CCW caliber?

[yote_trapper20]

What is your ccw cailber? Looking at getting a ccw(leaning towards a XDM right now) and was looking at the 40. Now considering the 9mm but I hear ammo is a bear to find right now.

[barmandr]

I carry 3 different calibers...depends on what I'm doing. It's either .45 acp (almost always), 9mm (occasionally), or .357 mag (very rarely). XDM is a good choice, but the price increase over the normal XD did not make it a choice for me. I either carry my DW CCO (1911) or Sig P226 Elite. I stayed away from .40 as the recoil was not a good fit for my shooting style and follow up shots were taking too much time. 9mm is about the minimum caliber for me. Others disagree and feel 380 is fine. That's their choice and fine if they feel comfortable. I feel comfortable with 9mm being the minimum, but prefer 45 acp. Whatever choice you make, please do yourself a favor and ensure you have at least adequate training. When practicing, plan to shoot some of whatever you load it with when carrying, just to get used to the way it functions in your weapon. Felt recoil, muzzle flip, muzzle flash, noise level...these things all change with different ammunition. You should also practice in the attire you will wear. If you normally wear a suit when carrying, then practice with a suit on...if you normally wear gloves, wear them when you practice...you get the idea. Also, don't forget a QUALITY gunbelt and holster. These are imperitive. They provide adequate support for a heavy gun and prevent sagging. I've found it makes it easier to not only carry, but to conceal effectively. You'll find that you'll carry more frequently if it is more comfortable by being well supported and you'll leave it home more often if it is uncomortable and you worry about printing. A gun left at home is useless to you when you need one.

[Outdoor_Joe_26]

All ammo is hard to find right now. Except .38

[grainmaker181]

if you are considering the common 3, 9mm, 40 &w, 45 acp. My thoughts are they are a tradeoff between stopping power, and price and capacity. 9mm having the least stopping power but the best price on ammo and best capacities.

personally i like the 40 s&w.

Do you already own a handgun that shoots one of those three? If so i would stay with the same caliber because i think the advantages of not having to keep 2 types of ammo on hand outweigh any stopping power/price/capacity argument.

Think of the situation in which you would carry and ever have to use the gun, would you be comfortable carrying a semi-auto with a round chambered, would you not chamber a round but keep the clip loaded, would you be able to react in time in case the gun jammed or failed to fire. A lot of those reasons are why i am partial to double action revolvers

If you plan on carrying a LOT then like someone else kinda mentioned base your decision more on the how concealable and ease of carrying the guns are. Chances are you won't ever have to use it, so just having something you would be better off already.

on ammo availablity, yeah it is hard to find but what i have seen a few times is places are sold out of jumbo packs of fmj ammo but have a good selection still of hollow point personal defense ammo in much smaller packages, that ammo is of course more expensive though but from what i have seen its available

[Mntn Man]

9 mm is cheaper to practice with and the lesser recoil is a plus. I don't prefer to shoot the .40, but looks like I am going to be shooting it more since I have twice as much ammo for it. Ammo is becoming more available every day, though. I even picked up 200 rounds of 9 mm the other day. Make sure to use quality expanding bullets when carrying for protection and make sure they feed well in your weapon. I don't have a .45 but probably will someday. I think I would still carry the 9 and have more rounds in reserve.

[NETim]

9mm will always have less recoil, all things being equal. Eventually, all pistol calibers will become readily available again. And 9mm will probably always be cheaper to shoot.

Caliber selection is secondary to the ability to place your shots where they need to be. Performance with modern SD loads is good in any caliber as long as you're using the "good stuff."

When it comes to questions surrounding CCW, the biggest and most important is where to get additional training. The state class isn't enough.

[mkirk]

I have a springfield xd 40. that i bought a few months ago, and i would carrry it over my s&w 9mm any day. The recoil between the two is almost the same, with the .40 being slightly more but not much. I loose 4 rounds with the 40 but in my opinion you make that up in bullet weight.

[Wirenut]

All ammo is hard to find right now. Except .38

Cabela's had quite a bit of .45acp on Friday, but .22, 9mm, and .40s&w are sitll scarce.

[Swifty57]

All ammo is hard to find right now. Except .38

Handloading cures this problem.

[Chuck_Tritz]

9mm, if you are a good shot it doesn't matter what caliber it is.

[bradh]

9mm, .40 S&W and .45 ACP all have roughly 400 foot pounds at the muzzle, give or take a little. Find a pistol you like and go with it. I carry a .45 ACP most of the time and a 9mm when I want a slightly smaller pistol but there really is no wrong answer. A good belt, holster and practice become the priorities once you find a pistol you like.

[slakline]

.380 acp Hornady Critical Defense.

However, I think I'm going to be stocking up the Zombie Z-Max when I get my hands on some.

[bigdaddyhunter]

380 is what I carry almost exclusively. To me, being able to have a weapon that is really easy to conceal is very important. I carry a Sig P238, it is tiny and it fits my needs perfectly. 380, 9, 40, 45 it doesn't matter, if the time comes you have to blast someone, any of them will be just fine. Worst case, just shoot til they look like a piece of swiss cheese.....problem solved.

[NETim]

I prefer a full sized gun in a standard "service caliber." I want that sight radius and additional power. My biggest concern is not street crime but being in the middle of an "active shooter" situation. If I have to make a shot across the food court, I want all the advantages I can get. A 5" 1911 carries well in a good holster/belt combo.

[Swifty57]

I retired my 5" 1911 about 18 years ago when I bought a Kimber Pro Carry. Got a 380 for a stuff & ankle gun. Stuff it wherever for a back up only. Aint no way I would use it for a primary. At 140 ftlbs muzzle energy, I might as well carry a 22LR. There is only 1 38 caliber auto that could get the nod over my 45's, and that is a 1911 in 38 Super. Main thing is to buy what you are comfortable, and competent enough with to depend your life on it functioning every time.