quote:

The 220 in 45 has an appeal that escapes practical analysis. Loading and shooting a 226 mag is enjoyable, but not nearly as much as loading those 230gr rounds into that skinny, shiny 220-1 mag.

That’s the “kind of thing” I am talking about. Not necessarily specific to .45 but like I said it’s not about what caliber do I go to war with or carry or is perfect for repelling boarders. It’s just those intangible reasons you just dig it. Also I totally agree with that P220 assessment.

.38/.357 is a close second for me because I just enjoy the mechanics of a revolver and the loading of it and the unloading of it. It’s not that I think .38 is the greatest caliber ever but it’s workable and I dig it and it’s platforms. It’s about the joy of shooting for me not about
“shootin’ some fool.”

I've standardized on around 60 different calibers. No ammo shortage here.

When I first started shooting the 9MM was for foreigners. And, the 357 Mag and the 41 Mag were the rounds for revolvers but the 45 ACP was built for the semiautomatics. That’s what I got and will still have around when I go to my grave.

However, I have 10MM and Sig 357 pistols and love them dearly. At my age I have enough ammo to last a life time.

Crap, I also have several 9MM pistols and picking up a new Langton Tactical Beretta on Friday. I guess I love em all.

I own a "few" handguns in .22, .357, 9mm, .40, .44 and .45, and have duplicates in every caliber. When I cull the heard, I will likely keep one in each caliber simply for ammo availability, with the possible exception of the .44 mag. When my wrists and elbows can no longer take the pounding, I will probably let them go to my kids. The .45 ACP mimics the performance of the .44 Spc., so there's no real need for both. I might let the .357s go for the same reason, but I do like to have some revolvers around...

I won't have enough money or storage space tied up in "one of each" to matter on those fronts, and having lived through a number of ammo panics, having options is nice.

I suspect if I whittle it down to one handgun, I’ll be shooting .38 Specials in a K frame .357. Or maybe a Blackhawk.

I’ve actually come full circle & returned to SAO 1911 pistols myself.

I've come to practicing with .22 or 9mm and then carrying .45 when I feel it necessary. There is just no better use of seven or so grains of powder IMO and at such wonderfully low pressures. However, if I were to truly get down to only one I suppose I'd go with my Redhawk 5.5" .44 mag.

This assumes reloading is still an option so I can go up or down to fit whatever role. It has always shot where pointed and been a good companion on many hunts. Concealed carry would be a challenge, but if I ever did need to use it I would hardly feel naked before mine enemy.

Ok - I’ll play...

While I love the satisfying thud of my Colt Commander - I’ll stick with my 9...but.,

I have lately warmed to .357’s loaded withhold .38+P’s the revolver - she calls to me...

In the years leading up to our move to Central America, I started consolidating all of our handguns to 9mm. It wasn't really for any reason at the time, I guess the idea of more rounds in the magazine appealed to me. I did have one Ruger Blackhawk in 45Colt for the unlucky deer that wandered into handgun range, but I sold that when we moved south. As it stands now, we only have a chance to shoot when we return to the US once a year. All that said, I like the 9.

I have a sweet spot for 400 Cor-Bon. I have both a 45 and a 400 barrel for one of my 1911s

I’m fairly practical and thrifty so I just have 9mm now. That said I still have dies and components for .45 and .44 mag and will have examples of each again someday. Oh, my wife’s is a .357/.38Sp because she told me she “likes black revolvers with black grips.” Ok then!

I imagine I’d wind up with a j frame 38....
My grand da had arthritis in his hands and he last carried a 22 cause it’s all he could handle when he died

my mom has it in her hands and can’t handle a 38 so she uses a beretta in22....

I plan to keep a 1911 and a j frame for when I’m olde..a 148 wadcutter has little recoil and is devastating(I’ve seen it up close and in person)

I’ll give the rest of my guns to my kids

Too much raw emotion and very little logic or common sense being displayed here. .45s just hurt when they go off and old hands don't need more hurt. My employer died back in 2006 and he was down to a Beretta 25, at times he was an old fool but he had to be modern. It was just a bad choice. His old 97 year old hands just couldn't handle the magazines and ammo, much less the slide (he liked the tip up feature.) He wouldn't hear of a revolver, too last century.

Most of the posters so far are telling us what they "like". It doesn't really matter what your 60 year old hands like. Its what your 80 year old hands can manipulate. By 90, my bets are off on all semi autos. Might be safer with a gun you can't operate. Sure, we'd all prefer a set of 20 year old hands, but the cards aren't dealt that way. I've seen enough oldie's fumble to realize large magazines and heavy slides might not by your best friend in your later years. But go ahead and be modern if you want.

Now you’re wandering off into a practical perspective that isn’t on point with the original question. He didn’t ask, “what caliber will you shoot once arthritis (etc) has crippled your hands & wrists?”

Don’t spoil the fun party.

1-after decades of treating my body more like a whorehouse then a temple, somehow I doubt shooting at 90 will be a concern for me.

2-We all have to cross those type of physical bridges in our lives. My eyes have sucked since birth and they are not getting any better.

3-I wasn’t looking at this as a purely practical exercise. Truth be told I will always have a medium sized .357 revolver around both because I love them and the fact the manual of arms allows for much less dexterity/strength and they can be loaded with some really light .38. The external hammer allows manual cocking to alleviate any heavy trigger issues. But as I said I’ll cross that bridge when I get there.

4-This is more about what I would “like” to go with if or when I pare down. May not make the most practical sense but it’s what I think I like the most and always have.

Take care, shoot safe
Chris

One of my favorite calibers is the .38 Super (hence the name) and I have it in many firearms.

P220s, 1911s, 2011s, & Glocks always seem to shoot better with 38s for me. Not losing anything in means of capacity (40 rounds in a Kriss Vector magazine) and Underwood provides self defense rounds. I also enjoy them in 10mm, but I always seem to have a 38 nearby. The ammo is easy to find where I'm at and I don't have anybody getting my brass at the range.

For smaller framed pistols, any 7.65mm will do. I haven't shot a .45 or 9mm in a long time.

On the caliber reduction due to age arthritis (it's starting, but Tylenol handles it now), don't forget the 5.7x28mm.

I would rather have 15 rounds of easily shootable 9mm, than 8 rounds of something big. Only other option would be P220 Gray Guns customized to shoot .357Sig.

quote:

Originally posted by c1steve:
I would rather have 15 rounds of easily shootable 9mm, than 8 rounds of something big. Only other option would be P220 Gray Guns customized to shoot .357Sig.

-20pts for failure to follow instructions!

I am seventy-four with arthritis and peripheral neuropathy. When I go to the handgun range, I shoot my .454 Casull and .44 magnums to loosen up before I practice with my .45 ACP and 10mm pistols.