# what caliber of handgun should you have if crap hit the fan all heck breaks lose



## 45 (May 16, 2012)

Hey guys sorry I haven't been on here in a while any way I was wondering what caliber of handgun should you have if crap hit the fan all heck break lose I have a .45 A.C.P. but I don't how hard it would be to find ammo for it in case something bad happend in the US, any info would be helpful thank you .


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## all357mag (May 20, 2013)

20ga or 12ga!


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## HDKorp (Aug 10, 2013)

Handgun? Meaning singular?

Hell, I want to look like this...


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## rex (Jan 27, 2012)

I prefer the 45,but I have a Beretta 92 with 8 mags in case 45 dries up.The 9 is a worldwide cartridge so it will be plentiful to pilfer and plunder.


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## paratrooper (Feb 1, 2012)

Hmmmm......my SIG P226 9mm TAC-OPS came with 4 20 rd.mags, and I secured an add'l. 4 OEM factory 20 rd. mags, as well as 3 MEC-GAR 20 rd. mags. :smt033


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## KampfJaeger (Sep 25, 2013)

Nothing is more abundant than .22lr, both in terms of rounds and firearms. The major disadvantage I see with it is that you can't reload it (the case gets crushed to ignite the primer compound), and it is much more difficult to manufacture and get the priming compound right so there is any reliability. Rudimentary black powder is pretty easy to make, and though not nearly as good as modern smokeless powders, it will still make little pieces of metal go fast. I can't imagine of running out of lead to make cast bullets. There is refined lead all over the place. There's good lead on just about every car tire in existence, and it will be there long after the car has rotted to nothing. If there was a complete breakdown there would be more .22lr than anything else, but that stock might be all there would be till things got running again, and that might be a very long time. It would run out, unlike reloadable center fire cartridges. 

The 5.56 is the standard small arms round of the military and there's gobs of it in ammo dumps all over the place and on any military base. An AR is the Brown Bess of our time, and everyone should have one IMO. 

Next would probably be revolvers that shoot both .38 and .357. It's nice to have something that shoots two common calibers if we're talking about foraging for ammo, and they are a stronger and less complicated design that will keep working longer and without access to someone who can repair them. 

When you think about the ammo shortage that went on for over a year, I'll bet most of that ammo isn't shot, but was hoarded. I wouldn't want to venture a guess how much is out there right now, but I think it's probably more than there ever has been. I don't think things would get scarce till everyone who was heavily armed and hoarded ammo shot what they had. I think ammo would be plentiful but valuable for years after a collapse.


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## shaolin (Dec 31, 2012)

I would go with my .22LR Ruger Mark 3. I have 15,000 rds of it and although I couldn't reload it would be a long time before I needed to.


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## zeke4351 (Jan 29, 2013)

Full size 10mm. I have the ammo for it.


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## pat701 (May 27, 2012)

9mm for cheap ammo, 45acp for stopping power. If i could have only one 9mm.


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## rex (Jan 27, 2012)

paratrooper said:


> Hmmmm......my SIG P226 9mm TAC-OPS came with 4 20 rd.mags, and I secured an add'l. 4 OEM factory 20 rd. mags, as well as 3 MEC-GAR 20 rd. mags. :smt033


KMB :smt023


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## tony pasley (May 6, 2006)

As long as I stay near home I don't have to make a choice or worry much about ammo


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## 45 (May 16, 2012)

Thanks for the replys I probley go with a 9 mm Luger because it is the main handgun caliber for the US Military & the one that most people own again thank & have a bang up time at the range .


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## pic (Nov 14, 2009)

45 said:


> Hey guys sorry I haven't been on here in a while any way I was wondering what caliber of handgun should you have if crap hit the fan all heck break lose I have a .45 A.C.P. but I don't how hard it would be to find ammo for it in case something bad happend in the US, any info would be helpful thank you .


you better have your supplies before the "other crap" hits the fan.
ammo is hard to find presently, 
If you think there might be ammo drops in your area forget about that.
You should already have an arsenal that could utilize any caliber that comes your way, before the crap hits the fan.
If that is your concern?


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## shaolin (Dec 31, 2012)

Oh believe me if the crap hits then I am taking one of each caliber I own with the 9mm and 22LR being my go to caliber.


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## mammon (Sep 27, 2013)

yes indeed,the 10mm. I agree 100%.i also have a 10mm.glock 20.as well as a glock 32 357 sig.and I feel just fine with either one.


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## BigCityChief (Jan 2, 2013)

The one for which you have an ample supply of ammunition. For me, it's .45ACP and Buffalo Bore 10MM.


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## Glock Doctor (Mar 14, 2011)

I'm good-to-go with any of the more popular pistol calibers. Should I be ordained to survive the first couple of hostile encounters then whatever the other guy was carrying will be good enough for me, too. :smt002


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

Any cartridge more powerful than .380 ACP will stop a fight..._if you do your part_.

An accurate hit beats ballistics, every time.
A hit with a .22 rimfire will beat a near-miss with a .44 Magnum.

Stock-up with what you already use, whatever it is, and practice, practice, practice.


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## Pistol Pete (Jan 8, 2010)

A .357 revolver, it's a 4" 686 Plus.


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## Desertrat (Apr 26, 2007)

well....a few different ones.... a .22LR for sure....I have plenty of 9mm...and I certainly would not want to be without my SA Rugers.... 44 Special....and 44 Mag...that would hold me for awhile.


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## norb5150 (Nov 24, 2012)

if just one handgun and I have time to go through my collection... Springfield xd 9 tactical. I have ample ammunition and magazines. It has a long sight radius for a pistol (better accuracy) works like a charm. 1230rounds through and no issues what so ever.


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## SMann (Dec 11, 2008)

Since all the bases and armories are full of 5.56mm, 9mm and 12ga I'd say those would be safe bets. They all work pretty well too.


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## desertman (Aug 29, 2013)

I'd say whatever you can shoot best with, of course this will depend on the size and type of weapon you choose.


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## guardrail (May 23, 2010)

The caliber that matches the ammo you have.


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## Cait43 (Apr 4, 2013)

*These..........*


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## Bisley (Aug 24, 2008)

Find something you shoot well and stockpile ammo for it. If the SHTF, and gun fighting determines who survives, the individual with a handgun is not gonna fare well against roving gangs of hungry bad guys, who will learn quickly to arm themselves with rifles and shotguns. The ability to hide and run, and the will to do any gun fighting that cannot be avoided, _from ambush_, will serve you much better than selecting the 'perfect' handgun.


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

Bisley said:


> ...The ability to hide and run, and the will to do any gun fighting that cannot be avoided, _from ambush_, will serve you much better than selecting the 'perfect' handgun.


Good advice, that.
Listen to the man. He knows whereof he speaks.


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## SouthernBoy (Jun 27, 2007)

Since the OP referred to only one handgun and only one caliber, that makes this a rather difficult decision to take. My heart would be with my primary carry gun; a gen3 Glock 23. But my logical mind tells me to go with my gen3 Glock 19 because of the better chance at availability of 9mm ammo from a variety of sources. My county police are issued Glocks in .45ACP and one of the counties next door get theirs in .40S&W.

So let's see.... one handgun, eh? How about this. I take my gen3 G23 and the mags, barrel, and RSA from my gen3 G19. That way I satisfy the OP's requirement for one handgun, but I have the internals for both a G23 and a G19. Oops, the ejector is not the same on these guns so I would also have to have the trigger assembly from the G19 as well.

Not sure if that would satisfy the OP but hey, it would still be one gun. But back to his scenario. I suppose the G19 would be the one, though I would prefer my primary G23.


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## Glock Doctor (Mar 14, 2011)

Since I was, about, 18 years old I've always had at least one 45 ACP, and one 9mm pistol. 
(On occasion I've owned as many as 3 to 5 of each; but, then again, I've always been excessive; and I love pistols!) :smt083


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## spooler41 (Dec 5, 2013)

I'm stuck with what i have on hand,3 .22 autos, 1 .22mag., 1 38/357, & 2 9mm autos. 
There could possibly be more ,all depends on timeing. 

..............................Jack


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## AdamSmith (Dec 18, 2013)

I would go with my 45 ACP and my pump action 12 gauge.

The 45 has 3 mags of 10 rounds each.

The 12 gauge is 8 + 1 and the bandoleer holds 50 shells.


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## Garyshome (Nov 6, 2013)

Is this is a trick question.... It's the one you own! If you happen to own more than one well there is a decision that needs to be made.


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## Scorpion8 (Jan 29, 2011)

rex said:


> I prefer the 45,but I have a Beretta 92 with 8 mags in case 45 dries up.The 9 is a worldwide cartridge so it will be plentiful to pilfer and plunder.


Ditto, except I start with the 9mm and hold the .45 as the 2nd choice.


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## OGCJason (Nov 4, 2013)

I keep SHTF info consolidated to immediate family...


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