This thread has a fever....and the prescription is for more cowbell!
A cop in Kalifornistan? For what do you need a weapon? I thought all your subjects were unarmed, at least intellectually. Which part of "shall not be infringed" do YOU not understand?
I carry one of three calibers, depending on how I'm dressed. A beautiful 9 mm Luger for formal occasions. My daily wear is a H&K USPc .40 Mexican style - screw the NRA wannabes. My macho occasional is a SA 1911 .45. The hall gun is an 870 with two rounds of big birdshot followed by two rounds of 00.
This thread has a fever....and the prescription is for more cowbell!
This would be my choice.
Where ya at, bramdawg? Maybe the Mod knows your special facts and is just savin' your good rhetoric for us heathens.
Honest question - I am not an American: What is a 'local' PD in the LA Area? How many PDs does LA have? And do any of them allow not only officers to choose thier own caliber, but allow .45 ACP? Not that I have anything against it, given the choice I would carry the .45, but I know it is very un-politically correct caliber, and a lot of PDs do not allow them just because of its association with the military.
I guess I am just a bit suspicious of this post.
Gotta badge?
I tend to agree with the person in post #5. 357 magnum shooting 125-130 grain JHPs - Federal preferably. Sure you can get higher calber guns with larger loads but in a personal defense situation they are difficult to control for accurate shot placement. In the 357 avoid 158 and 180 grain loads for the same reason and be sure to stick with JHPs
With a pistol you have to aim and shoot, and hope you get a kill or at least a knockdown - with a shotgun you just point and shoot.
If the blast of pellets miss your intruder, the muzzle blast - both noise and flash - with scare the poop out of your intruder as you pump another load into the chamber.
Pistol use takes practice...shotguns don't.
No question the .45 is the way to go. I have an EMT buddy who has seen lots of gun shoot wounds. They don't get back up from a .45 in the right area. Keep yourself safe.
Simple solution-
Buy both, a Dillon 550, the right dies and shoot the hell out of both.
As far as which is better for Police use-the folks that say shot placement and hitting the target are right.
A hit with a 22 is better than a miss with a 44 Magnum
lol I'll add my opinion.
.45 definately
No better handgun for self defense.
AFAIK, the .40 S&W gives you more rounds in a slightly smaller-framed gun and slightly higher velocities than the .45 ACP.
The advice about shot placement is good. If you hit the perp in the right place, either caliber will do just fine.
Happily, your department will put a lot of time and money into training you in all sorts of things,including the use of your handgun. And yours is the pragmatic approach of a master craftsman regarding his tools, or an Olympic athlete regarding his performance: get the very best that works the very best for you.
Best approach for right now: dab around a bit and try out some of the suggestions that have appeared in response to your post here,but don't go overboard- it's just familiarization you're looking for right now. Then let your department train you in whatever standard or approved weapon that agency uses, which is hopefully based on what has worked for other officers in the past more than on budgetary considerions or outright kickbacks- which has been the case too often in my area.
Then, after you find yourself as a rookie/probationary spending lots of time with your field trainer, find out what's worked for him/her and others using the same equipment you use in the conditions of your local area.
Most likely you'll fimd that it's more common for agency-issued holsters, belt equipment and ammo to be crap rather than the weapons themselves- and you may find it smart to practice using your own magazines that ALWAYS work [or else get rid of them] rather than the pass-around leftovers that others have had problems with while they're on the range. And, like your cuffs, your personal mags should have your badge number engraved on them after you've got one.
I've ownned most of everything in the Glock line, most of which just doesn't fit my hand well, and I don't care much for their .40 caliber offerings. If the city you work for gives you a free one, swell. Likewise I find the issue M9/M96FS Beretta that I was stuck with for deserter apprehensions and transports to be more than a little clunky in my habnd, though the California Highway Patrol was still using the.40 version of them, last I heard. I've owned and carried 9mm Browning GP/ Hi-Powers since 1967, and have one I've owned since 1968; it's had just over a hundred thousand rounds through it and has needed rebluing three times. I had it during one critical shooting incident and it got the job done though I've changed my thoughts about the ammo for that use since then...but I very much know what that pistol will and won't do, though I've more-or-less retired it from serious use.
And most recently I fall back on my own beginnings and use a .45 ACP Government Model, most recently an Argentine Modelo 1927, sometimes a .45 Combat Commander. The M1911 design has served my family well for three generations and is about to enter its fourth, so in part I'm setting an example that may be followed in part or in whole, or may become the basis for an informed choice to go with something else.
But in general, I'd advise you to first pick the caliber you'd most prefer to have your life depend upon. You can then choose which mechanism in which to use it.
A double stack mag carries lots more bullets, which is a GOOD THING.
A .45 double stack is real fat, which may be a problem if you don't have large hands.
A double stack .40 mag is easier to fit into a slim grip.
Either will work.
Personally, I carry a 100grain 9mm round with more muzzle energy (483 ftlbs) and velocity (1475 ft/sec) than a 230 grain .45 (350 ftlbs at 830 ft/sec), but any caliber will do. Shot placement is what really matters. If I hit a BG in the heart with a .22LR it may take him a while, but he's gonna know he's been hit and will most likeley die. If I hit a BG in the shoulder with a .45 he is still a threat.
BG = Bad Guy
Not really, just being a smart aleck.
I honestly don't think it makes a big difference once you get above maybe a 38 special. For that matter even a .32 will do for most purposes.
I personally would choose a .45 very slightly over a .40 but that is just a guess.
If the dept is giving you your choice of duty weapons, I would go with a .45
A .357 hp may expand to .45 on impact, but a .45 will never shrink.
The .45 is easier to shoot and has a proven record.
I like 1911s, but you can always get a .45 in a Glock, Sig, whatever OS. If your hands are smallish, look at a .45 GAP, the new shorter .45 cartridge introduced by Glock.
Choose your off duty gun to shoot the same caliber, that makes practice and carrying easier, not to mention acquiring practice ammo. You should also consider getting a smaller version of your duty gun for off duty use. There are compact 1911's, baby Glocks, etc that use the same OS and ammo.
I am not LE but I would agree with whatever you can shoot the best and is the most comfortable...try a lot of different calibers and models as allowed by your dept. I like to have stopping power of a .40 or .45 best of luck