View Full Version : Which of the popular pistol calibers do you consider "essential"?
I'm interested in hearing what calibers you think are "essential" for your semiauto pistol collection. This isn't about one caliber being better than any other, it's about which calibers would you personally prefer to keep on hand, to give you the full range of performance that you think is necessary in your fighting pistols.
Say that (for reasons of budget, or reduced storage space, or simpler maintenance, or for any other reasons) you had to reduce the number of pistols and different calibers that you keep on hand.
Which calibers would you keep on hand in your collection, if you decided to limit calibers? Would you narrow it down to just one or two, or would you still have three or more? Why?
I have already decided to limit my calibers to the 9mm and the .45. I still believe the .40 S&W and the .357 Sig are great cartridges, and both have some things they do better than the 9 and the .45. But all things considered, I feel like standardizing on two cartridges gives me the following:
* Performance. It covers the full range of semiauto handgun performance that I need: both the "big and slow" man-stopper bullets, and the "light and fast", deep-penetrating bullets. Both can be effective, with good ammo and good placement, and both can complement each other. There may be a few things that the .40 or the .357 Sig can do better than either the 9 or the .45, but for the most part, I think the 9 and 45 do everything that I would need.
* Availability. It gives me two very widely used and distributed cartridges. If I should ever temporarily not be able to get one of these calibers, then I should be able to find the other. That way, all my eggs are not in one basket.
* Simplicity. With limited time and space at home, it gets increasingly complex trying to store, track, and maintain all the different calibers. Actually I've been reducing calibers across my entire gun collection, trying to streamline things a bit, and it's really been a good thing! My wife loves it!
* Shootability. This is perhaps the most important: I shoot the 9 and the .45 better than any of the other popular calibers. I won't say they have less recoil, but the type of recoil, as well as the overall experience including blast, noise, and flash, seems more manageable to me with the 9 and the 45, so I shoot them better.
NCPatrolAR
09-01-08, 18:20
9,40,45
Robb Jensen
09-01-08, 18:23
For me 9mm NATO and 45ACP, anything else is just extra/nice to haves.
I completely agree with gotm4. 9mm and .45 are all you really need.
cougar_guy04
09-01-08, 20:10
9mm and .45 ACP for me as well.
All I've got is 9mm these days.
Alpha Sierra
09-01-08, 21:04
9x19 for semis
.357 Magnum for wheelguns (dual capability with .38 Special)
RogerinTPA
09-01-08, 21:20
9mm, .40 & .45. The first two for cost and availability. If one, then the .40 as a compromise between the two. If deployed OCONUS, then the 9mm. AND I love the .45 but damn that ammo is expensive!
In quantity, only 9x19mm.
There is also a need for a small supply of .38 +p's and .380's for BU or GCC (gym clothes carry).
I've standardized with 9mm and 45. They will do all I need in a semi auto pistol. Have to keep 38 +p for the bug. I'll consider adding 40s&w back if I get into IPSC/USPSA to make major, but in general, 9 and 45 will do it for me.
Jay Cunningham
09-01-08, 21:52
9mm and .38 spl, similar to what Todd stated.
Well I thought I would be tarred and feathered for suggesting so... but for me now the 9x19mm is primary, and my beloved 45ACP is (gasp) secondary.
I've got an older Kimber Classic, and a M&P45 I got early this year, these are my only 45's left. They get dust on them.
Most of my training is now done with the M&P9, M&P9c, and the G26. Money is being saved for an M&P9L also.
The Niner just seems to 'work' better for me, than the 45.
In 20+ years of shooting, I've come right back to where I started, the 9mm.
At the risk of sounding repetitive
9 mm and .45 ACP
I'm a little bit surprised by the number of folks who have limited themselves to 9 and 45, as I have. I figured that probably most people would be going with 9, 40, and 45, and I also thought there'd be a lot more folks going with 40 and 45 (with the justification for 40 being that it's the main LE caliber). Of course, the thread is still fairly new. :-)
I used to have .380, 9mm, 44 spcl, 44 mag, and 45 ACP. Since I handload I have standardized on one caliber and its' corresponding guns. I am trying to simplify my life after all. The only handguns and caliber I have now are .45 ACP. The only rifle caliber I have (other than my pre-64 Winchester Model 70) is .223. I do my best to load as many .45 and .223 as I can because you can never have enough ammo.
.22LR, 9mm and 38SPL would take care of it for me. The rest are gravy. 12ga, .223, and .308 for long guns.
I don't know if I'll even own a .40SW if the job opens up options, and/or stops providing ammo.
Robb Jensen
09-01-08, 22:46
I'm guessing many aren't reading the question ? Which was I'm interested in hearing what calibers you think are "essential" for your semiauto pistol collection.
.45 in a Government Model 1911
9mm in a G19 or P226
.38SPL for that Smith J Frame.
IrishDevil
09-01-08, 23:15
My two semiauto essentials and why:
9mm: CCW and main defensive caliber
45ACP: caliber of my house gun, also the caliber I would fall back to if I had to resort to using ball for defensive use
I don't necessarily have any reason to support using 45ACP ball over 9mm ball. I'd feel more confident though.
I'm guessing many aren't reading the question ? Which was I'm interested in hearing what calibers you think are "essential" for your semiauto pistol collection.
45 ACP now and forever! I would rather fire fewer that hit harder than more that don't. Nuf said.
Jay Cunningham
09-02-08, 00:57
45 ACP now and forever! I would rather fire fewer that hit harder than more that don't. Nuf said.
I am hoping that you are kidding around. If so, then ok. If not, then .45acp only "hits harder" if you are shooting at a steel plate.
And with that, I will leave any future potential "caliber war" posts to the HG Forum mods!
:cool:
losbronces
09-02-08, 01:00
9 mm Nato and .45 acp will let you do anything you want to do with a semi-auto pistol.
While I own a number of handguns as far as "real use" ones it's only 9mm and .45acp. And to be completely honest I've just near, but not quite, retired my various .45's and stick with 9mm.
It has nothing to do with caliber wars or anything. It's simple economics. I can shoot far more 9mm for the $ than anything else. And believe me I shoot and reload one hell of a lot.
Same for rifles. I still use my SAGE stocked M1A but really it's the .223 AR that see's the most trigger time.
.40 cal, .357Sig...Nothing I see wrong with them I simply don't need another supply line of factory ammunition, reloading components and hardware, magazines, and spare parts for break downs.
If I want smaller I shoot 9mm, if I want bigger I pass the middle ground and hit .45acp.
All that said my Ruger Mk II with thread on AAC Pilot can sees a lot of use as well.
For me 9mm NATO and 45ACP, anything else is just extra/nice to haves.
+1
-RD62
considering a glock 22 can take a 9mm conversion barrel with no problems --i would go 9mm conversion barrel on the 40 glock--and pick up a nice 45acp somewhere that you like. cover all three bases with two pistols--
not a big fan of the 9mm but it is the most common round+ it will be around and the cheapest to shoot.
Failure2Stop
09-02-08, 10:16
9mm- with modern JHPs it is effective and efficient, and training ammo is cheap(er).
.45 ACP- because I really like my 1911 (only 1 left).
With regards to the .45/1911 thing- I am almost sure that absent one, the other would not be seen much.
9mm and .38 spl, similar to what Todd stated.
+1 here.
I used to have 9x19, .38 Special, .357 Magnum, .40 S&W, .41 Magnum, .44 Special, and .45 ACP. I got tired of having to keep stocks of all these. Things are so much simpler now. Any auto that I shoot now is a 9x19; any wheelgun (read J-frame BUG)is a .38 Special. For me these two calibers can do anything that I'll ask a handgun cartridge to do.
.45 and 38 Super for me.....
G34Shooter
09-02-08, 14:47
For me 9mm NATO and 45ACP, anything else is just extra/nice to haves.
Same here...
ThirdWatcher
09-02-08, 16:42
.45 ACP, 9mm Parabellum, and .22Long Rifle (in that order) for me.
9mm is the only essential combat cartridge. It is inexpensive to buy, can perform as effectively as the .40 and close to the .45 (assuming identical accuracy and speed with the bigger cartridges which is not a given)
BUT:
Most importantly: 9mm is universally available anywhere you go in the world and has been getting the job done for generations.
So, my priorities are: (1) availability, (2) price, and (3) performance with best accuracy and speed.
p.s. There's a fun website called Calibers where a lot of BTDT guys, pros and other knowledgable folks discuss these kind of topics.
I am hoping that you are kidding around. If so, then ok. If not, then .45acp only "hits harder" if you are shooting at a steel plate.
:
+1
Or if you listen to that bald former Navy Seal who hosts FutureWeapons. He in fact said: "The .45 simply hits harder and has the one shot knock down power that the 9mm lacks (Comparing a newly designed short .45 ACP sub gun to a H&K MP5). Guess what? The steel plate they set up didn't fall down after he hit it with the MP5 9mm, but . . . . (drum roll) it did fall over after 1 shot of .45 ACP! I almost fell off my seat with laughter. :D
theJanitor
09-02-08, 18:45
For me 9mm NATO and 45ACP, anything else is just extra/nice to haves.
+1
if i can clarify more, 9mm because both the military and my local C&C police dept uses it. and 45 because i'm emotionally attached to it.
.45 ACP, .38 Special and .357 mag.
Parabellum9x19mm
09-02-08, 19:53
not too original but my essential handgun carts are .22LR, 9 Para/Luger, .40SW and .45ACP (in order of bore diameter, not importance).
i couldn't deal with not having at least one handgun in each chambering.
Robb Jensen
09-02-08, 20:47
For the people indicating .38 Spec, .357 Mag, .41 Mag and .44 Spec. What 'semi-autos' are you using these with?
I know there are some 'semi-autos' made in those calibers but I would trust my life to any of them.
9mm for cheapness of practice and general/subcompact carry
45 for all else
And that's since you restricted the question to semi's
use a 357 wheelie for a little deeper concealment
RogerinTPA
09-02-08, 20:58
Sounds like a failure to RTFQ!;)
For the people indicating .38 Spec, .357 Mag, .41 Mag and .44 Spec. What 'semi-autos' are you using these with?
I know there are some 'semi-autos' made in those calibers but I would trust my life to any of them.
For me 9mm NATO . . . .
gotm4, et al: I've never been a reloader so this might be a novice question, but wouldn't a 9mm NATO cartridge's pressure be higher than SAAMI and even higher than +P+? (or does the SAAMI vs. NATO pressure standards only apply to rifle cartridges?) Is such a cartridge even commercially available in, say, European or other NATO countries? Or were you simply using the "NATO" suffix to designate that 9mm is still the standard among NATO nations?
9mm para :
- commonly found
- relatively inexpensive.
- A wide variety of semi autos can be found in this caliber
most importantly, i can shoot it accurately and feel confident shooting it in a variety of scenarios
45ACP and 9mm. Although there is one .40 in the house
Yeah I misread the Question. My answer would be .45acp then. All my pistols are in that caliber and it is the caliber and gun I am best with.
varoadking
09-04-08, 19:01
Essential? 10mm and 22lr
Frequent? 40S&W and .357 SiG
Convenient? .45ACP and 9mm
Nathan_Bell
09-04-08, 19:50
Autoloader
9mm, 45acp
defensive revolver 38 357
Needed not matter what 22lr
9,40,45 As a bare minimum, .22 lr .38 Super and 10mm should also be on that list. Remember he who dies with the most toys wins. I do most of my shooting with .45, .22 and .40 S&W But also own Beretta 92's and a CZ75 in 9mm as range guns and to introduce new shooters to larger bore handguns.
IroquoisSnakePlissken
09-10-08, 18:35
+1
Or if you listen to that bald former Navy Seal who hosts FutureWeapons. He in fact said: "The .45 simply hits harder and has the one shot knock down power that the 9mm lacks (Comparing a newly designed short .45 ACP sub gun to a H&K MP5). Guess what? The steel plate they set up didn't fall down after he hit it with the MP5 9mm, but . . . . (drum roll) it did fall over after 1 shot of .45 ACP! I almost fell off my seat with laughter. :D
Despite my love for the .45 and no other, he used trick photography:
Notice in that episode where he shoots the steel with the 9mm. Low, and center.
Notice, then, where he places the .45. High and center.
The simple difference in leverage is what caused this "increased knockdown power".
Despite all that, I prefer .45 due to the small increase in potential blood loss.
Also, I've heard some horror stories from the ME about 9mm's ineffectiveness against Hadji.
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