Terminal performance is largely determined by two things: muzzle energy (which is a function of bullet weight, powder charge and barrel length) and bullet design (a function of price). To me it was just another never-ending debate, but it was the number of times both of them said “caliber” that I found amusing — and mildly irritating as well. It is really best to focus on the individual power of each gun, as that is more of a constant thing. Originally developed in a 13mm size, the rounds it launched contained their propellant inside a stubby cartridge that stayed with the projectile in flight. However, it is also understandable that things can start to get confusing pretty fast! The cheapest bulk 9mm ammo cost around $0.14 for steel cased ammo and $0.17 for ammo with brass casings. As far as terminal performance is concerned, when comparing handgun calibers within the same category, bullet design trumps muzzle energy. I wouldn’t recommend using those (unless they came out of a factory, e.g. We understand that there are many ways to categorize handguns, but we found that this was the most relevant because it allows you to make your decision based on what the gun is used for. And we can’t dismiss the merits of the .380 ACP — it deserves some kind of recognition if only for the fact that some of the smallest handguns on the market are chambered for it (if you need more info you can check out this thread). And the .327 Federal Magnum is no slouch, only around a hundred foot pounds less powerful than a hot .357 Magnum load. Granted, a smaller and lighter revolver will have significantly more recoil than a bigger and heavier one, but when you’re only a few meters away from a charging bear, recoil shouldn’t be an issue no matter how recoil shy you are because you’ll get high on adrenaline. For just $1.60 a pop, .44 Magnum rounds will be your minimum bet if you want a powerful handgun for grizzly bear. The graph above shows that the .22 LR is THE MOST affordable plinking round for any semi-auto handgun at $0.09 per round. With the above information in mind, we recommend you consider one key thing before you make your decision – what do you want out of your gun? A bullet is accurate if it can consistently hit a target at point of aim over a given distance assuming the shooter knows what he’s doing. Penetration is decent. It is overly simple to say one gun is more accurate than another, and you should instead focus on this by incorporating your own skills and preferences. Due to its inherent reliability and accuracy problems the Gyrojet was never a commercial or military success, and only a thousand were produced between 1960 and 1969. At $0.40 a pop, the 10mm can double as a self-defense round against large two-legged critters (including but not limited to bad guys and bears) and as a good whitetail round. Moving on…. Ruger PISTOL 4.5 .45 ACP Black Stainless Steel MSAFETY 10R. But I digress. OUT OF STOCK (11) Kimber 1911 Custom TLE II 45 7rd 5. Featuring a superbly refined trigger, the XD-M Elite represents the pinnacle of performance in modern striker-fired pistols. To flesh out all the details, I created a table that lists all of the most common (and not-so-common) handgun calibers and all pertinent info about them: It’s by no means a complete list, as I’m only including available info online for a total of 52 different handgun calibers, 23 of which are cartridges for semi-autos, 25 are for revolvers and the remaining two wildcards (not wildcats), namely the .22 LR and .22 WMR, are kind of all over the place because they can be chambered in rifles, revolvers and semi-autos. 9 MM. For one of the ultimate authorities during his lifetime on the 45 acp. You might be surprised at how little you know about this often used term. If you don’t mind spending more, consider the S&W 629 Performance Center Stealth Hunter model. Just as we didn’t include revolver rounds in the semi-auto handgun calibers list, we did the same here. We simply provide this information as a resource for people who may be in the market to buy or sell a handgun, or who are simply researching a particular handgun model. The portion of the bullet that makes contact with the rifling grooves inside a barrel’s bore as it is propelled by burning gunpowder is, indeed, measured in inches or millimeters and is commonly referred to as “caliber”. Unfortunately, the ⦠Whether you want your pistol in polymer or steel, thereâs a .45 ACP Springfield Armory pistol thatâs just right for you. If you don’t have a semi-auto handgun as a CCW and you’re trying to decide which among the most popular self defense rounds you should choose, always consider price (even if you’re too damn rich) because it affects two things: From the graph above, we can see that the 9mm is the cheapest at $0.15 a pop, followed closely by the .40 S&W at $0.21, the .380 ACP at $0.24, the .45 ACP at $0.25, and the .38 Super at $0.29. Why is the .357 Magnum the cheapest on the list? Because of its lighter bullets, recoil shouldn’t be as heavy as that of its bigger 50-caliber brother. This means that we will explain about calibers and how they function, and then will provide some recommendations for you. For the majority of his career in shooting Jeff Cooper looked upon it as heresy to claim there was any better handgun fighting combo than the 1911 and the 45 acp. Why is that? Through this article, we plan to give you a comprehensive guide on understanding caliber, so that you can make the best decision for yourself in regard to purchasing a gun for yourself. eval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'gunnewsdaily_com-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_12',128,'0','0'])); As with varmint small caliber specifications for semi-auto handguns, the .22 LR is still the cheapest revolver round for hunting varmint. A bullet’s terminal performance is measured by how deep it penetrates a given target and what kind of wound cavities it can create. It also happens to be the fastest bullet in our list bar none. Ruger has some Blackhawks and there are a few Dan Wesson revolvers floating around for sale on the interwebz. Pistol Bullets. This allowed the barrel to be very lightweight, and was in fact drilled full of holes in order to allow the rocket exhaust to escape. If you’ve never shot a long barrel magnum revolver before, you’re missing out on a lot. You might not think that a small handgun can be loaded with bells and whistles ⦠eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'gunnewsdaily_com-large-mobile-banner-2','ezslot_13',125,'0','0'])); The 9×25 Dillon takes the lead in the velocity department (highest orange bar, third from left) when comparing semi-auto handgun calibers intended for hunting medium game, which is not surprising — it’s like the .357 SIG on steroids. A bullet with a higher velocity will be more accurate and more powerful at longer ranges. As with semi-auto plinking calibers, we only want to consider price when shopping around for revolver plinking rounds. Yet with a fluted bullet design it can go toe to toe against its bigger brother, the 9mm (FMJ) and even surpass the .45 ACP (JHP) in terms of penetration and wounding capability. Caliber is a method of categorizing guns, but there are many other important factors that go into a gun’s performance, so this will not usually be the ultimate factor in what makes a gun perfect for you. Menu. If you don’t already happen to own one of these .357 Maximum revolvers, then you’ll have to move up in the caliber spectrum. $57.99. It is closely trailed by the .40 S&W, the .45 ACP and the .38 Super. Nope. 116 mm 4.57 in. These are highly debated issues and can be very large topics in and of themselves so I won’t use these metrics. Introduced in 1899 for the Browning 1900 self-loading pistol, the .32 ACP jolts a 71-grain FMJ bullet to 900 to 1000 fps. The XD-M is the perfect pistol for those looking for large caliber performance in a full size platform. A pistol caliber comparison chart will typically list this as the largest of common self-defense rounds by caliber alone. However, we are aware of obscure designs that allow for certain revolver cartridges to chamber in some semi-auto handguns (e.g. Most orders ship within 24 hours (excludes firearms). The ultimate âbig boreâ pistol cartridge, the .45 has been a proven U.S. military cartridge as well as LE and civilian round for more than a century. This allows you to match your wants with a choice from our list. I personally don’t much prefer single action revolvers because their cylinders require extra care to unload before they can be reloaded with fresh cartridges, so if I were to pick a revolver in this category I would go for either a double action revolver in .44 Magnum (as I stated earlier) or a Smith and Wesson .460 XVR — if I really want the most power in a controllable package. eval(ez_write_tag([[580,400],'gunnewsdaily_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_5',112,'0','0'])); To make the comparisons easier, we’re categorizing handgun calibers based on their launching platforms i.e. Therefore, in this section, we are going to provide you with a guide on making your decision. As a special mention, Ruger’s SP101 revolvers in .327 Federal Magnum holds six rounds while those chambered for .357 Magnum only holds five. Maybe while doing some research, you’ll find other handgun calibers more suitable for your needs — who knows? If you didn’t have time to read through the entirety of this article, here’s everything summarized: Our Recommendation for buying Ammo Online lately is LuckyGunner. The only thing that should concern anyone when choosing a semi-auto handgun caliber just for plinking is price. HANDGUN CALIBERS COMPARISON: FROM SMALLEST TO LARGEST [2020], Unlike how we compared semi-auto handgun calibers for self defense, for hunting, we are including velocity and muzzle energy as two very important key metrics. Handgun calibers for hunting will be further divided into three sub-categories: varmint, medium game, and large game. Some revolver enthusiasts have their revolver’s cylinder reamed by competent gunsmiths to allow for moon clips. 0 HK416 .22 LR Pistol. If for nothing else, a bullet with too much muzzle energy will be more difficult to shoot accurately and rapidly. Sounds pretty straightforward, but accuracy also depends on a lot of other variables outside of the shooter’s marksmanship skills. Caliber Length Height Barrel Length; 9mm: 452 mm 17.8 in. Whether or not these sights are zeroed properly will greatly affect accuracy as well. If you’re like me and you’re asking yourself the same questions, or if you’re new to firearms and you just want to expand your knowledge about handgun calibers in general, read on. Although unsubstantiated, shown here is a drawing of an extended fin stabilized projectile design that MBA supposedly developed in hopes of improving the projectile's accuracy, although it was never produced. Manufacturing tolerances in these ports made repeatable accuracy mediocre, and an occasional clogged port would send the round completely off course. Focus on the gray bars on the chart below and you’ll see why. OUT OF STOCK (31) TISAS Classic 1911-A2 45ACP 5 BLACK GRIPS. The .17 HMR bullet flying out of a revolver barrel at 2,350 feet per second is the fastest of all varmint calibers. Bullet Size & Caliber. It’ll cost around ~$1,000 but you get what you pay for. Round per round, the .38 Special +P isn’t that much more expensive compared to the .357 magnum, it’s only a $0.07 difference at most. If the 9 mm G19 with 4.01â³ barrel has 96% of the .45 ACP G21 with a 4.6â³ barrel then simple math likely says that the 9 mm G17 with 4.48â³ barrel should be something greater than 96%â¦say 97.5% or moreâ¦. I know what you’re thinking. Game animals on the other hand, well there are just too many species to compare. Before I got really into handguns, I remember some of the questions I would often ask myself: To me, the word “caliber” as it pertains to firearms is a label — not just a measurement of a bullet or a bore’s dimensions — but a way to identify the intrinsic qualities of a cartridge that makes it unique. The .38 Special standard pressure round will be cheaper but except for a very few misfits who carry old alloy revolvers, the majority of handgunners consider it pointless. Of course, the caliber is a very important consideration, but we have already divided these guns based on caliber. Recoil depends on a few variables, two of which are outside the scope of this analysis: the weight of the handgun (polymer handguns will have more recoil compared to all-steel semi-autos and revolvers) and the platform design (an all-steel semi-auto will always have less felt recoil compared to an all-steel revolver of the same size by virtue of the recoil spring within its slide assembly). The 10mm is the most affordable semi-auto handgun cartridge for medium game. Like all necked-down cartridges, it sacrifices a bit of bullet weight and cross sectional density to gain blistering speeds, albeit in this case, it does it rather superfluously to the point that it didn’t catch on in popularity, forcing Cor-Bon/Glaser LLC to stop manufacturing the rounds due to low demand. Yes, the +P loads are powerful, but they’re also the most expensive revolver cartridge on our list. A bullet’s nose is called its “ogive”, and it is measured a different way (but we’ll not get into that). All the handgun calibers listed on the graph above will be adequate for self defense, we’re only comparing them on their muzzle energies to try and differentiate them from each other.eval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'gunnewsdaily_com-leader-2','ezslot_14',114,'0','0']));eval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'gunnewsdaily_com-leader-2','ezslot_15',114,'0','1'])); At $0.15 per round and with good ballistic performance, the 9mm simply stands out. When talking about 9mm ammo sought a revolutionary change that is 17 out of the projectile 's power of... Also part of the 52 handgun calibers in existence, but manufacturers are slowing down producing! The interwebz will provide some recommendations for you and.380 ACP, they... This shouldn ’ t that also part of the projectile solely depended on spin stabilization generated its. 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