.357 mag or .45 ACP

[cliffyp]

Currently the largest caliber I carry is a .9mm. I'm itching to get another carry gun and want to get a more powerful one. I keep going back and for between getting a .357 snubbie or a compact 1911 style .45. I don't own a revolver and I like the simplicity along with the versatility of .357 or .38 special. I love the way 1911s look and I like the Single Action trigger (current autos are DAO). Eventually I want to get both but that is down the road.

So what are your opinions as to carrying a .357 snubbie or a compact .45?

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[Tros]

Well, knowing you want to get both down the road, I think whatever you pick is the right choice. I recommend the revolver if you are looking towards a smaller CCW weapon.

[BeachBum]

Currently the largest caliber I carry is a .9mm. I'm itching to get another carry gun and want to get a more powerful one. I keep going back and for between getting a .357 snubbie or a compact 1911 style .45. I don't own a revolver and I like the simplicity along with the versatility of .357 or .38 special. I love the way 1911s look and I like the Single Action trigger (current autos are DAO). Eventually I want to get both but that is down the road.

So what are your opinions as to carrying a .357 snubbie or a compact .45?

a .9mm? Where do I get one? I need to take care of these gnats!

I carry a .45, but the .357mag is also a proven round. Get with your buds, shoot both, take your pick based on how well you can stay on target after a shot. I only picked the .45 because the HK45 picked ME when I held it for the first time.

[liljake82]

IMHO a snubbie doesn't have enough barrel length to see any advantage to the .357 over the .38+p loads. I'd save a few bucks and get a .38.

[BikerRN]

The lightest and smallest .357 Magnum I will carry is a 2 1/4" Ruger SP101 when I carry a .357 Magnum Revolver.

BTW: that SP101 is a BUG to a larger .357 Magnum, and not as a "primary". If you opt to carry one gun, and one caliber, for me it would be either a 3" or 4" .357 magnum or a 5" 1911, but then I very seldom carry one gun off duty.

Small .357 Magnums are not fun to shoot. If I can't shoot at least fifty rounds, qualification type course with one, I don't want to carry it. I can shoot fifty rounds through the SP101, not so the S&W 640, if both are loaded with my preferred .357 Magnum carry ammunition. You may be different, and be able to shoot the J-Frame for fifty rounds out to 25 Yards. I don't know.

Between the two calibers it would be a hard choice for me personally, but niether would be a "small" gun. I prefer the Gov't size in a 1911 and the 3" or 4" in a "primary" .357 Magnum revolver. I most often carry a 3" when I pack a .357 Magnum revolver, but carry two other revolvers as well, and one of them is another .357 Magnum.

I hope that helps to answer your question. If I was limited to only owning one gun, it would be a 4" .357 Magnum, but I'm not limited to such an option at this point in time, so it's not really a consideration for me right now. When I carry my 1911 I also carry a J-Frame.

Biker

[Chevyguy85]

Go with whatever you shoot better. I own 2 .45 ACPs and my Security Six .357 and right now the .357 is the one i go to. Neither will let you down stopping power wise as long as you can get the shot placement down. Try as many pistols in both calibers as you can to help you better decide

[frankmako]

either or. they both will work.

[retsupt99]

Either will work, and you're eventually going to get both? It's a matter of your present preference...which one is calling your name the loudest?

[hudsonvalley]

IMHO a snubbie doesn't have enough barrel length to see any advantage to the .357 over the .38+p loads. I'd save a few bucks and get a .38.

+1 to that..

[Rugergirl]

Go with whatever you shoot better. I own 2 .45 ACPs and my Security Six .357 and right now the .357 is the one i go to. Neither will let you down stopping power wise as long as you can get the shot placement down. Try as many pistols in both calibers as you can to help you better decide

Well said! I own both and carry one or the other, 95% of the time.
The third option is a .38 J-frame, only carried when I can't hide the others.
Hands down I shoot the .357 considerably better than I do the .45, but the .45 hides a little better. For me, I would rather dress around the gun a little more and carry the one I have the most confidence with.
My .45 carries 8 rounds and my .357 carries 7, but that one extra round doesn't give me much if any advantage if I don't shoot it as well.
My .357 weighs more than my .45, 36.8oz compared to 28 oz unloaded. A .357 in a lightweight frame can be painful to shoot, a heavier frame takes up a lot of the recoil.
Most people find a semi-auto faster to reload than a revolver.
Rent and try both, see which one you like better, taking in account, how it feels in your hand, weight, and how well it conceals the way you normally dress. Think of how much weight you can carry all day, comfortably, will you be willing to dress around the gun, revolvers like mine can be bulky.

[shooterX]

What size snubbie are you thinking about? IIRC Rugergirl has a L-frame 686 plus with 3" barrel, which IMO, is as perfect as it can get for a carry revolver, if your thinking a smaller framed .357 magnum, then the S&W model 60 pro with 3" barrel might fill the role nicely, or, as BikerRN suggested, a ruger SP101, I'm partial to smiths personally, but you can't go wrong with either.

[razor02097]

they are 2 different animals. Ballistics wise you couldn't go wrong with either as the energy delivered is pretty close between .45+p and .357mag. You would get more rounds in the .45, the .357 will deliver slightly more energy per round. It comes down to personal preference.

[gottabkiddin]

Currently the largest caliber I carry is a .9mm. I'm itching to get another carry gun and want to get a more powerful one. I keep going back and for between getting a .357 snubbie or a compact 1911 style .45. I don't own a revolver and I like the simplicity along with the versatility of .357 or .38 special. I love the way 1911s look and I like the Single Action trigger (current autos are DAO). Eventually I want to get both but that is down the road.

So what are your opinions as to carrying a .357 snubbie or a compact .45?

One stands out in my head...... GLOCK33 .357 sig in a compact CC pistol. IMO one of the best options currently out there. You could do allot worse and not much better all at the same time.

[RebelRabbi]

they are 2 different animals. Ballistics wise you couldn't go wrong with either as the energy delivered is pretty close between .45+p and .357mag. You would get more rounds in the .45, the .357 will deliver slightly more energy per round. It comes down to personal preference.

I would add that muzzle blast/flash from a snubbie 357 is horrific. 357 and 45 guns are bigger than most peeps will EDC. To me; 357 if you are also a hunter, 45 if you are not.

[Sarge45]

.357mag

Excellent, proven stopper
For optimal round performance need min. 3" barrel (shorter equals big performance loss)
Typically limited to revolver
5 to 7rounds on board
Very slow to reload
Reload method - speedloader, speed strip or dump pouch
Bulkier (width)
Small, LW revolvers HURT with .357 ammo

.45acp

Excellent, proven stopper
Guns are typically min. 3" barrel
Semi auto platform
6 to 8 rounds on board
Quick to reload
Reload method - spare mags
Slim, easy to carry
Easy to shoot, comfortable on the hand

I would say it basically comes down to which gun platform you want first. I own (4) 1911's and (3) .357 mag revo's, two of which are snubs. IMO ? They're all good.