Opinions on capacity vs caliber in a ccw

[tombogan03884]

Tom,
You might want to look at a Springfield GI hi-cap http://www.springfield-armory.com/armory.php?version=11.  Para quality and customer service doesn't seem to be what it once was.

I lean toward the Para for 2 reason's, They make their receivers in the US, and I did not know SA was making a Hi cap 1911.
I've also been considering the Rock Island Armory, granted it's made in the PI but I'm well pleased with my Government Model, and they are inexpensive.

[GUNS-R-US]

My thought process on this has changed over the years, I started out on the bigger bullet is better mindset. I have changed that mindset a bit as ammunition has gotten better and my training level is higher. In a lot of gun fights people tend to empty their gun before they realize their attacker is down. I would rather have a lot of bullets if I start to do that so as I might figure it out before the gun run dry! In my training classes I have noticed on thing about the 1911 guys, they reload a lot! In the shoot and move away from the target drills from contact distance, it wasn't much fun when the gun went dry! Good training can help fix that a bit, but not always. So mostly these days I carry a 12+1 M&P9c with Winchester 127gr +P+ LEO ammo and a 17rd backup mag. My BUG gun or ultra-concealment gun is the Kel-Tec PF9 with the same load carried in a Smart Carry Holster plus 2 spare mags. If I were you I take a look at the Smart Carry Holster, their made in central Florida. You can conceal a fairly large gun in one of those wearing a pair of loose mid thigh length shorts. The only reason I don't carry a full-size M&P in the smart carry is the beaver tail tends to stab me in the gut sitting. As I make my living behind a wheel, I found that to uncomfortable. If I were to take a dremel tool to the beaver tail on the full-size M&P it would probable fit more comfortably, but I don't want to do that right now. Maybe some day.

P.S. I really liked what Fatman had to say and the last part of TW's post. They covered some very important items!
P.S.S. Go visit the New Member Intro thread and introduce yourself. Welcome!

[rat31465]

My thought process on this subject would be more related to my situational and concealment needs.  If I lived in the inner city of a large metropolis where Gangs roamed the streets en mass...then I think a higher capacity auto chambered in a full power cartridge would be in order.  
As it is I live in a city of less than 200,000 and so far the incidents involving violent criminals has been more on the lines of individuals robbing etc...  So my current needs revolve more around concealability and comfort for everyday carry.

I carry a firearm with me as is legal under current Missouri Castle Doctine as I have yet to obtain my CCW Permit.

A Smith and Wesson .357 Magnum Model 13 with a 3" Bbl and loaded with 125 grain Federal Hydrashocks is one of my favorites as I am a fan of Revolvers and not many will argue the effectiveness of this chambering....although I have found myself carrying the 1910 Browning my Father left me chambered in .380 ACP loaded with Winchester Silvertips quite alot lately.  This little Pistol is extremely accurate and has proven to be very reliable with the Silvertip loadings....

[fightingquaker13]

This is a useful thread. Me, I have erred on the side of more=better. Thus prefering a a P-11 over a PF-9 or now the G-26. My motivation being that if the SHTF, I never want to hear "click". Still, that balanced withh CCW means that I have a fat gun I need to compensate for in terms of clothing choice. I like my G-26 and am prepared to do this. But, I understand those who go the other way. Low cap in exchange for a low profile. At the end of the day, its about what you are comfortable with. Me, I still believe more = better. But, I will not say nay to a man who is comfortable with a two shot S/A .357.
FQ13

[Walter45Auto]

Depends how I am going to dress and which gun I can conceal in those clothes. I work wearing a tucked in shirt, so every day, it's 5 rounds of .357 mag in my pocket. On days when I can run around with an untucked shirt, I carry one of my .45's (Partly because I no longer own a 9MM and never owned a .40). Some days I carry my GLOCK 30 (10 + 1 rounds of .45 ACP). Today it was My Rock Island Gov't model 1911 (8 + 1 .45 ACP). I'd overall be more comfortable with 5 or 6 or 7 rounds of .45 ACP than I would 13, 15, or 18 rounds of 9MM. The bigger the holes I put in the bad guy, the quicker he's likely to stop his attack. Ideally, MORE rounds of a BIGGER CALIBER is more appealing to me. Which is what made me want the .45 ACP GLOCK in the first place. But again, I can't always conceal it, especially considering how fat a double stack .45's grip is. So Ideal is out the window. One of these days, I'll get me a Kahr PM45 so I can have a good reliable .45 ACP pocket gun, but I'm not any less comfortable with my J-Frame .357 than I would be with a 45. I don't think I'd be uncomfortable with a .40 caliber pocket pistol, either. As It's a fairly easy round to shoot accurately (Or the G23 I shot seemed that way to me anyway.). Now if I had a gun so big I couldn't keep rounds on paper, I'd go to a smaller gun. Probably why I don't concealed carry my .45-70 BFR. As it's been said already, the important thing is to carry the biggest gun that you can shoot well.

[Sponsor]

[seeker_two]

When it comes to service calibers (.38SPL+P, 9mm, .40S&W, .45ACP), there's not a lot of difference in performance. Carry the style of pistol you're comfortable with, and always carry a reload (not as much for during a fight, but for reloading your gun after the fight...)

[cml03f]

I just wanted to check back in and thank everyone for their insight. This is exactly what I wanted to see. I didn't want to start any kind of war on caliber I just wanted yo here what everyone's opinion was. I have been involved in shooting since I was around 6yrs old but carrying is something new to me so I felt I kind of needed to gather some information to make an informed decision. I think the guns I have narrowed it down to are either any of the Kahr PM's (9mm, 40 s&w, or 45 acp) either the taurus slim 740 or 709, and finally the ruger sr9c.  I have never owned a ruger pistol (do own a taurus, walther, and xd) but I really like the ways these new guns look and I have heard nothing but amazing things about there trigger. The more I read from everyone, the safer i feel with possibly buying a 9mm (being a hunter I know the most important factor is shot placement).

[JdePietro]

Maybe I hold these thoughts all to my own but I feel that we live in great times to own and carry a side arm. Why not choose a side arm around how it feels, how well it points and if you are lucky enough to have a gun store that allows a test drive than find out how well you can shoot it.

Grip angles and sights, slide heights and weight are all going to play a factor in how effective you are with said side arm. I would suggest you take some time to find out what fits your physical characterisics and than select that firearm.

Don't train down to the firearm, bring the firearm up to your standards.

[MikeBjerum]

Your question is best answered by testing:

1.  How are you going to carry, and what gun meets that style of carry;
2.  What is the largest caliber you can accurately shoot?

Being able to carry the gun in a way that is comfortable and usable for you will narrow down your choices of firearm, caliber and capacity.  Second, you need to choose a caliber and gun size and style that you can shoot accurately every time (more bigger bullets don't make up for misses!).

Between the movies, guys like us talking smart, and the marketing of gun and ammo manufacturers, there is a lot of misunderstanding and confusion out there.  A revolver full of .22lr put in the chest of a bad guy will make him change his mind quicker than a bunch of .45's flying all over ... except into the body.

Go to the range and rent guns, buy the ammo and try out your friends guns, and talk to people like you that have tried them.  Then, let us know what you pick ... and post the porn   We love gun porn!

[ericire12]

We love gun porn!

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