Lowest Caliber You Would Use For Self Defense

[Hypnogator]

A .22 in the pocket will stop a fight a lot faster than a .44 Magnum out in the car!

 

[Big Calhoun]

Hey, no .40 S&W! That is the smallest I go for handguns. A sizeable and controllable round. Love shooting the .40!

 

[Manedwolf]

I have what I call my false sense of security My 25 caliber Beretta

Practice with it a lot, and realize that once you do, you can rapid-fire the thing with nine rounds into a small group so quickly that it sounds almost like full-auto. Last test someone posted on here with ball had over 14" penetration in gelatin.

Then you feel better about it. Good little gun. IMO, the best of that caliber ever made.

 

[ronto]

38 Special....With a +P at the end.

 

[mpmarty]

I assumed (ya know what that does) the minimum POWER that would be acceptable to me in a carry round and for that reason picked the .38 special as in its 125gr plus p loading it exceeds the 9mm and I would NEVER stoop to packing a wimpy nine.... well maybe my makarov once in a while... or a compact SIG 9 or or or oh hell if it came down to it I've been known to go out armed only with a long gun and no pistol at all.

 

[BOOM-BOOM]

The smallest I would use is the one I'm carrying, and that's a 45.. makes sence to me that if I would use a small caliber, I'd carry a smaller caliber.. My night stand weapon is a 12 gauge with .00 buck...... Its me and My family. why would I depend on something that might stop them(the BG) when I KNOW what I have WILL STOP THEM..... I'm not trying to wound anyone that could get me and mine killed.. I'm going to blow the sucker away before he does me.

 

[Anna's Dad]

.32

I put .32 because living in FL, I usually only have my P-32. I would -prefer- to have 9mm or better, but I haven't found anything small enough in 9mm except the Rohrbaugh R9 and I can't spend $1k on a gun any time soon.

I know I could get the P3AT, but I'm not convinced its that much more effective than the P-32 with the right ammo and I really don't want another caliber in the collection (don't have any .380) at all right now.

If it proves to be reliable, I'm hoping the SKYY MPX-9 (when and IF it ever comes out) will allow me to bump to 9mm as a daily carry.

For home defense, its .45 ACP all the way.

 

[kokapelli]

How does 32cal work on those gators in Florida?
-

 

[Glockfan.45]

voted for .22 because with the Walther P22 and 10 rounds

Yes looking at this gun it looks like it was designed with self defence in mind. I voted for the .45, but I imagine if I were allowed to carry (see location ) I would not feel too bad about having a little pocket gun like the P22 if it were all I could conceal on hot days. It gets awful hot & humid here in the summer, and I wouldnt were big clothes on a 101 degree day with 80% humidity just to conceal a larger gun. I think a .22 stinger at close range would discourage any B/G.

 

[Shifty]

this is silly. if you had a magical gun that could fire reliably with any of those rounds, which would you choose?

duh.

a rifle

IMHO pistols should always be last resort weapons.

but i'd take a .45.

 

[MrTwigg]

I've heard it said

For defense start with calibers which begin with a "4". For me, .40 S&W, out of a Glock 22. 15 +1, followed by two more 15 rounders' as back up's.

But, is 46 rounds enough ?

 

[bigcim]

compound bow if its all i had

 

[Ops Officer]

I keep the S&W 642 loaded with +P JHP. That is what is available for my wife, which is where she is with her handgunning right now. Everything else is a .45 ACP with various loads, normally Speer Gold Dot. Though 230 gr. FMJ is what I use for a reliable feed in my SIG GSR Revolution, various JHP loads are what I like to use for tactical loads in pistols and revolvers. I am more accurate with a .45 ACP than any other caliber. So, though I voted for .38 Spl because of the snubby, the gun I would grab would be filled with .45 ACP for shot placement as well as the effectiveness of this caliber.

 

[kengrubb]

I carry .40 S&W, but I suppose if I had to I could get by on a .38--which is what I voted.

A semiauto pistol is what I'm comfortable concealing on a daily basis, but something belt fed weapon would give me complete comfort.

 

[SSN Vet]

"conventional wisdom"

I hadn't shot any of the "small calibers" prior to making my CCW decisions...so I did a lot of reading and went with the seemingly large consensus....

In a primary defense gun, .38 Spl. for a revolver, 9mm Luger for a pistol.

have had a chance to shoot .380 auto since, and it certainly wasn't a pop gun....

I think if .380 enables you to pocket carry and thus be armed more of the time, it's a viable selection.

P.S. Thanks to all on THR for sharing your experience and helping me to get a clue!

 

[KD5NRH]

Great; more big-bore bigotry.

Where's the good old .17Remington when you need it?

 

[.357 magnum]

Thank you Big Calhoun! Those .40's are Great!

I am strictly a .45 and .40 man---soooo I felt left out when a .40sw was not listed. That is low as I would go. I had to vote the .45acp was the end all of all calibers. Quite honestly I feel my Springfield XD tactical .45acp with 230 gr Hydra-Shoks sitting on the night stand with a 13 shot mag one in the chamber and my .40 cal Taurus 24/7 with a 15 round mag and 165gr Remington Golden Sabers [one in the chamber also] as back up. Make me sleep so much better. Of course I always have been a light sleeper and my German Shepherd makes things even that much better! She won't let anyone come close to the house without growling and barking and coming to get me, awesome dog!

Best to all!

 

[wrangler5]

Every now and then I have to go to a formal party. Whether black tie or white tie, a Baby Browning is my pocket gun of choice, since (a) I have one, and (b) nothing else fits as discreetly in the pocket of formal pants. For all other occasions, though, it's a 380 in the pocket in the summer (KelTec) and a Makarov IWB or in a shoulder holster the rest of the year, when I can wear a sweater or jacket to cover it.

 

[jlh26oo]

.38 is the absolute lowest I'd go. Of course if I only had the option of a .22, I'd take it. Who wouldn't.

Yeah I see that. But I can honestly imagine scenarios where I'd feel more confident going hand-to-hand vs pulling a .22; where I otherwise might have drawn with a defensive caliber.

If I have to defend myself, the attacker(s) probably has a weapon. I'll NEVER have to shoot someone that's taking me on man to man, unless they're so big I'd not have ANY kind of confidence with a .22 anyways. So they either have some kind of weapon, or are considerably bigger/badder than I, or on PCP. Any of the above needs a substantial caliber imo.

My caliber basement is 9mm, ymmv.

 

[VMIRat1995]

For self-defense...

...a Smith & Wesson .500 Magnum. 'nough said.

 

[Geronimo45]

I'd take a .22 as a minimum... or .25. Somehow, I have a strange affinity for .32... especially since the CZ83 has 15 rounds in a compact-9mm-sized package. The .22 is my minimum carry threshhold (sp).
I like .32... it's an odd round - a strange combination of a rimmed and non-rimmed cartridge, apparently. Varies between European and US ammo makers. May be the minimum viable SD round. It took out Archduke Ferdinand and his wife... starting the first world war.
Strange round for a strange feller (me).

 

[Borachon]

9x18 Makarov....blessed by a Hoodoo witch woman with alternative "Soul Distruct" feature.

(Hey!...if they're worth shooting once; they're worth whumpin' on spiritually!)

 

[cyco668]

10mm or .357. That's what I own and that's what I like. In self defence, I'd use a slingshot or blowgun if i had to.

 

[Lonestar]

While I believe any round will kill, I voted for the .32 ACP, I carried a Beretta Tomcat for years before I got a Kel Tec P3at.

My shooting buddies and I got into this discussion and here is a good exercise for you guys.

For $10 million dollars (and lets say you definately need the money, or your child need a special surgery to live and this is the only way to pay for it) you need to take One Shot in the COM from let us say 25 feet away, and you must be alive to collect the money. You pick the caliber and the weapon, and once you are shot you are immediately rushed to ER of a top hospital to remove the bullet.

Most guys ruled out all centerfire rifle rounds, all the shotgun buckshots round regardless of the gauge, and handgun rounds 9mm and above.

I personally voted for Birdshot, .17 .22 short, long and .22 LR coming out of a pistol only.

the .22LR, .32 and the .380 rounds were hotly debated. Some feared the lowly .22lr for it's ability to bounce around in your chest cavity.

I'm not saying you cannot kill a human with these rounds, but I do have confidence that with proper medical attention, there is a real high, one-shot survival rate.

 

[Dr. Dickie]

"How does 32cal work on those gators in Florida?"

We use them on Dogs, not Gators.
GO GATORS!!

Sorry, it is Florida-Georgia weekend.
UF alumni