Today we are going to talk about common defensive pistol calibers. There are hundreds of different calibers out there (click here to see most of them), but we are going to keep it to under 10 for our discussion.
First, lets go old school and talk about revolvers. The three most common are .38 Special, .357 Magnum, and .44 Magnum. At one time or another I’ve carried all three for self defense. The .38 Special is the smallest and easiest to tame. It’s my choice for small guns and for beginners. With modern hollow points they are great out of small revolvers. I normally carry a small M85 .38 Special revolver in a coat pocket when it’s really cold out.
The .357 Magnum is a .38 Special on steroids. It fires the same bullet but out of a longer case. It’s much louder, kicks more, bigger flash, and more power. Out of a little revolver it’s brutal to shoot, but out of a full sized gun it’s a lot of fun and can be tamed with practice. One of the coolest things is that you can fire .38 Specials out of a .357, but not the other way around. If you want a full sized revolver, buy a .357 and start by shooting .38s.
The .44 Magnum is Dirty Harry’s gun. It was the most powerful handgun in the world for a long time. No it is dwarfed by others, but is overkill for self defense. It really is too big, heavy, and has too much recoil to use for self defense. The bullet also has a tendency to over penetrate targets and kill people behind the bad guy. While normally a revolver caliber, I carried a .44 Magnum Desert Eagle for a couple months while working for an armored car company. It is huge, the weapon weighs almost 5 pounds by itself. It was a great deterrent when I pulled it on some gang bangers in Santa Ana. But a .44 Magnum is really a hunting caliber and shouldn’t be used as a self defense weapon.
Auto loading pistol calibers have two ends. On the big end is the .45 ACP (Automatic Colt Pistol). It was originally designed for the Army to put in the Colt 1911. The original “45” and has been in service in military, law enforcement, and civilian self defense ever since. The .45 ACP is now in just about any modern handgun. It’s a big slow moving, heavy, bullet, which does very well at stopping people. It was the only choice before modern expanding bullets. I carried a Para-Ordnance 1911 .45 for years. It’s a great shooting gun, but big and heavy. Ammo is also really heavy to carry. I loved shooting it, but hated carrying it.
On the other side is the small 9mm Parabellum. It was designed after WWI to penetrate the heavy winter clothing of the Russians. It still works well for penetration hand has been around forever. Compared with the .45 it’s very small and light, has light recoil and has bullets that move much faster. With today’s modern ammo it is a good self defense choice and my choice for novice shooters. I carry a 9mm Compact Glock now as my primary defensive weapon. The ammo is easy to shoot, super reliable, cheaper then all the other defense calibers, and is the most popular firearms cartridge in history. After 4 years, I’m beginning to love my Glock. I’ve always liked the 9mm. In the same size gun as a .45 I get almost twice the ammo and still have less weight to carry. If I weren’t carrying a Glock, I’d be carrying something else in 9mm.
The .40 S&W (Smith & Wesson) was made with the idea to take the power of the .45 and put as many rounds in the same size gun as a 9mm. Smaller gun, more ammo, was the idea. It works well. The .40 came out when modern ammo was coming into wide use. This gave the .40 a street record that was starting to surpass the .45. But any modern expanding hollow point will out perform a round nose bullet when it comes to stopping people. I’m not a fan, but people really like this round and it works well. You won’t go wrong if you buy one of these for self defense. I’ve shot tons of other people’s .40s and never liked any of them. It recoils heavy and weird. It has the snap of a 9mm with the force of a .45 when shot. The ammo and guns are generally more expensive then the 9mm. If you want one, get one. They work fine, just more expensive.
The new .357 Sig is a cool idea, but isn’t catching on. It’s a .40 caliber case squished (officially called necked down) at the end to fit a 9mm bullet. A bigger case means more powder, more pressure, and faster bullets. On paper the .357 Sig looks like a .357 Magnum. A bunch of federal agencies have adopted this caliber. I think it’s better then a .40, but they are really expensive, recoil more then a 9mm and .40 and are a little hard to find sometimes. The .357 Sig is a great choice for self defense.
Going to small, sub-caliber choices are the .32 ACP and .380 Auto. Before modern ammo both where considered underpowered and not really useful. Now the .380 has come into it’s own. It’s a great caliber for a small pocket or sub-compact sized auto loader. Guns like the Ruger LCP and Ket-Tec 3AT are taking off. They are manageable to shoot, pack enough punch to fight with and are super cheap. The .32 ACP is smaller and is still underpowered. It use to be the only choice if you wanted a super small gun. I bought one before there were any .380 alternatives. I still carry it when I can’t carry anything else. It is better then a sharp stick, but not by much.
If you are selecting a gun for self defense, first choose a platform you like (check out this post for help buying your first gun) then pick the caliber. I’m a big fan of the 9mm for price and all around performance. If you just want something bigger, or need a “45” get a .45 ACP. Both will serve you well. I’ve staked my life on them for years.
Stay Safe,
Ben