Favorite handgun caliber and why...let it rip!

[92G]

(no knocking other's favorites, just list your own and why).


I'll go first:

357 magnum.
Love the high velocity and the it sounds like the barry white of handguns, while still being practical.

 

[whacko]

Yup. .357 magnum. There are other good SD calibers out there......I'm not "that guy" that is saying 357 is the end all one shot stoppers. But I'm a big guy and can handle the recoil with good follow ups so it works for me very well. Plus at the range it is usually a crowd pleaser especially out of a 2 - 3 inch barrell! BOOOOOOOOM!

 

[Golddiggie]

.45 ACP... It's 1911 food, 'nuf said...

 

[30Mauser]

.45 ACP... It's 1911/2011 food, 'nuf said...

For practical purposes I'm also big on the .45 ACP.

It's not the biggest and not the fastest, but it's the best thing I shoot.

7.63x25 Mauser (aka 30 Mauser) is near and dear to my heart, and in (hotter) 7.62x25 Tokarev loading I would call it my favorite esoteric handgun round. Look up the ballistics for it!

 

[76Too]

I'm a .357 guy, also. I have a Colt Lawman IV snubbie, and it just shoots like a friggen dream with some quality jhp. Plus, it makes a REALLY big hole in whatever it hits.

 

[Fixxah]

.22 for me. Carry a single shot watch pistol.

-Proud to be dad every day, a licensed plumber most days, and wish I was a shoemaker on others.

 

[chinalfr]

Mine is SW 500. It brings fear, shock and joy in every shot. The pain follows after 10-20 shots.

 

[Ultrarunner]

500 Linebaugh

I first shot the caliber with an Alaskan legend. It has all the "shootability" of a hot 44 magnum, can take down a bear with relative ease, and is easily converted on a blackhawk frame, or if you're fortunate enough to have a Freedom Arms...

 

[kalash]

.357 magnum. Powerful, iconic, and goes into a wheelgun. What's not to love?

Runner-up: .45 auto. Because 1911.

 

[mark056]

Even though I don't often carry that caliber: .357 because it can virtually do it all, from lighty to mighty. It has literally under the right conditions taken every big game animal in North America (wouldn't want to tackle a grizzly personally but it has been done) and the 125 grain JHP has proven to be a manstopper on the street. Mature ballistic technology here, and if limited to one gun, one caliber: .357 magnum, hands down.

 

[Come and take]

.45 ACP... It's 1911 food, 'nuf said...

I agree. .45 if I can dress around it .

 

[June4th]

9mm. I can Mozambique-drill a BG with quality SD ammo for under 2 bucks.

 

[M60]

Holy mackerel. I just realized that I can't do it. I can't pick just one. It's like asking a carpenter to pick his favorite drill bit size. You are awful. Just awful.

 

[Queen Bee]

.45 if i can manage to hide my glock 30 or 21..

 

[roccoracer]

.45 acp for me too. Easy and cheap to hand load and has a proven track record.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk

 

[reekie6]

.45 for carry. but on range day the 44 Mag and 357 . no one caliber will do it for me.

 

[usp45ct]

.45 ACP Cause shooting them twice is just plain silly

 

[DrBurnsides]

44magnum. The same reason everyone loves the 38/357. 44special for the light loads, and 44magnums for those pesky engine blocks.

 

[stinger35]

.45. I just like it.

 

[Dadstoys]

.45 , Because .45 dammit.

 

[22lr]

9mm - Effective and Economical.

 

[throttle-junkie]

.357 sig because 125 grains moving af 1500fps is fun.

 

[transamkid86]

Out of all the calibers I shot I like 9mm

 

[usp45ct]

9mm is that metric crap, .45 is like the 'Merca of bullets.

kinda like what do you like better, champagne or 'Mercan Bourbon.

 

[ProGun]

Right now, I like .40. I love shooting my Glock 27. I like the "snappiness" and probably shoot it better than any other handgun I own, which is nice since I carry it more than anything else!

Flame away!!!

 

[GottaGetShooting]

.45 is my favorite to shoot, but I have all 9mm's because it is much more economical. I will have a .45 in my safe at some point... Right after I pick up a Beretta 92fs...

 

[jeffC]

.44 Mag because of the animal that it is... and 9 to shoot because of how well I perform with it (compared to other calibers, not people)

 

[mursenary4]

.40... just to piss off NES

 

[M60]

.40... just to piss off NES

It's working!

 

[Gammon]

40 S&W. I shoot a lot, so I have to keep costs down, and I also load my own. 40 can be used with light loads and bullets for minor caliber shooting like IDPA, USPSA Production, and the Steel Challenge. It can also easily make USPSA Major for use in Limited, Limited 10, and even Open, but is not very popular with the "Space Gun" crowd as .355 pretty much dominates this division.

Due to its adoption by LE it has become extremely popular with civilians. The end result is that 40 cases are available for free at your local range. I can't remember the last time I bought a .40 case, probably just after 40 hit the market, 20 years ago.

Another advantage is that the 40 uses lighter bullets than the 45 and lead has become very expensive. I do most of my 40 shooting with 155 gr lead SWCs. Using this bullet, I can duplicate the performance of a 200 gr 45 bullet for less $. The 40 round uses less lead, less powder, and the brass is free.

As you can see, my love of the 40 is based solely on its use in practice and competition. This caliber allows me to shoot more fore less $. In the real world I would most likely resort to a .45.