conceal v caliber v stopping power

[stroker-ace]

I am somewhat of a noob, but not an idiot. I am looking for a good concealer that is easy to handle with good stopping power. I currently own a Taurus Millenium PT111 9mm. Excellent concealer, but not much stopping power.

I feell a .45 will have all the stop, but hard to handle in a concealer. Would a .40 cal be a good compromise? .357 S&W?

I know I cant have a gun that does all three tricks. Which have you guys found to be the best concealer to get the job done...without having to spend 8 rounds to stop a crackhead?

TIA.

[srt-4_i_swear]

if you shoot a crackhead in the head with a +p 9mm im real sure they are gonna stop.

[DOHCTR]

Never underestimate a 9mm, but 40cals are almost as easy to handle and the larger bullet doesn't ding capacity to much.

[propellerhead]

Just learn to use what you have. Two hits with a 9mm will do more damage than one .45.

[stroker-ace]

Thanks for the quick advice. I am a big fan of the double tap, but it is not always easy to squeeze in times of diress. I dont know how skilled I will be at a head shot under pressure. I try to concentrate on the torso...the odds of a hit on a moving target are more in my favor the way I see it.

I do appreciate the advice. The Taurus seems to be a solid/reliable gun. The thing is practically invisible stuffed in the belt. Any other advice is greatly appreciated.

I really just need to get out of the woods and hit the range and hone my skills I guess.

[turbo93gt]

dallas pd issues the 9mm 147gr winchester ranger t. NYPD issues the 9mm 124+p speer gold dot. both have a very good record. you get about 3% more permanent wound channel with .40 in a similar bullet design and similar sectional density then the 9. the .45 will give you another 3% or so over the .40. however, tissue and even vital organ damage does not mean someone will immediatly stop attacking you. just stick with what youve got, if a 9 wont get the job done you would need a shotgun, not a .40 or .45.

[evil jose]

I'm a part of the camp that says shoot the biggest caliber that you are comfortable with carrying and shooting. A 9mm to the chest is better than a nick with a .357 Magnum. If you are good with the 9mm and feel comfortable carrying it than stick with it. Choose your carry ammo wisely and make sure to fire a few boxes of ammo (or more) to make sure it cycles reliably.

I carry a .40 S&W Glock 27 and before it I carried a Glock 23 in the same caliber. The 23 had the same amount of firepower but the 27 IMO was easier to conceal. Before the 23 I had a 19 in 9mm and felt the .40 S&W was a better compromise as I didn't feel much of a difference between the two calibers.

Now I well say I fired a box of .40 S&W +P Corbon's in my 27 that I had left over from the 23 and it was a bit harsh. I actually broke the recoil rod on my second box of ammo. I have never had a problem with a Glock before (and never had any since) although I've never shot "hot" ammo after that. Glock might have been aware of a problem because the mailed me a new one a couple of months after I bought the gun with the request I mail the stock one back. I had already bought a new one at that point and never gave it a second thought. And that was close to 8 years ago.

Anyway, if you shoot the 9mm fine than stick with it. I'd rather spend my money on practicing than worrying about a bullet making up for my lack of hitting the target center mass.

[propellerhead]

Anyway, if you shoot the 9mm fine than stick with it. I'd rather spend my money on practicing than worrying about a bullet making up for my lack of hitting the target center mass.
+1

Do some IDPA shooting. You can shoot 1,000s of rounds standing still at a gun range with the perfect stance and the perfect grip taking three seconds between shots to aim again slowly squeezing the trigger between breaths. But an attacker won't give you the time to get into your perfect shooting position. IDPA shooting trains you to draw from concealment, aim and fire a few shots in a couple of seconds and in odd positions. You learn to shoot well in less than perfect stances and grips at varying distances. It's not going to make you a James Bond but it is a big step beyond lane shooting.

As evil jose said, I'd rather spend the time learning to use a concealed carry weapon than worrying about the caliber.

[stroker-ace]

Great. that is just the advice I was looking for. Can you elaborate on IDPA? Like I said, I am kind of a noob. I know enough to know that I will never get a perfect shot in a stress situation.

I can google it too I guess.

Looks like I will be sticking with the 9. I have a Mossberg for punching bigger holes. ;)

[propellerhead]

http://www.ctidpa.com/video.htm

I'm in a couple of those videos. You'll see drawing from concealment. Shooting in less than ideal stances. Shooting on the move. Shooting from behind cover. Reloading. Clearing jams. And so on. All under time pressure. There are gamers who take it as a simple game of speed and accuracy. Some take it as something closer to what you might expect than just plain lane shooting.

Like I said, it's not gonna turn you into Rambo James Bond but it will make you a better shooter.

[stroker-ace]

Like I said, it's not gonna turn you into Rambo James Bond but it will make you a better shooter.

That's all I am looking for...skills in more 'real world' situations. Thanks for all the info peeps. I really appreciate it.

[GT98SVO]

.357 Sig is getting some of .40S&W market share. Higher velocity with slightly smaller caliber and lighter grain.

I like shooting .45ACP. 230gr JHP at ~850fps is gonna hurt. They open to .80 in. But a .40 isn't much smaller when it expands.

cheap common ammo.

There was a case where a kid was shot in head with 9mm, survived and went on to sue the guy.

[FSON]

and when that projectile passes through your gyp board/wood siding exterior wall and hits your neighbor's kid while it is sleeping in it's cradle... shot gun amo?

[propellerhead]

.357 Sig is getting some of .40S&W market share. Higher velocity with slightly smaller caliber and lighter grain.

I like shooting .45ACP. 230gr JHP at ~850fps is gonna hurt. They open to .80 in. But a .40 isn't much smaller when it expands.

cheap common ammo.

There was a case where a kid was shot in head with 9mm, survived and went on to sue the guy.
On the other hand, there are many cases of guys dieing from .380 wounds.