What Caliber is Best for Concealed Carry?

The best caliber for concealed carry is determined by the size of the handgun that must be carried and the amount of recoil that the shooter can effectively control.  Special conditions and circumstances might require the use of very small handguns and/or light calibers such as the .22 Long Rifle, .25 ACP, and .32 ACP, but they are generally regarded as poor defensive cartridges due to poor penetration, small wound

channels, and unreliable bullet expansion.  While they will kill, they may not provide immediate incapacitation and those who are able to use larger, more powerful handguns should do so.

The .380 ACP is often considered to be the minimum caliber that is adequate for self defense and its popularity has surged with the availability of small and light semi-automatic pistols that are chambered for it.  While it performs a little better than the .32 ACP, its superiority is not earth shattering by any stretch of the imagination.  The 9mm Makarov is a better performer but both fall short of providing the FBI minimum standard of penetration (12 inches) when expanding bullets are used.

The .9mm Luger and .38 Special are the lightest, common defensive cartridges that provide reasonable stopping power and meet the FBI minimum standard of penetration when proper ammunition is used.  Such  ammunition is exemplified by the Winchester Ranger-T 124 gr. JHP +P for the 9mm and the Speer Gold Dot 135 gr. JHP +P for the .38 Special.  For many, the 9mm Luger and .38 Special are the best calibers for concealed carry because of the balance they provide between ballistic performance and recoil, which can compromise control and recovery time during rapid fire with a relatively light, compact handgun.

The 9mm Luger and .38 Special have been maligned in the past for providing only marginal effectiveness in defensive encounters.  However, these cartridges have been around for over a century and both suffered for much of their history with bullet designs (the 115 gr. FMJ and the 158 gr. RNL, respectively) that were less than optimum at best.  While modern ammunition has substantially improves the performance of these cartridges, many remain prejudiced against their effectiveness and prefer larger calibers.

Those who can carry a larger handgun or effectively control the recoil generated by compact handguns chambered for more powerful defensive cartridges, might prefer calibers such as the .357 SIG, .357 Magnum, .40 S&W, 10mm, .41 Magnum, .44 Special, .45 ACP, and .45 Colt.  These cartridges are well regarded for their effectiveness and versatility; however, some studies indicate that the actual performance of many of them, in ballistic gelatin and defensive encounters, is not as different from the 9mm Luger and .38 Special as is sometimes claimed.  While bullets of larger caliber generally prove more effective than smaller ones when expanding bullets fail to expand, the performance and effectiveness of most defensive cartridges remain topics of intense scrutiny and fervent debate.

No handgun in any caliber is good for concealed carry or self defense if the person carrying it cannot effectively hit a target.  One way to determine whether or not a particular handgun and caliber combination is individually suitable for concealed carry is the Higgenbotham Standard Handgun Controllability Test.  This consists of firing five rounds from low ready into a bulleseye of roughly 5" x 8" proportions (e.g. a folded piece of notebook paper) at five yards within two seconds.  This is a useful exercise because deadly force encounters can occur suddenly and require multiple rounds to resolve.  The results of this test might inspire some shooters to rethink their choice of concealed handguns or renew their commitment to practice.

Stopping power and control are critical elements in the selection of a particular handgun and caliber for concealed carry.  Calibers that are less effective than the 9mm Luger and the .38 Special should be avoided unless one simply cannot carry or control a handgun of larger caliber.  While many proficiently shoot and successfully carry handguns of larger caliber, countless numbers stake their lives on relatively light, compact handguns chambered for the 9mm Luger and .38 Special that do not sacrifice too much in the way of power and control.