Best caliber for self defense

[TunnelRat]

Originally Posted by 44 AMP

When it comes to the personal choice of a defensive caliber, and firearm for my personal use, I do not (and should not) use the same criteria that a large organization uses.

I don't think you should, either.

I don’t think a person should use a cartridge solely because organization X uses it. If a person looks at the stated reasons for why that organization uses that cartridge and that reasoning fits within their own standards, then I personally don’t see an issue in using that data, as limited as it may be, to inform their decision.

A number of people disregard the FBI. Fair enough. The problem I see is many people do not have the means or time to do their own extensive testing. If someone can point to another publicly available source of information I am all for it.

[jar]

The one fact that can be verified is that right now there are lots and lots of used .40 pistols on the market because the people who had those .40 pistol no longer wanted them.

[Ricklin]

Nice job Jar!

[Pumpkin]

More for the rest of us that like the 40.

[JohnKSa]

The one fact that can be verified is that right now there are lots and lots of used .40 pistols on the market because the people who had those .40 pistol no longer wanted them.

Yes, and the knife cuts both ways. The same lack of evidence of superiority for one member the service pistol caliber performance class over the others says that the .40 is as good a choice for self-defense as any of the members of the class.

[The Verminator]

Originally Posted by jar

The one fact that can be verified is that right now there are lots and lots of used .40 pistols on the market because the people who had those .40 pistol no longer wanted them.

People have dumped their .40s simply because most people hate the snappy recoil and see no reason to deal with it when the 9mm will do the same job with less fuss and in a weapon carrying more ammo.

The folks that like the .40 should be thrilled to have all these old discarded pistols available cheap.

Funny thing is........people are not snapping these bargains up.

Go figure.

[Pumpkin]

Let’s see;
$100,000 pickups
$50,000 midsize pickups
$1,200 for a set of passenger car tires
$100 22 Hornet ammo
$800 Ruger Single Sixes
$1,000-$2,500 lever action rifles
Gas, groceries thru the friggen roof!
I bet you will find your answer somewhere here.
Oh, and feel free to correct me for any underestimating.

[Webleymkv]

Originally posted by The Verminator
People have dumped their .40s simply because most people hate the snappy recoil and see no reason to deal with it when the 9mm will do the same job with less fuss and in a weapon carrying more ammo.

That might be the reason for some people, but I doubt its the only reason. I suspect that the cost of ammunition is a big part of it in that 9mm is and has been for years the lowest priced centerfire handgun ammunition available. For many years, .40 S&W was only slightly more expensive than 9mm but as of late, the price difference has become more pronounced to the point that .40 S&W ammunition is near or equal in price to larger calibers like .45 ACP and 10mm. I suspect that a lot of people have switched to 9mm because in a day and age where all ammunition is expensive, they need all the help they can get.

The folks that like the .40 should be thrilled to have all these old discarded pistols available cheap.

Funny thing is........people are not snapping these bargains up.

Who says they aren't? I've personally bought a couple of .40 S&W pistols just because they were available for good prices and I know a few other people who have done the same. I think that .40 S&W pistols are in much the same boat that .38 Special and .357 Magnum revolvers were 30 years ago: Police have abandoned them en masse and so the market is glutted with them. As was the case with revolvers, I think eventually the inexpensive trade-in .40's will dry up and their prices will increase.

In the same vein, the gun market in general is somewhat glutted right now as you've had massive amounts of panic buying over the last several years. This forum is primarily frequented by firearms enthusiasts and most of us probably buy and own a lot more firearms than the public at large. If someone already owns a handgun that meets their needs, then a lot of people aren't likely to buy another one no matter how cheap because they simply already have all the handguns they feel that they need or want.

[rc]

If you don't have a 1911 buy a 45 and learn why it's still one of the most popular guns ever invented. It may not be the best carry gun caliber but for a home defense handgun it's hard to beat a 1911 in 45 for a lot of reasons. The round is relatively slow and it doesn't have the flash and blast of the magnums or the politically incorrect 11 round magazines for your nanny state politicians. It's not necessarily a bear gun or a best farm gun caliber. That would be a 357 where penetration, range and power would be more of an advantage over 9mm, 40 or 45. 45 has limited penetration with good hollow points so that's a Plus too in an urban setting. A 40 is a great caliber too and the 155s can rival 357 mag in performance but I would get a 45 first and stick with 230 grain hollow points for defense and 230 grain ball for practice. If a 45 won't do the job, neither will a 40 or 9mm.

[1972RedNeck]

That might be the reason for some people, but I doubt its the only reason. I suspect that the cost of ammunition is a big part of it in that 9mm is and has been for years the lowest priced centerfire handgun ammunition available. For many years, .40 S&W was only slightly more expensive than 9mm but as of late, the price difference has become more pronounced to the point that .40 S&W ammunition is near or equal in price to larger calibers like .45 ACP and 10mm. I suspect that a lot of people have switched to 9mm because in a day and age where all ammunition is expensive, they need all the help they can get.

Yup. I bought a 9mm a couple years ago. The ONLY reason I bought it was because I wanted to start practicing (3k - 4k rounds per year) with handguns and the ammo savings in one year more than paid for it.