Now first and foremost this isn't any of the following...

-Whats the BEST handgun caliber
-Whats the most effective caliber
-What caliber should I buy for mutant ninja zombie bears.

This is just about your FAVORITE caliber. I like ALL calibers. I don't care if I have a 9/.38/.357/.40/.45 etc. etc. for SD purposes and that is not what I am talking about. I am just talking about my favorite one.

For me its gotta be .45 ACP. It was sort of my first love in handgun calibers and I just love em' I tend to like the following...

-The more muted sound/blast signature
-That heavy push of recoil that is both pleasant but feels like you are shooting something
-The romance of it. I mean its so American.
-Big old flying ashtrays. Doesn't make it any more or less capable but there is something comforting about big old hollowpoints
-Its just fun to shoot and makes big holes/tears in paper

Now would it be my first choice for anything super serious, probably not. Its not my bedside caliber, its not my carry caliber its not a caliber I would run to the hills with......it is however my favorite caliber that I just enjoy shooting.

I thought about .22LR but honestly I like my air pistols more then my .22LRs so .45ACP it is for me.

So how about you? .32ACP because you like to play Bond, .45 Colt because SAA's a cool? 9mm because who doesn't like a noisy mag dump for S&G every now and then. Maybe a .44 magnum because of that glorious blast, so what is it and why? What trips your fun trigger?

45 ACP. Because 9mm may expand, but 45 wont shrink.

45 win mag because BOOM!

.357 Magnum. Incredibly versatile, makes loud boom and spectacular light show from a 2.5" S&W Model 19.

I also spell fun "357". I like the power, and how flat-shooting it is.

.45acp in carry guns, .44 Mag for hunting.

I like the .40. My main sidearm is chambered in it. I like the tiny bit of "oomph" it gives, and it reminds me of the early '90s when I first started researching firearms and the .40 was the new hip kid on the block. It's both fun and nostalgic for me.

38 Super, 45 ACP, 10mm, 9mm, 22, 380, 357/38sp and 45 Colt in that order.

.50S&W.

1. .50 caliber in anything is awesome.
2. Really having to hold a pistol with both hands.
3. Taking 3 or 4 seconds to get back on target.
4. Spending a weeks pay for ammo for 1 range session .
5. Owning a pistol that comes with a sling is brag worthy.

.22 cheap and fun to shoot. Lots or good memories from scout camp and shooting with my father.

I also often wonder if I would be a better shooter if i put down the deathblasters and focused more on the fundamentals with a .22

Hmm. Just one...

Well I seem to have P220s, 2011s, and a Glock in .38 Super. Same thing with 10mm. Then again my 1911s are .17mach2 and 10mm. 7.65mm goes well with some P220s and a Glock. .41 Magnum is great in a Desert Eagle, but the 440s and 50AE are also fun to empty one handed. I do like getting 410s, 45 Colts, 454s, and a .460 with the same revolver. 40 S&W is smooth in a 2011 and other pistols as well. I also like P220s in 9mm Steyr. I do not have a 1911 in .45ACP or a Glock in 9mm.

What was the question again.

.45ACP by a large margin. It's just the most fun to shoot.

I think it's the .45 Colt that makes me happiest.

It's the right combination of size, kick and ease of reload.

The rounds are big enough that I don't fumble them all over the place, and I can see the impact holes from far off as I'm shooting.

For a pure grin factor I enjoy shooting my Dan Wesson 44mag with a heavy 8" barrel shroud installed.
Very controllable,not punishing,very accurate.
Good for 10 yards to over 100 yards.
Lets you know you just pulled the trigger on something!

357 SIG, been shooting it since it was first released. I bought a 357 P229 right after they came out; wish I still had that one! Right now it's a 5" SIG Nightmare 1911. That one's been fun to reload for, the extra room in the mag lets me long seat bullets that I couldn't normally use in the 357.

.50 BMG?

One favorite not listed so far is .22 Hornet in the Thompson/Center Contender. Nice boom and muzzle flash, accurate, no real recoil. Great for ground hogs and other varmints -- or at least a 12 oz. soda can filled with water.

Someone talked about "grin factor"!(armored) For me, thats the .480Ruger out of my Encore. Many shooters have had that unerasable smile after shooting that.

My best caliber, though, is .40S&W. I have a few pistols chambered for that, and, my duty weapon is a .40 Glock G22. I like the G23 better and carry that often (off-duty, of course)!

If price is not a factor, 357 SIG. Flat shooting, with a magnum bark, and enough velocity to ensure reliable expansion from a wide array of defensive ammo.

357 Sig...very reliable, fast, hard hitting!

9mm, .45, .357 and .22

Pickle Rick.