I looked at some handguns today while shopping. I have shot several and enjoy shooting them, but I don't understand the calibers. 308, 357, 38? 40, 45? 9mm? How do you rank them and could you explain some of them to someone with little savvy? Thanks
Brit

Hey there, at the risk of being boorish I would suggest you go to a handgun course of some kind to determine which cal suits you best. Not being rude but if you are not familiar with the different loads and their potential a course could show you which one best suits your needs and expectations. There is no "one size fits all" weapon and some knowledge up front could give you better insight into which one is right for you. Good luck

It can get confusing.
There is a book "Cartridges of the World" that does a good explination of about every cailber. All the ones you mentioned refer to the diameter of the bullets, except 38 which refers to the dismeter of the case.

Go to a hornady or federal website and look at pictures and power. Also the sporting good stores will have pamplets by the bullet manu. that show. Your range is to broad to write that much

I agree with the above replies. The only thing I wold add is really think about what you want this gun to do or be for you; i.e. a target range gun, a home defense, a "fun" gun, etc. I think that would narrow down which caliber is best.

What does it matter? All those calibers will get the job done. The biggest consideration is what kind of gun do you want being that some are revolver or auto only rounds.

There's no .308 handgun btw.

could probably get one in a TC, but think that defeats the purpose of getting a handgun.

That be one bruiser of a carry gun.

that was a typo I meant 380. Sorry.

I know some about each caliber, but I don't feel like I know enough. I know my topic suggested that I didn't know anything, and I am sorry for misleading. I should have asked a totally different question, What is your favorite caliber and what do you use it for. My wife and I enjoy going to the range and shooting my buddies guns (he has a couple of 9's, a 45, and a 38special). We want to buy our own guns and I wanted to have as much knowledge as possible so I could make a decision on a gun that would serve its purpose. I want a gun that is fun to shoot, can be used for defense, and whatever else (legally) I wanted to use it for. Really a good all around gun.
Thanks
Brit

Get a 9mm Glock or xd and be done. Cheap enough to practice and big enough to destroy.

x2

9mm is the cheapest and most available to shoot out of the bunch. If you want it to be a defense gun to, just spend a little extra to buy a small box of 25 nice hollow points.

Watch out for the xd's. Once you get one they'll just keep showing up in your safe every few months. It's happening with me.

I'd say 9 or .40. They both cost almost the same. Your revolver rounds are going to be somewhat more expensive.

9mm...
Fun for plinking
More than adequate for two-legged predators.
Comparatively inexpensive ammunition.
Scores of firearms choices, most are quality pieces.

What do ya'll think about a 38 special? Ammo is expensive, but is it a good caliber? Revolver will not jam, but is jamming really a problem? I never have seen one jam. My wife likes shooting my buddies, I personally think it is more gun than she needs, especially if I ever make her mad. I have been looking at Academy, is the smith & wesson sigma a decent gun? what about the taurus millenium pro?

if you want revolver go 357 practice with 38s shoot some 357 to get the feel and make that your carry ammo.
nothing wrong with revolver, semiautos are just more in vogue

Sigmas are junk.

Be prepared to spend over $400 for anything worthwhile.

I'll try to give an idea.


.380, .357 mag, .38 special 9mm are all the same size across 9mm or .35 inches but the amount of powder behind them changes substantially. .38 Spc and .357 are rimmed revolver cartridges. .38 special is slightly shorter and that is why .357 mag pistols can shoot .38 special but not the other way around. .357 magnum is typically loaded about 3 to 4 times heavier than .38 special and the power/recoil occurs from that.
9mm has to be one of the most common rounds/firearms in gun safes at this time. Many feel it is a good compormise between size, power and capacity.
.380 normally come in much smaller packages "firearms" but power wise they are much lower. Capacity is never real high as they are in compact model's only. .380 is a little more expensive and harder to come by so if you are planning to do any sort of target shooting many would advise against a .380. 9mm is a good all around caliber and something in a compact Glock 19 would be good for you and the wife.

.40 s&w is 10mm across 1 mm larger or .4" across. This is said to be the great compromise between 9mm and .45acp. Little hotter and a little heavier fits the niche nicely. Price goes up about $5 a box give or take for practice ammo but is a very popular round

.45 acp is slow and heavy but is said to have the greatest momentum/knock down power. Ammo is $5 higher than 40 s&w give or take. Magazine capacity is always lower due to the large size of the case/round. However there is great debate whether you need more than 10 rounds to stop a bad guy. At that point are you really still aiming etc. I've always had good luck with accuracy with .45 acp due to using 1911 style pistols but the stats always seemed weak to me.

2 other niche cartriges, 10mm and .357 sig. Both have relation to the 40 s&w 10mm is a slightly hotter way more expensive 40 S&W with a longer shell. Has more powder but too much for older firearms which is why it got fazed out.

.357 sig is a mut of 9mm and .40 s&w. Basically is a 9mm bullet in a .40 case that is very hot, very expensive, but has some great stats. Probably not what you'd be looking for in a first firearm.

Basically what I just said in way more words but yes, there are many who would say the Glock 19, XD9 4" or S&W M&P 9 are the perfect all around firearms. Sig 226/239 if you have more money. But just hold each of them and let your hand tell you which is for you.

Careful - she might just turn on you too!!!

I agree. Get a good 357 Mag revolver. You can shoot 38 special's in it with very little recoil or you can shoot 357 Magnums if you want some more oomph. Remember, tiny cartridges, like the 380, usually come in a tiny gun, but that doesn't mean the recoil will be tiny. Really small handguns are hard to hold onto.

and buy the way nothing wrong with a sigma, fine guns ive owned 4 zero problems from any of them

These are both 9mm. The bigger is a Ruger SR9 17 and 1 shot 18 altogather.
The smaller is a Kahr, CW9, 9mm, my wifes 7 shoot. Both are real good hand guns. But you can see the Kahr is smaller and easer to carry.

Close, but not entirely accurate..... the Lone Eagle made by IMI is a 308 handgun, there was also a 1911 conversion kit for a while by AMT and others in that caliber, and T/C may have made some.....

But I agree think the OP meant 380......

My thoughts on this are you need to decide what will be the primary purpose for having his or her pistol? Is it for shooting at empty cans or maybe hunting squirrels or both? Is it to be used for self defense? If so, will it be kept at home, office, or in the car/truck only? Will it be regularly carried on your person and if so, how? How competent are you or your wife with the use of it under pressure? Be VERY honest in answering this. After determining answers to these questions, then and only then should you proceed with your selections. Ya'll may decide that one will be quite enough for you both to share or maybe that each of you will need their own.

If you really only want something to shoot cans with or maybe try the challenge of shooting rabits and such, a good quality .22 revolver or automatic would do just fine. If you are focusing on possible self defense, you will need something with adequate power that you and/or she is comfortable with handling. Wether or not you plan to carry it on your person or not will also be a determining factor as well as your anticipated carry method. Generally speaking, it is difficult to conceal a full sized pistol such as a .45 M-1911 or a .44 Mag. Ruger Super Blackhawk without wearing a jacket. Usually that is just not practical. You may want to opt for a small pocket or purse sized automatic or revolver such as a .380 Ruger LCP or a S&W .38 snub nose. You would not want to rely on anything less than a .380 with premium ammo for self defense. While a .44 Mag. revolver has great stopping power, it is just not practical to carry in your pocket.

Also, if you or the wife are not really well trained in the use of your weapon, you will want to get something as simple as possible to use under stress. As to quality, do not buy cheap junk! And whatever you buy, I don't care what brand and model it is, practice with it. Make sure to shoot at least a reasonable amount of the brand AND type of ammo you intend to keep it loaded with for self defense. Finding out that your weapon does not feed properly the brand/type of ammo that it is loaded with while you are being attacked could be rather embarrasing!