Posted: 12/15/2008 1:24:43 PM EDT
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What caliber do you carry, and why have you chosen that caliber?
Most times I carry a 9mm, I have found with 135 or 147 gr bullet it will do what i need it to do. I do carry .45 and .357 sig from time to time. I like the .45 I am still a sucker for a 1911. I like the .357 sig and the ballistics but with it being a Sig P226 it is too big and heavy to carry all of the time. I forgot, I also carry a SW 642 .38+P , nice and small and will go anywhere, for me just as easy to carry as the small .380 |
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I used to carry a Glock 26 (9mm) but I would sometimes leave it at home because I thought it was slightly too big and heavy for everyday carry. So I started carrying a Ruger LCP (.380) and found it easy to carry every day, all day.
Now that I have established the habit of carrying every day without fail, I am starting to feel undergunned even though it is much easier to carry the Ruger LCP. Even when I carried the Glock 26 I felt a little undergunned. So today I started looking for a Glock 30SF (.45). Smith and Edwards didn't have one, neither did Kent's. Impact had a Glock 30 but I want the SF. When I called Sportsman's Warehouse in Ogden the guy responded, "No sir, we do not have the Glock 30SF. We do not stock any of the Glock SF versions." WTF? So to answer the OP's question, I used to carry 9mm because I figured it was the smallest adequate caliber. Then I decided that the .380 on me would be better than the 9mm that I left at home. My current thinking is that .380 is probably not much better than just carrying a knife. So if I am going to go back to a small Glock, I might as well carry the Glock 30SF because it has ten rounds in the magazine, just like the Glock 26. So I would rather have ten rounds of .45 than ten rounds of 9mm. The Glock 30SF is just slightly bigger and heavier than the Glock 26. Glock 30 weighs 23.99 oz. Glock 26 weighs 19.75 oz. Glock 30 is 6.77" long and 4.76" high. Glock 26 is 6.29" long and 4.17" high. Glock 30 is 1.27" wide. Glock 26 is 1.18" wide. |
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I have to agree with you that the 380 with you is better than anything left at home. However, I feel that a 380 is more than adequate for a self defense situation which is why we are carrying in the first place. Just remember to aim between the eyes!
Thanks Trebor2005, maybe I'll just keep carrying the Ruger LCP. It is so easy to carry. |
| Have always carried 9mm's and nothing smaller or bigger. I trust it's stopping ability with modern defensive ammunition and I really like the extra capacity, I feel that it is the perfect balance. Always carry a Smith and Wesson M&P 9mm compact (12+1 capacity) or a Kahr PM9 (6+1 capacity). |
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Sig 226 in 9mm. I bought an XD-9 subcompact a few months ago but haven't spent enough range time with it to be comfortable carrying it regularly. Not sure why I went with 9mm. Had a Sig 220 in .45 for a long time that I loved. Sold it to my brother when he was shopping for a new gun and got the 226 for a steal. |
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For me it was a easy choice, the largest caliber my wife feels comfortable shooting on a regular basis is 9mm, so that is what we carry. I carry a HK USP compact in 9mm, she carries a Sig 239 in 9mm. She can shoot either pistol, but the Sig fits her hand and her waist better than the HK. The first firearm she ever shot was a .45 and she still loves it, she just feels more comfortable with the 9mm.
I am a firm believer that shot placement is more important than the size of the bullet, so as long as she shoots the 9mm often and accuratly I trust she will be fine. The one drawback of the Sig is it has a pretty small magazine, so she has to carry a couple extra in her purse or in a pocket. |
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Quoted: For me it was a easy choice, the largest caliber my wife feels comfortable shooting on a regular basis is 9mm, so that is what we carry. I carry a HK USP compact in 9mm, she carries a Sig 239 in 9mm. She can shoot either pistol, but the Sig fits her hand and her waist better than the HK. The first firearm she ever shot was a .45 and she still loves it, she just feels more comfortable with the 9mm. I am a firm believer that shot placement is more important than the size of the bullet, so as long as she shoots the 9mm often and accuratly I trust she will be fine. The one drawback of the Sig is it has a pretty small magazine, so she has to carry a couple extra in her purse or in a pocket. I think that's good advice for anyone carrying a firearm. |
| Perhaps it is just my wife, but seriously she has preferred the XD 45 compact over anything else (including several 9mms and 380s). Part of me guesses it is because she can hit whatever she aims at with it, but my other smaller calibers are pretty good in that area as well. I feel more of a push than a slap/kick in my 45s that is smoother than my smaller calibers, so there are several possibilities. At any rate, I have to say she surprised me what she prefers as I had already invested in some smaller calibers thinking she would like them only to surrender my XD 45 until I can get a replacement. |