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Favorite handgun caliber and why...

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  • onac255

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    Mar 2, 2008
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    I really like the .45ACP round but the more I read about the .40 S&W the more I like it.

    Also I would like to shoot as much as possible so which one is more affordable? 9mm Luger, .45ACP, or .40S&W?

    I can't make up my mind because it will be my first gun and it will be used for everything. (practicing/fun, home defense, concealed carry, etc.)

    Also I can't seem to get used to the feel of a glock but they are so common it's hard not to consider them.

    I really have my heart set on an XD (feels natural in my hand) but everyone I know that has a gun has a Glock.

    Now I gotta make up my mind between an XD or a Glock as well as between 9mm, .40, and .45...
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    JKTex

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    Get the gun that fits your needs and feels right to you. If you're buying a gun because it's what all the cool kids have, don't buy a gun.

    .45 ACP is hard to beat as a defense round but 9mm is cheaper if you'll shoot a lot. .40 is a good all around round, but it's supposedly pretty "snappy" to shoot and the ammo I more $$$ I believe. I've never shot a .40 so I'm just going by what I hear.
     

    onac255

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    Lol What I meant by everyone having a Glock is that they must be pretty good guns when you get used to them.

    I have shot all three Calibers. 9mm and .40 were my friends Glocks. I have shot .45 out of a Kimber 1911 and others.

    .40 does feel snappy compared to the 9mm but I like it a lot more than the 9mm. But I also believe it is more expensive than 9mm.

    The Kimber obviously was awesome to shoot. That is why I like the XD because it feel natural to me like the 1911.

    I have shot the Glocks and they are great but when I wrap my hands around and XD I instantly fall in love with the feel.
     

    JKTex

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    I recall likig the feel of the XD over Glock as well. I have a Glock now for no other reason than, just because. It shoots extremely well and it does just that, just shoots.

    It feels huge and clunky compared to my Kimbers but I can shoot the damn thing really well. They're ugly but they work great.
     

    Texas1911

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    You can't go wrong with an XD or a Glock, both are good guns.

    9mm is a good all around round. Soft recoil, low flash, and very little muzzle flip. It's also around $8.50 - 10 per box of 50, and available everywhere.

    .40 is a cut down 10mm cartridge designed for law enforcement. It was intended to have the power of a .45, but the capacity of a 9mm. In theory it's perfect, but in practice it tends to be anything but in terms of new shooters. The round is snappy and has more recoil than .45, and the cost is roughly $12.50 a box. For people that have some experience and use proper technique the .40 is a great round.

    .45 is a tried and true round. It's softer than a .40, yet packs alot of inertia on target. The only real downsides to .45 is that the frame size of the gun tends to be larger, lower capacity, and the cost of the ammo; at roughly $18 a box.

    If I had to choose a favorite caliber, it'd probably be 10mm or .357 Sig. The latter being exceptionally snappy and loud, and the 10mm being the best and worst of .40 taken up a notch. Both are very potent semi-auto rounds.
     

    ambidextrous1

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    I've been shooting .45 ACP in the 1911 longer than most of you have been alive; and I ain't a gonna change!

    Actually, I shoot a lot of other stuff: 9 mm, .380, .32 .357 and .38 SP. Oh, don't forget .22 RF!

    I just wish more .40 S&W shooters would start reloading, so they wouldn't leave their empties on the range, where they get nested in my .45 empties! :banghead:

    There's a time & place for all of the pistol calibers, or they wouldn't stay on the market; but My 'fave' continues to be the .45 ACP.
     

    midnightrider

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    Gotta agree with the other posters, you have to decide what's right for you. My vote would go the the 45 ACP as a self defense round, 9mm is also good and easier on the wallet and the recoil. You can't beat a 22 RF for target , stance, and just plain fun (cheap and plentiful). I personally don't like the 40 s&w, it has too much snap (perceived recoil) doesn't do the job of a 45 ACP and the rounds are too expensive than the 9mm.
    Again, this is just personal opinion and others will vary.
     

    Peter M. Eick

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    Mar 9, 2008
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    10mm.

    It is easy to reload, the brass is easy to pick up. 10mm bullets are cheaper than 45 bullets. You cannot double charge it easily with reasonable powders. It is accurate.

    What more can a guy want?
     

    Infamous

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    i personally like 9mm. i can afford to shoot and stock more of it. with good modern defensive rounds, the differences between 9mm, 40, and 45 are reduced. if my 9mm handguns feeding federal +P+ cant stop something, i dont need a 45; i'll be needing my AR15.
     

    Texas42

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    The wallet gods say the 9mm, but there is nothing wrong with the other calibers. (I'd be afraid of a 10mm going through someone, but I'm not an expert or anything.)

    I'm a big Glock fan, but if an XD feels right then get it.

    Good luck, have fun.
     

    flashguy

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    Oct 31, 2008
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    Favorite caliber

    .50 AE, for this reason:
    18205067RgHuehEPRp_ph1.jpg

    flashguy
     

    onac255

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    The wallet gods say the 9mm, but there is nothing wrong with the other calibers. (I'd be afraid of a 10mm going through someone, but I'm not an expert or anything.)

    I'm a big Glock fan, but if an XD feels right then get it.

    Good luck, have fun.

    I like the Glocks too and after a few shots I get a hang of it and start hitting what I want.

    But like I said the XD just feels like an extension of my hand.
     

    lonewolf23c

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    Oct 2, 2008
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    I've fired all 3, the 9mm, .40S&W, and the .45ACP. I like the 9mm just for plinking because its cheap. The .40S&W is more expensive than the 9mm, but slightly less expensive than the .45acp. The .40S&W round has a bit more power than the 9mm, but about the same recoil. I love the .45acp for plinking also, even being a bit more expensive, just because that's what I would be using for self defense.

    I've been firing Sellier Bellot ammo lately, seems pretty reliable and accurate. Plus its not that expensive compared to other brands.

    9mm $11.99/50rnds
    .40S&W $17.99/50rnds
    .45acp $18.99/50rnds
     

    idleprocess

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    Feb 29, 2008
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    There's twice as much lead in the typical.45ACP FMJ practice round (230gr) as there is a 9mm FMJ round (115gr), which helps to explain the price discrepancy.
     

    jim t

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    Mar 4, 2008
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    you have to pick the gun that fits you. I have shot about anything out there. from a 22 to a fifty cal. in pistols. I right now have 22, 380, 9mm, 38 sp, 38 short colt, 40, 45 and 762x25. like them all,but the 9mm, is the cheapest to shoot. well except the 762x25, the military surplus ammo is real cheap right now. and it is a hoot to shoot. it is a hand cannon. kick like a mule, man is it fun. and they claim it will go through body armour too.
     
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