That sounds like an FMJ with a slight over penetration problem.

My thoughts:

- There is no best caliber.

- Any of those three handgun calibers are marginal at most should they ever be used in a defensive scenario, and there are no guarantees or magical bullets.

- The most valuable caliber is the one that you are (hopefully) holding in your hand at the time it is direly needed.

End my thoughts.

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JWS3
1SG, USA (Retired)

That says it all..........

I guess from the little read up here I agree that most pistol ammo is iffy in a life and death situation and forgetting revolvers for a moment I would go for capacity and probably take a semi auto in 40 S&W with 16 rounds over any revolver in any caliber with 6. My only other choice would be a semi autio with 16 rounds of 357 Sig as I have a 357 Sig barrel for my P226 Sig as well as the 40 S&W barrel.

For me it is 45ACP. In my 1911 it is pleasant to shoot, shoots cheap FMJ's all day, and feeds any JHP I've fired through it.

In my 45ACP N frame I can use anything from heavy +P+ cast loads down to the most powder puff of target loads.

That Coonan .357 auto is intriguing.

A 45acp 1911.

I think the question was best all around caliber. Most of us will shoot
a lot more paper targets and tin cans in our lifetime than zombie keep-
a- coming attackers. When the "all around" aspect is given serious consideration the 9mm is the obvious winner.

45acp in a Colt Gonernment model or Commander. Hands down if you need more than 7 or 8 shots, you are either planning on missing a lot or planning to fight a fanacy situation.

Of course, you could be a NY city cop planning to shot a bunch of in bystanders while missing the bad guy a lot (like 19 times).

Of those NY guys I say: 'Slow down Tex'

All history now, but it seems many do not know this fact yet. There used to be a debate for over 100 years. Then, recently, a new round came out and the debate ended for anyone willing to look at this new round. The 40 S&W. It combines the best of both of the prior debated rounds. Debate over. Technology changed. We have a winner. Google 40 S&W. Forget about trying to make that old corded wall phone being the best way to communicate, when modern times have meant modern answers like smartphones and 40 S&W's. The vast majority of law enforcement made the switch for a reason. It is "The Superior Round". Now don't get me started on Coke or Pepsi, and God forbid you bring up oil.

There is little doubt in my mind that .45 is best round - yesterday I heard a gun counter guy tell an inquiring customer that you if you shot somebody in the arm "with a 45, you'd, like, kill 'em, 'ya know?"

Must be true

My dream gun would be an S&W 1013. Compact 10, how bad *** would that be? It would hurt like an *** to shoot, but would REALLY hurt on the other end.

Or a 10mm commander 1911.

Personally I carry either a 9mm or .40. I don't own a .45 compact enough to carry. With the 9mm I'm confident I can put 2-3 in to the target without the chance of a stray. My .40 I focus on 2 shot groups.

__________________
Matt H.

Does someone make a round that kills threads that come back to life years later???


.

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Kirk / Spock 2020

10mm, then. 45ACP, then 40SW then 9mm. I don't have any 40 cals but it is a good caliber.
10mm to me is the top gun of man stoppers. Then I love my .45s. Especially my 1911s. I carry both 10mms, .45ACps and 9mm with a high cap mag can put a lot of lead in a person in a few seconds.
Any gun is a good gun / caliber when you need one.

__________________
John 1:17
NRA Life Benefactor

For high capacity, it will have to be a 9mm or .40 S&W.

If you like the .45, but want high capacity, I vote for the .40 S&W.

If you are happy with a 38 Special, then get the 9mm. Today, there are many good loads in 9mm that make the caliber better than an excellent 38 Special.

I look at the 9mm this way: You are getting a 15 +1 or 17 + 1 shot 38 Special that is 10% better than the best 38 Special +P in stopping power with the best loads. The problem is that the best 9mm ammo is usually LE only.

Even the experts are divided on this one.

I own Two 9mms, a .40 caliber, and a .45 acp and I shoot them all.

People will tell you that 9mm is a sissy round, and that feds and soldiers have moved away from them, which is true. Feds needed a round that could get through windshields and keep integrity better than the 9mm, hence the .40 caliber was developed.

For civilian CCW use there is great 9mm ammunition available and will guard you well. I have a Sig-Sauer P226 in 9mm, and straight out of the box, the gun is a champion. Recoil is extremely manageable, and it shoots great groups. 15, 18 and 20 round magazines are available. You can also put 200 rounds through it at the range, and not even think about it.

The .40 cal S&W is probably the best all-around defense round in terms of a combination of performance and capacity. I have a Sig Sauer P229 and with a high capacity magazine you can have very similar performance and energy to a .357 magnum with 12+1 capacity. A Glock and some other Autos will give you even more capacity.

I have a Kimber 5" 1911 in .45acp, all steel. Very Nice Gun, but it is a lot of gun. The .45 acp is a great defense round, but you will sacrifice capacity.

Bear in mind, in a smaller gun, both the .40 and the .45 will have a lot of recoil. Even my all-steel Kimber is much snappier than my 226. I'll put 50 rounds through it, and I am done.

In the end, I would suggest that you shoot some of your friends guns and see what you like.

Another option? Get a .357 Wheel gun that you can carry .357, but practice mainly with .38spcl. This way you can shoot and carry. There seems to be dozens of options just from Smith and Wesson on .357 Wheel guns.

An old School .357 3 " Smith will be my next purchase.

One other piece of advice, if you will indulge me:
Find a good local dealer and let them know what you are looking to do, ask them for a high quality USED gun as a starting point, and see if you like it. Also ask about their exchange policy, in case it is not quite what you had in mind.

I like 40s and 9mms better than the 45 acp for what ever reasons. I am quicker on target more accurate and can shoot my 40s and 9s better than I can my Colt Gold Cup. The 10mm round is better than a 45 ACP if all I was concerned about was complete and utter firepower. The 45 ACP is over rated in my opinion and is a cowboy round made for different times. Who is really gonna carry locked and cocked all the time? to many things could happen and a lot of them not good if you happen to drop the pistol or holster it wrong.

What he said!

I love the diversity of opinion and fully believe that any of these rounds used properly will do the job. I want to go back to what oldtexan said in an early post. Figure out what you want to do and pick the platform you need then the best caliber.

I shoot a lot of 45 ammo, mostly through 1911 style pistols -BUT - I load them mild enough for the purpose, mostly practice and informal matches. Shoot a bunch of full bore 45's and get some good home movies of the inevitable flinch. A hot 45 with the right bullet will stop about anything. But your use?

For all around I like the 40 short and weak enough to pass the FBI's most stringent tests. I can load it down to minor power factor and shoot IDPA or load it with high end defense loads that get pretty close to the best 45. I can put them in a plastic truck gun that can get as skinned up as it need be or the Sig 226 TacOps loaded with 17 rounds of deadly by the bed. Oh, forgot the Sig 220 45 in the closet, and the......

I live in the hot south. My carry guns are a Kahr PM9 and a 380 LCP. Heck, if my clothing is super light I have been known to throw a NAA 22 mag revolver in my pocket.

Pick your objective, pick your platform and then your caliber. Pick one to shoot a lot and get a coach to help you develop and master the basics and then shoot more....and more.

The basics and good form will transfer regardless of the platform in your hand or caliber. Practice, practice. Start slow and build accuracy. Good hits trump caliber. Speed will come but you can't miss fast enough to win a gunfight!

Form, skill, objective, platform, caliber........

Hmmm.... I wonder why I have a dozen or two 45's.......

Cocked and locked is the safest method of carrying a handgun I can think of

I like the 45 best, I'll be honest. Especially in a 1911. But I shoot a lot more 9mm because it's more economical. And I carry 9mm because subcompacts in that caliber just fit my style of carry better. I'm not one who'll "dress around the gun." If it fits in my pocket, it comes along.

As always, YMMV

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With S&W, you're holding history in your hand

In reality...Biggest caliber you can carry and shoot proficiently. A hit anywhere is better than a miss.

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Matt H.

These are the calibers I like best in order of what I believe to have the biggest impact/stopping power with 1 shot. I assume a full size semi auto pistol with at least a 4" barrel except when you get down to the little guys. Oh and all have factory loads... 10mm, 357 sig, .45 ACP, (These 1st 3 I consider equal as a group with each having it's own niche benefit) Then comes 9mm, 380 ACP, .32 ACP , .25 ACP ,.22mag, 22LR.. The 9mm kind of stands in its own class. Then the .380 and the.32 ACP in a class and then the .25ACP to the .22Lr in a class.

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John 1:17
NRA Life Benefactor