After years of indoctrination that size equals stopping power, I have evolved quite a bit in the last few months. For ten years, I carried two full-size 1911s. Putting aside for a moment the Glock-versus-1911 debate (I’ll save that one for another post), I was always struck by how different my targets looked from the G19 dude shooting in the lane next to me. His target would look like it was attacked by needles, and mine would look more like it was attached by magic markers. Something about seeing those nearly-half-inch holes just gave me an extra boost of confidence that I could more efficiently convince a really bad person to excuse himself/herself or to fall down if the need arose.
Now that I’m a little tubbier than I used to be, the Kimbers’ sharp edges started getting greedy for my attention throughout the day. And the pistols themselves were becoming just a little bit finicky, which is quite charming until you need them in a pinch. So I crossed over to the dark side! Simple, unassuming, almost beautifully boring twin Glocks have now deposed Sam and Dave (my 1911s). Don’t worry, the Kimbers haven’t been abandoned. They’re enjoying a comfortable retirement away from the dust and sand and other pesky irritants they love to hate. And now I’ve got some gear that won’t leave bruises on my sides. Just one problem. Forcing a double-stack .45 into hands that are accustomed to a single-stack .45 was kind of like me trying to get into my old college jeans. So I went with the G22, which was only slightly smaller than the G21. Didn’t exactly melt into my palm like the Kimber did, but at least I could hold the thing.
I remember my very first target with that G22. It sounds really petty, but after shooting .45s for so long, I was really depressed at the loss of wound channel diameter when I downgraded to the .40-cal. What a difference 5/100ths of an inch makes (on paper anyway)! The only thing that pulled me out of my depression was the increased ammo capacity. In that department, going from Kimber to Glock was an upgrade of over 200%. Yay! Progress.
Then I took my first thousand-round course with the .40s. Um, ouch. By the end of the day the thing was leaping out of my hand like a hot potato. So I turned to one of my trainers and said, “Sensei, why, pray tell, am I powerless to get a grip on this damn gun?” And he replied, “Well, young Butterfly, you need some effing hand strength for one. And for two, the .40 is a much higher-pressure round than the .45, oddly enough.”
Really? Smaller round, bigger kick? Who knew? Well, you guys probably did. I sure didn’t.
So then the question became, do I upgrade back to .45 or downgrade to 9mm? With much hesitation and trepidation and a bunch of other -ations, I finally decided to drop to 9mm. At first, I beat myself up over it. Felt like I was being lazy. Rather than actually working to improve my grip strength, I had opted instead to just get a wimpier gun.
Aaaaaaand then I trained a few times with my G17s. Wow! I was faster, more accurate, and more in control. Confidence went up (so did ammo capacity, yet again). And the more I basked in that euphoric wonderland of palpable improvement, the less I dwelled on the relatively tiny holes in my target. Since then, lots of folks have told me that the 9mm duty round of today is a different animal than its predecessors from ten years ago. They say these days technology is such that a well-placed 9mm round is almost as effective as a well-placed .45. I suppose that also makes me feel better about my wee bullets. I never in a million years thought I would take that plunge, but I have. And so far, I’m not looking back.
Any thoughts on the triple trade-offs of caliber, capacity, and kick? Striking the ideal balance requires completely different calculus from person to person, I know. And then we could talk about velocity and weights and a bunch of other specs that are beyond my pay grade. I’ll leave that to folks who are way more experienced than I am.
Based on personal experience and anecdotal sources I believe that handgun selection for CC is a second area of life where size definitely matters. I am saying this in regard to the physical weight and dimensions of the pistol and not caliber. Carrying a pistol is a tremendous burden day after day. If the pistol selected is not the absolute minimum in terms of inconvenience many people have eventually begun to leave it home in the safe. I heard this enough times to take it seriously in my CC selection. I can say from personal experience that a few ounces and slightly smaller contours makes a huge difference. Size, caliber, ease of concealment, and cartridge capacity are all the subject of the compromise in finding the pistol suited for a person’s carry preference. I come back to the truism that the best gun for self defense is the one you have with you.
Ha!!! LOLOL… Okay now I’ll try to read beyond your first sentence… 🙂
Well said, good sir.
The idea that there is any real difference in the wound ballistics between any of the service caliber pistol rounds is nothing more than emotional. The world’s best surgeons, coroners and ER docs can’t tell the difference between the holes made in the human body by a .38, 9mm, .40 or .45, so how is the person getting shot supposed to know? The answer is; They can’t.
Actually it was this bit of information – reports from trauma physicians – that finally convinced me that there was nothing whatsoever inferior about my 9mm.
I never tell anybody what caliber they should get. Any of the ‘big three’ are just fine. Someday you should try shooting a .40 steel frame 1911. I think you’d be surprised on how much of the big recoil goes away with a heavier gun. I’m off to the range. Got a match today!
Good luck in your match! -tgj 🙂
In case you guys were wondering, I’ve gotten several “Other” responses in the poll. Most of them are along the lines of “whatever you’ve got with you when the stuff hits the fan.” Amen to that. – tgj 🙂
New to both concealed carry and shooting in general. Planning on my first handgun being in 9mm, since I can afford to shoot a lot more practice 9mm than I could practice .45!
Welcome! As they say at Rangemaster, we love new shooters! No bad habits! Hope you’ll stick around and contribute often on FSP. Would love to have your perspective. – tgj 🙂
The best caliber & pistol combination is a bit elusive as upper body mass & strength coupled with hand size, dexterity and strength come into play. And yes I’ve really simplified this here. Overall I’m completely comfortable with a 3″ .357 Magnum S&W K Frame or Ruger GP 100. But they’re not what I carry, after spending the better part of my LE career carrying a 1911 GM & later a G-22 I reassessed my needs. Now I generally carry a Ruger LCP .380 ACP an a SA XPs 3.3″ Barrel 9mmP. For the upcoming winter months I’ll carry a SA XPs 4″ Barrel .45ACP. Winter clothing here in TN isn’t as burdensome as worn in northern states but is still heavy enough to interfere with JHP bullet performance.
As to other peoples sections, well I’ve seen offenders stopped by as little as a .22 LR but also shrug off .that and larger calibers. Drugs, Fight/Flight, panic, fear and rage are an unpredictable chemistry exercise in progress. Train for success but focus on follow through.
Good for you for realizing what you shoot best!
If you had more testosterone, it may not have been that obvious. 😉
I used to open carry a 1911 for years. Somehow, the damn thing got heavy…
Went to a j-frame 38 snubby for concealment…then a small 9mm Sig…now I CC a G27.
The 1911s still get shot but when it’s time to carry, they take a backseat to the guns that trade steel for bullet capacity in the overall weight department.
It’s an oldie but a goldie; as I said in the poll, the best gun/caliber is the one you have when you need it.
Well said!
“Sam and Dave” I love the names. As an instructor and shooter, I see many who get locked into “I have to have X pistol or X caliber” mindset. The truth is each person should find the pistol and bullet that work for them. For many it’s the 9mm, others like the 45 and a seizing number go with 38s or 380s. Bullet design has evolved to the point that caliber isn’t as important as it used to be. Standard capacity 9s in addition to more manageable recoil, have the added benefit of higher ammo capacity. Since we will only have the ammo we brought with us when the shooting starts, more is better. And hand strength aside, the recoil impulse of the .40 will make most people’s hands hurt in a high round count course.
I usually carry either a S&W M&P 9c with a full size spare mag but I sometimes carry my Colt 1911. When I carry the Colt, I carry 2 10 round spare mags.
BTW, I know a good .45 mechanic if Sam and Dave need some TLC.
Thanks Mike! I’ll be calling on you when Sam and Dave are ready for their next geriatric check up!