What caliber (gun) do you carry for personal defense?
Which of the following do you carry most of the time for defense?
| 84% (11) | Semi-automatic pistol | |
|---|---|---|
| 15% (2) | Revolver |
13 voters have answered this question.
What caliber is the handgun you usually carry?
| 0% (0) | .22LR | |
|---|---|---|
| 0% (0) | .22Magnum | |
| 0% (0) | .25 ACP | |
| 0% (0) | .32 ACP | |
| 0% (0) | Other .32 (ex. .327 Fed Mag, .32 H&R Mag) | |
| 46% (6) | 9mm Luger | |
| 0% (0) | 9mm Makarov (9x18) | |
| 0% (0) | .38 Special | |
| 7% (1) | .357 Magnum | |
| 30% (4) | .40 S&W | |
| 0% (0) | 10mm | |
| 0% (0) | .41 Magnum | |
| 0% (0) | .44 Special | |
| 7% (1) | .44 Magnum | |
| 0% (0) | .45 Colt | |
| 7% (1) | .45 ACP | |
| 0% (0) | .454 Casull | |
| 0% (0) | Other caliber not mentioned here (ex. 7.62x25 Tokarev) |
13 voters have answered this question.
How often do you carry this weapon/caliber?
| 30% (4) | All the time | |
|---|---|---|
| 38% (5) | 75% - 90% of the time | |
| 30% (4) | About half the time. |
13 voters have answered this question.
What best sums up the philosophy behind your caliber/ammo choice? Check any that apply.
| 23% (3) | I want more ammo in my gun and I'm willing to sacrifice some bullet weight and power to have it. | |
|---|---|---|
| 7% (1) | I want the biggest, heaviest manstopper I can carry. I don't care if I only have 5 rounds or so in my gun as long as one hit drops a guy where he stands. | |
| 38% (5) | I chose my caliber not because it's especially powerful but because it's cheap to buy and I feel it's enough. | |
| 69% (9) | I feel it was a good balance between capacity and potency. | |
| 61% (8) | It's common and very available. | |
| 7% (1) | I'm afraid to actually kill someone so I use something which would serve more as a deterrant than lethal. | |
| 46% (6) | I feel my caliber of choice has the best statistics of one shot stops, and that's all I care about. | |
| 23% (3) | The U.S. military uses (or used to use) it. | |
| 30% (4) | Police officers use it. | |
| 15% (2) | It's got character. | |
| 30% (4) | It's easy to reload. |
13 voters have answered this question.
How many rounds in 9mm Luger should be the minimum in a semi-auto? Where do you draw the line for feeling secure with this caliber?
| 0% (0) | At least 5. | |
|---|---|---|
| 61% (8) | At least 7 or 8 | |
| 23% (3) | More than 10 | |
| 15% (2) | At least 12, and maybe more like 15+. A 9mm is not reliable unless you have alot of rounds at your disposal. |
13 voters have answered this question.
How many shots of .45 ACP do you think should be minimal in a semi-auto handgun?
| 15% (2) | At least 5. | |
|---|---|---|
| 76% (10) | At least 7 or 8. | |
| 7% (1) | Better make it 10 or better! |
13 voters have answered this question.
Do you feel that .40 S&W really is a good balance between 9mm and .45 ACP for capacity and potency, or would you rather have something in either 9mm or .45 instead?
| 30% (4) | .40 has drawbacks that would make me fall back on 9mm | |
|---|---|---|
| 23% (3) | .40 has drawbacks that would make me fall back on .45 ACP | |
| 46% (6) | .40 Is a great caliber and I'd rather have a .40 than either of the other two. |
13 voters have answered this question.
Is .38 Special the at the median of all calibers for size, weight and power? Is it a good reference point for judging other calibers because of its long service and the plethora of data available regarding its performance?
| 7% (1) | Yes, that is a fairly accurate assumption, and one shouldn't feel undergunned with 5 shots of .38Sp in a revolver in most self-defense situations. | |
|---|---|---|
| 30% (4) | No. .38 Special should be considered obsolete, or almost... | |
| 61% (8) | I'd feel undergunned with 5 shots of .38 Special, but the round itself is a reliable manstopper. The issue becomes more about the limitations of revolvers than the round itself. |
13 voters have answered this question.
If you carry a cemi-automatic handgun as your main carry, is a revolver one of your second choices?
| 50% (6) | Absolutely. A revolver has some benefits that a semi-auto doesn't have. | |
|---|---|---|
| 25% (3) | Only semi-autos for me. | |
| 8% (1) | I own a revolver, but it is my last resort. | |
| 16% (2) | I don't own a revolver, but I would like to have one. | |
| 0% (0) | A revolver is my first choice for defense. |
12 voters have answered this question.
As a gun owner, it is very important to me be able to reload my caliber of choice.
| 46% (6) | Yes, absolutely. | |
|---|---|---|
| 46% (6) | Not that important, but I guess it's a plus. | |
| 7% (1) | I couldn't care less as long as it's available and/or cheap. |
13 voters have answered this question.
Have you changed your mind over time about what caliber you use in your handgun?
| 23% (3) | Yes. I started with something smaller but changed my mind because of things I've read or experienced. | |
|---|---|---|
| 30% (4) | Yes. I started with something larger but later realized it wasn't neccessary, or I felt that capacity was more important than power. | |
| 46% (6) | My caliber choice has remained pretty much the same for a long long time. | |
| 0% (0) | I'm very new to handguns or guns in general, and I'm not sure yet. |
13 voters have answered this question.
What size handgun do you carry?
| 23% (3) | Full-sized, heavy frame. Weighs several pounds. | |
|---|---|---|
| 30% (4) | Medium/average, around 28 - 32oz. | |
| 23% (3) | Somewhat compact. Between 22 - 28oz. | |
| 23% (3) | Very compact. 18 - 22oz. | |
| 0% (0) | Featherweight. 16oz or less. |
13 voters have answered this question.
