Popular Handgun Cartridges for the New Shooter

Are you new to pistols and a little confused about what you should get? Look no further! This post is all about calibers. Calibers of handguns primarily. This is just a brief overview of the most common rounds that can be found at your local gun shop or sporting goods store. There are more than this, but I’m just covering the basics.

One thing I need to clear up first – vocabulary.

Bullet – the physical projectile that leaves the gun on its way to the target.
Casing – The shell that the bullet sits in until it is fired. The casing is ejected when fired.
Cartridge/round – The whole thing. Bullet and casing.

Okay, here they are:

.22 Long Rifle – Small rimfire cartridge. Used primarily for target practice and hunting varmint or other small game. Can make for very accurate follow up shots due to very low recoil. Believe it or not, the .22 LR is the cartridge is the cause for the most fatalities in the United States because its danger is underestimated. This is a great introductory round for those looking to get in to shooting sports and don’t want to break the bank when trying to buy ammunition.

.32 ACP – This small handgun round is used in sub-compact weapons where concealability is more important to the user than stopping power. This round is not as popular as it once was and can be difficult to find. The .32 ACP is most famous for being the caliber of James Bond’s Walther PPK and is the cartridge that Adolf Hitler committed suicide with.

.380 ACP – This round is favored by those who want a good combination of concealability AND stopping power. Most of these guns are light and easy to handle due to low recoil. Many would consider that this round is the minimum caliber recommended for self-defense. Same diameter as the 9mm Luger, but they are very different. Don’t get the two confused. Another name for the .380 ACP is the “9mm Short.”

.38 Special – A good all-around revolver cartridge. The .38 Special provides a good balance between power and recoil. Guns for this round come in all shapes, sizes, and weights. Many people use a .38 Special revolver as their home defense gun because it’s an easy round for anyone to handle if it’s needed.

9x19 Parabellum (9mm Luger) – Roughly double the power of the .380 ACP. This caliber is one of the most popular rounds in the world and can be found almost anywhere. It is used by the U.S. military and by a majority of the police forces in the United States. 9mm pistols can come in all shapes and sizes. High velocity, good stopping power, and moderate recoil depending on the size and weight of the firearm. Also an inexpensive ammo type.

.40 S&W – Originally developed as competition/alternative for the large 10mm cartridge, the .40 S&W has excellent ballistic performance, but at the cost of high recoil. Anyone will tell you that this cartridge is very snappy and can be proven uncomfortable for many shooters. However, pistols of this caliber have the advantage of having similar stopping power to the .45, but with higher magazine capacity.

.45 ACP – Developed during the Philippine-American War to replace the .38 Long Colt (which had roughly the stopping power of the .380 ACP) which wasn’t powerful enough to take down a charging Philippine warrior. This cartridge is favored by those who want a large hole in their target. This was the round used in the fabled Colt 1911, a gun that, to many, is the greatest firearm in history. The .45 ACP is large, but has a slower velocity. Most of these rounds are sub-sonic.  Recoil on these firearms are higher than your standard 9mm, but usually not as severe as the snappy .40 S&W.

.357 Magnum – Primarily a revolver cartridge that is a longer, more powerful evolution of the .38 Special. One of the most, if not the most, popular cartridge for a revolver. It’s definitely a powerhouse and will provide you with excellent stopping power at the cost of moderate to high recoil. Revolvers of this caliber usually can fire the lower powered .38 Special cartridge due to the two rounds being the same diameter.

.44 Magnum – Do you feel lucky? This beast of a bullet can knock most anything down that is in your way. Big guns, big recoil, big price. These rounds aren’t cheap but you get your money’s worth.

Less Popular Handgun Calibers

.357 Sig – This is an odd one. Developed to replicate the results of a .357 magnum revolver cartridge, but able to be fed in a smaller semi-automatic gun. They didn’t quite get there. What was developed was a hyper-velocity round that doesn’t quite have the power of the .357 magnum, but kicks more than a .40 S&W. This is the select round for numerous police forces in the U.S.

.45 GAP -  Glock had to make their own variant of the .45 ACP....Because GLOCK.

10mm – This cartridge has a smaller following. The 10mm is an extremely effective round, however, the recoil is too strong for comfortable use. This ammo type is difficult to find due to its lack of demand.

50 A.E. – I am only adding this to the list because I feel like people will be asking “What is the largest round for a handgun?” Well this is the largest for a semi-automatic handgun. This is a showpiece caliber for a showpiece gun. This is the signature round for the oversized Desert Eagle. The only practical use for this round is defending yourself from a charging Rhinoceros.

500 S&W - This is the largest cartridge currently made for a revolver. It's uses are limited and can be used for large game hunting (gun w/ mounted scope) and for showing off at the range. I'm pretty sure this round was developed solely for the purpose of watching unexperienced shooters get smacked in the face by the gun's recoil. Seriously, go look it up on YouTube.

If you are still undecided on a handgun caliber that's right for you, please leave me a comment! I will be happy to help you make your decision!