.22 LR / .22 Magnum. Easy to find ammo. Low recoil practice, 6-8 shots, fast recovery, cheaper ammo. Heavier triggers, penetration may be lacking.
.327 magnum. Fires .32 acp, .32 S&W Short, .32 S&W Long, .32 H&R Magnum, .327 Magnum. Low recoil practice, 6-7 shots, fast recovery with most ammo. Ammo is expensive except the .32 acp, which takes a little tapping to eject, and .32 acp isn't as accurate.
.38 Special / .357 Magnum. Easy to find ammo. 5-7 shots, ammo price more than 9mm (non-panic times) but reasonable. About the same as .32 S&W Long for similar quality. Recoil can slow recovery and shorten practice sessions. Bullet pull can be an issue in the lighter guns.
9mm. Easy to find ammo. 5 shots. Cheap ammo (non-panic times) Recoil can slow recovery and shorten practice sessions. Uses moon clips for better or worse. Bullet pull can be an issue in the lighter guns.
.44 Special / .45 ACP / .45 Colt. 5 shots. Less muzzle blast than the magnum calibers. Recoil can slow recovery and practice sessions. Ammo is more expensive than the others above. Bullet starts off wider than the others, less dependent on expansion and the slow bullets tend not to over penetrate anyway.
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