What's Your Favorite Handgun Round? Why?

[UncleEd]

In nearly 50 years of shooting, if you asked me at any given time I might have said .38 Special, .45 ACP.

But interspersed in those years was one cartridge that I've always considered way ahead of its time and one that will continue to dominate across most of the world.

9 mm Luger

 

[MOONDAWG]

If shear volume sent down range is a judge of "favorite handgun round" it would have to be the 158 gr. LSWC in .38 spl. at 850-950 FPS.

 

[DR505]

For me: .45 Colt (BTW - there is nothing long about it). Why? Versatility and History.

 

[Qball]

My favorite is not a "round" at all.
.44 round ball over 40grains of blackpowder in a Remington 1858.

 

[coldmold]

I fit into the 44spl. crowd. For all the reasons listed.

 

[johnnyflake]

Like so many have already said, this is an extremely difficult question to answer. To make it a tad bit easier to answer, for me, I put it into a combination question. If I could only have one handgun, obviously, in one caliber, what would it be.

No doubt in my mind, a revolver, S&W .45 Colt Mountain Gun 4" Barrel. The .45 Colt can be loaded very mild for small game, etc., or it can be loaded pretty hot and can stop, almost anything, that lives in the USA.

 

[DR505]

Like so many has already said, this is an extremely difficult question to answer. To make it a tad bit easier to answer, for me, I put it into a combination question. If I could only have one handgun, obviously, in one caliber, what would it be.

No doubt in my mind, a revolver, S&W .45 Colt Mountain Gun 4" Barrel. The .45 Colt can be loaded very mild for small game, etc., or it can be loaded pretty hot and can stop, almost anything, that lives in the USA.

I agree!

 

[dereksfl]

For work we carried concealed and were provided with 9 mm Federal Premium LE HST sub sonic 147grain hollow points with a low muzzle flash. Decent penetration, decent ammunition for tactical defense. Recoil is not bad. Retired now and still use it. If they felt it was good round to protect us, for what we needed it for, then I'll keep using it till someone shows me a better alternative.

 

[dereksfl]

It goes bang every time.

 

[just jim]

I like em all, to heck with trying to pick a favorite.

 

[goldenlight]

My favorite is the 9mm, loaded with inexpensive cast lead bullets. I used to be able to reload a box of 50 rounds of 9mm for $1/ea, back in the 70's, using bullets i cast myself. It is still the least expensive centerfire ammunition, to buy or reload.

Mostly, I love all the cool pistols chambered for 9mm. I have an elderly Heckler and Koch P9S Target Model, that is just a tack driver, even with cast bullets. I have a P-41 Lahti whose bore can only charitably called 'rough', yet it is almost as accurate as the P9S, and whose fixed sights shoot right to POA.

You could collect nothing but 9mm semiauto pistols, and never run out of guns to lust after.

My most common CCW is my 6906. I still enjoy shooting my 5906. It has the adjustable sights, and has very little recoil. It excels at rapid target acquisition, and fast follow up shots. I even broke down and bought a Glock 19 and 26. They don't get to the range very often, but I appreciate their rugged simplicity. I traded away so many 9mms, over the years. I wish I hadn't, obviously.

 

[Salty RI]

.22 LR. Its cheap, accurate, and fun!
With a brick of .22s you can spend all day at the range, practice the fundamentals, don't bother to collect the brass, not wear yourself out and have a darned good time. It don't get no better than that.

I'll give the .38 Special a close second.

And don't forget, they are so easy to find.

 

[therevjay]

.41 Colt. Don't know why.

 

[federali]

.45 ACP
9mm
.38 SPL

Not counting .22RF, these three do it all for me. I have a .44 Mag mainly for fun with mid-range loads.

 

[LouisianaJoe]

.45 Colt.
I have several revolvers and a Henry Big Boy in .45 Colt.

 

[steelslaver]

45s
ACP and Colt, because I like big bullets

 

[Andre Couceiro]

Gun:
S&W 686-4 , Barrel 6", with silhouette front sight,
Ammo:
.357 mag 158 grains JHP @ 1250fps for long range targets
or
.357mag 180 grains cast lead @ 950fps - IPSC load Major
.38 spl 180 grains cast lead @ 740fps - IPSC load Minor (best results)

 

[M3Stuart]

+1 on .38 Special.

Vast variety of velocities and bullet weights.

Comes in handy carbine form too!

Followed by:
.22LR
.357 Mag
9mm
...in that order.

 

[Kinman]

4", 44 Special...Does it all, don't forget them custom made shot shells loaded with 7.5 shot...
Right now I'm kinda hung up on blackpowder pistol but mine shoots a .445 ball.

 

[rbrbrb6]

A 41 is my favorite. Whether it is the 41 Special, the 41 Mag or the 414 Supermag, all the 41's I have are as accurate as I can shoot.

 

[CCantu357]

.357 Magnum for wheel guns
10mm Auto for pistols

I believe that these two rounds offer greatest range of options in a handgun. They can be loaded low and mild for target shooting and home defense or full power for field use. Plus I get a kick when the "expert" gun store clerks tell me the .357 is outdated and the 10mm has less power than a .45 ACP or .40 S&W.

 

[davefromhere]

.38 special

 

[joeintexas]

Pretty much anything I can get dies for. Be difficult to name a favorite but I guess I have more fun shooting 9mm and 45 acp but then again 22lr is cheap fun and 38sp, 357 mag....now I've got a headache.

 

[Brian41]

My favorite is the .41 mag and have a few of them. I reload for them so can make anything from a plinking load to hunting ones. I do have a dealer that stocks factory ammo too so getting any is not a problem.
I do own more .357s than anything and simply because so many guns I've wanted are in this caliber. I also have several in 22lr and mag and have shot them quite a bit lately now that my reloading room has been down for repairs.

 

[gdnagle]

From .22 to .45acp I have most of them. My favorite is .45acp. What's not to like it's been around for a long time, it's been proven in combat and I like the big one's. Besides .22 is still too hard to come by.

 

[eb07]

44 special. No further explanation required.

 

[MikeyB]

For me it's the .38 Special. Can shoot a whole lot for very little money (if your a reloader).

But I also like the .357 Mag, .44 Special and .45ACP. All great cartridges for the reloader.

 

[ISCS Yoda]

Wow.....a 4 year old thread still going and going and going.....

Funny thing is, the only reason I have to say .38 Special is because it goes with my favorite guns, of which I have quite a few. It has history and, back in the day, and for me that's quite a way back, the .38 Special was the police officer's standard. So I have a fondness for it from way back, and because it is so much fun to shoot in all of my .357 Magnum and .38 Special revolvers.

However, I would not gainsay the utility of the .45 Colt. It was the caliber of choice for cowboy action shooting and still is; .44-40 was my second choice and I have now sold those guns, retaining the .45s for more CAS action. With a grail gun (Model 25-5) on its way to me shortly in this caliber I will probably find myself playing with .45/c a lot more frequently, and maybe packing it if I head into the boonies.

But .38 will likely remain my caliber of choice.

In pistols I can go either way with 9mm or .45 ACP. I kept my CS-45 even after liquidating my various 1911s but if I carry a pistol it's usually a 9mm these days.

Then there are rifles.....but that's a different subject altogether.....

***GRJ***

 

[shocker]

The 44 Magnum.
Best.Handgun.Cartridge.Ever. (To me)

 

[oldman10mm]

as in post #111,
357 for revolver,can be loaded nuclear/high velocity or watered down to 38sp levels
10mm for autoloader,again can be loaded nuclear as the original Norma loads were or loaded down to 40S&W levels