How did you decide to get the caliber(s) that you have?

[TheSigmaEnigma]

What calibers do you use and why? What was your thinking? I would appreciate any positive responses.

Thanks,

Enigma

 

[mgmorden]

First handgun was 9mm Luger. It's cheap to shoot but still relatively powerful. That was my #1 reason. If I'm looking for a specfic gun that comes in multiple calibers I ALWAYS lean towards getting it in 9mm Luger if I can.

Later I also added a .22LR - it's cheap to shoot and sometimes I care more about that than power .

My .380 ACP (a Ruger LCP) was purchased mostly for concealability.

Over the years I've also added 7.62x25, 9mm Makarov, 7.62 Nagant, .32ACP and .38 Special. Those were added because I happened to find good deals on guns that happened to shoot those rounds - no other reason there .

 

[MostlySurly]

.22lr - 'cause, hey, it's .22lr!!! How can you resist?

9x19 - When I bought my first semi-auto, factory 9mm was the least expensive, dependable, available stuff I could afford to shoot. I've never felt the need to reload 9mm. I have also always felt it is adequate for defense, and recoil is minimal.

.32 auto - inherited pistol; not my favorite caliber, by any means. Used only for practice and when I don't want to carry a full size.

 

[golden]

9m.m., .40 S&W, .32ACP and .22lr

I use the above four calibers for different reasons.

The 9m.m. is my favorite to shoot. In standard loadings, it is accurate and has light enough recoil that I can shoot it all day.
With +P or +P+ ammo, it is a very good defensive round with plenty of power, controllable recoil and is available in the guns that I like to shoot the most, the BERETTA 92D series and the WALTHER P99.
Both of these shoot very well for me and fit my hand.

I shoot the .40 S&W because my agency issues it and I want to keep my familiarity with it. I think it is a great police round with plenty of power in the 155 and 135 grain JHP ammo.
I prefer to shoot it only in larger pistols like my BERETTA 96D Vertec.

I use the .32ACP in my BERETTA Tomcat as an everyday carry gun. It just disappears under my clothes and I have found it easy to shoot for such a small gun and very reliable with the correct ammo (NEVER SHOOT WINCHESTER WHITE BOX, the flat tip of the bullet hangs up during feeding).

I also like to shoot old pocket pistols like the COLT 1903 and BROWNING 1910. The low recoil in these steel framed guns makes them very pleasant.

Last, I shoot the .22lr because it is simply so inexpensive, even with target ammo. I have several .22lr pistols and cannot be replaced by any other caliber.

Jim

 

[TheSigmaEnigma]

Yeah, I also had a 9mm. I sold it after hearing too many horror stories. I got a brand new Sigma .40 with that money and ended up not spending a dime! I also have a couple .22s. I was just wondering what research you guys do, or how you decided on a caliber. I got the .40 because I just felt better with a bigger caliber.

 

[legion3]

9mm - lots of really cool guns are chambered in it. Some (classic) guns are only chambered in it. Cheap plentiful ammo. Everyone uses the 9mm thus it must have something going for it.

380 - Fits in a gun that fits in my pocket otherwise probably would not have it.

45GAP - yes I know - fits a 45 caliber bullet in my favorite platform the Glock 19 (or at least as close as is possible).

I have owned multiple guns in many standard and off the wall calibers over the years, but by and away 9mm guns are the most prevelent.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

My only auto is a .40 and I chose it because I feel it's the perfect combination of power and magazine capacity.

 

[Ala Dan]

My main caliber is .45 ACP. I chose it cuz its BIG, FAT, and SLOW. In todays
cartridge offerings it makes sense to carry a .45; because they don't make a
.46 (LOL)~!

 

[sarduy]

i looked at records and asked around plus shoot a lot of weapons before picking the right caliber for the job, i dont own just one caliber, kist like you mkay not own just one tool, calibers are like tools.

.22lr for having fun/plining/teach how to shoot some one
9mm for training/wife ccw
.40sw for my CCW
.45 steel shooting/HD
30-06 for hunting
12ga for duck hunting/clay


you get the idea.

 

[TheSigmaEnigma]

I really want a .45, but dang those ammo prices! Its nearly 2 times the price of the 9mm and .40 ammo. That's the only reason why I went with the .40, it's the biggest caliber that I can afford to shoot on a regular basis.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

I'm an old Curmudgeon. I long ago decided there are only 4 1/2 useful pistol cartridges.

1. The .22 Long Rifle. Everyone should have a .22 pistol.

1 1/2. The .38 Special. The ideal cartridge for a snub nose revolver, should you choose to carry one.

2. The .357 -- close to the ideal revolver cartridge for most uses, and can use the .38 special for light loads.

3. The .45 ACP in the gun designed for it, the M1911. The best fighting pistol ever designed.

4. The .45 Colt. In a Ruger Blackhawk, it will shade the .44 Magnum slightly, and even with traditional loads is perfectly adequate for deer.

 

[esheato]

22 LR--because you have to
380--thought it would be a nice little CCW gun, but I never reloaded for it, so off it went
9mm--because they're fun and cheap and a good CCW caliber
38 Spl--low recoil, cheap and insanely accurate out of the right gun
40--only because I had to...It's the only way to be competitive in USPSA Limited division
45--because they're awesome
45 Colt--always wanted one

 

[Quiet]

Current...
.22LR = for plinking/target practice
.32ACP = for my pocket gun
7.62x38mmR = because it's for my 82 year old revolver
9x19mm = because I can't get a H&K P7 in .45
.45GAP = because it has less felt recoil than .40S&W and the .45GAP pistols conceal better than my .45ACP handguns
.45ACP = because it's a .45


In the past...
.380ACP = for pocket gun
.38Special = for revolver use
.357Magnum = for revolver use
.40S&W = for main duty use, replaced by .45GAP

 

[G27RR]

Well, I like 1911s, so I have a lot of .45ACP.

 

[TheSigmaEnigma]

Damn! VERY nice! How do you afford to practice with them? Do you reload? Is that the only way to own those kinds of calibers without going broke?

 

[utbrowningman]

.22 (in several models) because you have to have a .22
9mm - concealed carry, cheap to shoot
12 ga.- all around bird gun
.30-06 - can take any medium to large game in North America
.30-30 - see .22 comment

 

[GLOOB]

In roughly this order:
.45ACP
9mm mak
.22
.40SW
luger
.357

I have sort of "chosen" 9mm mak over .380, because they're very similar but mak ammo is cheaper. And I kind of chose to get my first parabellum slinger because I thought I should have one.

Everything else is because I wanted the specific gun, rather than seeking a specific caliber.

 

[wow6599]

G27RR, is that a RO with different grips and a Harrison rear? If so, can I copy? That looks great. I think that Harrison would work well with my RO's gold bead front and the grips really set the gun off nicely compared to the stock wood ones.

 

[G27RR]

G27RR, is that a RO with different grips and a Harrison rear? If so, can I copy? That looks great. I think that Harrison would work well with my RO's gold bead front and the grips really set the gun off nicely compared to the stock wood ones.

Yes, it's the Harrison extreme service rear sight with the LPA cut (HD002), and Larry Davidson black Wyrm grips. I posted a review of the sight the other day, as a followup post, in my review of the Range Officer. (Or see my blog in my signature). It's really a good match.



Black and tan Wyrms look nice, too (pre sight change picture).

 

[G27RR]

Damn! VERY nice! How do you afford to practice with them? Do you reload? Is that the only way to own those kinds of calibers without going broke?

Thanks, I stock up when prices are low and shop around, mail order helps, and I am saving brass for reloading. One of those is actually a 9mm so that helps, as does a .22LR conversion slide.



So I guess cost helped decide on having a 9mm Ranger II and a .22LR conversion. The rest of the 1911s are .45ACP.

 

[chrome_austex]

• 22lr - for a plinker/practice gun, affordability is foremost.
• 9mm - for a self-defense handgun, I tried 9mm and 40sw, and decided on 9mm mainly due to recoil
• .38 special - I picked the CC gun that fit my needs, and was available locally, and it came in this caliber
• 5.56 and...
• 308/7.62 - for my long guns, I've chosen NATO calibers, also well suited for self defense, varmints and north american game, respectively. In another part of the world I might pick 7.62x39.

So, in my case, caliber choice for a particular gun depends on how I plan to use (or not use) that firearm. Up until recently, I've been covering the basics. I shoot a lot, so ammo availability and selection has been important to me.

Now that I handload, I can toy around with uncommon cartridges for my target guns, but my go-to guns will always favor the most common (usually military or law enforcement) calibers in my region.

 

[LawScholar]

I shoot the .22 because it is cheap and tremendously fun.

I shoot the .380 because my LCP is extremely concealable.

I shoot the .40 because I never want to justify either my power or capacity as adequate.

I shoot the 12-Gauge because it's very versatile. Anything from breaching tool to birdshot.

I plan to add many, many more calibers. They all have their place.

 

[Warp]

9mm: My first handgun was a 9x19 because it is a self defense suitable service caliber that is inexpensive to shoot, offers quick follow up shots, small frame designs and high round counts. I have two 9mm Glocks now.

.38spl: I wanted a snub nose J-frame as a bug and a deep concealment gun.

.45 ACP: I just added this last week. I am a much more accomplished (and trained) shooter now than I was when I started and I still have the two 9mms, as well as ammo, to do most of my shooting without spending an arm and a leg. Also simply for variety, for fun, for something different.

 

[.357 magnum]

My First was a .40cal

Basically because it is a Great defensive Round. My Next Several Guns were .45acp. Awesome Defensive Round, NOT as Snappy as a .40 I Love Shooting .45's! Accurate, No Bad Recoil and Deadly! I actually bought all my 9mm's last. Turned out to be a Great Defensive round, Cheaper to shoot and Minimal Recoil! .45 is still my Favorite, with the 9mm Second and the .40 a close Third....Looking at other responses I guess I am supposed to include Calibers other then those in Semi-Auto's. Back in my LE days it was Always .357mag/.38SPL. We did use some 9mm's towards the end of my time before I left.

The Best to All!

Frank

 

[JohnBiltz]

The first gun I bought was in the 80s, S&W 66 in .357. It blew up on me. S&W replaced it but the letter they sent me made me so mad I traded it in for a .38 Super Astra A80. Good gun but getting ammo was so frustrating I bought a 9mm. This was the time of the wonder 9s and I went through several different ones ending up with a Sig 226. Again a very good gun. My wife to be took to keeping it near her while I was off to the Gulf War and I lost it in the divorce several years later. I bought a Glock .40 when I came back from Korea and I never liked it. Follow up shots just took too long. After a year I traded it for a G17 and was happy with that and had it for 13 years and my nephew has it now. When I got my CCW I bought a G26 and I'm very happy with it.