Guns 101, part VI: Calibers

Part I: "Evil Guns"
Part II: "Why?"
Part III: The Law
Part IV: The 4 Commandments
Part V: Which type?

This is an area that is hotly and regularly debated in the gun community. Browse any message board and you'll find guys preaching the "big and slow" vs. "small and fast" bullets. I'm not really wanting to wade in to that mess. What I do want to do is help clear the air a little and make some sense of the different calibers available.

A firearm cartridge is made of the bullet (top pic, upper shiny part) fitted in to a casing (top pic, bottom dull part). Inside the casing is the gun powder which is ignited when the firing pin on the gun is knocked forward by the hammer and detonates the primer (second pic, left cartridge, dented center). The resulting explosion forces the bullet out of the casing and propels it through the barrel of the gun.

Bullets are measured across the top in inches, though the most popular pistol round in the world is measured in metric, the 9mm (don't pay attention to the ruler in the pic here; I just wanted it for the primer). It can get quite confusing when deciding which one is best for you; the best way to find this out is to go try them. However, as a brief walkthrough:

• .22 - this tiny cartridge is the cheapest to buy, offers no recoil and little noise; however, it also has very little stopping power relative to personal/home defense. This should be regulated to fun shooting (often called plinking) or as a last resort. Good place for a beginner, especially for kids or even adults who have never held a gun before.
• .25 - very similar to the .22, except slightly larger. Best used for last resort.
• .32 ACP - in some European countries, this is the base caliber for self defense. In the U.S., it's generally the bottom line for a backup. Light recoil, little more noise than the .22. Note: ACP means automatic colt pistol; this cartridge is only available for a semi-automatic.
• .380 ACP - called the 9mm kurtz, or "short", this is where you start getting in to some real personal defense. This is mostly used in smaller semi-auto weapons that are easier to conceal. Loud, and can have some snap from the recoil; bigger bullet and smaller gun means more felt recoil. Ok for a beginner, but better suited to someone who has handled rounds with some kick.
• .38 Special - This little jewel was old faithful for the longest time for many in law enforcement. A little snub nosed .38 revolver is the backup gun of choice for many. Recoil is manageable, though at this point it really starts to depend largely on the weapon; there will be more kick with a snub nosed lightweight pistol than a 4" full framed model. A great place to start any beginning shooter of mature age, especially good for beginning women shooters.
• .357 magnum - quite possibly the most proven man-stopper on the planet, and yes, the bullet is actually a little smaller than the .38. A lot of blast and kick with this one, though if you hit, the target will go down. While there are some small revolvers that take this potent catridge, it's better suited to a medium or large framed pistol with at least a 4" barrel. Note: pistols made for the .357 mag round will also shoot .38 special ammo, which is significantly cheaper for target practice. If the recoil from shooting a .357 round is too much, you can always back down to a .38.
• .357 sig - this is the semi-auto version of the .357 mag, though it packs a little less power. Just wanted to mention it.
• 9mm - probably the most popular handgun caliber around. Semi-auto only with moderate recoil and noise, just a bit more than a .38 special. Most full sized pistols can have up to 15 or more rounds. A decent all around caliber for mature newcomers.
  
• .40 S&W - the new kid on the block in terms of calibers, this is now the preferred round of most police departments. Semi-auto only, but offers a good bit more stopping power than the 9mm, though it does sacrifice some capacity.
• .41/.44 magnum - these rounds are better left to advanced shooters that hike in bear/ mountain lion country. Lot of power, lot of kick, lot of noise. Not for beginners or smaller bodied people.
• .45 ACP - this is the epitomy of "big and slow"; the .45 is the largest bullet for semi-auto pitsols and is an effective manstopper. The government model 1911 (pictured right) is a classic design and to this day is still one of the most popular pistols. Most of these weapons are made out of steel, therefore making them heavier than polymer pistols (most often 9mm) and able to handle the kick. While many are able to start with this pistol, best to start with the 9mm and move up to this one when comfortable.

There are several more calibers, but those cover the main ones for defense consideration.

The final component to bullet selection is a little more advanced; it consists of bullet weight, measured in grains, and the bullet tip. Within each bullet type, there are several available weights. For the 9mm, the standard weight is 115 gr, though there is a wide variety available from 95 gr up to 147 gr (for self defense, I use 124 gr.). You can use this "sliding scale" of weights to find one that works best for you, the heavier bullets give you more power with a little more recoil.

Because we're talking about self defense here, I'll just mention the two main bullet tips for that purpose - full metal jacket (FMJ, left bullet) and jacketed hollowpoint (JHP, right). A FMJ bullet generally will hold it's form when it penetrates it's target, potentially passing through and traveling on. The hollowpoint, however, will expand or "mushroom" on penetration, causing a considerable amount of damage and transfering the maximum amount of energy to the target (thus the term "manstopper"). For self defense, the JHP is the way to go; however, some semi-autos have problems feeding these from the magazine in to the chamber. It's recommended that you fire about 200 to 300 rounds of a given brand of hollowpoints through your weapon without any jams or misfires before carrying this type of ammo in your weapon regularly. Revolvers, on the other hand, can be loaded and trusted with them right out of the box.

That's probably a bit more than an elementary look at bullets, but it's barely the tip of the iceberg. Next up, we'll talk safety.