caliber down sizing

[darinb]

Ive tried downsizing over the years but I keep coming across a deal on another caliber and buying it. The way things are going it may be good to have a little of everything for barter. Ive made a commitment to not get rid of ammo unless I have to, it may mean trading my non needed ammo for some I need.

 

[drop45]

I think most people getting blasted by 5-6 rounds of any caliber would alter their chosen course of action; most people. I wouldn't want to get shot by my Beeman pellet gun 6 times.

 

[silentvoice71]

This guns is gonna be a multi gun ill carry it everywhere and shoot more often i found a m&p 9 with threaded barrel. Which is good because im building a blackout and i believe i can use the suppressor on both rounds. With 9mm i can do a lot more than .45 . I can build a ar, uzi kit and so on. There are more kits that take 9mm.....even an mp5 kit! Im just lookin to get rid of a round that doesnt have so few options other than 1911 and tommy gun kits.

 

[bonkers1919]

Five years ago I down sized from the .45 to .9mm. There are several reasons.

1. Shot placement is more important than caliber size.
2. Shot capacity is less important than shot placement.

While both those statements are true, I carry an Xdm 3.8 with 2, 19 round magazines. When one encounters evil intent, then one should reply with not just force but with overwhelming force.

 

[cosermann]

I think most people getting blasted by 5-6 rounds of any caliber would alter their chosen course of action. . .

If we assume a hit rate of 25% (the highest it's ever been in NYPD's SOP-9 stats [1]), then to hit 5 times, one would need to fire 20 rounds to acheive 5 hits (on average). Gunfights aren't range sessions.

Carry capacity is an issue, and all else being equal - more is better. However, there are other factors and all else is rarely equal. So, people carry various calibers and I'm fine with that.

[1] - http://www.theppsc.org/Staff_Views/Aveni/OIS.pdf

That said, the avg number of rounds fired in officer involved shootings appears to be about 8 [2]; something that can be covered with a .45 or a 9mm.

However, if I can carry more rounds in the same size package with the 9, I usually opt for that (though not always).

[2] - John Farnam - Enough Ammunition

 

[24Carat]

Both for me. Carry 69 rnds of bonded +P 9mm for the G17 at work and 27 rnds of clad .45 +P with the XD tactical for EDC with a .380 BUG. Add in the SO and there is another .380 onboard.

 

[BJones]

Carry what you are comfortable with. There are lots of reasons to use a load with less recoil and more bullets. The 9mm defensive loads of today have plenty of stopping power. I like 45, 40 and 9mm, but my EDC is a glock 26 with crimson trace trigger guard.

The main thing is that you are carrying and prepared to protect yourself and your loved ones. 9mm will get the job done.

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

A few years ago, I sold all 3 handguns I had in .40 S&W and stuck with 9mm. I don't regret doing it one bit.

I also sold a .357 because I never shot it and ammo was expensive.

Of course, I then bought another .357 because I didn't have one...

But, yes, if you want to consolidate, by all means, go for it.

-J-

 

[RetDep310]

silentvoice71: you might check out an excellent article in the Sep/Oct 213 issue of American Handgunner. It's an article on Defensive Carry..Is it Caliber or Equipment. Breaks down all the major and minor calibers used, and effectiveness. Boils down to the fact that a 9mm is as good as a .40 is as good as a .45 and choosing a reliable gun that you can shoot fast and accurately. My 9 is fine and works for me now and in the past.

 

[pokersamurai]

I didnt think id ever do this but im thinking of getting rid of 45 and moving to 9mm. It would be cheaper and carry less. But i loose the larger round/knock down. Im in a bind here lol anyone have any input?.

Switch from .45 to 9mm!!!

Well, since you'd already be turning in your man-card, why don't you just go all the way and get a poodle and a sex change operation while you're at it.

 

[jajwrigh]

I did the same thing at the beginning of the year, just for the cost to shoot the .45!

 

[Amishman44]

I didnt think id ever do this but im thinking of getting rid of 45 and moving to 9mm. It would be cheaper and carry less. But i loose the larger round/knock down. Im in a bind here lol anyone have any input?.

I'm not going to completely disagree with you on this one!

Don't get me wrong here as I'm a huge advocate of 'bigger is better', meaning that when up-close-n-personal, I would typically chose a .45acp or .357 Magnum for personal defense. And that shot placement, followed by penetration are major factors in stopping someone whom you determine is intent on doing you harm.

That being said...a .357 magnum is my personal caliber of choice as I grew up on that and simply prefer how it shoots. My wife, however, prefers the 9mm round...and I came to the conclusion about 3 years ago that carrying the same caliber was something that was important for us! For a while, we both carried Glocks (her's a 19 and mine was a 23 with a 9mm conversion barrel)...but she ended up getting a new Springfield XDm 3.8 in 9mm, for our 10th Anniversary, and I have to say her shooting has improved significantly!

What I did, to make up the difference, was to search for and find 'hotter' ammo that performed better and that I felt more comfortable carrying...and have been carrying now for the past 3 years. At first I carried strictly CorBon 115 grain ammo...but have recently switched to Littlestone Ammo's 115 grain Sierra JHP's...and find that it's also a pretty hot little round! It's extremely accurate, should get me somewhere around 12+" of penetration (which is decent...if needed), and allows me to carry 15+1 rounds of ammo vs 5 or 6 depending on which revolver I carried. Check them out at www.littlestonesrus.com/

There was a long time (practically my entire life...ha ha) where I was not a 9mm fan...except maybe for target shooting. While I'm still not a 'fan' I have found ways to make things work!

On a side note...in the county where I live, the past 3 PD shootings were with 9mm rounds...and all 3 were 1-shot fatalities. The last shooting involving an LEO using a .45 acp round...he delivered 2 to the chest and the criminal lived to sue (that incident occured in our neighborhood)...go figure??