possibile? was he using really bad handloads or something, did he put 9mm in the 40 by accident?
I've done that by the way

also as I sidenote to what I said above I cant shake the old Elmer Keith saying of a heavier bullet at low velocity is what kills.

So personally while I like the 380, 9mm and 38 Special and I know that with the right bullets they would do the job with the first shot, I gotta go with a 45 because I know there would be no ifs ands or butts with the ammo just like with the 30-06/.308 vs the .223 debate.

Plus the reason why they went with single stack mags for the 1911 to begin with is that's the way all of the pistols used to be built back then, just like the deal with the springfield 1903, garand and mauser all being loaded from the top Marcus, it was just the way it was taught so firearms were built that way.

I mean the 9mm luger P38 was an 8 shot single stack and the 1911 45 was a 7 in WW2, hell the only double stack pistol out there during WW2 was the browning high power and I think there was a version of the mauser that had more than 8, that's all, double stacks and magazine fed rifles are all a post WW2 thing.

Useless to whom? It is the most prevalent law enforcement round.
An Alaska State Trooper recently dispatched a black bear with a Glock 22 with 180gr's. Not powerful enough? Try 10mm, it's my favorite.

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NRA Certified Instructor

Just buy a 40 barrel for your 10mm!

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NRA Certified Instructor

Para Ordinance makes a couplevery nice .45 ACP pistols. Flapjack