Self Defense Guns

If you are the resident gun nut, excuse me, gun enthusiast or expert, then it is very likely you here some variation on a couple of questions often.

1.  "I want to buy a gun for x, what should I get?  With x being self defense, hunting sasquatch, target practice, cowboy action shooting, ect.

2.  "I want to get a x, for y, what caliber should I buy, with x being model of firearm and y being x in question 1.

I don't hunt, so rarely get asked anything about that.  Most of the questions I get concern firearms for self defense or just recreational shooting.  Let's discuss the self defense side briefly.

On question one, I usually try to get some more information.  For instance, is this going to be a carry gun or a car gun or for home defense?  Are you the only likely user, or will other people use it?  How much are the users willing to practice?

At this point I would then suggest a basic type of firearm, shotgun, rifle, revolver, compact semiauto, ect.  I would suggest they try out some different makes and models in whatever category.  We have a couple of ranges around that rent some guns, and I have no problem taking someone out and letting them shoot what I have, however my armory is rather limited in scope and range.

The second question I usually answer with, whatever you shoot best or like most within parameters.
While not all cartridges are created equal, modern ammunition has most of the popular carry caliber sel defense ammunition performing well within the FBI standards for law enforcement duty ammo, which is generally considered the gold standard for self defense.  Once you pick your caliber, just look for any of the major ammunition maker's bonded hollow point, usually labelled either defense or duty ammo and you should be good.  If you want to take additionally steps, you can easily research on the net and find all kinds of data on any load you want.

If you want to break it down more then lets take a very brief, and somewhat bias look at common calibers of handguns carry for self defense.

Most civilians usually look to law enforcement when picking carry guns.  I guess they figure since these people carry everyday they must know what's best.  Unfortunately, what a law enforcement agency carries is dictated by the agency policy, which may have little to nothing to do with performance, reliability, ergonomics, ect.  It usually has more to do with reducing cost and liability than anything else.  Also, state and local law enforcement tend to look to federal law enforcement, particularly the FBI.

The 4 most popular calibers used by law enforcement in no particular order ate the 9mm Parabellum, the .357 Sig, the .40 Smith and Wesson, and the .45 ACP.

Briefly, the 9 mm Parabellum, aka the 9 x 19 mm led the law enforcement switch from revolvers to semi-autos during the 1970's through the 1980's.  It is the oldest cartridge in our short list, dating back to the early 1900's.  It had a couple of advantages, it was a popular military cartridge, the US military hadn't adapted it yet, but was some special units were looking at it and the military was considering it.  Many of the semi autos chambering it had double stack magazines.  The average capacity was 15 rounds, which is a lot if you are used to a revolver holding 5 or 6 rounds.  I got interested in firearms in the late 80's and started shooting in the 90's.  Back then autoloading handguns tended to be much more finicky about what ammo they would feed reliably and 9mm ammo back then tended to over penetrate and under incapacitate.  This is why the .40 Smith and Wesson exists.  Modern 9 mm self denfense ammunition has been fine tuned to perform to perfection.  The FBI had dropped the 9mm going to the 10mm briefly, then the .40 S&W.  It has recently dropped the .40 to go back to the 9mm citing modern ammunition improvements.

So why should someone pick the 9mm?  1) It's popular.  Ammo is easy to find, there is lots of variety,, and it tends to cost a little less.  2) Lots of options in ammo and firearms.  Everybody that makes handguns make a 9mm model, most make several.  3)  It's an old cartridge that still around because it works.  It's as accurate as the gun and shooter are.  4)  Recoil depends very much on the ammo selected and the firearm itself, obviously if your carrying a full-size duty weapon with a 5 inch barrel you will have less recoil than if you're carrying a tiny five shot subcompact with a 2 inch barrel, but one the average, the 9mm should have less felt recoil than the other 3 calibers listed. 5)  The 9mm should offer the maximum magazine capacity in same size catagory weapons.  Full size duty weapons usually hold 15-20 rounds in flush fit factory magazines, compacts usually 12--15 rounds, subcompacts usually 6-12 rounds, micro compacts usually 5 or 7 rounds.  6) Wear and tear, the 9mm is the second lowest pressure round on this list.  Barring a steady diet of plus p loads, a reasonablely good quality 9mm firearm shouldn't be cracking frames or slides or breaking down for many years.

The .357 Sig round was developed in an attempt to duplicate the ballistic performance of the 125 grain jacket hollow point .,357 magnum round as loaded by most of the major ammunition makers during the 90's.  This was, at the time, the gold standard for law enforcement.  It was credited for more one shot incapacitations of bad guys than any other ammunition, caliber combination.  Since, with the exception of a couple of rather large and heavy autoloaders, the .357 is primarily a revolver round, Sig decided they should try to duplicate that performance in a non cylinder fashion.  This is probably the least used by law enforcement of these 4 cartridges.  Basically it's the .40 S&W case necked down to hold a 9mm bullet.

Why should someone pick the .357 Sig?  1) Penetration.  The .357 Sig packs a punch.  It's a high pressure cartridge and has a lot of velocity.  It seems to be popular with Highway Patrol agencies.  I suspect that's because it's good at penetrating barriers.  That could be useful if you might have to shoot someone in a vehicle, or stop a moving vehicle.  Not as important for a civilian though, maybe even a negative. 2)  Range,  all that velocity means it holds a flat trajectory  over a longer distance.  So it has more range.

Why might someone want to avoid the .357 Sig?  1) Ammo.  The ammo is expensive, probably the most expensive of the 4 and hardest to find.  Also, since this cartridge was developed to imitate a single loading of another cartridge, there isn't that wide a variety of ammo.  2) Penetration.  I mentioned that his was probably the best pick of the lot for barrier shooting, well that penetration could be a problem if you are firing inside your home for example and you miss the target.  The round might plow through a wall and hit a loved one.  3)  Recoil and muzzleflash.  When you fire one of these, you know it.  It probably has more muzzle rise and definitely more muzzle flash than any of the other rounds.  I think it has the most recoil, some might argue.  It isn't uncontrollable.  It's not like shooting a 460 magnum, 4) Wear and tear.  All that power takes a tole on what is basically a beefed up 9mm handgun.  That's one of the reasons law enforcement is beginning to move back to 9mm.  Most people aren't going to put as many rounds through a firearm as a law enforcement agency though, 5) Most .357 Sigs hold about 2 less rounds than the same size 9mm. Honestly, out of all these, probably the fact that the ammo isn't as widely available and it's price are what I would weigh most, and I'm basing them on where I live, Maybe be different other places.

After a shootout gone bad, the FBI decided to reevaluate their carry guns.  The 9mm and .38 specials there agents were armed with hadn't done so well.  There were a lot of other issues with the particular incident and a lot of law enforcement training changed too, but FBI armorers started studying handgun cartridge performance and actually started publishing data and set up criteria for what a law enforcement cartridge should and should not do.   They set standards.  The FBI initially switched to .45 acp while this was going on, then switched to 10mm.  This proved too much for some of their agents, so a reduced load was adopted to reduce recoil.  Smith and Wesson thought they could duplicate the reduced load in a smaller cartridge and fit it in a 9mm frame rather than the .45 ACP size frames of a 10mm.  Thus was born the .40 S&W.  Which was really weird since the .41 Action Express already existed at the time and was almost exactly the same thing, only a tad hotter.

Why would someone pick the .40 S&W?  1) Availability.  Since bunches of LEO adapted this round it's almost as easy .40 S&W ammo as 9mm and since this is just a beefed up 9mm frame, almost every model 9mm is available as a .40.  2) Bigger, heavier bullet.  The .40 S&W is of course .400 diameter and usually weighs from 160 to 180 grain versus the 9mm's .355 diameter and weights from 90 to 142 grain.  3)  More penetration than the 9mm.  The .40 is a higher pressure cartridge and offers more penetration than the 9mm, though probably less than the .357 Sig.  This could also mean a flatter trajectory over a longer range also.  This might mean less to civilians than LE though.

Why pick something else?  1) Capacity.  The .40S&W typically holds about 2 rounds less than the same size 9mm.  2)Recoil.  I don't find these unpleasant to shoot, but it is a bit noisier and kicks a little more than a 9mm of the same type.  3)  Expense of ammo.  The ammo is a bit more expensive than 9mm, but not as expensive as .357 Sig or .45 acp.  4) Variety of ammo.  There isn't as much variety in bullet weight or performance as the 9mm or .45.  Probably a bit more than the .357 Sig though.  5) Wear and tear.  Like the .357 Sig, the .40 is a high pressure round and batters the frames more than the 9mm or .45.

As an afternote, both the .40 S&W and the .357 Sig are based on 9mm framed handguns.  The .357 Sig round was based on the .40 S&W case.  So just by changing the barrel and recoil spring you can convert a .40 S&W to a .357 Sig and vice versus.  You don't even have to have different magazines.  And as an added bonus, if you switch magazines, barrels and recoil springs you can convert a either to a 9mm.  At least you can with Glocks.  It's not as easy to go from a Glock 9mm to the other calibers though, you also have to have the heavier slide, so a complete upper is needed.  But if you buy a Glock .40 or .357, you can just buy 2 barrles, 2 recoil springs and some 9mm mags and have a firearm that can handle 3 different calibers.

The .45 ACP is the second oldest and lowest pressure of our 4 calibers.  It was developed at request of the US military who wanted an autoloader round that duplicated the performance of the.45 Colt round they had been using in their revolvers.  The rest is history.  The .45 ACP round has been very popular with the civilian market.  Some law enforcement agencys love it, but it's probably used much less than the .40 or 9mm.  It haa been picking up a lot of use lately since the FBI decided to switch back to the 9mm.  I know at least 2 local sheriff's departments here carry Glock 21s.

Why should someone pick the .45 ACP?  1) Projectile size.  If you like slinging heavy chunks of lead downrange and putting big holes in things, this caliber is for you.  Average weight range on .45 ACP bullets are 180 -- 230 grains, There are heavier bullets available.  Bullet diameter is .451.  So this is the largest and heaviest of the three.  2) As the second oldest round in the group, it must be doing something right.  Although the military went to 9mm to be compatible with NATO allies in the mid 80's, special units have continued to use .45 ACP weapons to this day.  3)  Accuracy.  While all these rounds are probably capable of as much accuracy as the shooter, the .45 ACP has a reputation as a very accurate cartridge.  4) Availability.  The ammo is almost as easy to find as 9mm.  It may not be as plentiful in variety though.  Our local big box store tends to carry about a dozen 9mm loadings, but only 3 or 4 .45 ACP.

Why might I not want to pick the .45 ACP?  1) Big.  Of the 4 cartidges listed, this one tends to be the one chambered in the larger framed firearms.  This makes them less comfortable for people with smaller hands to shoot and can make them more difficult to carry concealed. If you go with a single stack it isn't as bad, and if you like Glocks, both the 30 and the 21 are offered in short-framed versions which fit smaller hands better.  The 30s is also available which is the shortframed .45 ACp with a thinner slide, which makes it easier to both shoot and carry.  2) Recoil. The .45 ACP has a reputation as recoiling.  I've owned several, including 2 polymer frames, a couple of steel frames and an aluminium framed model and never really thought they kicked much.  I think the kick is more straight back into the arm instead of the sort of slap to the palm from a .40 or .357 Sig.  3)  Capacity.  Being the largest diameter cartridge also means holding the least  number of rounds.  Most .45 ACP firearms are single stacks.  Depending on size they tend to hold 6 to 8 rounds, When double stacked mags became popular the guns got fatter.  A full size model will usually hold 13-14 rounds.  Most companies make a model that falls between what would be a compact and subcompact model in the smaller frame.  This usually holds 9 to 10 rounds.  There are some even smaller single stacks designed for concealed carry that hold 5 to 6 rounds. This might be a plus though on the little guns, which would you prefer, a 9mm micro compact with 6 rounds or a slightly larger .45 with 5?

Other options

These were just the calibers common to law enforcement.  There are other choices available that law enforcement don't use as duty weapons (except maybe on TV).

The .380 ACP, otherwise known as 9x17mm, 9mm short, ext.  Back in the day, this was considered a fine round.  Then somewhere along the line, it was determined that it was underpowered for self-defense.  Nowadays it is again being considered an acceptable round for self-defense.  One of the issues, in my unworthy and unexpert opinion, is that .380 caliber handguns keep getting smaller and smaller.  You can't expect the same load to perform identically in a weapon the size of a subcompact 9mm as it does in a weapon only slightly larger than a .25 ACP pocket pistol.  This is an area of firearm manufacturing that seems to be growing in leaps and bounds.  Lots of new models appearing.  Glock introduced the 42 not long ago, Colt, Walther and Sig seem to have always had a presence here.  Ruger, Taurus and Smith and Wesson have strong performers here.  .Ammo wise, most manufactures have self-defense stuff out there.  You need to try the different loads in your gun to insure both it feeds reliably and that you can hit with it.  Some of the littler .380's can be difficult and unpleasant to shoot.  The larger ones tend to be a pleasure.

The 9mm Makarov.  This was once considered an exotic round.  It is now more common and some domestic ammo makers offer loads including self-defense rounds.  A lot of surplus military and police weapons from the former Soviet Union have been imported chambered in this round.  They tend to be mainly all steel guns, so heavy, but not bulky for carry.  I think some of the Austrian and Hungarian weapons may be aluminium framed now.  I think the current wave of imports are Bulgarian Makarovs and Polish P64's.  The have good reputations.  Most are single stacks with 7 or 8 round magazines I think.  I believe there is a double stack weapon chambered in this cartridge though.  It There is also supposed to be a surplus of inexpensive practice ammo available.  I would check in my arear on ammo availability before investing in one if it were to be my main carry gun.  This round falls between 9mm Parabellum and .380 in Power.

Someone is going to mention 10mm.  I don't have a lot of experience with this caliber.  I have a friend of loves 10mm Glocks and swears by them.  He tends to be smart guy, and has a lot of firearm knowledge and experience, so I wouldn't argue with him.  It's a potent round, but has lots of muzzle flash and some recoil.  Bullet weights are pretty much the same as for the .40 S&W although there may be some heavier offerings.  This caliber is used a lot for hunting.  Ammo tends to be pricier and this is going to be a large frame weapon.  Again glock is offering the sf model for there main 2 10mm's.

The .32 ACP used to be a really popular carry cartridge,  it's just about been replaced by the .380.  This is odd, since the .380 is only about 9 years younger than the .32.  This may only be a US phenomena since I have read the .32 acp is still extremely popular in other parts of the world.  Current companies I can find that still list .32 acp chamberings are Beretta, Seecamp, Kel-tec, and NAA.   NAA also offers to proprietary cartridges, the .25 NAA which is a .32 acp case bottlenecked to hold a .25 projectile and the .32 NAA which is a .380 acp case bottlenecked to .32.  Some of the lower end manufactures,

This is not meant to be a list of every cartridge that can be carried for self defense.  Just a list of the most common ones I know of.  For instance I have seen a few handguns chambered for the 7.62 x 25 round in local law enforcement firearms auctions.  Mostly older CZ's but a few years back Tokarev's were imported and apparently some people were carrying them.

As far as what gun to carry, if you really want advice, my best advice would be to answer, REALISTICALLY, the questions I mentioned earlier, then go check out different firearms that meet your needs.  If it's going to be the carry gun then you need to consider some things.  You also need to be realistic in your considerations.  The best weapon in the world is useless if you don't have it with you when you need it.

Back in the day, everyone was big on caliber.  If the gun wasn't the right caliber you were going to die.  By this logic everyone nowadays would need to lug a 500 Magnum around.  Next it was capacity, if your firearm held less than 20 rounds you were going to die.

So when you go looking for the gun, first, you want something you would be willing to carry.  That 50 AE Desert Eagle is cool, but how likely are you to carry in on a 98 degree day in August?  Or when you make that quick run to Stop and Rob for a gallon of milk?  Five to six days a week a carry a Glock 23 on my hip for between 9 and 12 hours a day.  So on the weekend when I make a run to the Dollar Store because the boy has a craving for Hot and Spicy Cheetos do I strap that on for 20 minutes?  Sometimes, but fortunately I am what they call a gun nut, errr enthusiast, so if I don't feel like carrying my service weapon I have other choices.  Maybe I carry the 42 or, more likely, my 43.  Smaller, lighter, easier to hide, but still effective and still the same manual of arms.  I DON'T leave my house unarmed.  Maybe I am paranoid, but I made that commitment.  I am not going to say you should or should not, but if you plan to carry, plan to buy something you are willing to carry.  I know a lot of guys who swear they will only carry a full size 1911, or a full size 10mm Glock, ect.  But if they don't feel like carrying that, then carry nothing.  What happens if you need it?  A woman was beaten to death in the parking lot of the Dollar Store where I buy the boy's Cheetos 2 years ago.  The stop and rob next door to it was robbed last year.  Some idiot has been beating on the car windows of people and trying to get into their cars at stop signs on nearby roads.

Assuming you find something you feel like you would be willing to carry, shoot it.  No matter how comfy it is to carry, if you can't hit what you aim at, need two fingers to pull the trigger or have to stand on it to rack the slide, it isn't a good carry gun.

Third, pick something chambered in an effective self-defense cartridge.  I own a Walther P-22.  It's compact, light and very easy to carry.  Do I use it in my carry rotation?  No I do not.  I do sometimes carry my Glock 42. That's a .380.  A long time ago I had tip up barrel .25 Taurus I pocket carried sometimes.  Even with the improvement in ammunition, I don't think the .25 round performance has enhanced much.  The .380 is as small as I go now.  The .42 is a bit large for pocket carry in my opinion.  They do make some smaller .380's.  Not sure I want one.  I have considered trying to track down a TCP and try it. I've heard they have a decent trigger for a tiny .380.  Just not sure I want to pocket carry.  Handguns are limited in incapacitation power.  We would all be better off with long guns.

Fourth, think about capacity.   How many rounds are you likely to fire in a self defense senario?  I don't know.  In my recent visit to the firearms simulator, I don't think I fired more than 6 rounds in any of the situations.  But that isn't real life.  My 23 has a 13 round magazine.  We are required to carry one in the chamber plus a full magazine.  That's 14 rounds, so I fired less than half my rounds.  We are also required to carry 2 extra filled magazines.  So I have 26 extra rounds.  In my personal rotation I have the 19, which holds 16, plus 2 extra magazines of for 30 extra rounds.  The 30s holds 11 with 2 extra mags for an additional 20 rounds.  So carrying my service weapon I have 39 rounds, my 19 I have 46 rounds, and with my 30s I have 31 rounds.  Then if I drop to my second teir, which happens in warm weather and when I get lazy, my round count drops.  My 26 holds 11 rounds.  I only have 1 spare 10 round with it, so a total of 21 rounds.  Still not shabby.  I also have the option, unless the way I am dressed makes it impossible, of carrying my 19 mags for backup, in which case I could have, if I want to go nuts, 66 rounds.  The 26 with one in the pipe would be 11, 3 19 mags of 15 each would be 45 for a total of 56, then the spare 10 round 26 mag for 66 rounds.  If I drop down to the 43, I still maintain the 9mm chambering, but with 6 round mags.  With a round in the chamber I have 7 shots.  I have a single 6 round spare magazine, so I have a total of 13 rounds.  The same with the 43 except it's a .380.  That compactness comes with a price.  Being paranoid I am very aware of the decrease in fire power when I drop to the single stacks.  I plan to acquire a second spare magazine for the single stacks.  I've been holding off in hopes that Glock would release an extended mag.  I would think you could do a 7 round mag for the 42 without lengthening beyond the pinky extension on the spare mag now.  I would be fine with a slightly longer spare magazine if it held 8 rounds.  I could carry the flush mag with a round in the chamber for 7, then have 2 spare 8 rounds for a total of 23.

Now some  people will have these in a different priority.  My reasoning is this.  If you won't carry it, it's useless.  If you can't use it, it's next to useless.  If you are carrying it and can use it, but it's not an effective caliber then you are relying on sheer luck.  Suppose I get stuck in a robbery and have 2 assailants and I'm carrying my XDS .45.  Will my 6 rounds be enough to stop 2 people?

There is a lot that goes into it.  I'm a firm believer that a gun in the hand is way better than no gun.  If all I had was an NAA .22 mini revolver, that's better than unarmed, but why limit myself to a .22 if I can carry a .380?  Anyway, there's tons of information and advice out there, some good, some not so good.   This list was also limited to primarily semi auto calibers.  I plan to do a second post on common self defense calibers in revolvers.