Favorite Handgun Round

I'm boring. It's a toss up between 9 and 38. Both shoot good for me and no matter what i buy or sell, i always seem to have several of each on hand.
 
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I’d pick 38, but arthritis and double actions make it no bueno anymore for me (sob).
I’m going with 45 in a 1911, 9mm for range guns, and 40 for street use. I’ve just seen too many “failures to stop” with 9mm to carry it confidently. Glock 45s are great guns, but too thick.
 
For just plain fun shooting its the 32 S&W long for me. I discover this round a few years ago in a an old S&W revolver. Since I handload, its a cheap and easy round to load for. Before primers got so expensive, it was just as cheap to shoot as 22lr.
Loaded as a light load its like a fat 22lr. Loaded to pre SAMMI pressures its a hammer for small game.
 
cold1 said:
For just plain fun shooting its the 32 S&W long for me. I discover this round a few years ago in a an old S&W revolver. Since I handload, its a cheap and easy round to load for. Before primers got so expensive, it was just as cheap to shoot as 22lr.
Loaded as a light load its like a fat 22lr. Loaded to pre SAMMI pressures its a hammer for small game.
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I had a smith in this caliber also. Great little piece and i miss it terribly.
 
I wish! Got my daughters birthday this week, dad's on dec 23rd, then Christmas, then my wife's birthday on jan12th, then our anniversary on feb 11th... add in Thanksgiving and new years and I'm toast for the next few months... A guy can dream i guess. I do appreciate it though.
 
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Mr. Bggs said:
I wish! Got my daughters birthday this week, dad's on dec 23rd, then Christmas, then my wife's birthday on jan12th, then our anniversary on feb 11th... add in Thanksgiving and new years and I'm toast for the next few months... A guy can dream i guess. I do appreciate it though.
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Sounds like you have a weekend in there to go pick out your Christmas present. 🙃
 
Average Joe said:
So the what are you deer hunting with thread got me thinking about all the different calibers and which is my favorite.

So thought I would pose the question. What is your favorite handgun round? Please explain why. Not with the “well my favorite is the .45 because they don’t make a .46” junk. There isn’t any right or wrong answers. I am just curious as to what others like and why. Good possibility it’s a reason I’ve overlooked. Since this is my idea, I’ll go first.

Mine is the .22 LR. While it isn’t an ideal self defense round and not what I use for personal protection. It is a round that is simply fun to shoot. There are so many different types of handguns chambered in .22 LR, and everyone can find something that strikes their fancy. Anything from single action revolvers to the semi-automatic race guns.

The .22 LR is a cost effective round to shoot. And many major manufactures of self defense handguns offer a .22 LR chambering that minors the their offerings in larger calibers. So you can train more without spending more.

It is also a favorite round of mine to carry fishing, never know when you’ll run across a copperhead or some other poisonous snake while walking to, from, and around the banks of a pond.

Finally and most likely the best reason for me is the nostalgia and fond memories I have of growing up and shooting the .22 LR. I learned to shoot from a couple of my uncles who stepped up and were fathers to me after the death of my Dad. The very first gun I shot was a .22 LR High Standard Dura-Matic that belonged to my Dad.

I imagine the .22 LR was the first for many others as well. My uncles have long been pasted on to join my Dad. But they live on in my heart, especially when I break out my Dad’s ol High Standard and head to the great outdoors with a couple fishing poles.
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I agree for pure plinking fun my favorite handgun is my ruger slabside competition 22lr. Ive had it for 39 years, shot thousands of troublefree rounds out of it and dont mind wasting a kot of ammo just to see tin cans bounce around. Went out to the range today and shot at least 200 rounds into paper at ten yards.what a blast. Low cost and very accurate.

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For semi autos
9mm - everyone has covered the benefits already. I am able to reload this round and shoot a lot of it each year
,22lr - fun and cost effective. I also wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of someone dumping round in me
45 - I love 1911s need to start loading more of this

Revolvers
38/357 winter project is to load a pile of ammo for me and my daughter. She claimed my S&W model 15. Versatile and fun
 
cold1 said:
For just plain fun shooting its the 32 S&W long for me.
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👍 :cool:

32 S&W Long is a stout bit of brass, and can be loaded hot.

32 Anything for me... 32 acp, 32 S&W, 32 S&W Long, 32 mag, 327 mag... put 'em all in that order in one revolver, and start with the 32acp... that'll turn some haids!

I have several 32 cal revolvers... Two Dollar Cimarron Lightning 32 (miniature SAA), Ruger single six, S&W 30 & 31, Charter Arms Professional, K frame S&W 32 mag with 8 3/8" barrel, Airweight S&W, Iver Johnson top break, mebbe more.

Also some 32 acp semi autos... Browning Model 1922, Beretta Model 81, seems like there is another. [Seecamp 32]

I ruined a Marlin Cowboy 32 by reaming it to 327. It will cycle and choot 32 S&W Long, 32 mag and 327 mag. That'n is a keeper!

Got a 100+ year old Marlin 1894 chambered in 32-20, and the Cimarron Lightning 32 has a 32-20 cylinder.

Lastly, a Thompson Cherokee 32 muzzleloader, the only 32 cal black powder rifle with the correct twist rate, a dream to choot.
 
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THE PUNISHER said:
10mm, accurate, powerful, versatile, 135gr to 220gr. Simple barrel swap you have 40sw, 357sig, 9x25 Dillon and I’m probably missing one caliber.

But you can’t go wrong with any pistol caliber if you reload, especially center fired.
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I’ve shot a few 10mm autos and thought about picking one up here a couple years back. My only complaint was the fact it chucked the brass a country mile and couldn’t find em easily. A very powerful and fun round for sure 👍👍👍
 
flhtci06 said:
I’ve shot a few 10mm autos and thought about picking one up here a couple years back. My only complaint was the fact it chucked the brass a country mile and couldn’t find em easily. A very powerful and fun round for sure 👍👍👍
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I “had” that very same problem….then I bought a stronger recoil spring, now my brass lay just a few feet away. Mostly I shoot 40 sw in mine for “practice “ and keep records on what works best for me in the mighty 10.
 
flhtci06 said:
I’ve shot a few 10mm autos and thought about picking one up here a couple years back. My only complaint was the fact it chucked the brass a country mile and couldn’t find em easily. A very powerful and fun round for sure 👍👍👍
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I have the same problem in my kimber 10mm. Changed recoil spring to a heavier one but, no change yet. Just have to look hard to find brass.
 
.357 Magnum. The first handgun that I bought was a Ruger Blackhawk .357 Magnum back in 1972. It's powerful, it has many bullet weights available, if you reload your options are almost endless. It comes in both DA and SA revolvers, single shot and, even a semi auto. It comes in all sizes, pocket gun up to full size. It has always checked all the boxes for me.
 
MacEntyre said:
👍 :cool:

32 S&W Long is a stout bit of brass, and can be loaded hot.

32 Anything for me... 32 acp, 32 S&W, 32 S&W Long, 32 mag, 327 mag... put 'em all in that order in one revolver, and start with the 32acp... that'll turn some haids!

I have several 32 cal revolvers... Two Dollar Cimarron Lightning 32 (miniature SAA), Ruger single six, S&W 30 & 31, Charter Arms Professional, K frame S&W 32 mag with 8 3/8" barrel, Airweight S&W, Iver Johnson top break, mebbe more.

Also some 32 acp semi autos... Browning Model 1922, Beretta Model 81, seems like there is another.

I ruined a Marlin Cowboy 32 by reaming it to 327. It will cycle and choot 32 S&W Long, 32 mag and 327 mag. That'n is a keeper!

Got a 100+ year old Marlin 1894 chambered in 32-20, and the Cimarron Lightning 32 has a 32-20 cylinder.

Lastly, a Thompson Cherokee 32 muzzleloader, the only 32 cal black powder rifle with the correct twist rate, a dream to choot.
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I'm not quite to your level of collecting them yet. 😉

I do have the old PreSAMMI reloading manuals and I do like those old loads for the 32 long.

I would love to have a Marlin in 327mag. I have been watching out for an old one in 32-20 to have rechambered.
 
cold1 said:
I would love to have a Marlin in 327mag. I have been watching out for an old one in 32-20 to have rechambered.
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Can that be done? I thought the 32-20 was a wee bit bigger in one dimension or another than 327...?

You can just order a new barrel and have a smith chamber and headspace it.
 
MacEntyre said:
Can that be done? I thought the 32-20 was a wee bit bigger in one dimension or another than 327...?

You can just order a new barrel and have a smith chamber and headspace it.
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Rebarrel or cut chamber off original and ream for 327.
 
I carry a 9mm. So, At the range I will "By Far" shoot more 9mm than any other caliber.
I keep a 38spl in the night stand. I don't particularly like shooting 38spl. So, I shoot less 38spl than 9mm.
My most favorite caliber of all time to shoot is 22lr.
But, I shoot less 22lr than I do 9mm and 38spl.
Because, I carry 9mm and I keep a 38spl in the night stand.
Make sense???
 
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