Which Handgun Caliber Is Better?

[RAnderson]

I am wanting to purchase a new handgun. I have a .38 revolver but I am currently looking for a semi-auto. Would you recommend a .40 cal, .45 cal or 9MM?

 

[Glock Lover]

Been a lot of discussions on here about this.
Between .45 and 9mm. Can the .40!!
I prefer .45 for my everyday stopping power. 9mm for the range (cheaper) and back-up guns (thinner).
Suggestion: get on the range and find your preference.

 

[45calibre]

i also prefer a .45
i have heard of people getting shot multiple times with a 9mm and surviving. i have NEVER heard about someone getting shot multiple times with a .45 and survive.

is this for carry?

 

[melensdad]

I see no reason for the 40. The recoil actually seems harsher, in a different way, than the 45. (snappy & sharp -vs- slow & heavy)

Most of my carry guns are 45acp. Most of my shooting is 45acp. I do have and shoot some 9mm but mostly because I have rheumatoid arthritis in my wrists and the 9mm has very low recoil. I do have one carry gun in 9mm for when my arthritis is flaring up. All my carry guns are the same 'type' of gun (1911 pattern) and all have identical controls, so even though I have multiple carry guns, they all function the same and there are no muscle memory issues. The other guns I have owned were/are just for fun.

 

[KDUBCR250]

Its all about shot placement ! What ever you can control and make fallow up shots with the most acurately is the best round IMO

 

[indyjoe]

To answer the question, I would need to know what you plan to do with it. Home Defense? Concealed Carry? Very Concealed Carry? etc.

 

[esrice]

There is no magic bullet.

I prefer 9mm handguns. I like having 16 rounds on tap. I can shoot it quickly and accurately.

I'm neither here nor there on .40. I find it "snappy".

The .45 is an awesome, time-tested round. If it fit my other criteria I'd have no problems carrying a .45.

So since you're looking for recommendations, mine would be 9mm.

 

[bigkahunasix]

What will its purpose be- carry, plinking, competition, hunting, ?????

Match the tool to the job.

 

[obijohn]

.308

 

[mercop]

I was involved in a shooting where a guy took several 9MM, 40 CAL and four rounds of OO buck from me. One of my last two rounds blew the gun out of his hand and removed his thumb in the process. It still took him several minutes to expire. You can imagine my horror when OO buck failed to cause him to burst into flames.

That said I am a 9MM fan, especially the Glock 19. Keep putting rounds on target until the threat is stopped, while you are doing that keep moving, harder than it sounds. There are three ballistic stops, central nervous systems stops, circulatory stops and structural stops. When someone is shot most of the time it compromises the circulatory system. Even though he may be dead and just does not know it he can still do a lot of damage. When rounds COM don't work I teach to drop to the pelvic girdle for structural stops. The interesting thing about rounds to the pelvic girdle are that beside being great circulatory and structrual targets they are likely to result in the head coming forward and down giving you a better chance of hitting the CNS when continuing to shoot COM.

Caliber and blade length are a poor substitute for mindset and training.

 

[Bigum1969]

I guess I'm in the minority since I like the .40.

It offers the potential for higher capacity with theoretically more stopping power than 9mm.

I know, shot placement is key. But all things being equal, I prefer the .40 over the 9mm. You're likely to get a lot of opinions on this, this is just mine.

 

[RAnderson]

I planning on using this firearm for concealed carry.

 

[glockguy07]

9mm

 

[melensdad]

I planning on using this firearm for concealed carry.

9mm

For concealed carry, small guns are easier to carry. 9mm, in a small gun, is much easier to control with lighter recoil and quicker follow up shots than either the 40 or the 45. The 40 uses the same frame size/weight as a 9mm frame and the recoil can be unpleasant to say the least. While I carry a 45 most of the time, the frame of a 45 is both heavier and larger than typical 9mm or 40s&w carry guns.

So you have a couple trade offs. If you want the power of a 45acp you typically end up with a heavier and larger gun.

If you want the lighter weight and smaller size of a 9mm or 40s&w you then choose from low recoil (9mm) or somewhat harsh and snappy recoil (40s&w). I'd choose the easier to control, lower recoil, quicker follow up offered by the 9mm.

 

[mercop]

When I retired I had to give my 19 back so these days I carry my G23 in 40 or my Taurus Model 85 UL in 38 spl.

 

[Metro 40]

.

 

[Michiana]

40 S&W

Real men can handle a compact 40 S&W , which has enough capacity for self defense. Unless you are planning on fighting large street gangs you shouldn't need more than six shots.

 

[indyjoe]

I'm a fan of the .40, because if higher power than 9, but more rounds than .45. I like the Glock 23 for a good mix between concealability and control. In 9mm, the 19. However, if this is your first concealed carry gun, I prefer something even smaller at first. For me the P3AT can be concealed ALL THE TIME. Then go with a mid size for concealment. The P3AT can become a backup gun.

If I could only have one gun, it would probably be a Glock 19.

 

[Joe Williams]

i also prefer a .45
i have heard of people getting shot multiple times with a 9mm and surviving. i have NEVER heard about someone getting shot multiple times with a .45 and survive.

is this for carry?

Study more... there are plenty of example of .45 failures.

There are examples of 12 guage 00 buck shot failing, I assure you any handgun round will have plenty of failures.

9mm, .40 S&W, .45 ACP all perform well in actual shootings, so long as good, modern ammo is used.

That said, I'm a pretty big fan of revolvers, so I gotta say .357 Magnum is my favorite. In fact, it's a 3" Ruger SP101 sitting on my hip right now, with a handload that moves 158 grain XTP hollowpoints out the muzzle of my little gun at 940 fps. Somewhere between .38 +Ps and full power .357s, while hitting exactly to point of aim and being extremely accurate.

 

[Lars]

some food for thought: Shot 19 times, Survives

Shot placement trumps caliber 100% of the time.

a .50BMG to the shoulder is far less likely to kill someone than a .22LR in the left eye.