Thinking of going BIGGER

[zacii]

My first CCW was a P94. It was a nice pistol, I just didn't care for the DA/SA action.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[BugDude]

I also have a P95 and love it as well, but it isn't my EDC. If you carry it easily, the P90 or P94 makes a lot of sense from a manual of arms and holster perspective. If you're just wanting a different platform in 40, the G23 or XD or XDm series is a great way to go. Personally, I'd stick with the Ruger for consistency and use of same holsters.

[ksblazer]

I've been thinking about trying a new caliber as you. But I'm going to give the 9mm a try. I have 40's and .45's I'll be purchasing a 9mm conversion barrel for my Glock 23. But I doubt I'll be using it for carry as you are possibly looking to do. While use a few different carry guns my favorite is my Colt defender. For some reason I just prefer bigger bullets. So I'd say if you want to give it a try, then go for it.

[10thmtn]

If my wife steals my G26, I may indeed get a G27 in .40. Not because I think the .40 is superior to the 9mm, but because, with some minor modifications, the .40 can be converted to fire .357 Sig or 9mm. In the event of another ammo shortage, that flexibility could be a great advantage.

[OldVet]

I'm a believer in hitting them with the biggest rock I can handle, keeping capacity in mind. Find the trade-off point in both that makes you comfortable--what you can handle and carries how many you need.

[Armydad]

If you like Ruger, look at the SR9 and SR40. Their size and balance seem to be pretty good.

[HiPower9]

People tend to be big fans of the caliber they own. The 10mm guys, for instance, will swear up and down that it is the best round ever conceived. The .357Sig guys talk about velocity and hydrostatic shock, 9mm about capacity, .357 mag and .45 as having a long history of stopping fights. The list goes on and on.

I for one decided on 9mm as my caliber of choice for a number of reasons. Then I bought a .357 mag revolver and I like that round also. Then I bought a .40S&W Glock 23 and you know what? I like that round too. They all have their place and all handgun rounds are a compromise.

Ultimately it comes down to what you like and handle well. I strongly believe that a 9mm will work, but my Glock holds just as many rounds as my Hi Power and I shoot it just as well. In that case, I see .40S&W as being superior. Catch my drift?

If I knew I would NEED a gun that day I would leave the pistols at home and bring something more apt for the task (or take a PDO instead =P).

[Freedomofchoice]

Since you indicated that you like Ruger products, the P 345 is what I highly recommend. I love mine; easy to carry, thin, reliable, very accurate, and not very heavy.

[rammerjammer]

If you want to stick with the same platform I highly recommend the Ruger P90. It was my first handgun and though its bulky and hard to conceal, its a great shooter for the value. It will feed anything, after 7 years of owning it I have had less than 5 malfunctions.

As long as you're going bigger, make it a .45

[Saber]

Very well explained and rationalized by 'HiPower9'.

[DIABLO9489]

I favor more holes over more mm's.

As do I, but I went from a G19 (15/9mm) to a G20 (15/10mm). Who says you can't have both!

[SCfromNY]

I think the popularity of the .40 stems from it's compromise; bigger than a 9mm and smaller than a .45ACP with a middle of the road capacity. My EDC is almost always a .40 H&K.

I would state that more important than caliber is the quality of your self defense ammo and how it would perform in the different size handguns. I will also assume that you can shoot all calibers equally well so that would not figure in it.

[OldLincoln]

I have a 9mm & .45 ACP. I thought the 9mm was real good until I saw the Hickok45 video "Knock Down Power?" I was surprised at how little impact the 9mm had compared to the .45. Naturally the real beast was the 44Mag. This video is not the definitive selection tool for caliber and it only demonstrated what makes a steel plate swing more. I'd like to think my 9mm with HST +P would seriously annoy a BG, but I find myself carrying my .45 a lot right now. May be my new grips tho. :)

[ksholder]

Try both the .40 and .45 before you make your decision. In SD calibers I have 9mm, .38, .357, .40 & .45. The only one I am not real fond of shooting is the .40 (2 gen G22). I just don't like the muzzle flip. That having been said, I will still carry it, I just don't shoot it much at the range. I have ordered a 9mm conversion barrel for it as this will be both more economical and fun to shoot at the range.

[WoodLark]

Like you, I also normally carry 9mm, but recently "got a wild hair" to get a larger caliber. I won't even consider .40; I just don't see any benefits (don't holler at me guys, that is just my personal opinion speaking). I bought a Ruger P345, and while it has a lot going for it, so far I am not real pleased at this point. Maybe it will grow on me in time. Saturday, I plan to go to a gun show looking for an M&P .45 mid-size (Glocks are not even in consideration for me; I just don't like them).

I can't argue with the "more holes are better" or the "magazine interchangeability" reasoning. I will still probably carry a 9mm most of the time, and I have 4 9's (5 if you count a carbine) that can all use the same magazines.