Try a 45 you'll be glad you did. The more I shoot 9's 40's and 45's the less I enjoy 40's so IMHO you should try a 45. Just my 2c


......also the H&K 45C is an EXCELLENT recommendation.

Glock 40 in 10mm. You will never look back

I hate to throw in a serious note, but we learned just a few years ago that ammunition supplies can dry up and become less available at times. Being restricted to only one caliber is a mistake that I won't make.

As to which caliber, for defensive purposes the .45ACP has seen its day, due to magazine capacity. I'd get at least one in .357SIG, 40S&W, or 10MM, and have more rounds available per mag, plus a harder-hitting round than the .45ACP.

I agree with the "Bigger is Better" argument. Any improvement in 9MM is immediately applied to the bigger calibers as well, and Bad Guys are getting bigger, too. Clyde Barrow was 5'6" and about 120lbs, but Michael Brown, at 6'4" and 292lbs, is more common for the size of today's adversary.

Go to a range and try out alternate pistol cartridges. If you like they way one shoots, get it. If you do not determine a significant difference, get another Sig 9mm.

My fun range gun is a Sig C3 45. If I am going to a hot zone, I go with a high capacity 9mm.

quote:

I hate to throw in a serious note, but we learned just a few years ago that ammunition supplies can dry up and become less available at times. Being restricted to only one caliber is a mistake that I won't make.

This is a good point. I have handguns I can carry in 9mm, .38/.357 Mag., .40, .44Spc./.44Mag and .45 ACP. Some of them wouldn't conceal particularly well, but it can be done. During the ammo drought, I was low on some stuff, but never out of anything. That always made me feel a little bit more comfortable. One of those calibers was always available on a store shelf in my area.

In an effort to talk you down, I would say:
You are gaining more muzzle flip and losing rounds.

You may pay more for round, but you might use less so they cancel each other out.

Terminal effectiveness is debatable either way, and the bad guy gets a vote. Just know that the FBI tested the latest rounds in all the service calibers and still went 9mm.

I'm pretty much a straight .22, 9mm and .38/.357 fellow. But, even I diversified to a SIG 220 in .45 acp. I also had a 226 in .40 S&W that I got for $350 as a police trade in. I was a dumbass and sold it. It was the nicest shooting .40 I every shot (better than a S&W 4053 and a Glock). the 226 was a joy to shoot and the difference between .40 and 9mm was barely noticeable in that pistol. I'd recommend either the 220 in .45 or 226 in .40 S&W to you.

A couple good reasons for getting a larger caliber:

You can't learn to handle large caliber rounds without shooting them.

If you are stuck with ball ammo or limited magazine capacity why not have bigger bullets?

If you are going to deal with dangerous game I'd look at a .44 magnum.

Everyone should try shooting 185 Grain wad cutters out of a well tuned 1911 at least once in their life. It's a lot of fun.

The wheel will probably turn again and larger calibers will come back in vogue. Back in the day you could probably get a .41 magnum police turn in cheap, now they are a bit more rare. .40 S&Ws are cheap now, but they will probably go up in price.

As mentioned caliber diversity is a good thing. God forbid we have another ammo shortage.

Some SIGs can interchange calibers. So if you got a .40 S&W 226 and you didn't like it you might be able to change it to 9mm.

Do you already have a revolver? A .357, .45 LC or .44 might also scratch the itch.

quote:

Originally posted by ArtieS:

quote:

I hate to throw in a serious note, but we learned just a few years ago that ammunition supplies can dry up and become less available at times. Being restricted to only one caliber is a mistake that I won't make.

This is a good point. I have handguns I can carry in 9mm, .38/.357 Mag., .40, .44Spc./.44Mag and .45 ACP. Some of them wouldn't conceal particularly well, but it can be done. During the ammo drought, I was low on some stuff, but never out of anything. That always made me feel a little bit more comfortable. One of those calibers was always available on a store shelf in my area.

Counterpoint: for what you have invested in all those other guns/ammo boxes, you could have squirreled away 50,000 rounds of 9mm and ridden out the ammo drought just fine.

Not advocating either approach -- just saying either one will work just fine given a certain amount of expenditure.

Personally, I now confine myself to 9mm, .357Sig, .380 and .22. But really only 9 and .357 are my carry options.

If I had limited finances, though, I'd sell everything except one of my PPS9s and one of my P320 Compact 9s, and use the funds to buy lots of ammo.

Do you reload?

.45 Colt is a fun one for reloaders. There's a wide spectrum of power levels you can load to, assuming you buy a gun that'll take it (Ruger being the usual choice for the upper end of the scale).

.45 Auto is also quite a bit of fun, plus 'merica. A 1911 in .45 may not be the most practical gun any longer, but again...'merica. Ought to have at least one 1911 and one k-frame to be a real 'murkin gun guy.

You could buy a 40 or 357 conversion kit for your P229. Almost the same price as a used police trade in gun but easy to order, ships directly to your house. https://www.sigsauer.com/store...229-40-auto-blk.html

If "less fun" is a code for higher recoil, for range toy use, why not just shoot .22? Cheaper, and less recoil. If you're just punching paper, why bother with centerfire at all.

But if you want to use the gun for defensive purposes, shooting enjoyment isn't really a criteria. Then you have to look at all aspects, target effect, mag capacity, and shootability. If the range of rounds is 9mm, 357SIG, .40. .45ACP, and we can even throw in 10mm, .380 and .38 Spl. If you want to carry the gun, the size and weight of the gun also come into play. When you mush all these criteria together and try to find that one that does the entirety of the job the best, .40 comes out pretty well.

quote:

Originally posted by djpaintles:
Try a 45 you'll be glad you did. The more I shoot 9's 40's and 45's the less I enjoy 40's so IMHO you should try a 45. Just my 2c


......also the H&K 45C is an EXCELLENT recommendation.

There is something satisfying to the soul in having a pistol and cartridge designed over 107 years ago that's still a viable combo.

I use 9mm, .40 and .45ACP. With proper SD ammo, any one will do the job. After 57 years, I concluded long ago that awareness, tactics and competency is more important than caliber anyway. I'll throw in good judgment as well.

I don’t know that a high capacity 45 gives up enough relative to a 9, to worry about capacity.

Now, if it’s a matter of recoil impairing your ability to practice, that would be a concern.

quote:

Originally posted by TheMan:

quote:

Originally posted by ArtieS:

quote:

I hate to throw in a serious note, but we learned just a few years ago that ammunition supplies can dry up and become less available at times. Being restricted to only one caliber is a mistake that I won't make.

This is a good point. I have handguns I can carry in 9mm, .38/.357 Mag., .40, .44Spc./.44Mag and .45 ACP. Some of them wouldn't conceal particularly well, but it can be done. During the ammo drought, I was low on some stuff, but never out of anything. That always made me feel a little bit more comfortable. One of those calibers was always available on a store shelf in my area.

Counterpoint: for what you have invested in all those other guns/ammo boxes, you could have squirreled away 50,000 rounds of 9mm and ridden out the ammo drought just fine.

Not advocating either approach -- just saying either one will work just fine given a certain amount of expenditure.

Personally, I now confine myself to 9mm, .357Sig, .380 and .22. But really only 9 and .357 are my carry options.

If I had limited finances, though, I'd sell everything except one of my PPS9s and one of my P320 Compact 9s, and use the funds to buy lots of ammo.

This is just what many of us do. Stock up, then other calibers become inconsequential.

454 Casull?

Man, you got some choices! Larger caliber, go ahead and get a really nice .45, maybe a semi-custom 1911. Power, if you re-load, go 10 mm and you have got a REALLY versatile caliber!! Mild to wild brother...

No helping, keeping with the enabler tradition.
You pick the 1911 and add a 460 Rowland conversion.

Hard to go wrong with a decent 1911 in .45.

quote:

Originally posted by 10round:
Look at 40 cal police trade in guns. Plenty out there for very reasonable prices.

This! They are giving those things away.

I shoot a lot of 9mm in IDPA and USPSA competition, and generally carry 9mm. That said, every time I bring out one of my 45s, loading those thumb sized cartridges just makes me smile.

If you are looking for larger for carry the 40 fits the bill, or 10 MM you don't lose a lot of round capacity which you do with typical 45

However for fun I'd go 357 magnum in a revolver or 44 Magnum the cost per round isn't prohibitive, they are a hoot to shoot, and after a few rounds you'll want to put it down so that keeps costs low LOL.

I have a model 29-3 and a 686 no dash that I take out occasionally, found them both used at my LGS so cost for the firearms was good too.

As was said, Glock 22 (40) are all over as police trade ins, you can get a great deal.