"The Big 3"

[epc]

Someone mentioned that it's a good strategy to stick to the 3 most popular calibers of ammunition when purchasing a firearm. This sounded like good advice to me, especially if like me you have little practical experience choosing a firearm. Unfortunately, I'm such a noob that I have very little idea of what calibers they might be! Any suggestions/advice are welcome. Thanks!

[zigziggityzoo]

Someone mentioned that it's a good strategy to stick to the 3 most popular calibers of ammunition when purchasing a firearm. This sounded like good advice to me, especially if like me you have little practical experience choosing a firearm. Unfortunately, I'm such a noob that I have very little idea of what calibers they might be! Any suggestions/advice are welcome. Thanks!

For handguns? I'm guessing .38spl, 9mm, and .45ACP.

Could be wrong, though.

[GreaseMonkeySRT]

For handguns? I'm guessing .38spl, 9mm, and .45ACP.

Could be wrong, though.

I would guess those three as well.

[Daniels]

I was going to guess 9mm, 357 and 45.

[dramey82]

What first came to my mind was 9mm, 40 and 45 what do I know.

[GreaseMonkeySRT]

What first came to my mind was 9mm, 40 and 45 what do I know.

Just semi-auto, definitely. .38 SPL is a popular caliber though if you're looking at both semi-auto and revolvers together.

[dramey82]

Just semi-auto, definitely. .38 SPL is a popular caliber though if you're looking at both semi-auto and revolvers together.
Good point.

[epc]

I guess my question was pretty vague and open ended. Thank you all for the thoughtful responses! The original thread that got me thinking about this was indeed about pistols. I do not own any pistols at the moment, and was thinking of getting a "starter pistol" sometime down the road. My original thought was to get it in .22lr, practice, and then move up to a larger caliber. I am leaning towards revolvers, but the purchase decision is all theoretical right now, so I'm exploring my options.

Thanks again!

[zigziggityzoo]

.22lr isn't a bad choice for a target-only gun, but if you want any utility out of it (home defense, self-defense), you should go with a better caliber. 9mm is easily among the cheapest and easiest to find.

[dramey82]

I guess my question was pretty vague and open ended. Thank you all for the thoughtful responses! The original thread that got me thinking about this was indeed about pistols. I do not own any pistols at the moment, and was thinking of getting a "starter pistol" sometime down the road. My original thought was to get it in .22lr, practice, and then move up to a larger caliber. I am leaning towards revolvers, but the purchase decision is all theoretical right now, so I'm exploring my options.

Thanks again!
If you're thinking about a 22, this seems like a decent buy.
Its' about the middle of the page.

http://www.migunowners.org/forum/showthread.php?t=78909&highlight=ruger

[remingtondude58]

I think it would be 22, 9mm, and 357/38, but I am not a expert.

[JCisHe]

I went 9mm, .40, .45...

One day .357.

If there isn't ammo for 9's there are .40's and there are always boxes of .45 sitting around somewhere though... .22 is better to shoot a lot of!

[hopeitsfast]

What first came to my mind was 9mm, 40 and 45 what do I know.
If i was guessing on the top 3 sellers for handguns, i'd guess these.

[Leader]

I think you'd have to ask whoever made the remark about "The Big Three".
Myself... I say the .22 is a given but we think in terms of self defence ammo not target shooting.
9mm, .40 cal., .45Auto, & .38Spec./.357Mag all are VERY popular and reasonably priced. You could even add in .380APC for about the same price as .45 & .357.
Hard in my mind to pick just three.

[ltdave]

if i had to pick i would probably go with .357mag because .38spl will work too but not the other way around, .22lr for both practice, introduction and if absolutely necessary small game and then either 9mm or .45acp...

although i have enough .40sw to last me for a LONG LONG time and more components to make that a double LONG LONG time...

[who dat]

if i had to pick i would probably go with .357mag because .38spl will work too but not the other way around, .22lr for both practice, introduction and if absolutely necessary small game and then either 9mm or .45acp.
Same here... .22, .38/.357...9MM or .45

Reason is the .22 can help feed your family if the SHTF. .38/.357 will be easy to find and/or reload, and the 9 and /or .45 will fend off attackers or the 2 or 4 legged kind. A .22 is just a must have gun.

[mechredd]

When I read the OP I started thinking about which class of firearm it applies to.
Pistols would be 9, 40. and 45.
Revolvers, 38, 357, 44mag.

With rifles, there are so many for so many different things its hard to say. 30-06, 308, 300mag, 243, 270, 223, 22-250, 30-30, and others.

Shotguns are simple, 12 or 20. Anything else is just silly. 410 is common, but to me is a bit of a specialty shell for small game.

I view 22lr as being in its own class. It is immensely common and can be had in all manner of firearms, but whatever it can do, something else can do better. That's not to say that it is a bad round, because IMO it's one of the best, It is just that there's nothing special about it other than low cost and high availability.

[TFin04]

I think you'd have to ask whoever made the remark about "The Big Three".

I did. It was in a thread about auto pistols (Glocks, to be exact). I was speaking of 9, 40, and 45.

Throwing revolvers in the mix adds 38 special and 357.

[daj86]

I guess my question was pretty vague and open ended. Thank you all for the thoughtful responses! The original thread that got me thinking about this was indeed about pistols. I do not own any pistols at the moment, and was thinking of getting a "starter pistol" sometime down the road. My original thought was to get it in .22lr, practice, and then move up to a larger caliber. I am leaning towards revolvers, but the purchase decision is all theoretical right now, so I'm exploring my options.

Thanks again!

If you are looking for a good revolver i would suggest looking into a Ruger GP100 it's a .357 magnum mine is stainless with a 4in barrel I LOVE this gun!!! Also, you can put .38 or .38+p's through a .357 magnum which is great it gives you versatility. In my opinion this is also a good "starter" gun because there is not too much recoil when shooting .38's once you get comfortable with it you can work your way into the .38+p and the 357. magnum rounds.

[sevenplusone]

I just narrowed back down to 3 calibers in my handguns after selling my last 9mm. .38spec, .45acp, and .22lr.

I'd look at this this way, I have one revolver caliber in the .38spec, though I would prefer .357mag (which can be shot with .38spec ammo). I have one round that's considered more of an auto caliber in the .45acp. Lastly, the 22lr is pretty much manditory in any collection. Mine happens to be in an auto, but a plinking revolver is nice to have too.

What it really comes down to is the application. If in a revolver, .357 mag is probably the way to go as you can load mags or .38 special but the cost of the gun will likely be higher in a .357 version.

In a semi-auto you'd be good with .45, 9mm, or .40 as the big three.

As previously stated, 22lr is a must have caliber for any collection.

*and finally, I was going to make a comment along the lines of Dodge, Chevy, and Ford but decided against it.

[onmywayup]

I guess my question was pretty vague and open ended. Thank you all for the thoughtful responses! The original thread that got me thinking about this was indeed about pistols. I do not own any pistols at the moment, and was thinking of getting a "starter pistol" sometime down the road. My original thought was to get it in .22lr, practice, and then move up to a larger caliber. I am leaning towards revolvers, but the purchase decision is all theoretical right now, so I'm exploring my options.

Thanks again!

I started out with an inherited .22lr target pistol. I shot that for a year. The pluses: Very VERY cheap ammo (at the time, 500 rounds for 20 bucks) and very low kick-back makes it an easy gun to start shooting with.

I recently moved up to a 9mm for concealed carry purposes, but I still love to shoot that .22 when I'm at the range.


EDIT: FYI, I'm glad to meet you at the range with both of my guns if you're interested in trying them out. You buy the ammo and I'm glad to meet up with you. There is a range within 15 minutes of each of us. Just PrivateMessage me if you're interested.

[SnakeBee]

my experience is that the .40S&W is the best available ammo of the popular ones.

[wJAKE19]

What first came to my mind was 9mm, 40 and 45 what do I know.

me to

[5.56]

12 gauge, for the gun, anything you like
22 rimfire, for the gun, any pistol or rifle you like (one of each)
9mm, for the gun, any pistol or rifle you like (one of each)

Why? Because you can always find the ammo and guns just about anywhere at a reasonable price. My 2 cents.
Good luck on your choice.

[dpgperftest]

For handguns? I'm guessing .38spl, 9mm, and .45ACP.

Could be wrong, though.

38spl, 9mm, and 44mag

[TFin04]

my experience is that the .40S&W is the best available ammo of the popular ones.
Define 'best.'

[epc]

Thanks for all of the replies. I want to get started shootng .22 for practice, both in handguns and rifles. I had been leaning towards revolvers for a a handgun, because of their reputation as being more reliable. The failure modes that I'm aware of for a DA revolver seem to be overcome by simply pulling the trigger again. I know that I would not have the presence of mind to be able to recover from a misfire/jam with a semi-auto with my current skill and comfort level.

I am interested in the .38/.357 calibers, and to some extent .45/.454 casull. I think the .38/.357 would be a credible step up from .22, and it seems very available. I would be interested in learning how to reload, as well. The .45/.454 interests me because I like to hike/camp a lot, especially very far from civilization, and in some situations it would be comforting to have a possible defense against very large animals where the bulk and weight of a rifle would be too great of a compromise. I understand that the .454 casull round is a specialty item, but how common is .45 colt?

I must admit that I hadn't given automatics very much thought. I could see the appeal, especially for a CC.

[sevenplusone]

Thanks for all of the replies. I want to get started shootng .22 for practice, both in handguns and rifles. I had been leaning towards revolvers for a a handgun, because of their reputation as being more reliable. The failure modes that I'm aware of for a DA revolver seem to be overcome by simply pulling the trigger again. I know that I would not have the presence of mind to be able to recover from a misfire/jam with a semi-auto with my current skill and comfort level.

I am interested in the .38/.357 calibers, and to some extent .45/.454 casull. I think the .38/.357 would be a credible step up from .22, and it seems very available. I would be interested in learning how to reload, as well. The .45/.454 interests me because I like to hike/camp a lot, especially very far from civilization, and in some situations it would be comforting to have a possible defense against very large animals where the bulk and weight of a rifle would be too great of a compromise. I understand that the .454 casull round is a specialty item, but how common is .45 colt?

I must admit that I hadn't given automatics very much thought. I could see the appeal, especially for a CC.

A revolver in .357mag is a wonderful thing. Being able to shoot .38's for practice and then load up some heavy .357mag loads makes for a very versatile gun.

As for the .45's, if you will reload .45colt is a fantastic round. You can load it up to .44mag territory and down to lead powderpuff loads for practice. Better yet, get a .45colt/45acp conversion revolver and you can shoot both of those rounds too. I would not want to buy .45colt factory ammo ($50ish per box) but reloading it isn't bad.

[remingtondude58]

I would not want to buy .45colt factory ammo ($50ish per box) but reloading it isn't bad.

Yeah, if you are not planning to reload, you may be better suited with a 44 mag.

[Missahba]

Whatever you see most often in stock at Walmart and Meiers, (except when there is a run on ammo, then what's in stock is what nobody buys).

By this measure, I would say 12 gauge, .22, 30-30 or 30-06 (tie), and 9mm. I know this is four. So maybe its the Big 4.

For handguns, I agree with what everyone else said.

:scramble:

[Caribou]

I hope this isn't off topic, but if you're without a handgun, get a .357 revolver (for cheap .38 practice) or a 9MM semi-auto first. Get proficient with it, and keep it handy in your house for self-defense. Then, down the road you can get a .22 for fun/cheaper practice. (If you already have a home-defense shotgun, then you've got some leeway to go get your .22 if that's what you want. You have my permission! :lol: ).

[Porter]

What first came to my mind was 9mm, 40 and 45

x2

[Just A Girl]

I view 22lr as being in its own class. there's nothing special about it other than low cost and high availability.

That's what makes it special!:-D

[silverbullet2005]

.22 / .40 / 9mm

[jbizel1]

I would guess it would be 9mm 40 and 45 in terms of self defense. I just think 22lr is more popular and ppl love 38/357 in revolvers so I mean in terms of popularity .22lr 9mm 45:poke:

[romesr]

22lr,9mm and 45acp IMOP

[Preacherboy]

did the OP specify handgun?

If you are talking just firearm--9mm, .223, and .308 the ammo used by NATO and our military.

I would personally say the big three is .22, 9mm, and .223. Get 2 hand guns ( 1 .22 & the other 9mm) and two rifles (1 .22 & the other .223).

[EricF517]

If you are talking just firearm--9mm, .223, and .308 the ammo used by NATO and our military.

.

I have to agree with that 100%. Not to mention that is what I am mainly using

[ninjatoth]

I only own 2 handguns and they are .22LR/.22WMR and 9mm.I just mentioned in order the cheapest ammo you can buy out of all hangun ammo.-.22LR is about $15 for 500,the .22 WMR are about $9 for 50 and 9mm is about $11 for 50.But back to the question,even though I am a revolver guy,when the question big three comes up,my mind instantly goes to 9mm,.40 and .45.

[dirtyharry]

.22lr isn't a bad choice for a target-only gun, but if you want any utility out of it (home defense, self-defense), you should go with a better caliber. 9mm is easily among the cheapest and easiest to find.

Cheapest, yes. Easiest, not so much. Lately, Wally World has been having plenty of .22, .40 S&W and even .45. Not so much 9mm though.

[ChaneyD]

According to the majority of the gun sites I've visited this is the top ten list in order of popularity.

1 .9mm Luger
2 .40 S&W
3 .45 ACP
4 .38 Special
5 .380 ACP
6 .357 Magnum
7 10mm Auto
8 .44 magnum
9 .32 ACP
10 .25 ACP

[billbrasky]

I was going to guess 9mm, 357 and 45.

you can shoot 38 special in your 357 gun, so that would be helpful to the 38 special.

Not sure myself i think it is 38 special, 9, 45

they all go back close to 100 years. The 38 special is older than a 100 years and so is the 45. 9mm is over 100 year, and they were each long time standards for pros and joes.

The important thing is they are popular for a reason, popular rds are easy to find, modest price, and in a riot or revolution you can kill the oppressors or invaders and use their guns and ammo also.

So leave out 38 super, .41 , 45 long colt, 44 special, 10mm, things like this you can get ammo. Not like you can for a 38, 9 , or 45

[ShootinFool]

I am assuming you want the gun for carry as a self defense weapon so I won't even mention .22 caliber although it is better than nothing. First, decide whether you want a revolver or a semiauto. If you want a revolver, I would choose (1) .357 magnum which can also shoot .38 special, (2) .38 special only or (3) .44 magnum which can also shoot .44 special.

If you want a semiauto, I would choose (1) 9mm, (2) .45 ACP or (3) .40 S&W in that order.

There are lots of other choices but there is no advantage is owning a carry gun for which ammo is hard to find.

[suitslinger]

Of course finding any ammo for your 45 that doesn't cost an arm or a leg is tough at the moment :hardhat:

[dpgperftest]

For handguns? I'm guessing .38spl, 9mm, and .45ACP.

Could be wrong, though.

357/44/9mm

[Easyrider49]

Revolver
.22lr - .357 magnum - .44 magnum

.22 practice practice practice

.357 magnum can be downloaded just about as light as you want , or .38 special factory loads .

.44 magnum can also be downloaded quite a bit . or .44 special factory loads .

.22lr can be used for a variety of small game , even self defense if need be .

.357 magnum has always been way at the top of one shot man stoppers , great for self defense .

.44 magnum , no question on man stopper , and can be used on most large game in North America .

Semi Auto - .22lr - 9mm - 45acp

.22 practice practice practice , I sure as hell wouldn't want to get shot by one .

9mm with modern loads is very good defense round .

.45 acp has always been a good defense round and now with modern loads has become very very good for defense .

That's my two cents , would have been more like a dollar a few years ago .

[CrimDoc]

I'm going to follow Easyrider and post to resurrect this thread since ammo availability seems to have changed a fair bit since it was first started.

In my opinion, the "Big 3" FOR BEGINNERS would be as follows:

1) .38/.357: OK, I know this is a bit of a cheat because it's two rounds, but when people say to me "I just want to buy just ONE handgun, I want something that will be good for a little target shooting and plinking, and for home defense, and maybe to carry or hunt with if I ever get into that." I think a solid 4" .357 magnum revolver by Ruger, Smith or Taurus can't be beat. You can shoot .38 special for less than just about any other center fire round (other than 9mm) and you can get a "taste" for what magnum rounds are like with the .357 (you can also hunt up to medium game with it if you like). And I always advise revolvers over automatics for beginners who aren't really interested or willing to "get into" firearms.

2) .22LR: If a beginner is willing to buy 2 pistols ... or is ONLY interested in target shooting / plinking and NOT self defense ... then .22LR is the way to go. An order of magnitude cheaper to shoot than any other round. If a person is going to buy just ONE pistol for target shooting I'd advise a .22 revolver (which could be used for home defense in an emergency). If they are going to buy 2 ... a .38/.357 revolver and a .22, then I might advise them to get a .22 autoloader (A Ruger MK III, a Browning Buckmark) so that they can get exposed to automatics.

3) 9mm: By far the cheapest and most commonly used centerfire round for automatics. So for a beginner, I think it's the best "automatic caliber". Do I think it's the absolute best self-defense round? Probably not ... I'm a fan of .45ACP myself ... but when you're talking less than $10 for a box of 50 (9mm) vs. $20+ for 50 (.45) I think the 9 is a better choice for the beginner ... it will mean the person will go to the range more and get more familiar with their firearm ... which is far more important than the small difference in stopping power between 9mm and .45.