gomakemeasandwich
member
- Joined
- Aug 17, 2007
- Messages
- 46
This is kind of a long post, just to let you know in advance.
I currently own a Bersa Thunder .380, which, even though I think is a good handgun, has a caliber that I think is just too small for serious defensive carry. Therefore, I have thinking about moving up calibers, with this tentative list in mind to consider: .38 Special, 9mm, .40, .357 Magnum, .45.
Part of my considerations have been about stopping power, part of my considerations have been about price (of both the round and the gun), and part of my considerations have been about capacity (how many rounds each gun can hold). As you can probably tell, I am all over the place with my choices.
The .38 Special I know isn't much of a step up from the .380, but the heavier bullet with a Chicago load makes it worthy of consideration in my mind. Plus, a gun I found for $170 for it that seems reasonably good (it's a revolver) helps as well.
The 9mm is my current frontrunner for several reasons: it's cheap, recoil is low, you can carry more rounds in a magazine, and with several loads, it compares favorably with the more powerful calibers that I mentioned (though not on par).
I have never been a fan of the .40 caliber, I'm not sure why. It compares well to the .45 and even the .357 Magnum, but there is just something about it that I don't like (maybe because it was the first handgun round I ever shot, and it was in a Glock, which I don't like. I shot the same round later in one of my friend's S&W autoloaders and loved it). I can't really explain it. With that said however, recoil is manageable, and I can shoot accurately with it.
The .357 Magnum is always hailed as the ultimate manstopper, but I am not sure I need something that can punch holes through a car. I have honestly never shot the .357 Magnum, but I think I can control its recoil. Still, I don't think I could line it up for a second shot as quickly as the 9mm or the .40 caliber.
As for the .45, I am considering it mostly because it its service history. I don't think the .45 offers so much more than the .40 caliber that I should deal with the extra recoil of the .45, as well as the reduced carrying capacity. Still, my friend bought a Ruger P90 and I simply loved that gun. It's a large handgun with limited capacity, but the feel of it and how it was balanced (it is heavy, but the weight is well distributed) convinced me that I could probably get off a second shot at the same rate as a 9mm or the .40 caliber.
Now, with all of that said about the calibers, price is probably the main factor. I am not rich, so I don't plan on spending more than $350. That probably puts me into the range of the Ruger automatics, used .357 revolvers, and .38 Special revolvers. As I said, I am not a fan of Glocks, and I like the Ruger autoloaders, so I have no problem with picking up a Ruger autoloader. Any of the P series Rugers would work for me.
Still, I have also heard a lot about the Springfield XDs, which every person I have talked has described as one of the best autoloaders out there. I handled one, and while I like it more than the Glock, I don't think I am as comfortable with it as I am a Ruger. I know that the XD would push me way out of the $350 range, but I am willing to spend more if I absolutely feel it is the right gun.
As for revolvers, I know that they actually violate one of my considerations (carrying capacity), but I have to consider them too because of the calibers I am considering, as well as the price and reliability that they offer. On revolvers however, I am a little lost, since I am more familiar with autoloaders. I assume that any used S&W that I can find for $350 will probably be a good bet, but I really don't have a starting point for them, beyond S&W.
With all of this said, I am considering the .38 special, because it is cheap and I think that the round can compare with a 9mm for stopping power. Plus, the gun that I found for it is a very nice gun to handle, and I think I can be accurate with it. I think it will either be that or a Ruger autoloader in 9mm, but I worry that the 9mm even isn't much of a step up from the .380 (after all, the .380 is also known as (and basically is) the "9mm short"). When I make my purchase, I just want to make sure that I pick something that I can depend on, which is why I have all of the contradictory thoughts about all of these rounds.
So, if you have made it this far and still want to offer your opinion, please do. As you can probably tell, even though I favor certain rounds, I am far from decided on a round, so I value any opinion. Thank you.
Also, if you have any questions, feel free to ask.
I currently own a Bersa Thunder .380, which, even though I think is a good handgun, has a caliber that I think is just too small for serious defensive carry. Therefore, I have thinking about moving up calibers, with this tentative list in mind to consider: .38 Special, 9mm, .40, .357 Magnum, .45.
Part of my considerations have been about stopping power, part of my considerations have been about price (of both the round and the gun), and part of my considerations have been about capacity (how many rounds each gun can hold). As you can probably tell, I am all over the place with my choices.
The .38 Special I know isn't much of a step up from the .380, but the heavier bullet with a Chicago load makes it worthy of consideration in my mind. Plus, a gun I found for $170 for it that seems reasonably good (it's a revolver) helps as well.
The 9mm is my current frontrunner for several reasons: it's cheap, recoil is low, you can carry more rounds in a magazine, and with several loads, it compares favorably with the more powerful calibers that I mentioned (though not on par).
I have never been a fan of the .40 caliber, I'm not sure why. It compares well to the .45 and even the .357 Magnum, but there is just something about it that I don't like (maybe because it was the first handgun round I ever shot, and it was in a Glock, which I don't like. I shot the same round later in one of my friend's S&W autoloaders and loved it). I can't really explain it. With that said however, recoil is manageable, and I can shoot accurately with it.
The .357 Magnum is always hailed as the ultimate manstopper, but I am not sure I need something that can punch holes through a car. I have honestly never shot the .357 Magnum, but I think I can control its recoil. Still, I don't think I could line it up for a second shot as quickly as the 9mm or the .40 caliber.
As for the .45, I am considering it mostly because it its service history. I don't think the .45 offers so much more than the .40 caliber that I should deal with the extra recoil of the .45, as well as the reduced carrying capacity. Still, my friend bought a Ruger P90 and I simply loved that gun. It's a large handgun with limited capacity, but the feel of it and how it was balanced (it is heavy, but the weight is well distributed) convinced me that I could probably get off a second shot at the same rate as a 9mm or the .40 caliber.
Now, with all of that said about the calibers, price is probably the main factor. I am not rich, so I don't plan on spending more than $350. That probably puts me into the range of the Ruger automatics, used .357 revolvers, and .38 Special revolvers. As I said, I am not a fan of Glocks, and I like the Ruger autoloaders, so I have no problem with picking up a Ruger autoloader. Any of the P series Rugers would work for me.
Still, I have also heard a lot about the Springfield XDs, which every person I have talked has described as one of the best autoloaders out there. I handled one, and while I like it more than the Glock, I don't think I am as comfortable with it as I am a Ruger. I know that the XD would push me way out of the $350 range, but I am willing to spend more if I absolutely feel it is the right gun.
As for revolvers, I know that they actually violate one of my considerations (carrying capacity), but I have to consider them too because of the calibers I am considering, as well as the price and reliability that they offer. On revolvers however, I am a little lost, since I am more familiar with autoloaders. I assume that any used S&W that I can find for $350 will probably be a good bet, but I really don't have a starting point for them, beyond S&W.
With all of this said, I am considering the .38 special, because it is cheap and I think that the round can compare with a 9mm for stopping power. Plus, the gun that I found for it is a very nice gun to handle, and I think I can be accurate with it. I think it will either be that or a Ruger autoloader in 9mm, but I worry that the 9mm even isn't much of a step up from the .380 (after all, the .380 is also known as (and basically is) the "9mm short"). When I make my purchase, I just want to make sure that I pick something that I can depend on, which is why I have all of the contradictory thoughts about all of these rounds.
So, if you have made it this far and still want to offer your opinion, please do. As you can probably tell, even though I favor certain rounds, I am far from decided on a round, so I value any opinion. Thank you.
Also, if you have any questions, feel free to ask.
