9mm, .40, .45 what's the BEST

[billybob44]

It sold out quick, didn't it...
357 Sig for the win

+100 for the .357 Sig caliber=9MM on Steroids..Bill.

 

[Route 45]

9mm because if all things go to hell then 9mm would be the best ammo to find.

Nope.

When things go to hell, 9mm is the first caliber to disappear from store shelves. As we’ve recently witnessed, again.

Yep.

I toyed with the idea of picking up a couple of .40 pistols just to have a caliber less susceptible to ammo shortages.
But then I though, "Well duh, just buy more 9mm ammo!"
And I did.

 

[88E30M50]

The key to owning a 9mm is to have a good supply of ammo on hand at all times. Even if there is a hint of an ammo shortage looming, 9mm will disappear quicker than a politician’s promise. .45 will give you a little reaction time and .40 will give a little more. 10mm and .357 Sig shooters don’t worry much about ammo shortages.

 

[IndyBeerman]

The key to owning a 9mm is to have a good supply of ammo on hand at all times. Even if there is a hint of an ammo shortage looming, 9mm will disappear quicker than a politician’s promise. .45 will give you a little reaction time and .40 will give a little more. 10mm and .357 Sig shooters don’t worry much about ammo shortages.

You still have to worry about it because most places don't carry a huge stockpile. After all .357 Sig and 10mm are not the first choice of calibers to buy. I'd be willing to bet that .380 sells faster than those two rounds.

 

[Sigblitz]

9mm is great for the majority of shooters. The rounds are smaller so there's more capacity. Target acquisition is faster because there's less recoil. And there's been great improvements in the cartridges, the only drawback there is some of these good cartridges are a little salty. I know, I have a couple of cardboard boxes I paid a small fortune for, so I'm in.

40s&w has more stopping power out of the gate. There's no reason to invest in expensive cartridges to do more damage without over penetrating. The arguments against it is recoil and getting back on target, and capacity. The first argument for me is a non starter because I have gotten used to managing the recoil, and it lessens the second argument. And the ammo is so cheap because it's not the popular round. If I didn't have a lot of practice with 40s&w, I would say be saying more shots with 9mm is better than trying to stay on target with 40s&w. 9mm is great for most people, so it's the better round for most.
What if you could get close to 40s&w and manage the recoil? 40 sig is becoming popular but from what I've read about it it's closer to the 9mm than the 40 it strives to be. Like the 40, it's struggling to find its place.
Then there's the 45. In the proper 1911, there's no recoil. So the argument is 7 or 8 rounds. If you ever shot a proper 1911 with the proper ammo, it's smoother than a 9mm. So your only argument really, besides conceilment, is capacity. It's kind of like arguing capacity against a 22.
Most will choose 9mm because it ticks all the boxes. There is a round for everyone. I haven't got a favorite but the 45 puts a smile on my face, so maybe I'm starting to like it better.

 

[Glock1230]

9mm is great for the majority of shooters. The rounds are smaller so there's more capacity. Target acquisition is faster because there's less recoil. And there's been great improvements in the cartridges, the only drawback there is some of these good cartridges are a little salty. I know, I have a couple of cardboard boxes I paid a small fortune for, so I'm in.

40s&w has more stopping power out of the gate. There's no reason to invest in expensive cartridges to do more damage without over penetrating. The arguments against it is recoil and getting back on target, and capacity. The first argument for me is a non starter because I have gotten used to managing the recoil, and it lessens the second argument. And the ammo is so cheap because it's not the popular round. If I didn't have a lot of practice with 40s&w, I would say be saying more shots with 9mm is better than trying to stay on target with 40s&w. 9mm is great for most people, so it's the better round for most.
What if you could get close to 40s&w and manage the recoil? 40 sig is becoming popular but from what I've read about it it's closer to the 9mm than the 40 it strives to be. Like the 40, it's struggling to find its place.
Then there's the 45. In the proper 1911, there's no recoil. So the argument is 7 or 8 rounds. If you ever shot a proper 1911 with the proper ammo, it's smoother than a 9mm. So your only argument really, besides conceilment, is capacity. It's kind of like arguing capacity against a 22.
Most will choose 9mm because it ticks all the boxes. There is a round for everyone. I haven't got a favorite but the 45 puts a smile on my face, so maybe I'm starting to like it better.

What do you mean there is no recoil with a .45 in a 1911? I wouldn't say its a lot of recoil, but its just as much as a 9mm.

 

[Sigblitz]

I got a wonderful 1911 from a member here. Professional series, standard length guide rod, good grips, balanced.
Maybe I'm just used to 40, but I don't get off target with this the 1911. Even shooting side stance one handed. It's a wonderful John Wick experience.

 

[Sigblitz]

The 40 in a plastic gun takes grip and trigger finger discipline to stay on target.

 

[phylodog]

Handgun stopping power is a myth.

 

[DadSmith]

Handgun stopping power is a myth.

After researching this I've discovered its mostly shot placement and how many holes the bad guy is bleeding out from. If you can't hit a vital spot the more holes the better.

 

[IndyBeerman]

9mm is great for the majority of shooters. The rounds are smaller so there's more capacity. Target acquisition is faster because there's less recoil. And there's been great improvements in the cartridges, the only drawback there is some of these good cartridges are a little salty. I know, I have a couple of cardboard boxes I paid a small fortune for, so I'm in.

40s&w has more stopping power out of the gate. There's no reason to invest in expensive cartridges to do more damage without over penetrating. The arguments against it is recoil and getting back on target, and capacity. The first argument for me is a non starter because I have gotten used to managing the recoil, and it lessens the second argument. And the ammo is so cheap because it's not the popular round. If I didn't have a lot of practice with 40s&w, I would say be saying more shots with 9mm is better than trying to stay on target with 40s&w. 9mm is great for most people, so it's the better round for most.
What if you could get close to 40s&w and manage the recoil? 40 sig is becoming popular but from what I've read about it it's closer to the 9mm than the 40 it strives to be. Like the 40, it's struggling to find its place.
Then there's the 45. In the proper 1911, there's no recoil. So the argument is 7 or 8 rounds. If you ever shot a proper 1911 with the proper ammo, it's smoother than a 9mm. So your only argument really, besides conceilment, is capacity. It's kind of like arguing capacity against a 22.
Most will choose 9mm because it ticks all the boxes. There is a round for everyone. I haven't got a favorite but the 45 puts a smile on my face, so maybe I'm starting to like it better.

40 Sig? Ah never heard of that. LOL

Evidently you've never fired a .357 Sig before. It's a .40 cal case necked down to a 9mm round. It is snappy There is no striving of it wanting to be a .40. Biggest mistake of my life of getting rid of one of my late father firearms was selling his P229 Sig Sauer in .357 sig with a short reset trigger. I've tried several time to buy it back to no avail.

 

[phylodog]

After researching this I've discovered its mostly shot placement and how many holes the bad guy is bleeding out from. If you can't hit a vital spot the more holes the better.

You got it.

 

[Vigilant]

Handgun stopping power is a myth.

Not true, if the handgun is an HK320.

 

[phylodog]

I'm not sure about that. Is blowing up the same as being knocked down or is that something else?

 

[Vigilant]

I'm not sure about that. Is blowing up the same as being knocked down or is that something else?

Im guessing it’s close to the same?

 

[Ghostface]

I agree shot placement is everything and putting as many holes into the BG as possible while he is still a threat is the best remedy against aggression. With that being said I’m still a .40 fan and always will be...

 

[goldsmithr3]

Of these three, I suppose, the one you shoot best. Accurate delivery may be as important as caliber. Having said that, I'm really impressed by a recent compact Kahr in .40. Kind of a semi-auto answer to the .44 Bulldog. For some reason, this seems to recoil less than most weapons I've tried, and accurate! I suppose I'd lean a bit toward the .40, given a pistol without irritating recoil.

 

[goldsmithr3]

MAGA, all over again!

 

[phylodog]

Accurate delivery[STRIKE] may be as[/STRIKE] is far more important [STRIKE]as[/STRIKE] than caliber.

Fixed it for ya.

 

[sheepdog697]

....LOL