What caliber is your usual daily carry handgun?

[fortyofforty]

We all carry many different weapons, in many different calibers.  But, chances are, you have a usual daily carry handgun, the one you grab on the way out the door.  What caliber is your usual carry handgun?  Not necessarily your "favorite" or what you feel is the "best" for self-defense, but what you actually carry.

Edited January 3, 2018 by fortyofforty
Spelling

[holyjohnson]

Hornady .45 ACP 185 GR FTX Critical Defense out of a 1911

or in winter (well into the minus teens anyway) Hornady .45 ACP 220 GR FTX Critical Duty.

Edited January 3, 2018 by holyjohnson

[Jason D]

For years it was always a full sized 40 loaded.

I have been toying with packing a compact gun, so I have been carrying around a 9mm XD for the last couple months. I often feel undergunned with it, though it does have a plus 2 extension making for a 15 round so called sub-compact. I like the gun and shoot it pretty well, but I miss the heft of a full sized gun. I am sold on HST ammo, but not a compact 9mm.

 

I have also been carrying the XD's longer magazine as a spare. It only garners me another 16 rounds, and even then it makes me wish it were a .40.

Edited January 4, 2018 by Jason D

[G19 DB]

Many of the above, but lately, the easy to pack 380.

[Maccabeus]

Short answer: 9mm

My typical wordy blathering answer: For most of my PD days, I carried .45 exclusively. Mostly my duty gun (4506) but sometimes my BUG (AMT .45 Backup).

After a career change and a return to collecting guns, I continued with .45 with a 4513 TSW and later a Glock 30S. But between those two, I briefly experimented with a KT P-11 9mm.

I then went through a small phase focused on ease of carry and went to .380 (first a glitchy KT P3AT then a BG380 for some time).  Then I upped the caliber to .38+P/.357 in an ultra light j-frame (340PD).

For a few years I alternated between the BG380, 340PD, and the G30S depending on attire and destination, but didn't like the constant change up.

Bought a G26 to be the single compromise pistol, but it was too close in size to the G30S and I often found myself still grabbing the .380 more times than not.

A year ago, after ridiculing it often, I bought a G43 on a whim.  I love it. It is the perfect compromise for my size & circumstances.  It's the Goldilocks gun.  The G30S is my dedicated house gun now and the others all collect dust in the safe.

I don't feel under gunned.  As an LEO rookie, I started with a .357 gun loaded with 6 rounds of .38sp (Dept. Policy).  That's what I went into danger with and I was confident with it, despite its limitations.  Now, in a more defensive mode of life, I have 7 rounds of 147gr HST with 12 more as a reload.  I'm better armed now than then.

Edited January 3, 2018 by Maccabeus

[Maccabeus]

9 hours ago, holyjohnson said:

Hornady .45 ACP 185 GR FTX Critical Defense out of a 1911

or in winter (well into the minus teens anyway) Hornady .45 ACP 220 GR FTX Critical Duty.

Did you forget to vote?  There's no .45 votes in the poll yet.  Even though I'm not carrying it anymore, I want to see one of all time favorite calibers properly represented in the graph!

[Gunboat1]

357 Sig, in either a G31 or G33, for a great carry system.  Good medicine for bad times.

[DWARREN123]

9mm because I like it!

Which one depends on how I feel that day.

Edited February 19, 2018 by DWARREN123

[G19Tony]

3 hours ago, Maccabeus said:

Short answer: 9mm

My typical wordy blathering answer: For most of my PD days, I carried .45 exclusively. Mostly my duty gun (4506) but sometimes my BUG (AMT .45 Backup).

After a career change and a return to collecting guns, I continued with .45 with a 4513 TSW and later a Glock 30S. But between those two, I briefly experimented with a KT P-11 9mm.

I then went through a small phase focused on ease of carry and went to .380 (first a glitchy KT P3AT then a BG380 for some time).  Then I upped the caliber to .38+P/.357 in an ultra light j-frame (340PD).

For a few years I alternated between the BG380, 340PD, and the G30S depending on attire and destination, but didn't like the constant change up.

Bought a G26 to be the single compromise pistol, but it was too close in size to the G30S and I often found myself still grabbing the .380 more times than not.

A year ago, after ridiculing it often, I bought a G43 on a whim.  I love it. It is the perfect compromise for my size & circumstances.  It's the Goldilocks gun.  The G30S is my dedicated house gun now and the others all collect dust in the safe.

I don't feel under gunned.  As an LEO rookie, I started with a .357 gun loaded with 6 rounds of .38sp (Dept. Policy).  That's what I went into danger with and I was confident with it, despite its limitations.  Now, in a more defensive mode of life, I have 7 rounds of 147gr HST with 12 more as a reload.  I'm better armed now than then.

Interesting holster. Has it ever released the mag on you?

[Maccabeus]

On 1/3/2018 at 2:52 PM, G19Tony said:

Interesting holster. Has it ever released the mag on you?

No, it actually protects the mag release with the way it's designed.  (Unlike a holster I had for my BG380 where the belt clip would periodically eject the mag when sitting.)

I've been pleased with it.  I use an RCS VanGuard2 on my double stacks, but the G42/43 model of the VanGuard wasn't available right away, so I bought that GearCraft Solo.  I'm happy with it and was going to order one for my j-frame, but noticed that they've now redesigned the Solo.  Not only do I not like the new design as much, they no longer offer one for j-frames.

If you want minimalist, I'd recommend the RCS VanGuard2.

Edit: I contacted GearCraft to ask if they would still make the version 1 Solo, even though it wasn't listed on their site, because I wanted one for my 340PD and for a K6S.  They were willing to custom make the old style upon request.

Edited July 1, 2018 by Maccabeus

[fortyofforty]

I'd guess the GLOCK 43 has converted a lot of former .380 ACP aficionados.  Probably a lot of .38 devotees, too.

[janice6]

G41......... .45 ACP

[holyjohnson]

On 1/3/2018 at 10:16 AM, Maccabeus said:

Did you forget to vote?  There's no .45 votes in the poll yet.  Even though I'm not carrying it anymore, I want to see one of all time favorite calibers properly represented in the graph!

not only did i not vote,i did n`t even see the poll.

 

but i just did,Thanks.

[OldCop71]

I voted .38 spl but it is about 60/40 .38 vs 9mm.

[DrB]

.45 ACP for the most part, Colt Combat Commander.  For the other times .38 Detective Special. Both well worn like me..since I was 18 in the 70's ... Now I'm old. Still the same to this day, they work just fine why change?

Dave..

[Spats McGee]

9mm.  Either a G19 or a Shield. 

[jmohme]

Most days its 10mm

Occasionally I'll carry 9mm

[fortyofforty]

Relatively small sample size, but 9mm ran away with it.

[willie-pete]

.38 Spl +P in a Smith 442

 

Edited January 26, 2018 by willie-pete

[Gun Shark]

.357sig and .45

[fortyofforty]

Two fine calibers.

[ASH]

Kimber micro 9

.shield. 380. With extreme Underwood ammo

[M2 Carbine]

I pocket carry, so I'm size limited.

I have a number of small guns I could carry but I prefer the SIG P938 (9mm).

I have a G19 and 26 in the car.

[Danoobie]

Looks like the 5.7 ain't gettin' no love , here. It's usually the one, unless I'm going into town, where there's less danger, and I need something more

concealable. Then it's either a 32 or 9mm.

Edited February 11, 2018 by Danoobie

[DrB]

Colt Combat Commander Series 70.  45ACP.