Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post - What pistol cartridge (9mm, .45, etc.) is the best for defence?

Moonduck · 12-22-2003, 08:33 AM

.357 magnum has the single best record for one-shot stops amongst handgun cartridges. It also has the distinction of being a light hunting calibre, meaning it has dual-purpose use as self-protection on the trail.

The only major reasons why .357 magnum may be panned by some would be perceived harshness of recoil, and lack of capacity. Given that medium-framed revolvers are now widely available with 7rd capacity, the old standard of comparing the 1911's load to a .357 revolver's load is becoming more balanced in favor of the .357, worse if you compare aggregate kinetic energy.

I think any of the choices above are perfectly valid, and would trust my life to any of the calibres listed above (and have firearms chambered in each). It is more important to shoot what you are comfortable with and thus willing to practice the amount needed to gain proficiency.

Personally, being brought up shooting such things as .44 magnums (my Pop was fond of the round), a .357 magnum is not harsh in the slightest. I am also more comfortable with revolvers in most situations. That said, my primary carry piece is a Glock 19 (9mm). A .357 magnum revolver is usually tough to conceal in any shootable format. This discussion has nothing to do with concealment, but I did want to set the record straight for anyone that might be paying attention to my posts and not being able to connect the dots.

I would probably rank them .357 magnum, .45ACP, 9mm, .40S&W. I've had a number of bad experiences regarding poor accuracy performance in ,40's, thus the slight bias against them. (This is only comparing stopping power and accuracy on shot, not taking into account differences in gun)

12-22-2003, 08:33 AM	#4 (permalink)
Moonduck Junkie Location: SE USA	.357 magnum has the single best record for one-shot stops amongst handgun cartridges. It also has the distinction of being a light hunting calibre, meaning it has dual-purpose use as self-protection on the trail. The only major reasons why .357 magnum may be panned by some would be perceived harshness of recoil, and lack of capacity. Given that medium-framed revolvers are now widely available with 7rd capacity, the old standard of comparing the 1911's load to a .357 revolver's load is becoming more balanced in favor of the .357, worse if you compare aggregate kinetic energy. I think any of the choices above are perfectly valid, and would trust my life to any of the calibres listed above (and have firearms chambered in each). It is more important to shoot what you are comfortable with and thus willing to practice the amount needed to gain proficiency. Personally, being brought up shooting such things as .44 magnums (my Pop was fond of the round), a .357 magnum is not harsh in the slightest. I am also more comfortable with revolvers in most situations. That said, my primary carry piece is a Glock 19 (9mm). A .357 magnum revolver is usually tough to conceal in any shootable format. This discussion has nothing to do with concealment, but I did want to set the record straight for anyone that might be paying attention to my posts and not being able to connect the dots. I would probably rank them .357 magnum, .45ACP, 9mm, .40S&W. I've had a number of bad experiences regarding poor accuracy performance in ,40's, thus the slight bias against them. (This is only comparing stopping power and accuracy on shot, not taking into account differences in gun) Last edited by Moonduck; 12-23-2003 at 09:26 AM..