40 S&W v. 357 Sig v. 9mm v. 380 for CC gun

[_CY_]

frankly don't trust tiny auto pistols... too much chance of jamming.

after all who fires enough high $$$ defensive ammo in their tiny auto to be dead certain, it's going to feed reliably?

your choice didn't include what's probably the best CCW option available. which is an ultra light revolver like S&W 340PD ... .38, +P or .357

with only 5 shots... no way it's going to deliver max firepower. but in the CCW role, 5 shots may be enough. without question ultralight CCW aids in ease of actually having your CCW on your person ... all day, every day.

NO way I could tolerate a .40 CCW all day long

 

[grwd]

I recommend 9mm or larger; its all about shot placement.

if all you can carry is a 380, then marry a police officer.

 

[GlockCop]

I have had excellent luck with the Lone Wolf barrels. One in my G34 and one in my G17 and no problems.

 

[Mr.357Sig]

if all you can carry is a 380, then marry a police officer.

+1

 

[JD8]

Looking over ballastic information it looks like the 357 Sig is going to be more than I would like to be responsible for if (when) it passes through.

Um FWIW, all rounds mentioned 9mm and above will pass right through you depending on the load. Just sayin.

 

[Woodcutter]

I would say that the 357 SIG may not be any more likely to overpenetrate than a 40 caliber, depending upon the load and bullet. If you miss, even a 25 ACP overpenetrates

 

[Mr.357Sig]

They are all good defensive rounds - 9, .45, .40, .357 Sig. Just narrow it down to the one you shoot best. That's all that matters. If you can't shoot the caliber accurately, what's the point of carrying?

 

[Roarak]

This isnt the 80's anymore. Any modern JHP in 9mm and up will do the job very well. I presonally only shoot 9mm and .45. .40 is a fine round, but i dont feel the need for it. .357sig sounds nice, but its pretty damn hot.

 

[Nraman]

.357sig sounds nice, but its pretty damn hot.

Back in the good old days, the very best defensive round was considered to be the .357Magnum with the 125gr JHP bullet. It was considered better than 45ACP or even the mighty 44Magnum. The perfect round.
The 357Sig duplicates the ballistics of the 357Magnum 125gr bullet out of a 4" barrel.
Basically it is a 9mm on steroids.

 

[Nraman]

This being about CC guns and ammo, I'd like to throw an opinion your way.
CC guns are small and light, which means they will recoil more than full size guns. I was shooting my G26, G27/G33 the other day with a variety of ammo and to me it was obvious that the lighter bullets were more controllable than the heavier.
I believe that the 155-165gr is better in a .40 than the heavier bullets, 115gr for the 9mm (Ranger +P+ at 1350fps) and 125gr for the 357Sig. At least I consider the previous a good compromise.
Of the three calibers, the G26 of course is the most comfortable, it doesn't even feel like a small gun, you can shoot it all day long. The other two were fine with the lighter bullets, with the 180gr 40, it took longer to get the next shot.
YMMV