I watched a guy dump a full mag from a Beretta .22 in about 2 seconds at 25 feet onto a group smaller than 2 inches. For him it was a .22 caliber.
Your milage may vary. I prefer .357
ragman
September 23, 2017 9:33 am
Not so much the cal as reliability and accuracy coupled with the mindset to protect yourself and loved ones. If yer gat doesn’t go “bang” every time you pull the trigger it should not be relied upon to save your life. If you buy a quality weapon and it sits in the safe you will not be proficient with it. I would recommend(not that anyone here gives a shit) a reliable, reasonably accurate pistol stoked with proven tactical ammo. For me that’s a Glock 19 and Federal HST, 9mm. And then get training from a reputable facility. We have known for a long time that when TSHTF we revert to our training techniques and procedures. The proper mindset must be achieved individually. If you live in a state/city that thinks that a criminals life is more important than yours, get out. Stay safe out there, my friends!
TheDeplorableOldeVirginian
September 23, 2017 10:05 am
That anecdote of ungentlemanly behavior is unbearable.
Cute popgun though.
rhs jr
September 23, 2017 10:29 am
Typical urban Yankee; a Southerner would have killed the bear with his knife to save the Damsel. As for caliber, I prefer my 44Mag but only carry a 38LCR for size and weight reasons.
speak 4 yourself jr–
a guy with some bucks that he did not want to split with his wife here in fla was taking a walk with her trying to work out an amicable divorce when a 13′ gator came up out of the creek that meandered thru the park–
he immediately did the smart thing and kneecapped her–
however,unlike those heathen northern boys,he did say a prayer for her after she went under–
BB
September 23, 2017 10:35 am
I bought a Ruger 380 pocket pistol a couple weeks ago.Six shot + one .Nice ,light little pistol to carry on your person.I paid 249 dollars + tax for it at a local gun shop.
Francis Marion
September 23, 2017 11:15 am
The question lacks context.
For urban environments, any caliber will do – shot placement is more important than caliber choice.
For rural environments anything over 6mm is fine and if I am trudging around bear country just for fun then a 12 Ga loaded with a combination of slugs and 00 buck is preferable to just about everything else.
Penforce
September 23, 2017 12:28 pm
If’n your adversary isn’t down or running by the second shot, then you are, by definition in a fire-fight. Body size increases here in the cold climate making those southern bell pocket pistols nearly useless. Here we prefer grenades. Just pull the pin, scream “grenade” and run like hell. Those little steel balls are guaranteed to break up any party. If worn on the outside of clothing, they are a deterrent to overcrowding and shallow friendships also.
i like your attitude penforce-your grenades are like chewing tobacco,it keeps your relationships w/the opposite sex short–
Stubb
September 23, 2017 1:51 pm
9mm. Decent stopping power but accurate due to less recoil than a 40 or 45 or 357. A 9mm is a fine handgun for femme fatales as well which makes it a good universal choice. IMO.
.45 ACP for me, don’t have to “upsize” in the winter, just switch to ball for 6-layer penetration.
And I’d still aim for the nuts for effect.
Miles Long
September 23, 2017 5:38 pm
Protect myself from what?
About 20 years ago a good friend got into a drunken altercation with another asshole we knew. A 22 mag from powder burn distance was absolutely deadly. I was amazed at the amount of internal damage done after reading the coroner’s report. It entered just below the collar bone & traveled around inside ending up down below the opposite kidney retaining most of its weight.
A .380 is better than a sharp stick in the eye, but… I would prefer to not be that close. For personal defense a 9mm with premium ammunition is minimum due to the physical size of so many yutes wearing thick clothes in winter these days. I also carry a smallish 5 shot 44 Special loaded with +Ps which I imagine would be a better stopping weapon than a 9mm, but only 5 shots isn’t good if there are multiple threats & it doesn’t conceal as easily as an auto.
I carry a 44 Mag if wandering in the woods stoked with gas-check linotype 240 SWCs over a stiff load of WW-296. I read a lot of Elmer Keith stuff when young & impressionable. Dont listen to your wife, bigger is better. My deer rifle is a 20″ barreled lightweight 358 Winchester. There’s a 358 Norma in the safe in case I ever make it to Alaska.
An interesting place to spend some time if you care about such things as handgun terminal ballistics…
.357 Magnum, at the very minimum. There is no substitute for mass.
BUCKHED
September 24, 2017 12:57 am
45….I have a Springfield XDS for that I carry with me 7+1,
I have a S&W 500 with the 4 inch barrel. I’d carry under a jacket during the winter but I’m afraid that just pulling that out on someone would cause them to either piss themselves or have a heart attack…..think Mick from Crocodile Dundee when looking at someone with a Bersa 380….gun..that’s not a gun…pulling out the 500, ” Now That’s A Gun ” !
steve
September 24, 2017 1:06 am
There are lots and lots of heated opinions but total available firepower is what you want . 9mm with 15 -17 shot capacity (e.g. glock 17/19) wins most battles.
Well so much for the .45. Lol
I watched a guy dump a full mag from a Beretta .22 in about 2 seconds at 25 feet onto a group smaller than 2 inches. For him it was a .22 caliber.
Your milage may vary. I prefer .357
Not so much the cal as reliability and accuracy coupled with the mindset to protect yourself and loved ones. If yer gat doesn’t go “bang” every time you pull the trigger it should not be relied upon to save your life. If you buy a quality weapon and it sits in the safe you will not be proficient with it. I would recommend(not that anyone here gives a shit) a reliable, reasonably accurate pistol stoked with proven tactical ammo. For me that’s a Glock 19 and Federal HST, 9mm. And then get training from a reputable facility. We have known for a long time that when TSHTF we revert to our training techniques and procedures. The proper mindset must be achieved individually. If you live in a state/city that thinks that a criminals life is more important than yours, get out. Stay safe out there, my friends!
That anecdote of ungentlemanly behavior is unbearable.
Cute popgun though.
Typical urban Yankee; a Southerner would have killed the bear with his knife to save the Damsel. As for caliber, I prefer my 44Mag but only carry a 38LCR for size and weight reasons.
speak 4 yourself jr–
a guy with some bucks that he did not want to split with his wife here in fla was taking a walk with her trying to work out an amicable divorce when a 13′ gator came up out of the creek that meandered thru the park–
he immediately did the smart thing and kneecapped her–
however,unlike those heathen northern boys,he did say a prayer for her after she went under–
I bought a Ruger 380 pocket pistol a couple weeks ago.Six shot + one .Nice ,light little pistol to carry on your person.I paid 249 dollars + tax for it at a local gun shop.
The question lacks context.
For urban environments, any caliber will do – shot placement is more important than caliber choice.
For rural environments anything over 6mm is fine and if I am trudging around bear country just for fun then a 12 Ga loaded with a combination of slugs and 00 buck is preferable to just about everything else.
If’n your adversary isn’t down or running by the second shot, then you are, by definition in a fire-fight. Body size increases here in the cold climate making those southern bell pocket pistols nearly useless. Here we prefer grenades. Just pull the pin, scream “grenade” and run like hell. Those little steel balls are guaranteed to break up any party. If worn on the outside of clothing, they are a deterrent to overcrowding and shallow friendships also.
i like your attitude penforce-your grenades are like chewing tobacco,it keeps your relationships w/the opposite sex short–
9mm. Decent stopping power but accurate due to less recoil than a 40 or 45 or 357. A 9mm is a fine handgun for femme fatales as well which makes it a good universal choice. IMO.
40mm
You have done flung a cravin’ on me, AC. I want one of those!
Look up “shotshell”; three shots in one!
http://www.winchester.com/Products/shotshell-ammunition/Innovative/PDX1-Defender-Shotshell/Pages/S410PDX1.aspx
This post is not instructive. It is not funny. It is not even sarcastic.
It is best off not being here at all.
muck
Maybe another global warming post where you get the shit kicked out of you would be better.
Oops, wrong button.
.45 ACP for me, don’t have to “upsize” in the winter, just switch to ball for 6-layer penetration.
And I’d still aim for the nuts for effect.
Protect myself from what?
About 20 years ago a good friend got into a drunken altercation with another asshole we knew. A 22 mag from powder burn distance was absolutely deadly. I was amazed at the amount of internal damage done after reading the coroner’s report. It entered just below the collar bone & traveled around inside ending up down below the opposite kidney retaining most of its weight.
A .380 is better than a sharp stick in the eye, but… I would prefer to not be that close. For personal defense a 9mm with premium ammunition is minimum due to the physical size of so many yutes wearing thick clothes in winter these days. I also carry a smallish 5 shot 44 Special loaded with +Ps which I imagine would be a better stopping weapon than a 9mm, but only 5 shots isn’t good if there are multiple threats & it doesn’t conceal as easily as an auto.
I carry a 44 Mag if wandering in the woods stoked with gas-check linotype 240 SWCs over a stiff load of WW-296. I read a lot of Elmer Keith stuff when young & impressionable. Dont listen to your wife, bigger is better. My deer rifle is a 20″ barreled lightweight 358 Winchester. There’s a 358 Norma in the safe in case I ever make it to Alaska.
An interesting place to spend some time if you care about such things as handgun terminal ballistics…
Taurus 9mm, John
Phased plasma rifle in the 40 watt range.
.357 Magnum, at the very minimum. There is no substitute for mass.
45….I have a Springfield XDS for that I carry with me 7+1,
I have a S&W 500 with the 4 inch barrel. I’d carry under a jacket during the winter but I’m afraid that just pulling that out on someone would cause them to either piss themselves or have a heart attack…..think Mick from Crocodile Dundee when looking at someone with a Bersa 380….gun..that’s not a gun…pulling out the 500, ” Now That’s A Gun ” !
There are lots and lots of heated opinions but total available firepower is what you want . 9mm with 15 -17 shot capacity (e.g. glock 17/19) wins most battles.