Dolphin

Please clarify your post.

HotGuns

Its all about controllability.

Shoot the biggest caliber that you can hit the target with and hit well.

Few people in a shootout fire just once anyway.

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Kerbouchard

Dolphin, he's a little late to the party, but what he meant to say is a 9mm with quality self defense ammo has good stopping power, and if you are faster with follow up shots with a 9mm, then tactically, if there were several attackers the increased time between shots with the .45 could put you at further disadvantage.

I happen to disagree. I don't believe stopping power and handgun should ever be put in the same sentence.

There is no magic bullet. There is no magic caliber. Shoot to stop the threat. As Lima said once, plan on having to empty your magazine, reload, empty that magazine, and use your pistol as a blunt object to beat him into submission after you have expended all of your ammo. If the threat stops before that, just be happy you didn't have to mess up the finish on your pistol.

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Dolphin

Thanks, I've decided to go w/ the Glock 19 as my primary ccw w/ Federal 147gr HST and the Revolver for home defense w/ the 125gr DPX load. I think as long as i continue to train, if i do my part they will do theirs. Thanks for all the input.

1911packer

Very good points here about being able to put shots on target. If you have to drop down to a 9mm to control your fire, then do it. Sure beats spraying .45 or .357 all over the place.

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Marvin Knox

Good choice - Dolphin!

I carry a 357 magnum snub nose. The balistics, the bullet count, the accuracy, and the time between shots comes nowhere near that of a Glock.

I've got to practice shooting and reloading a whole lot to get anywhere near the accuracy and firepower you'll have. You'll have to practice autoloader drills a whole lot to get anywhere near my dependability and simplicity.

I love my snub nose 357 and wouldn't trade it for a Glock if you paid me. I'm stupid for thinking the way I do and still I'm as happy as I can be.

You'll be a very smart man for carrying the Glock and I'm sure you'll be equally happy.

MARV

1911packer

Great point, Knox. My 1911 is in the shop for some upgrades so I am carrying my little .357 snubbie. Sure, it requires practice and is not for the faint of heart, but I don't feel the least bit under-gunned.

Have you visited: The Snubnose Files ?

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CENTURION1945

Hi Dolphin. I think if you can fire faster and accurately with the Glock, this is the gun for carry. Cor Bon and Federal +P+ 115 JHP cartridges are almost as good stoppers as the .357 125 JHP, at last in the Strasbourg Test: AIT 8.90" for the 9 and 7.34" for the .357. But if you confront 2 -3 attacants, with the Glock you have superior tactical advantaje, with more ammo in the weapon, fastest follow up shoots and easier reload, if necessary. Any way you always will need 2 shoots at last to stop a determined or drugged fellon, maybe 3 shoots. As a bonus the Glock is quite ligther to carry and with 2 magazines you get 46 rounds total against 18 for the revolver. By the way I am myself a revolver man with 2 speedloaders in belt plus 2 in the car console.

CENTURION1945

RULE: 2 impacts in the chest with fast JHP are harder than 2 same placement with slower RN or FMJ, is it? So tie to bullet placement is bullet effectivity, and you have more control on bullet selection than in placement selection.

BikerRN

Here's my $0.02:

I frequently carry a .357 Magnum off duty as I like Revolvers. I do not put my trust and faith in any firearm caliber, but I do like some more than others. While shot placement is most important, so is having a bullet that will do the job. When I carry one of my two 9mm's I pay more attention to my bullet selection than I do when carrying any of my other calibers.

I carry either a 45 ACP, both Revolver and "bottomfeeder, a 9mm or a .357 Magnum. As long as I have a good 185 Grain +P JHP or a 230 Grain JHP in the 45 ACP I don't much care what brand of bullet I'm using. In the .357 Magnum, any ol' 125 Grain hollow point will work for me, though I prefer either Black Hills or Remington.

Now we get to the 9mm. For me, I will only carry the gun off duty if I select the ammo, and I'm very picky in what I choose. From my current "stash" I have CorBon 115 Grain +P DPX JHP or Federal 115 Grain +P+ JHP's. That's it, no others need apply at this time. There are a couple of other good rounds out there, but no matter what it is, I'm much more "picky" with the 9mm than any other caliber, even 38 Special.

I would suggest that you run the "Test" to see if the .357 Magnum is the caliber for you. What I do is select the gun I want to carry, and the load. Place my Target at 5 Yards with 5 rounds in the gun. From the leather, or the "Low Ready" shoot the target five times in five seconds, keeping all shots in a 5" group. The gun you can do this with is the one you should carry, even if it's just a .22 LR.

Here's a little hint, if you practice doing this enough you can do this with any caliber you want to carry, within reason. It took me much more practice to be able to do this with the .357 Magnum than it did the 9mm, but since I can do this "from the leather" with the .357 Magnum, that's what I carry.

I do like and trust the ballistics of the .357 Magnum more than any other handgun caliber, and there is a reason it was dubbed the "King of the Street" by Ed Sanow years ago. Even today, all loads are compared to the Federal 125 Grain JHP load or the Remington 125 Grain SJHP loading.

The .357 Magnum does have it's drawbacks, "noise and flash" along with recoil being the chief reasons against it. Select your caliber based upon how you shoot, and what you shoot best but don't be suprised if you get better by practicing.

Biker

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