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Old February 3, 2013, 12:29 PM   #26
chaim
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There is no reason not to buy a 9mm (in general). I seem to be in the minority, but I am a big fan of all of the "big three" auto calibers (9mm, .40S&W, and .45ACP), and I'm starting to see the virtues of .357SIG (though I don't own one yet). Generally, they are very close in effectiveness, and IMO all three have certain situational advantages over the others (long term, I would argue that one should have one of each).

As a one size does all caliber, any of the three will do the job. All three are good CCW calibers (in the right gun), good for home defense, and fun at the range. For specialization, I like 9mm best in small CCW pistols and for target shooting, .40S&W for police use and "civilian" CCW in slightly larger pistols (I also think it would be a near ideal military caliber), and .45ACP in compact and full sized pistols at the range and for home defense. I won't get more detailed only because I don't want to get into a "caliber war" and help hijack your thread.

Now, for your specific situation, if I were you, I might wait a little while:
Quote:
I grew up in a liberal house hold where there were no guns at all and I went from never even shooting a gun to owning 3 in a matter of weeks, and now I've caught a bit of the gun fever
If you haven't been shooting long, you'd probably be better off getting to know the guns you have well before adding to the collection (you have plenty of time to add to it later). Take a year or so, then add.

I also grew up in an anti-gun, liberal family. I was always interested in guns though. During basic training I fell in love with shooting, though it would be about 10 years before I'd buy a gun. My first year I had a .22lr Marlin 60 rifle, then a few months later I bought a Taurus 82 .38spl revolver, and about a month later I bought a Ruger KP89. After shooting the handguns about a year, I traded the Taurus on a S&W 65LS (I always wanted a .357mag, and I didn't believe I'd own many guns, so I traded), and I traded the Ruger on a Charles Daly 1911. For those two years I put many thousands of rounds through the two handguns I owned and thousands of rounds of .22 through the rifle before I started buying more (though I may have added the 30-30 Winchester 94 rifle during my second year of shooting). I think that experience helped me become a better shooter.

If you really want to add something, a medium framed 357mag revolver may be your best bet. You are well covered right now with the SA Ruger Single Six (a .22 allows for cheap practice) and the 1911. If you decide to carry, a full sized 1911 can be carried and concealed pretty easily with a good belt and good holster combo. Carry a little while and then decide what you want for a dedicated carry gun. The revolver however, will give you something you don't have to a much greater degree than any 9mm would. A medium frame DA revolver makes it very easy to understand the differences between DA and SA as it is quite visible and deliberate. A .357mag revolver gives versatility that no other gun gives: easy to shoot .38spl target rounds, decent .38+P defensive rounds, great 125gr .357mag defensive rounds, through some really heavy woods gun .357mag loadings, it can handle virtually any situation. The medium frame revolver (stay away from the J-frames for now) is controllable with most .357mag loadings (if you go with the larger medium frames like the S&W 686 and Ruger GP100, you can handle pretty much any .357mag). Yet, the smaller medium frame revolvers (the Taurus 65/66/Tracker, and the discontinued .357mag S&W K-frames and Ruger Speed/Security/Service Six) can handle CCW duties in a 2.5-4" barrel. With the right belt/holster even a 3" or 4" GP100 or S&W 686 can be concealed, at least with winter clothing. Plus, .357mag is just fun.

Last edited by chaim; February 3, 2013 at 12:42 PM.
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Old February 3, 2013, 01:27 PM   #27
billvau
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I really like my SR9c. It seems to have less felt recoil than my other 9s
and is easy to conceal. And you can switch between the 10 round mags and the 19 round mags that go with the SR9 (if you can find any for sale.....).
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Old February 3, 2013, 10:21 PM   #28
lee n. field
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I have recently purchased a .45 RIA 1911A1 and Inherited a .22 Ruger Single Six (And a Remington model 17, that one isn't handgun related though.) from my grandfather. And I am wondering if I have my bases covered between these two?
That pretty much depends on what bases you think need to be covered. There's lots of niches that can be filled, and different types of handguns fill them more or less well.

If I were stuck with those two, I wouldn't feel much urgency about expanding the collection. Remember, covetousness is idolatry.

Quote:
or if there is any reason to pick up a 9mm or .357 right away? Other than just because I want them?
You want them is an OK reason.

OK, reasons. The classic two reasons to get a 9mm are, 1)9mm is ubiquitous (everywhere), and 2) it's cheaper.

At the current instant, in round 2 of the Great 0bama Ammo Famine, 9mm can be hard to find. AFAIK, it's still cheaper than other centerfire ammo.

.45 is still expensive.
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Old February 4, 2013, 11:11 AM   #29
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I started out with revolvers back in the late 1980s and never thought much of the 9mm at that time. About 10 years later looking for a somewhat compact pistol I picked up a 9mm Sig P239 , the price was good and I really liked the full size Sig P220 in 45 ACP I had owned.

The 9mm really grew on me. Little recoil , mild report compared to the magnum revolvers , relatively cheap to shoot and much more accurate than I had anticipated.

Last year I finally picked up my first high capacity pistol in a Sig P226 in 9mm. It is so remarkably easy to shoot accurately with this pistol. Never thought that I would ever appreciate the 9mm the way I do today.
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Old February 4, 2013, 04:46 PM   #30
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That question is like...

Instead of looking back and asking "why?", look forward and ask "why not?"

Ask why not OP...Ask why not.
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Old February 4, 2013, 08:30 PM   #31
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Constantine
That question is like...

Instead of looking back and asking "why?", look forward and ask "why not?"

Ask why not OP...Ask why not.
He is just a young grasshopper here. He will learn.
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Old February 4, 2013, 09:37 PM   #32
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No reason, but if you do get a Glock 19, they are great.
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Old February 5, 2013, 11:00 AM   #33
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Quote:
Gun Guy Greg

Any reason to get a 9mm?...
It's all relative (literally everything in life). Me, I could not possibly be happy absent multiple 9's in my safe--that said, others could fairly ask me why do I need more than one?

So go with your gut (IMO) with the one KEY caveat being never jeopardize the financial well-being of either yourself or family for a new "toy." Believe me, I sometimes think there should be the "equivalent" of AA for us "gun-nuts."
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Old February 5, 2013, 02:52 PM   #34
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No reason not to acquire a good 9mm, you may want something smaller to carry concealed. The Kahr 9mm is good choice.

Advice for a new gunner : Don't sell any of your guns, not for a few years, anyway. And do pick up a reloading outfit as soon as you can, you will be money ahead for decades to come. Do save all your brass, and collect what you can from others, whether you get a reload outfit or not.
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Old February 5, 2013, 03:44 PM   #35
Tactical Jackalope
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FariWarning - lol agreed...he'll learn indeed.

My loves are the .45acp and 9mm
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Old February 8, 2013, 01:38 PM   #36
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9mm is a great round, as many before me have posted. One of my favorite things about the 9mm cartridge is that most 9mm guns are double stack (unless your looking at tiny pocket pistols), which means that you will have anywhere from 13-19 rounds in a magazine. Most .45ACP guns are limited to 7-8 rounds (there are a few double stack .45's though) If the SHTF the first gun I would grab would be my CZ-75BD, which has a 16+1 capacity.

9mm and .45ACP are relatively close in ballistics tests, so I would rather have double the 9mm rounds if things went sour. I absolutely LOVE .45ACP, but if the world was going to end tomorrow I would reach for my 9mm, easy as heck to shoot, great capacity, and the most common handgun round in the world.
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Old February 8, 2013, 06:12 PM   #37
Bart B.
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Edink says the 9mm does not deliver the same stopping power as the .45 acp cartridge. I think it's got stopping power close enough to the .45 and sometimes better with the right load. And it's a lot easier to shoot accurately.

http://www.buckeyefirearms.org/handgun-stopping-power
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Old February 9, 2013, 08:58 AM   #38
Tactical Jackalope
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rupskin View Post
9mm is a great round, as many before me have posted. One of my favorite things about the 9mm cartridge is that most 9mm guns are double stack (unless your looking at tiny pocket pistols), which means that you will have anywhere from 13-19 rounds in a magazine. Most .45ACP guns are limited to 7-8 rounds (there are a few double stack .45's though) If the SHTF the first gun I would grab would be my CZ-75BD, which has a 16+1 capacity.

9mm and .45ACP are relatively close in ballistics tests, so I would rather have double the 9mm rounds if things went sour. I absolutely LOVE .45ACP, but if the world was going to end tomorrow I would reach for my 9mm, easy as heck to shoot, great capacity, and the most common handgun round in the world.
Yeah. Marginal differences. Not even worth counting ballistically.

I do also agree on the whole idea of more rounds per magazine per gun. With 9mm usually always has the upper hand in capacity when taking in terms of same size handgun.

For people who carry .45 (myself included) theres always carrying spare and slimmer magazines. Remember the single stack gun itself is also a lot slimmer.

I've been known to carry my Glock 17, 21, (recently 30)

SIG P226 and P220. Also the SIG 1911.

The Glocks I won't get into. They were fine just something in my head why I stopped carrying them for now.

The P226 is my favorite gun. Even more than my gold cup. I've taken that thing to hell with me. But for average CCW it's really thick I'm realizing. And I realized this after I purchased the P220 and shot it a heck of a lot and did amazingly well. So that is what I carry now cause its slim and I shoot it evenly as well as my P226.


However. Back on topic. Sorry I rambled.

Yes. The .45 IS a disadvantage in terms of needing to reload half way when the 9mm holds more rounds and is just getting started.


I think it varies with everyone. No one can answer for another. Just give their view.

I'm always for more rounds. Always have been. When I carry a single stack .45 I carry at least one spare magazine.

Even when I carry 9mm. I carry at least one spare magazine.

Nothing sucks more than running out of ammo. Period. In any way at any time.


I carry my single stack folded carbon steel SIG P220 cause its light, accurate, and reliable. The 1911's are only 7-8oz heavier but that makes a difference.


ok rant off.


Sent from my phone...expect typos.
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Old February 9, 2013, 09:24 AM   #39
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9mm has been around a LONG time and there are literally BILLIONS of rounds that have not been shot.

I have several 9mm and I like it more than .40 but not as much as .45.

I shoot a 5906, P229, CZ SP01, DW PM9, G19 and G17. They are just plain fun.

I shoot a bunch of 45 also.
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Old February 9, 2013, 07:30 PM   #40
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I wouldn't buy anything right now. Too much silliness in prices
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Old February 9, 2013, 08:54 PM   #41
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Won't it be something, if 2 months from now (or whenever), there is no hi cap ban
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Old February 9, 2013, 09:18 PM   #42
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FireForged

I wouldn't buy anything right now. Too much silliness in prices.
Indeed--One would need to use extreme discretion prior to buying something right now (at least with my wallet ). But there are still "a few deals" out there. However, I have routinely been seeing Outrageous prices on Gunbroker (Sub 2K's for $1K, standard config used Saiga-12 $1550...).
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Old February 10, 2013, 08:05 AM   #43
Ted D
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I have a M&P Sheild 9 love it small fits your hand like a glove.Before you buy a 9 go to the range and rent differant ones see which you like best before you buy.Its like buying a car you got to test drive before you buy.
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Old February 10, 2013, 11:58 AM   #44
smith357
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I just picked up my very first 9mm, I have been shooting and reloading for 30 years and just never saw the need for a 9mm. Recently I made the decision to add a 9mm to my SHTF collection. Being that if for some reason nothing but 9mm ammo is available to me I will need something to shoot it with. I bought a box of ammo and tested the gun, now it will just sit until it is needed. I'm thinking I may need a .223 some day to supplement my .30 cals.
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