Change of calibers during winter months?

[Barbary]

The recent drop in temperature here actually is what lead to this question. I carry a 9mm usually. The potential of BGs wearing thicker clothes and coats due to colder weather cause me to ponder if I should maybe change to a larger caliber gun? Just wondering if anyone else ponders this during the winter months. Your insight would be most helpful and appreciated.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[glocker23]

Should be no need to change to a larger caliber due to heavy clothing garments. If you carry quality premium defensive ammo (Win. Ranger, Federal HST, etc.) you will have no issues with penetrating heavy clothing at all. If your pistol will reliably cycle the 147-grain loads, I would recommend them and Federal HST. It's usually available fom places such as Ammunition to Go but they are currently experiencing a large recent backlog of orders.

[HotGuns]

The only issue that you might have is that hollowpoints may fill up with cloth material and not expand like they should. In this case, they'll act much like a FMJ bullet.

No really a problem though,as long as you just keep shooting until the threat ceases.

[glocker23]

The only issue that you might have is that hollowpoints may fill up with cloth material and not expand like they should. In this case, they'll act much like a FMJ bullet.

No really a problem though,as long as you just keep shooting until the threat ceases.

HST's are specifically designed to reliably expand through heavy clothing media and have been tested as such. Others such as Win. Ranger have also been tested through heavy clothing media in accordance with FBI testing protocols and it is currently their contract duty ammo.

[Blue]

Been finding HST at gun shows around here.

[HotGuns]

Yes I am aware of that, the Win.Ranger is some of my issued ammo.

However,the expansion is somewhat dependent on what the BG is wearing. If he is wearing a Levi's Jean Jacket and a shirt and a tshirt, it should'nt be an issue. If one is wearing a Down Coat,or a heavy leather jacket it might be.

As far as I know, none of them are 100 percent. Some will work and some wont, that's just the way it is. If you just keep plugging away until the threat ceases to be, then it wont be an issue.

[glocker23]

Been finding HST at gun shows around here.

I practice with 180 grain FMJ and Win. White Box but I was able to get 3 boxes of HST at a local show two weeks ago; it's what I personally carry and still searching for more.... didn't expect the post election buying and backlogs to be as bad as they are..

[retsupt99]

Cold weather and lots of extra clothing is not a real problem down here...but as I always carry .45's, it's still not a problem...even if I were back in MI.

[Eagleks]

Not unless they are wearing armour.

[Darkwater]

When in doubt, stick with a .308

[barnetmill]

relative to winter clothing. I have tested the penetration of 9mm full metal jacket versus .45 ACP full metal jacket and .44 magnum midrange soft point. The 9 mm out penetrated both of the larger rounds when fired in 2x8 pine boards. The 9 mm luger or parabellum has always had a good reputation for penetration. Use full metal jacket and as one famous firearms instructor states shoot them to ground. That means give them the full magaine until they go down.

[Soular]

I have just ordered a Glock 32 (357 SIG) for the non Glockers. Am I one bit concerned that my Glock 26 (9mm) would not get the job done because of clothing? NOPE! I may be picking up a bit of hard object penetration with the .357, but I have absolutely no doubt that my G26 loaded with Speer GD or Fed HST (my 2 most common carry rounds) will punch holes right through whatever brand of clothing a potential BG chooses. And just like Hot Guns says, I will just continue to ventilate that BG until the threat has ceased.

I would also like to think that after 2 or 3 to COM that my training would kick in and I would start performing Mozambique Drills on said BG. Hopefully we will never find out if I train enough .

-Soular

[AVIVIII]

Keep your 9mm, it just fine.

I switch from gold dots to CorBon Pow'r'Ball in the winter months. A little faster for better penetration in heavy materials and more reliable expansion due to its design (the polymer ball).