Capacity or Caliber, what is more important in a carry weapon

[Guns and more]

Capacity or Caliber, what is more important in a carry weapon

To me........neither.
Capacity means nothing when the average gunfight is two shots and two seconds.
Caliber wars rage on.
I think most important is having the gun with you. Therefore, size is paramount to me.
Currently my favorite is a Sig P-238 in .380........I'm more likely to drop it in my pocket and have it with me.
Now if a .45 is easy for you to carry, have at it.

 

[Erik M]

My .44 is easy to carry in a Bianchi IWB holster. I feel safe with 5 rounds of 225 grain Hornaday.

Im really itching to get my Jericho compact out of layaway. I have a sweet belt holster picked out for it. 16 rounds of controlable 9mm, cant go wrong.

 

[Jubjub]

This story will make the decision obvious to anyone. The officer involved worked for a guy I knew as a shooting buddy.

Several years ago, the fire department in a Kansas town was conducting a training exercise. At the same time, a lone man was robbing a downtown bank.

A police officer was on hand at the scene of the fire department exercise, for traffic control. Seconds after the first call went out about the bank robbery, a car drove over the hoses at the fire department scene, and the officer pulled the offender over.

The traffic stop offender happened to be the bank robber, and as soon as he stopped, he exited his vehicle, firing at the officer with a .44 magnum revolver. The officer returned fire with his 9mm automatic. In the exchange of fire, the bank robber emptied his revolver, hitting the officer four times. The officer emptied his Smith 9mm, firing 15+1 shots. His last shot before the gun locked empty hit the bank robber right about where you would point to indicate that someone had been shot right between the eyes.

So there you go. Clear as day. One man misses or gets scratch hits fifteen times and gets in one instant kill shot on number sixteen, with a puny 9mm. One man shoots his opponent four times out of six with a .44 magnum, and dies right there.

Me, I want a 20 shot 12 gauge recoilless pistol should something like this ever come up.

 

[wvshootist]

More important than caliber is being proficient with the weapon that you have armed yourself with. If you haven't trained regulary your skills begin to erode. With whatever weapon you choose shoot until the threat no longer exists.

 

[KBintheSLC]

Considering that I sometimes carry a .32 acp with 7+1, or a .38 special 5-shot revolver, I tend to consider my little 9mm Glock 26 to be on the upper end of the concealed carry spectrum with 10+1... it has neither a big bore, nor high capacity, but it gets the job done.

As for open carry during a hunt/hike/camp, I tend to carry a 10mm with 15+1. It is very unobtrusive in a good holster.

 

[blaisenguns]

The traffic stop offender happened to be the bank robber, and as soon as he stopped, he exited his vehicle, firing at the officer with a .44 magnum revolver. The officer returned fire with his 9mm automatic. In the exchange of fire, the bank robber emptied his revolver, hitting the officer four times. The officer emptied his Smith 9mm, firing 15+1 shots. His last shot before the gun locked empty hit the bank robber right about where you would point to indicate that someone had been shot right between the eyes.

I bet that LEO was realy messed up though.

 

[Salty1]

Accuracy is king, makes no difference what you carry if you cannot shoot it accuratly...... I would rather have somebody with a 45 who does not have a clue than a man who carries a .22 and can place shots within 1" circles while under stress

 

[167]

Everything is a compromise. It is just a matter of how much you are willing to compromise in each category.

 

[mgkdrgn]

Actually -carrying- your carry weapon is first.
YOUR mindset is second.
Shot placement is 3rd ...

Caliber and capacity are relatively minor issues.

"Any gun will do as long as YOU will do."

 

[KFDiesel]

Beautful. Couldn't have said it better mgkdrgn. First rule of a gun fight is to have a gun. But if your going to carry you should be "condition yellow" and know how to use it. You must train. How many ftf's have you dealt with "on the clock"? Being confused in a gun fight is not good. Ever shoot off hand?

 

[KFDiesel]

Beautful. Couldn't have said it better mgkdrgn. First rule of a gun fight is to have a gun. But if your going to carry you should be "condition yellow" and know how to use it. You must train. How many ftf's have you dealt with "on the clock"? Being confused in a gun fight is not good. Ever shoot off hand?
Also we don't bring all the ammo we own, nor do we bring only 3 rounds. This goes to convienience and concealability. Bring as many rounds as you feel comfortable shlepping around. With guns I feel that if it's to bulky you might be inclined not to carry it. Carry what you feel comfortable with and train. Carry loaded and bring a reload. If you need a higher round count than that your probably screwed anyway.

 

[167]

Actually I would say mindset is first, everything else will follow.

 

[smoothdraw]

Something you can shoot properly and something you are actually willing to carry. But then again like the previous poster have said, it is mindset 1st and everything follows.

 

[FoMoGo]

I carry lower capacity handguns.
1911s, 5 shot .44 special, 6 shot .44 magnum...
I am confident in my abilities... and the abilities of the guns I carry.


Jim

 

[BullfrogKen]

gym,


Why ask the question when you already have the answer settled in your own mind?

The "shot placement" arrogance, really has to go. Assuming some of us have been shooting for 30-40 years, we know where and how to shoot.

You may know how to shoot, but shooting well is much different than fighting with a gun.



Tom Givens runs Rangemaster, based in Memphis. Memphis had lead the nation as being among the top 5 violent cities in the nation for a couple decades.

His school leads all others in the number of students who have found themselves in a gun fight and were successful. The last hard number I heard was over 60. He knows of only two who lost, and the major contributing factor to why they lost was they did not have their handgun actually on their person when the fight began.



Want to know what his cirriculum focuses on?

Accuracy - Speed - Power​

With the heavy emphasis on accuracy.


Between Tom and you, I know who's opinion I value more.