There are a few reasons why you may want to choose a small caliber pistol for self-defense. It’s fun to get on the range and shoot large caliber firearms. In a self-defense situation, accuracy of your shots is very important. A small caliber pistol may be a better choice.
Anticipation of recoil is one of the biggest reasons that shooters miss their intended target. The larger the caliber, the more recoil the gun has. One issue that will influence the amount of recoil on a firearm is the frame size.
Small caliber pistol compared to large caliber pistol
The Ruger SR22 and the Heritage Rough Rider single action 22 are both very popular pistols. A small caliber pistol has less recoil.
In the video you can see a full framed 9 mm and a subcompact 9 mm. Both of these guns are the same caliber however the felt recoil from the subcompact 9 mm is much greater than the felt recoil of a full sized 9 mm. The same is true with the 45acp as well as other calibers. A small caliber pistol will have less recoil but may not have the stopping power.
You’re better off hitting your target with a 22 then missing it with any other caliber. An innocent bystander could be injured if you miss your shot. It’s also important to consider concealability in your defensive firearm. The subcompact or a compact firearm is much easier to conceal then the full frame firearm.
A lot of the newer technology allows smaller caliber ammunition to perform as well as the larger caliber rounds from a generation ago. If you had to fire your handgun accurately in a defensive situation, would you be able to manage the recoil of a larger caliber? If you were forced to use your support hand because your primary hand was injured would you be able to manage the Recoil with that hand as well?
Let me hear from you. What are your thoughts on this? Please comment below.
I carry a Sig P238 ( .380 Caliber ). It’s light and conceals well. Felt recoil is minimum. I don’t like that it is 6+1, but my Glock 19 is just too big for me to carry. However, my gun at home is a Glock 19
Nice gun
I agree, I just can’t comfortably carry a Glock 19 though I own one and love it. I have a Glock 43 that I do carry and it’s comfortable enough to carry every day. A +1 extension to the mag and I get 7+1 carry capability before you even factor in the backup mag I keep in my off hand pocket.
Those are great guns also. I’ve thought about getting a 43 myself but it’s very small in my hands. The main thing is to be armed and ready to protect yourself and your family.
Many of the German officers hit their marks with the extremely accurate PPK that they were issued to carry, in 32 CAL.
It’s better to hit your target with a small gun than to miss with a large one.
Absolutely. Miss with a large caliber and you’re liable to do severe damage to an innocent bystander. Hit someone with a smaller caliber and they’re still going to be hurting. Enough for you to put a few more rounds into them to stop them. Better to stop someone with three 9mm rounds than attempt with a single 45 ACP.
Exactly. Not to mention that if you miss an attacker and hit an innocent bystander, you become the criminal.