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favorite hangun cartrige

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My vote is for .38 Special, because it's perfect for reloading and almost as cheap to shoot as .22 (but a lot more fun).
 
I love hand guns. I enjoy reloading and shooting all of mine and I would be sad, but able to survive if I could only have one. I regularly load and shoot .357, .45 acp, .45 Colt (in both S&W 625 Mnt Gun and Ruger blackhawk) and the .41 Mag.

I have to admit though, When I go out in the woods or on a road trip, I feel best with the .41 Mag. Powerful, deep penetration, and very easy to control (with a bit of practice). I wonderful compromise offering the best of .357 and .44 mags.

So my favorite is the .41, hands down
 
My favorite handgun cartridge is probably the .44 Magnum, though I really like the .45 ACP, the 9mm Luger, .357 Magnum/.38 Special and .22 LR as well. How about one of each? :evil:
 
My vote is for .38 Special, because it's perfect for reloading and almost as cheap to shoot as .22 (but a lot more fun).
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I always include the .38 Special in the .357 category -- and probably more .38 Specials are shot through .357s than real .357 ammo. A quality .357 is a tackdriver with a light .38 Special load.

My favorite is a 148 grain hollow-base wadcutter loaded over 2.7 grains of Bullseye -- the classic target load. I have killed a bunch of squirrels with this load.
 
For Defence: I have always been a .45acp man but about 5 months ago I bought a 10mm (Glock 29) for a concealed carry gun. I have to say that I have become very fond of that round. It has power and penetration but also decent magazine capacity in subcompact Platform.


For Sheer fun: I would have to say the .500 S&W. It never fails to make an impression on those around me at the range.
 
Vern H said:
There are four useful handgun cartridges:
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It's rare, indeed, for me to disagree (even if most respectfully) with our friend and sage Vern.

But here, I must depart.

For me, that fav hg cartridge is 9mm.

It feels good. It shoots well. It's readily available.
With proper attention to SHOT PLACEMENT,
it will do just as well as 45 ACP.

I've also got .38 spl in a SW 642 for CCW.

I've looked at .357, and read even more about it.

But give me 9mm any day. :) ;) :rolleyes: :cool: :evil:

YMMV.

Nem
 
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All of them! I love to shoot handguns. Any of the rimfires for plinking, .357 Mag. or .45 ACP for SD. For deer, .44 Mag in a heavy load for energy and penetration. I might consider the Ruger Alaskan Sup.RedHawk in .454 Casull if I was walking in grizzlie country - however, better make the first count as I'm not sure my hand would be able to do another!;)
 
It's rare, indeed, for me to disagree (even if most respectfully) with our friend and sage Vern.
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Vern just leaves out about the handiest of all SD rounds and about the most versatile as far as platforms go, the 9mm. I agree with the rest of his post other than my own ambivalence to the 1911 and preference for DAs. :D But, 9mm can be put in everything from hi cap duty weapons to pocket pistols. It, as you say, can do about anything the .45 can do short of pins and falling plate stuff, momentum games. But, as far as self defense goes, it's as effective as most .45 loads and comes in a lot more compact platforms with more firepower. I like the nine a lot.

So, I might add the nine to Vern's list and say "five" calibers, but I like about all calibers, too. I can think of a few I have little use for. .32ACP and .25ACP are on that short list. I've never even owned a .32 and don't feel I'm missing anything. :rolleyes:
 
As ole C. R. Sam called it 9x32R
it works,
its been around for along time,
It is what I like also
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Is that .38 Special? I somehow remember .357 Magnum being 9x33R, is 1mm of case space all that the .357 has on the .38?
 
Is that .38 Special? I somehow remember .357 Magnum being 9x33R, is 1mm of case space all that the .357 has on the .38?
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Actually, the case length is only to prevent the cartridge being loaded in a .38 Special. It's pressure, not case length, that makes the .357 what it is.

The .38 Special, developed around 1902, is based on the .38 Long Colt. It was originally a black powder cartridge. It is limited to a maximum breech pressure of about 18,000 Copper Units of Pressure (CUP).

The .38/44 was a high-pressure .38 Special developed jointly by Smith and Wesson and Winchester in the 1930s. The idea was to use the Smith and Wesson Hand Ejector (orginally developed for the .44 Special) to withstand very high pressures.

This was not smart -- because the .38/44 cartridges could be loaded in and shot in old, creaky .38 Special revolvers. So the case was lengthened to prevent that -- a .38 Special revolver will not chamber .357s (althought you can shoot .38s in your .357.)

The maximum breech pressure for the .357 is about 40,000 CUP.
 
After trying what seems like everything out there over the years, I have three favorite calibers.

1. For USPSA and self defense(CCW)=.40S&W.

2. .357mag. 125gr JHP for nightstand and woods carry.With loads such as Buffalo Bore 180gr LFN, it works wonders for deer inside 50 yards.

3. For pure hunting..44mag.
The .44mag can be download for steel plates, mid range loads such as the 240gr for deer, or heavy loads such as the 310 and 330 Hammerheads for Elk and Moose.
 
My favorite cartridge would have to be the .40 s&w i personally believe that it is the best all around defense caliber. I carry it in my carry gun and my xd which is my home defense gun.
 
I keep experimenting, but no matter what I try, I always come back to my baby, the .45 ACP.

After that:

.44 magnum
.357 magnum
.38 spl
9 mm for plinking
.22 LR for teaching
 
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