Caliber debates have the sound of a magic button search. As it is, the defensive use of handgun performance is in a smaller lane: reliability, controllability, and relatively sufficient penetration to hit vital structure. The current bullet design has narrowed the difference between the common service calibers, but it has not saved all the cartridges of their inherent shortcomings.
Others are too inconsistent, too feeble or too punishing to be run well under the influence of stress when time and accuracy are constrained. These are the handgun calibers and configurations that generates easily preventable issues in home-defense applications.
1. .22 Long Rifle (.22 LR)
22 LR beats familiarity and low recoil, and then loses on the sole thing a defensive gun has no bargain with, consistent ignition. Being a rimfire, it has a structural tendency towards misfires more inherent than on the centerfire ammunition, this issue can be clearly seen when a pistol has to cycle through several rounds without a hiccup. Power is also restricted with most of the loads coming in below 200 ft-lbs, and that renders penetration and disturbance to be less reliable with clothing and angles. The FBI yardstick remains of importance here since vital structures are not always straight on; the generally mentioned minimum is 12-18 inches of ballistic gelatin, which can be lethal, but in this instance involves always insisting on perfection of operation and perfect placement of a defensive gun where a margin should be created.
2. .25 ACP
The reason why 25 ACP exists is mostly due to the fact that early pocket pistols required a small centerfire version, and not because the cartridge provides modern defensive capability. Having a large number of loads below 70 ft-lbs, it frequently follows even small .22 LR loads in practice. Hollow points are also made less useful by low velocity as they need speed to expand steadily. These are added to the fact that most.25 ACP pistols are small, poorly sighted, and difficult to fire accurately, and what we end up with is what is referred to as a package of compromises.
3. .32 ACP
32 ACP occupies an irritating mid-range: light recoil and narrow pistols, combined with poor current projectile functionality. The expansion is sensitive to obstacles and short barrels, heavy cloths, and standard energies of between 125-170 ft-lb and penetration may be sporadic and may not be effective. Even in cases where it does “fine it does not purchase sufficient terminal consistency to support the reduced safety margin in comparison to less defensive choices which are more widespread.
4. .410 Shot shell in Handguns
A 410 in the form of a pocket shotgun is marketed, however physics just does not work with short barrels. Velocity decreases, patterns are opened in a short time, and the depth of birdshot frequently will not reach vital organs. Buckshot and slugs also make the situation better, but they are still disadvantaged as far as recoil, control, and predictable terminal performance are concerned compared to proven defensive handgun cartridges. The diffusion that feels soothing can turn out to be the very ingredient that causes the payload not to be able to meet where it is required.
5. .380 ACP (with low-penetration loads)
ACP 380 is workable, although it is very load- and barrel-length dependent. Some of the commonly used loads in compact pistols do not penetrate the 12 -18 inch standard commonly used to determine whether a bullet will be effective in hitting vital organs or not. That restriction is exacerbated by expansion being too high or velocity too slow, which leaves shallow and looks great in the marketing but very unsatisfactory in gel. The fallacy is to think that the hollow point will work; modern hollow points are more effective than ever, but even they will not ensure sufficient depth in all.380 loads.
6. 10mm Auto (to the majority of indoor defensive shooters)
10mm Auto is not lacking in serious horsepower – in many cases 600+ ft-lbs – and it can come in handy where deep penetration is a requirement. Inside, the same power will often impose blast and recoil on shooters that decelerates subsequent shots, as well as exaggerates flinch. Less room to err also exists in regard to over-penetration issues in normal residential construction. The cartridge is not bad, just a high-output tool that makes performance expensive to a number of shooters who do not like to be stressed.
7. .38 Special ultra-short barrel
38 Special is a long-established defensive handgun, however, barrel length is more important than nostalgia. Very short “snub” revolvers may cause the loss in velocity to cause hollow points not to expand as intended, and +P loads may cause sharp recoil but no proportional terminal gain. What it means is that the tuning window is slim: the shooter will have to select loads that will still penetrate, will still expand (assuming that they expand at all), and will still be manageable. It is an ordinary source of the unity of revolver simplicity with the fact that small guns do not always shoot easily.
8. .44 Magnum
44 Magnum provides a colossal level of power – commonly 1,000 or more ft-lbs – however home defense is not a hunting issue. The blast and recoil decelerate useful precision, particularly on quick strings and the profound non-surface nature of the cartridge increases hazard in multi-room constructions and those with shared walls. Big revolvers also make handling the weapon difficult to many households, both in storage and handling the weapon with one hand. The strengths of the cartridge are not imaginary but they do not concur with the priorities of indoor shooting in defence.
Through these illustrations we see the common failure is not that of a failure of halting power mystique, it is of a failure of repeatability. Dr. Sydney Vail, said: The concept of stopping power was a marketing device, and ought to be absent in our consideration of the subject of ballistic performance until such time as the efficacy of ammunition is carried out by other methods than the outcome of gelatin and barrier tests. In a situation where speed, responsibility hits are required, the best justification is an old-fashioned one; a dependable centerfire handgun, a round that penetrates to the established standards, and a caliber that the shooter can manipulate smoothly and with precision.
