Caliber vs. Protection

[Jay]

Unless you can put your shots on target, caliber is not relevant. A 155mm howitzer won't help if you can't put the round on target. Unless you're physically challenged, proper training, and practice, will allow most anyone to shoot most any caliber.

[Hawkeye638]

.38 Special +P or 9 mm minimum. Anything smaller (mouse guns) will do for a BUG only. .380s and smaller you have to go to FMJs for enough penetration to be effective. I will agree that whatever you carry you must be able to hit your target and a miss with a .45 is useless. One shot kills are actually rare. The BG more than likely will keep coming. Even with a shot in the heart he has enough blood left to carry on the attack for up to 14 more seconds. So unless you get an extremely LUCKY shot with a mouse gun you are still in extreme danger. With the exception of a head shot (which a .25 can bounce off of) or a shot to the central nervous system, you best hope is to damage internal organs and tissue damage as a means of stopping your attacker. Mouse guns are notoriously bad in this area.

[wjh2657]

I prefer to carry my Glock 23 in .40S&W. Not being an LEO and not wishing to give little old church ladies heart attacks, I rarely can carry it. As most people in this post indicate a pocket gun, I believe in carrying a .38 Spcl revolver in pocket. Any small 9MM would do as well. I say .38 or 9MM because there are many small, easily concealable weapons available. Why carry anything smaller when you can carry a 9MM or .38 Spcl in a small enough size?

[tcox4freedom]

Get a Caliber that
1. You can shoot well comfortably
2. In an weapon/action you can comfortably carry year around
3. You can get and afford practice ammo

I am not a fan of swapping out my carry gun because of the season or for that matter the time of day. Pick one you can use and practice, practice , practice. the same actions on the same firearm develop muscle memory in the time of need!

+1000
Absolutely the best advice that can be given on this subject!

FIRST!! Find a handgun that fits in your hand and one that can be concealed relatively easy.

Second!! (With the above said handgun) Go with the largest caliber you can shoot comfortably-
In whatever action you can operate competently-

Third!! Get some additional training; buy lots of ammo (1000+ rds)-

AND

Fourth!! Practice regularly


On a personal note-
I have personal (1st hand) experience with a leg shot in 22lr stopping an attack cold and almost killing the person. I also know what a 380 and 38 can do.

The BOTTOM line is:
1. Most encounters end WITHOUT a single shot being fired!
2. Being shot with ANY caliber usually takes the fight out of most any BG!

[danhammondsr]

Get a Caliber that
1. You can shoot well comfortably
2. In an weapon/action you can comfortably carry year around
3. You can get and afford practice ammo

I am not a fan of swapping out my carry gun because of the season or for that matter the time of day. Pick one you can use and practice, practice , practice. the same actions on the same firearm develop muscle memory in the time of need!

Well Stated. Here's my recommendation summary of handguns for self-defense:
Carry the largest gun you can comfortably conceal, in the largest caliber you can accurately shoot.

Shot placement is King. Penetration is Queen. All else is arguing about how many Angels can dance on the head of a pin.

[CDR_Glock]

380 or bigger.

I carry a 357 with 38+P and a Glock 23 (40 Cal).

[6shootercarry]

Try many and choose one.

Once you fire the right one It will speak to you in some primal way. My first carry gun was a 6 shooter hence the name.

Make sure the recoil does not prevent you from making follow up shots quickly and accurately if needed.

.45 autos with heavy ammo make for more intense recoil. .357 Mags in small light carry guns will do the same.

It has to be one that you can handle with comfort and ease, and with time become proficient with every action of the firearm. Draw quickly, load comfortably in a panic situation etc...

Many opinions here. The one that matters most is yours. Choose wisely.

Peace...

[wolfhunter]

.38Special, .380/9mm or larger, but don't carry anything bigger than you can control in a high stress, fast move situation.

For me, that means .45ACP; for my wife it means 9mm.