Thinking about a new carry caliber.

[Pferox]

Jan and I just got Taurus G3c pistols in 9mm and so far we're pretty happy with them.  For me it is an upgrade from a .38 revolver.
I'm not much in the 9mm camp and was wondering about a heavier caliber for myself, maybe 10mm or 40 S&W.
Right now around here 9mm is about the only pistol caliber that is affordable, heck even 38 special is through the roof. But that's another topic.
My initial thoughts on the 9 was that everybody and their bother is carrying them, and the military is still issuing that caliber, so when things hit the fan, ammo might be more readily available.
I DUNNO, just wanted to bring this up for discussion, looking for other's opinions.

[FD]

The best carry caliber is the one you can afford to practice, a lot. 
A couple of well placed 22 longs have more knockdown power than a 357 if you can't hit your intended target.


I have always preferred a 9m.  My every day carry is a P365 with Hornaday Critical Defense.

[hondo2doc]

Personally I'm a 1911 fan chambered in 45 acp. I have not found an issue yet obtaining ammo. Pricey, yes but isn't everything now? My daily carry is a Colt Defender. But I also carry a Kimber 1911 in 45 acp and then once in a while depending on what pants I may be wearing I'll carry my Colt 380. Yes, the 380 does feel mighty small compared to my my 45's.

Like the OP I have been considering jumping into the 9mm world.......mostly because of the readily available ammo. But haven't done so yet.

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[Princeton_Man]

I started out carrying .357 Magnum, I grew up on revolvers and the caliber. As autos became more and more popular I switched to a 1911 in .45 ACP, but as much as I loved shooting it, the fact that the bullets would often bounce off the big oak tree we used for targets lead to me upgrading to a Sig in 40 S&W. As time passed I added a .357Sig barrel and later a Glock 33 became my EDC for many years. Eventually, the cost and availability of ammo forced me to abandon .357 sig and .40 S&W for the less expensive 9mm and a Glock 19. I learned very quickly that I should have switched years sooner. My groups are much better with the 9mm. My follow up shot for double tap will often touch the first hole. Best of all I can afford to shoot a lot more 9s. With 15 round mags plus one in the pipe, I see nothing but positives.

I have however purchased a new snake gun in .357, but only because it's so pretty. 

[Capt. BassinLou]

My EDC is 9mm, plus I like the caliber. I tried out a few pistols when I was in the market for an EDC, and I found myself circling back to the Canik TP9 SC. Introduced a buddy of mine to this line of guns and I ruined him.   

[Pferox]

I started out carrying a .25 Baretta pocket pistol for years, and it did it's job well.  So the thought of a .22 isn't out of the question.  There are times when something dinky is a good idea.
The house is still protected by my 40 year old Smith .357 and it won't be retired soon.
I also carried an H&K in 45, and liked it a lot, although, I was left handed and it wasn't.  Then came Taurus's version of the Baretta 92F that I had for a long time, although it seemed like a little over penetration and less knockdown than I wanted.
5 shot 38s were a nice close quarters carry gun for a while, but I still want more capacity.
I really like the G3c, and can live with the 9mm, just wondering if there is something out there that is better.  I see 9mm as a long distance loadout compared to a close in stopper. But that is just me. I actually have nothing against 9mm, don't get me wrong.

[caddyjoe77]

for me its a P365 with hornady critical defense.  the trigger is awesome!! 

i still want to look at the 43X because the grip is a little bit bigger

[FD]

for me its a P365 with hornady critical defense.  the trigger is awesome!! 

i still want to look at the 43X because the grip is a little bit bigger

I went to the extended mag for mine and added a little X-Flock for added grip

[FD]

P365 with the grip activated light

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[bigjim5589]

Jim, my middle son, Brian, who lives here with me, has gotten very interested in shooting (ex Navy) and as such I've recently bought two handguns, so we can do this together. Like you, I bought a Taurus G3C 9mm, and a GSG Firefly in .22LR.

The Firefly is identical to the Sig Sauer Mosquito, both are produced in Germany by the same manufacturer, so all parts are interchangeable. They each hold 10 rounds with the basic magazines. So far, I've not seen that there are other magazines available for them.

You already know what the magazines for the G3C will hold. Promag makes a magazine that will fit the G3C that holds 32 rounds, which is of course not really a carry option except as a spare, but certainly could be a good option for home defense. I tend to over do things, but I would rather have more rounds than not enough. Brian purchased one of the Palmetto Armory's Dagger's in 9mm.

Brain & I have discussed hunting & shooting a lot lately, and both guns have great reviews, so were for me a good compromise of quality & price. Here in SC, we can carry, open or concealed, when engaged in hunting or fishing activities with only the hunting/fishing licenses and my thought for the .22 was for that purpose, and for home defense. I can also possibly use the .22 for some small game hunting. We read or hear in the news about problems at boat ramps too, with theft & even some assaults in out of the way places. There's several ramps here that are out of the way and I have no idea how much coverage they get from Police/Sheriff depts, or the state DNR officers. Again, I rather have and not need, than need & not have.

Unfortunately, we're hearing a lot more about crime in our area too, mostly theft, but some break-in's & home invasions also and I'm getting too old to be fighting hand to hand.

And yes, my other thought with the G3C is the same as yours if things do get very bad, the 9mm ammo is still very easy to get at the moment although prices do vary a lot depending on what you get.

I've not yet shot either one, but we plan to make a trip to a range soon to do that. 

[Pferox]

Jim, that G3 is sweet, the grips are a little over aggressive and will take some time to get used to, but otherwise it is fantastic.  I'm sure we will be able to keep a hold of that gun with fish slime on our hands.
Being left handed I had to be a gun smith already and change the magazine release to the opposite side, it was pretty easy after you figure it out.

Here in Texas we have constitutional carry, which is basically open or concealed carry without a permit.  They have modified the permits that they had before CC to something like a security card.  You go to a class, take a written test and shoot to qualify and you use that as an instant background check when buying gun related items.  Jan and I are working up to qualifying for that, which I bet is going to take a while.

Jan got her G3 before I did because I was holding off to get a Sig M18, but after shooting hers, I had to get one, so I guess the M18 is going to wait a while. We got her a Ruger.22 for plinking, although after I get back to reloading, shooting .38 and 9 are almost as affordable and a little more impressive.

[Wizard]

Do you want to discuss ballistics? For practical purposes, the 9mm will go farther into the body or even through it. The 9mm usually requires more than one hit to put a perp on his back. Part of this is the amount of powder used and part the shape of the bullet, which is pointed. The .45 is heavier with a heavier charge and a flatter bullet shape. The .45 probably will not go through a body but it's impact is greater than the 9mm. One hit is usually enough to stop a perp. A .380 can kill someone but I hope he doesn't shoot you while he's taking his time to die.

Wizard