Best caliber for CCW?

[Douglas]

I've seen them really "wired for sound" and I've worked with some that were very laid back (still high drive workers.)

On a detail with U.S. Secret Service Uniformed Division, they had a bunch of single purpose Mals that would search all day, but were lambs to be around. Really nice dogs.

I see that I've really taken this topic far afield. Sorry folks.

[hedrok]

Oh, no...No apology needed!!  THAT'S why this forum is so valuable.  Great back & forth conversations that are kind of between more informed folks and those who are not so informed.  We can "listen in"...but don't need to prove we don't know what we don't know

[Douglas]

Well, thank you.

I have been trying to take Josh, et al's advice and try to contribute more to keep things lively here. But... this is cargaritaville's thread on the best caliber for CCW, not about dogs, or counter-terror, or the City of New York and its metro area. That's on me.

Next time I think I'll try to remember to start another thread on whatever the digression is. Maybe that'll work even better for the forum; more thread count! 

So, let's reset, especially since I'm still trying to influence a policy change relative to this stuff.:

I just got back home from the local Gun Show.  I decided that I would ask 20 individuals whom I have dealt with over the years, and whose opinions I value when it comes to firearms advice, what they carry personally  as their trusted carry piece. The results are as follows:   

                                                                                                                                     1.) .45 cal.-12
                                                                                                                                     2.) .40 cal-5
                                                                                                                                     3.)  9mm-1
                                                                                                                                     4.) .357 mag-1
                                                                                                                                     5.) 44 mag.-1

A number of these individuals are ex law enforcement and military. Their attitudes all seemed to be the same…sometimes you're only going to get one shot off…it had better be good, and lethal.  Interesting.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

There's not a single guy carrying .38 spl. on that list. Since it's on topic for the real thread here, I'm curious about this:

I'm not sure where cargaritaville is, but I bet that here in NY, you'd see some .38 spl., especially if the people you asked were, shall we say, of a certain age. I am not a subscriber to the "only one shot, it better count" school of thought. It's why I'm not a .44 Magnum fan. I believe accurate shots with fast follow-ups win gunfights.

The new (-ish) Speer 135 grain +P Gold Dot Short Barrel has been doing well for the large agency here that commissioned it. And that's largely in off-duty (most closely mirroring private citizen) shootings.

Capacity is clearly an issue with typical revolvers. I've discussed it often here. Still, the difference between a 5 shot .38 spl. and a 6 shot .45 in terms of "confidence-of-carry" is close to negligible for me; faster reloads for the .45, the snub is easier to carry and less prone to operator-induced failure. I think I'd opt for the .38 over the truly "sub-compact" .45s.

-That's not to mean the Glock 30 or similar, you understand!

But I got a chance to shoot a buddy's XD-S. It was fine, but for it's size and shape, for six rounds, I think I'd choose my 642. 

Nobody here likes .38 spl.? 

[tracker]

You mentioned Bernie Goetz and his S&W Airweight .38 spl. He shot four of them on the subway with five shots and said that he would have fired more if he had more rounds. He bought the Airweight in Florida because he had enough of muggings, holdups, etc., and I would guess that he had very few, if any, range trips with his revolver. .38 spl. will definitely work, especially in close quarters. 

[Douglas]

Yeah. He's a little wacky. I've seen him once or twice, but never spoken to him.

It was the wackiness that got him in trouble. The shoot would've been good, in those days even with the "illegal" gun.

The .38 worked fine, and as I've said before, "modern" ammunition is superior. His marksmanship was adequate.

It was what he did after the shooting that kind of bit him in the ass.

-A new thread, perhaps? 

[tracker]

Your ball.

[hedrok]

I'll go back to what I said earlier...A S&W 940 5 shot 9mm on moon clips is almost as fast on reloads as a semi auto and has all the penetrating power needed to do the job.  With good, properly expanding ammo I'm not convinced it's not one of the better carry options.  Yes...that gun is tough to find...but is well worth the effort and $$ in return for peace of mind.
As Douglas referred to, "operator induced error" is not a factor with revolvers.  And, if matching the 940 or 640, with their long, DA trigger, at 50 ft. against any sub-compact semi-auto with a similar barrel length and sight radius, I'll bet on the wheelie all day, every day.
In a crisis situation, a person (myself) who has never been in a gunfight, should probably have the least complicated, idiot proof firearm on the planet if he or she is to survive. 
If there's 3 or 4 or 5 guys with guns...call Jack Bauer...he'll tell you you're running out of time.

[Richard S]

***
Nobody here likes .38 spl.? 

On March 8, 1995, while having lunch in a restaurant across from a county courthouse in East Tennessee, I first laid eyes on the lady who is now my wife.  She was about to try a case in the courthouse and I was there to file an oil and gas lease. I was just passing through Tennessee working on a joint venture with Chevron while waiting for a certain government to change back in Africa where I had left hurriedly "for reasons of health" following a military coup, abandoning a lot of  unfinished business on the ground.  In any event, upon seeing the lady in question I immediately stalled, crashed, and burned, and then began a year-long hot pursuit that resulted in my becoming a Tennessean in 1996 after she had finally agreed to marry me. 

With my new domicile established, I promptly applied for a Tennessee Handgun Carry Permit.  The course required qualification with some suitable handgun.  On the day of the qualification, I looked through the possibilities in the gun safe and pulled out a Smith & Wesson Model 36 3" .38 Special.  Even though I tend to favor a semi-automatic handgun, I seem to recall reminding myself at the time of the old "KISS" maxim.

I qualified.

One of my step-daughters now has that S&W. However, I still have a supply of .38 Special cartridges because they can be loaded in my IMI Timber Wolf pump carbine chambered for .357 Magnum.

I've always had a healthy respect for the venerable .38 Special.  If I were to carry a wheel gun, it would be chambered for that cartridge.


_{Edited syntax.}

[ricardo]

About 30 years ago, I visited a fellow in a state prison. Something I have done on a regular basis over the years. Anyways, this man had been shot 5 times(all at once) in the chest and stomach area, with a 38 special. Lucky for him that didn't happen with today's hollow point technology or it might have been a different outcome for him. Moral of the story,,,,two things. 1) Shot placement, center mass is critical with any gun weather a 38 or 45. 2) Type of ammo used,,,,in his case it was FMJs. R

[Richard S]

+1 on the modern hollow points. In my opinion, FMJ is not suitable for civilian self-defense use and should be limited to range work.