All the same caliber?

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zerosoma

zerosoma

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I was wondering what your opinions were on caliber when you own or intend to own multiple handguns...

some people like to have various calibers while others like to pick one that fits them and stick with it. I can see how someone could go poor trying to get a decent stock of ammo for each of their handgun calibers - 9mm, .40, .45...etc. Perhaps that's why some just stick with one.

Opinions?
 
I have at least three of the most popular calibers.....9mm, .40, .45, 10mm (actually only one of these), .38/.357, .44, .45LC and several more than three of .22LR, .22mag, and .380. However, we are collectors and there's two of us purchasing at any one time.

As examples.....:
9mm:
Star Model B
Keltec P11
Keltec PF9
S & W 5913

.40 S & W:
Star 31P
Keltec P40
Beretta 96
Glock 27

It's whatever you like and want to own or what sort of falls in your lap when you're at the right place at the right time!
 
I own a Glock 22, .40
I bought a 9mm barrel and magazine for it, and within 45 seconds, it becomes a 9mm.
when I get around to it, I'll be buying the .357 barrel and magazine as well as the .22 top slide kit.
So in essense this pistol can become 4 different calibers within a minute.
 
There are tradeoffs...power vs. capacity, recoil, etc.

Personally, I find a .40 S&W to be a great balance between power and capacity. That said, I own a 10mm, and several 9mm (Glock, S&W, Baretta) pistols. A .45 is on the list, as is a .357 revolver and a .41 and .44 magnum revolver...hey, it's a long list...and truthfully, most of it is for collecting/fun.

For carry, I have a Glock 23 and an H&K USP Compact in .40 S&W. My wife finds the .40 recoil to be objectionable, and her shot placement is better with a 9mm...so, for her, the Glock 19 makes more sense.

But each caliber represents a different point in the set of trade-offs, so the best choice really depends on intended use of that particular gun and the preferences of the user.
 
Originally Posted By: Fleetmon

As examples.....:

.40 S & W:
Beretta 96




I'm de-railing my thread already; but what do you think about your '96? My question was actually in lieu to whether I should get a Beretta 92FS or a 96. Stay 9mm or get one with .40 S&W. Does it kick pretty hard? Has a clip cap of 14, right?
 
nah, the clip doesn't hold any rounds (don't get offended...everyone has to learn the correct terminology). The magazine though holds 12....+1 in the chamber.

It's heavy enough where the recoil is very light.....not at all like the G27 or worse, the P40. I would go with the .40 myself but only because it was what I wanted.....this one was the same as issued to the Md State Police so it also has tritium sights....they use Sigs now. I think you would like a full-size .40 like the Beretta and ammo is pretty easy to come by right now. To answer your question, I love the Beretta 96 although, IMW, it's too large and heavy for comfortable carry.

Oh yeah, now that we got the clip vs magazine issue resolved....I prefer firearm over weapon myself...I only have a few weapons but many firearms. My yard is full of weapons though....sticks, bricks, rocks, and bats! Just trying to keep you from getting flamed my friend!
 
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EricF has the right idea too....multiple calibers for one firearm....allows you to get pretty proficient with it too. I have the .357 Sig barrel for my G27 (extends past the slide) but ammo is too expensive to enjoy much and I really don't have a use for the caliber other than collecting reasons.

A .22LR upper is a great way to shoot/practice cheaply.
 
So the mags for a 9mm Glock 17/19 will fit into the well for a Glock 22/23, provided one has the correct slide to match the ammo size? So basically one can swap slides and corresponding mags and put them into any Glock frame (provided slide and frame lengths match, of course), is that correct?

Kinda makes sense but want to make sure...
 
One downside to multiple calibers is finding a place to store the ammo. Due to purchases and inheriting a few guns I have six different calibers and I'm running out of room.
 
Originally Posted By: zerosoma
I was wondering what your opinions were on caliber when you own or intend to own multiple handguns...

some people like to have various calibers while others like to pick one that fits them and stick with it. I can see how someone could go poor trying to get a decent stock of ammo for each of their handgun calibers - 9mm, .40, .45...etc. Perhaps that's why some just stick with one.

Opinions?

You don't need stockpiles for every caliber. Figure out what your business caliber is and plan accordingly, then have fun with the rest. Everyone has forgotten that guns should be fun too.
 
Originally Posted By: Fleetmon
nah, the clip doesn't hold any rounds (don't get offended...everyone has to learn the correct terminology). The magazine though holds 12....+1 in the chamber.

It's heavy enough where the recoil is very light.....not at all like the G27 or worse, the P40. I would go with the .40 myself but only because it was what I wanted.....this one was the same as issued to the Md State Police so it also has tritium sights....they use Sigs now. I think you would like a full-size .40 like the Beretta and ammo is pretty easy to come by right now. To answer your question, I love the Beretta 96 although, IMW, it's too large and heavy for comfortable carry.

Oh yeah, now that we got the clip vs magazine issue resolved....I prefer firearm over weapon myself...I only have a few weapons but many firearms. My yard is full of weapons though....sticks, bricks, rocks, and bats! Just trying to keep you from getting flamed my friend!



Bad habit of mine, lol. Even my father in law calls them clips and not magazines. I realize the correct terminology and thought about it after I posted lol.

The Beretta .40...is it heavier than the 9mm? I mean the weight of the gun? I held a 9mm Beretta and I really liked it. I'm considering going with another 9mm though because it's a caliber that I have plenty of now and .40S&W can get expensive ($18+ here). Plus I'm not too fond of muzzle flip with the 40s. Of course that might be a bit different on the Beretta I'm not sure.

Oh the choices...
 
Originally Posted By: Fleetmon

A .22LR upper is a great way to shoot/practice cheaply.


Got a semi-auto rifle that does that
grin2.gif
 
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
9mm for semi auto and .38/.357 for revolvers.

Then get a .38/357 lever gun.


Thought about going this route too but that Beretta sucked me in like a warm teddy bear hug.
 
the choices are the hardest and best part...at least for me....I drool, I hold, I read, and then I'll just pick what really interests me.

Certainly nothing wrong with a Beretta 92 but then again, certainly nothing wrong with a .357 lever action, or a .40....whatever you choose.

Enjoy and go for what you find yourself thinking of the most.
 
In short diversify.

I'm glad that I currently own a Glock 38 in a peculiar round, .45 GAP.

I can go on most major online ammo sellers' website and find FMJ's or HP's, add a bunch of boxes to my cart and not get the dreaded out of stock message and delivered to my door w/in a week.
 
I guess I am even more strange, I have multiple calibers but only one type of pistol. I am a 1911 fan so I have them in 9mm, 10mm, .40cal, 45acp, 9x23, .38 Super and am trying to convince my gunsmith to build me a compact .357 Sig. Also have a few .22lr slide/barrel combos. Shooting a full size 1911 in 9x19 is a real joy.
 
Personally I would like to keep the same caliber so I can stock up on only one type of ammo. Although once the craziness ends I would also like to have a 22 handgun to be able to practice my fundamentals using cheap ammo. Right now I only own a full size 9mm. I would like to have a compact as well for carrying. I see it this way when it comes to automatics, the 9mm will usually give you the most magazine capacity (mine holds 17+1), the 45 ACP has excellent stopping power but usually with reduced magazine capacity, the 40 S&W seems to be a happy medium. For me in a panic situation after just being woke up in the middle of the night I'm not sure how accurate I would be so more rounds is a higher priority. But for me in a true home defense situation my handgun is only a tool to get me to where I left the rifle or shotgun.
 
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Originally Posted By: zerosoma
Originally Posted By: Fleetmon

As examples.....:

.40 S & W:
Beretta 96




I'm de-railing my thread already; but what do you think about your '96? My question was actually in lieu to whether I should get a Beretta 92FS or a 96. Stay 9mm or get one with .40 S&W. Does it kick pretty hard? Has a clip cap of 14, right?


I love my 96, the Beretta is a heavy gun and .40 is a snappy round. They fit really well together! Mine is an Inox and I probably only have about 1k rounds threw it, really a solid pistol! My buddy owns a 92 which is also a great gun.
 
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