minimum caliber requirement ?

07-06-2003, 10:02 AM

What is your minimum caliber requirement for a self defense sidearm ? :target:

Roy Collins · 07-27-2003, 03:43 PM

There are people out there that say you have to have at least X caliber or you are fooling yourself. I for one live by the rule that you use, its whatever you have at the time. Now for the record, the smallest I have ever carried is a .22 and the biggest I have ever carried is the .44 mag. and just about everything in the middle. My previous job as a executive protection/bodyguard has over the years and under different situations has called for different carry situations. My personal standard range of carry is .380-.45cal. but like I said above I could on any given day have anything.

NRAJOE · 07-28-2003, 10:47 AM

Once again, .38...............................

squirrelsniper · 07-28-2003, 02:52 PM

My minimum would be a 22 LR. The 22 doesn't have much knockdown power, but that doesn't matter as long as you place the bullet correctly. Now as to what I prefer, I like a 9mm or bigger.

FEG · 08-13-2003, 11:00 PM

.38 Special/.380 ACP/9x18mm Makarov.

Shot placement is more important than caliber, but can anyone out there seriously argue that they shoot some of the smaller calibers any better than a .38 in a J or K frame? I think NOT.

These days, there are 9mm autos every bit as small or smaller than traditional PP/PPK clones in .380. Some are even smaller than older .32 ACP designs.

There is definitely a "floor," and it is the .35x-.36x" calibers. I wouldn't care to be shot by a .22 or .25, but one gains nothing by going small these days.

lefty o · 08-14-2003, 12:35 AM

your lucky you said side arm or i was gonna say a 5"- 54 cal naval gun.

08-17-2003, 06:14 AM

I would carry almost any gun as long as I got to choose the ammunition...I carried for years a rimfire revolver (if a dud occured all I had to do was pull the trigger again)

NRAJOE · 08-17-2003, 07:16 AM

Any gun is better than none...but .22 would be my last choice if nothing else were available!

colt45 · 08-17-2003, 09:03 AM

I carry a 45acp but have a 40s&w and a 22lr that have been taken along from time to time.

NRAJOE · 08-17-2003, 09:26 AM

If you take TWO .22's, will that equal out to one .44?

08-17-2003, 03:21 PM

a .22lr that hits is better than a .44 Magnum that misses

NRAJOE · 08-17-2003, 06:04 PM

No!...Really?

08-20-2003, 06:39 PM

REALLY !

FEG · 08-20-2003, 08:06 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by logansdad
a .22lr that hits is better than a .44 Magnum that misses

The logical extension of the above argument would be to have everyone involved in combat handgunning practice headshots all day with a .22 LR. After all, that's effective enough and would save a lot of money on ammo, right?

This is only relevant to a point. I honestly don't think that I shoot .22 LR any better than .38 Special. (Since you can't reload rimfire cartridges, I basically never shoot them.) My Airweight is actually smaller than many .22s (if not most of them). I'm not going to mess with a .22 to prove someone else's rhetorical point!

Furthermore, I know that I shoot most .38s far more accurately than most .25s and .32s. In short, a .38 Special that hits is a @#$%^ sight better than a .25 that misses!

Nothing personal, by the way.

Jesse · 08-20-2003, 08:26 PM

Good point!

08-20-2003, 10:30 PM

.22lr is still an extremely good round. I remembered back when I only had one gun. It was a .22lr..it was fun and inexpensive to shoot. Kind of why I bought it.

practical · 08-20-2003, 11:42 PM

My walther p22 is very light and small with the short barrel. But I feel warm and fuzzy with hammerless ruger sp101 loaded with 115gr hotloaded 357's.

TScottW99 · 08-21-2003, 11:53 AM

My personel choice is no smaller then a .38spcl +P.

12-05-2003, 02:28 PM

there's no reason to settle for less.

MAX7.62 · 12-05-2003, 03:42 PM

.45 does it for me! I carry a Kimber BP TenII Tactical (double stack - uses Paraord pre ban 14 round mags) For back up I carry an officer's model (compact) 1911.

07-06-2003, 10:02 AM	#1
Logansdad Guest Posts: n/a	minimum caliber requirement ? What is your minimum caliber requirement for a self defense sidearm ? :target:

07-28-2003, 10:47 AM	#3
NRAJOE Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Toledo,OH Posts: 19,052 Images: 3	Once again, .38............................... __________________ U.S. Army 1976-1979 237th Combat Engineers Heilbronn, Germany

07-28-2003, 02:52 PM	#4
squirrelsniper Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Kentucky Posts: 86	My minimum would be a 22 LR. The 22 doesn't have much knockdown power, but that doesn't matter as long as you place the bullet correctly. Now as to what I prefer, I like a 9mm or bigger. __________________ Close only counts in horse shoes and hand grenades. http://www.geocities.com/squirrelsniper/index.html

08-13-2003, 11:00 PM	#5
FEG Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Behind the Iron Curtain Posts: 517	.38 Special/.380 ACP/9x18mm Makarov. Shot placement is more important than caliber, but can anyone out there seriously argue that they shoot some of the smaller calibers any better than a .38 in a J or K frame? I think NOT. These days, there are 9mm autos every bit as small or smaller than traditional PP/PPK clones in .380. Some are even smaller than older .32 ACP designs. There is definitely a "floor," and it is the .35x-.36x" calibers. I wouldn't care to be shot by a .22 or .25, but one gains nothing by going small these days. __________________ WARNING: CZs MAY BE HABIT-FORMING (Consult a doctor if nursing or pregnant).

08-17-2003, 07:16 AM	#8
NRAJOE Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Toledo,OH Posts: 19,052 Images: 3	Any gun is better than none...but .22 would be my last choice if nothing else were available! __________________ U.S. Army 1976-1979 237th Combat Engineers Heilbronn, Germany

07-27-2003, 03:43 PM	#2
Roy Collins Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Louisville Kentucky. Posts: 316	There are people out there that say you have to have at least X caliber or you are fooling yourself. I for one live by the rule that you use, its whatever you have at the time. Now for the record, the smallest I have ever carried is a .22 and the biggest I have ever carried is the .44 mag. and just about everything in the middle. My previous job as a executive protection/bodyguard has over the years and under different situations has called for different carry situations. My personal standard range of carry is .380-.45cal. but like I said above I could on any given day have anything.

08-14-2003, 12:35 AM	#6
lefty o Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: mn Posts: 4,806	your lucky you said side arm or i was gonna say a 5"- 54 cal naval gun.

08-17-2003, 06:14 AM	#7
Logansdad Guest Posts: n/a	I would carry almost any gun as long as I got to choose the ammunition...I carried for years a rimfire revolver (if a dud occured all I had to do was pull the trigger again)

08-17-2003, 09:03 AM	#9
colt45 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Occupied Territories of New York (Buffalo) Posts: 2,898	I carry a 45acp but have a 40s&w and a 22lr that have been taken along from time to time. __________________ "A fear of weapons is a sign of retarded sexual and emotional maturity" -Sigmund Freud, General Introduction to Psychoanalysis "If guns cause crime, all of mine are defective." - Ted Nugent "Self-defense is Nature's eldest law." -John Dryden

08-17-2003, 09:26 AM	#10
NRAJOE Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Toledo,OH Posts: 19,052 Images: 3	If you take TWO .22's, will that equal out to one .44? __________________ U.S. Army 1976-1979 237th Combat Engineers Heilbronn, Germany

08-17-2003, 03:21 PM	#11
Logansdad Guest Posts: n/a	a .22lr that hits is better than a .44 Magnum that misses

08-17-2003, 06:04 PM	#12
NRAJOE Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Toledo,OH Posts: 19,052 Images: 3	No!...Really? __________________ U.S. Army 1976-1979 237th Combat Engineers Heilbronn, Germany

08-20-2003, 08:26 PM	#15
Jesse Administrator Join Date: Mar 2002 Posts: 1,945 Images: 2	Good point! __________________ Jesse www.gunandgame.com

08-20-2003, 10:30 PM	#16
Logansdad Guest Posts: n/a	.22lr is still an extremely good round. I remembered back when I only had one gun. It was a .22lr..it was fun and inexpensive to shoot. Kind of why I bought it.

08-20-2003, 11:42 PM	#17
practical Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Baton Rouge, LA/Casper, WY Posts: 736	My walther p22 is very light and small with the short barrel. But I feel warm and fuzzy with hammerless ruger sp101 loaded with 115gr hotloaded 357's. __________________ Eric "The secret to life is honesty and fair dealing, if you can fake that you've got it made"

08-21-2003, 11:53 AM	#18
TScottW99 Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Roanoke County, VA Posts: 201	My personel choice is no smaller then a .38spcl +P. __________________ "Those who give up essential liberties for temporary safety deserve neither liberty or safety." -Benjamin Franklin http://tscott.fws1.com

12-05-2003, 02:28 PM	#19
over Guest Posts: n/a	356 TSW, 600 ft lbs, pocket auto there's no reason to settle for less.

12-05-2003, 03:42 PM	#20
MAX7.62 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Classified Posts: 934	.45 does it for me! I carry a Kimber BP TenII Tactical (double stack - uses Paraord pre ban 14 round mags) For back up I carry an officer's model (compact) 1911. __________________ The Second Amendment, it ain't about DUCK HUNTING! I feel more like I do now that I did when I first got here!