Effective concealed carry ammo caliber

Mitch

Mitch

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I have an assortment from 22, 22 magnum, 25 auto, 380 acp on up in carry options. Obveously the larger calibers 45, 9mm, 38 and 357 are effective.

The question is when you have to carry small is a mini mag with a 1/2" barrel that is very inaccurate over ten feet better than a 25 caliber colt junior.

Is a Beretta 22 better or worse than a 25. This is all not counting special ammo that can jam an auto.

The 380 will beat them all but gets to big for general conceal carry.
 
I'd only carry a .25 if I knew that I was going to be in a place where there were no rocks that I could pick up and throw at the bad guy.
 
Well I am not sure what "general conceal carry" means for you but most people can find a way to conceal a J frame revolver which will give you .38spl or 357mag. IMO you should look into that b/c .22/.25/.380 are not good "man stoppers".
 
Mitch said:
The 380 will beat them all but gets to big for general conceal carry.
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Mitch: What's your definition of "general concealed carry"? When I carry concealed it's usually a full sized 1911-type pistol. When I'm limited by clothing, my "deep cover" is a PPK-sized gun. Others use a small .38 revolver.
 
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I guess anything is better than nothing.

Personally my new carry gun is a J-Frame S&W in 38+ special. Of course, 45ACP would be better - but IMO there's no point having a carry gun that's too heavy, too hard to conceal and too uncomfortable to shoot - you'll just end up leaving it at home. Better something small, that you will carry, than something big that you won't. That's not to say caliber shouldn't be a consideration - it's just not the only consideration.

As for your choices I would say 380, then 22 then a 25.
 
BOBKATT said:
I'd only carry a .25 if I knew that I was going to be in a place where there were no rocks that I could pick up and throw at the bad guy.
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+1 . My daily carry is a Para Warthog in .45acp and switch it up in the winter with my S&W 1911SC and some times pocket carry J-frame in 38sp. If you are going to CCW you might want to have some stopping power .
 
lsbbigdog said:
+1 . My daily carry is a Para Warthog in .45acp and switch it up in the winter with my S&W 1911SC and some times pocket carry J-frame in 38sp. If you are going to CCW you might want to have some stopping power .
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Exactly. To me if you ever have to shoot someone it's going to be because there is not anything else that you can do to survive/avoid great bodily injury. And if that is the case you're going to want to get the job done with room to spare. None of this I only carry a .25 but I'll shoot the guys eyes out hocus pocus. And you can find a 38/357 or .40 or .45 that you can carry regardless of how big you are.

Anything from a J-frame to a compact Glock to a 1911 is chambered in those effective rounds. Get out there, see what you like be it revolver or pistol. Decide on a caliber that is 38+p on up and then take a look at your options for different models.
 
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I am generally not in a situation requiring me to carry, my day job makes it difficult to carry anything large with good comfort and concealability. I was trying to decide between several of the pocket guns I have been given which would be better than the other. I have large callable guns but they are just a pain for daily carry. Even the 380 colt mustang gets tiring.


I like the Beretta 22since it is double action and you can remove the round by flipping up the barrel.

The Mini mag 22 seems to have some punch but you cannot hit a target that is over ten feet away. The best thing about it is you have five mag shot from a gun smaller than a credit card.

In short I am trying to pick out the best of the worst
 
.25 ACP has less muzzle energy than a .22LR.

That said, shot placement is what really matters. If you've practiced with the mouse guns and can reliably hit a 6" circle at 7 yards, then it might very well work for you when nothing else can be called upon.

Smallest I'll carry is .32 ACP, but then it has to be because nothing else will possibly work. Even in that caliber, penetration in the winter is questionable. Plenty of evidence that heavy clothing under a thick leather jacket can virtually stop a hollowpoint. And FMJ are not great stoppers. 99 times out of 100 I can get a J-frame into a pocket and have .38 Special +p.
 
Mitch said:
The Mini mag 22 seems to have some punch but you cannot hit a target that is over ten feet away. The best thing about it is you have five mag shot from a gun smaller than a credit card.
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I'll give my opinion one more time. If you're afraid of being attacked by squirrels and snakes and such then go ahead and go with something less than a 380. If you're looking to save your skin from a man, go with something more than a 380.
 
Get a J frame and stick it in your pocket or a smart carry. I spend most of my time in the office but when I am on the shop floor I am always moving around a lot and the smart carry holster leaves me completely concealed and comfortable. Other holsters have always given me trouble when it came to things like reaching, bending, lifting and what not.

Look into the smart carry it is great for times when carry is tough to do.
 
Mikey said:
Get a J frame and stick it in your pocket or a smart carry. I spend most of my time in the office but when I am on the shop floor I am always moving around a lot and the smart carry holster leaves me completely concealed and comfortable. Other holsters have always given me trouble when it came to things like reaching, bending, lifting and what not.

Look into the smart carry it is great for times when carry is tough to do.
Click to expand...

And you get the added benefit of the "mega package" look. Get any more attention from the ladies with a J-frame down there? [wink]
 
mikem317 said:
Are you committed to an autoloader or revolver?
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My father was a collector, I am an instructor at the basic level. I have access to a wider variety than the average shooter. This makes it tough.

I can carry a model 66, Government 45, P-11 or smith 39 but they are just not comfortable.

My wife has an alloy frame agent with a bobbed hammer and handle but it is still to big.
 
I'd question even carrying less than .380...for the trouble that one goes through to carry a firearm for personal protection, one might as well carry something effective.

If I need to shoot something/someone then there is absolutely no other choice, no other possible action left to take. In that situation, I want a 9 mil with defensive loads at a minimum anything less has dubious stopping power and if I wanted to watch someone bleed to death, I'd carry a knife.
 
You are listing off what IMHO are the least effective personal defense rounds.

A .25, as the previous poster said only if there were no rocks. "A nice thing to have when you don't have a gun"

.22LR... maybe in a derringer when you are trying to conceal in a nudist camp, but there are more powerful guns in the same physical size, so I have never used a .22lr for ccw.

.380... same thing. If it is made in .380 someone is making the same frame/slide with a different barrel and magazine that is chambered for say 9mm. There is quite a bit of controversy about the .380's ability to penetrate enough to be lethal.

I do own a Taurus PT 138 which is a 10+1 .380 composite/stainless semi auto. I thought I was going to like it, but I picked up a used Model 60 S&W that serves the same purpose in my world. I am partial to J frame revolvers for CCW.. back when I first started shooting and got my CCW it was the most common gun for personal protection concealed carry. The .380 is for sale/trade in the classifieds.

If I were you, I'd look for a good used J frame revolver in .38 caliber. You can carry +p rounds for personal protection, just don't go feeding it a steady diet of them. There are a zillion CCW holsters for the J frame, and back in the day when I could bend over and touch my toes I carried mine in a ankle holster.
 
Mikey said:
Get a J frame and stick it in your pocket or a smart carry. I spend most of my time in the office but when I am on the shop floor I am always moving around a lot and the smart carry holster leaves me completely concealed and comfortable. Other holsters have always given me trouble when it came to things like reaching, bending, lifting and what not.

Look into the smart carry it is great for times when carry is tough to do.
Click to expand...

? Smart carry holster

I have a holster that fits on the inside of my pants and uses a cell phone clip to attach to my belt. I can carry my 45 with it but it is still just to much.
 
Mitch said:
? Smart carry holster

I have a holster that fits on the inside of my pants and uses a cell phone clip to attach to my belt. I can carry my 45 with it but it is still just to much.
Click to expand...

If it's too big and heavy I think you just need to build up your leg muscles and buy a bigger shirt.
 
Mitch said:
I like the Beretta 22since it is double action and you can remove the round by flipping up the barrel.

The Mini mag 22 seems to have some punch but you cannot hit a target that is over ten feet away. The best thing about it is you have five mag shot from a gun smaller than a credit card.
Click to expand...

The Beretta is a good choice because it is small, light and the double-action makes use of a safety unnecessary. You just have it in the wrong caliber.

A poster hereon declared:

.25 ACP has less muzzle energy than a .22LR.
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Not from that stubby little barrel, it doesn't. AND the .22 weighs less and is more likely to misfire (rimfire, remember) and jam (rimmed vs. semi-rimmed case). I happily carried a Beretta .25 for years when it was too hot to wear something that would cover a larger gun. Just get good SD ammo and make sure you test-fire it in your gun. That wicked-looking HP may not feed in YOUR ramp. [wink]

As for those .22 revolvers - nice key fob; lousy defensive pistol. Too small too handle well; easy to fumble the mandatory manual cocking and, even in .22 Mag, the ballistics suck.
 
Scrivener said:
The Beretta is a good choice because it is small, light and the double-action makes use of a safety unnecessary. You just have it in the wrong caliber.

A poster hereon declared:



Not from that stubby little barrel, it doesn't. AND the .22 weighs less and is more likely to misfire (rimfire, remember) and jam (rimmed vs. semi-rimmed case). I happily carried a Beretta .25 for years when it was too hot to wear something that would cover a larger gun. Just get good SD ammo and make sure you test-fire it in your gun. That wicked-looking HP may not feed in YOUR ramp. [wink]

As for those .22 revolvers - nice key fob; lousy defensive pistol. Too small too handle well; easy to fumble the mandatory manual cocking and, even in .22 Mag, the ballistics suck.
Click to expand...


My 25's are a colt jr and an Italian Titan. The Titan fires almost flawless but the rest of its functionality sucks. The 22 Beretta has been very reliable but shoots just a little up to the right. The Jr. Developed an extractor and stove pipe issue that the right gun smith finally fixed however I am not totally convinced I trust it yet. My P 11 is ok but a little to big and the trigger pull is bad.
 
For years I carried a Colt Jr in .25 with Glasers in it. 6+1...Colt did a recall in the early 80's and replaced the firing pins with 'inertia' type pins, so you could lay the hammer down on the loaded round. I practiced drawing & cocking for hours after the modification.

Got a 442 in a trade for some electrical work. The Jr is in the safe.
 
Blitz1 said:
Mikey, what kind of pistol do you carry in that? Will it work with a Sig 229?
Click to expand...

I carry my SW 1911 in mine, but I turn it to my side like a regular holster. I can wear it high, above my belt like a regular holster for I can tuck it under the belt line when I need deep concealment. It also stays on my waist when I need to swat on the throne.

It's very comfortable and I can wear it about everywhere.

It will work with about anything as they come in different sizes.

Highly recommended.
 
I have to second what Scivener said regarding the .22 being problematic. As a training or target cartridge it's excellent. But it is a rimfire, and prone to that nasty habit of not going bang when you pull the bang switch. Not often, but WAY more often than any centerfire.
 

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