Which caliber of fire power to choose? (9mm, .40cal, .357sig, .45acp)

Question

I've shot a .40 cal and that's about all. I like it very much. What about 9mm? I hear they won't necessarily take down a target, then again I wouldn't want any type of round tracking me down. And .357Sig?

What I'm looking for is a good self / home defense handgun caliber. Which one offers the least recoil with the most take down power? Which caliber is the best for me?

Answer 1

all about shot placement. even a .22 will take down a man with the right shot placement. stick with the .40 and practice at a range a lot.even better, get a 12 gauge  Defender. take down anyone anytime.

Answer 2

Any of those will work for home defense.  You're best bet of what you've listed is the .45 acp.  However, if you are already familiar with the Forty, get that one.  If you decide on the 9mm just stay away from FMJ ammo and subsonic ammo for defensive purposes.  The 9mm comes into its own with light, fast bullets in the 115 to 127 grain jacketed hollow-point range.  Nothing wrong with the .357 Sig either but this one is... LOUD!

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Answer 3

stick with the 40 cal all my law enforcment friends carry the 40 cal. for the knock down power, and the lighter recoil than the 45 cal.  

Answer 4

The .40, .45, and .357 Sig all have great take-down power.  The 9mm is significantly weaker but if the first shot doesn't do it you can probably hit the target with follow-up shots faster than you can with the heavier loads because if you fire them from the same size and weight of gun, the 9mm will have less recoil.

The size and weight of the gun plays a huge role in how much recoil affects the shooter.  A large, heavy .45 will seem to have less recoil than a light, compact 9mm.

Any gun will take down any person with the right shot placement.  If carrying concealed was not a concern, I would go with a full-size .45

Answer 5

9mm is capable of taking someone down, lots of police and most of the military carry one.

for home defense, the problem is over penetration. you don't want the bullet to pass thru the bad guy and into your kids room. the 357 sig is twice as bad in this respect.

40 s&w is a better choice, the 45 auto would work as well. i would recommend a double action auto to make that first shot under pressure a sure thing.

my recomendation for the best bedroom/home defense gun would be a 38 special revolver with a 3-4in. barrel loaded with +p ammo.

the gun is easy to learn, easy to shoot, and dead on reliable. If you have to grab it under pressure, you won't be trying to remember where the safety is or if you remembered to chamber a round the last time you inspected it.

What ever gun you decide on, practice till operation becomes familiar. you don't want to forget how to disengage the safety while someone is attacking you.

Answer 6

if i was you i would get a .357 just cuz i really liked how it shot

Answer 7

With new modern ammo all of these rounds are just about the same in testing..So take your pick.

357 is expensive and so is .45.

I like .40 but it's even getting too costly and I'm probably going to get a cheap 9mm for range time.

If you want stopping power get a rifle or a shotgun. Handguns are poor man stoppers and no matter what caliber you buy.. shot placement and shooting until the threat ceases is the best bet .

Answer 8

9mm is cheap my Taurus can hold 17 plus 1

Answer 9

The best home defense gun is a shot gun with #4 shot magnum loads.  That way you don't have to worry so much about pass through shots killing the neighbors kid when you miss.  Also, unless you plan to spend a lot of time at the range shooting, you are better of with the shot gun,  rack the action, point and shoot.  Pretty simple.

That said,  I shoot and conceal carry the .357 sig.  It has the hightest energy of the four you have listed, with the .45acp a close second.  The 9mm will be the least expensive to shoot, and also has the lowest energy, followed by the .40 s&w.  The .357 sig is the most exensive to shoot.  If you are spending time at the range, this is a consideration.

If you think you like the idea of high power, the .357 sig is reasonable for kick, my 10 year old son shoots mine.  Also,  in SigSaur firearems, you can get a .357 sig, and also a barrel chambered in .40 S&W that will fit the same frame/slide.  That way you can target practice with the .40 and load the .357 for protection.

Another negative for the .357 besides cost of ammunition is the availability.  Many stores don't carry or have limmited options in .357 sig.  The 9mm is the most universally available.

Answer 10

Choosing a handgun is a greatly dependent on the person using it. s*x, Size, build, handsize, and a whole host of other factors need to be considered. In a SHTF situation 9mm will probaly be more accessible than the other pistol rounds, because it is a NATO cartridge. The fact that 9mm is the NATO cartridge for handguns, should be an indication of what is appropriate. The reason L.E. carries the .40 S&W is that they feel it is important to stay ahead of the bad guys . . . not because 9mm is an inferior round.  The issue with 357, in my eyes, is that it is a rimmed cartridge ----- which is not congruent for semi auto pistols. It is more of a revolver round. Don't get me wrong, there are 357 semis out there, but they are more expensive, and the aftermarket for them is just not there ----- 15 years from now, you could potentially be the owner of an 800.00 hammer.

My advice is that you find a gun that fits your paws first and foremost, grips and backstraps for the majority of pistols  can be changed to accomodate you hand size. The other thing you should be looking for is a gun that is capable of accepting the pressures created by +P ammo. Browning and Ruger, are the two that come to mind. Below is a link with some ballistic gel that has been shot with the four different calibers you mentioned. As you will see, there is not that much of a difference. And remember, 123gr +P hollow points and your 9mm will be just as good as any 45ACP.