Larry Vickers on the Great Handgun Caliber Debate

Three well-known quotes frequently appear in internet handgun forums:

“The .45 ACP will stop a man 19 times out of 20.”

“A 9MM may never expand, but a .45 will never contract.”

“Do not attend a gunfight with a handgun, the caliber of which does not start with a 4.”

One day, a quote from CCW Safe’s Larry Vickers may just likely eclipse all three of the above quotes someday:

“Dude, the 9MM has won the defensive pistol caliber wars.”

The Best Handgun Caliber: A Roundtable Discussion

I had the good fortune to sit at the same table with Larry Vickers, CCW Safe General Counsel Don West, and CW Safe’s co- founders Kyle Sweet, Stan Campbell and Mike Darter a few weeks ago. During that time, Don asked Larry what he thought might be the best handgun caliber choice for the average concealed carrier.

Larry Vickers is one of the leading firearms and training consultants in the United States. He joined the United States Army and completed Infantry, Airborne, and Special Forces schools, eventually becoming a member of the 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta, also known as “The Unit.”

Larry was involved in a famous hostage rescue mission known as “Operation Acid Gambit.” He was part of the team that entered the Modelo Prison in Panama and fought their way through armed prison guards to successfully rescue Kurt Muse, an American civilian that Panama’s President Noriega had claimed was a CIA asset.

During his career in Delta, Larry participated in numerous other missions and managed to survive three helicopter crashes.

After h e retired from The Unit, Larry stayed extremely busy by working in the private sector, law enforcement and providing military training. Additionally, he consulted on the development of multiple weapons, flashlights and related small arms accessories. He was also the firearms community advisor for CCW Safe.

Don West had certainly selected the right person to whom he could pose his question! It was also time for me to start taking notes.

Larry Vickers on the Best Self-Defense Caliber

Larry said that we now have enough handgun shooting data in the United States that includes different calibers, including the 9MM, .357 Sig, .40 S&W and .45 ACP, to draw some conclusions. One of these conclusions is that from the 9MM up, all service-pistol calibers pretty much perform similarly. Any advantage a caliber has that is marginally faster, heavier or wider than the 9MM does not offset the virtues possessed by the 9MM, which include lighter recoil and greater capacity.

9MM Caliber Advantages

The 9MM is simply easier to shoot. P ractice ammunition is significantly cheaper, which makes frequent practice more affordable. While the double-stack .357 Sig and .40 S&W pistols may seem to be the perfect blend of capacity and power, these pistols are noticeably harder to shoot well – especially for novice shooters and those with less grip strength. Since many pistols in those calibers are built on platforms that were originally designed for the less-punishing 9MM, their service life may be shortened.

Larry said that the selection of 9MM handguns was also greater (a fact that I had never considered before). Larry’s take is this: If the 9MM’s terminal performance and above is more or less the same, then there is no real reason to choose anything other than the 9MM.

Handgun ammunition has seen dramatic improvements occur over the p ast 20 years. The 9MM has been a direct beneficiary of this trend. Larry may be the best-connected trainer and consultant in the industry and consequently has had multiple opportunities to discuss this subject with some of the most learned authorities in this field.

Larry summed it up by stating that in his opinion the jury is in: The 9MM is the winner for the best self-defense caliber pistol.

My Conclusion

I have been involved in defensive firearms training since 1993 and became a licensed law enforcement officer in 2001. I have seen the transition from revolvers to double-action/ single-action autoloaders to striker-fired polymer frame autoloaders. I have seen a trend that started with the 9MM and I have seen the 9MM largely abandoned when the .40 S&W emerged. I have also watched police department after police department dump the .40 S&W and go back to the 9MM. I think this serves to confirm Larry’s observations that the 9MM is the current King of the Hill.

For more articles about the best handguns and other relevant topics that will be of interest to concealed carriers, check out other blog posts on the CCW Safe website like “Glock 48: Best Concealed Carry Pistol” by Steve Moses.

Also, check out our podcasts, case reviews and other informative content. Many of our articles are available to non-members. To access the full resource library on the CCW Safe website, become a member today! Learn more about self-defense protection subscriptions that accommodate a wide variety of needs, from home self-defense to LEOSA carry. Compare plans to see which one is right for you to protect you and your family from the often-precarious implications of a self-defense incident that may include violence or death. Our Plan Advisor assessment is a valuable tool for suggesting a CCW Safe membership plan. You may also contact us by phone or send us a message. A specialist will get back to you during our business hours, which are Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. CST.

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Steve Moses Steve is a long-time defensive weapons and instructor based out of Texas who has trained hundreds of men and women of all ages for more than two decades on how to better prepare to defend themselves and their loved ones. Steve has completed over 80 private-sector and law enforcement-only defensive weapons and tactics classes, and has trained civilian and law-enforcement officers in six states. Moses is a reserve deputy, former member of a multi-precinct Special Response Team, competitive shooter, and martial artist. Steve has written numerous articles for SWAT Magazine and other publications. Steve is a licensed Texas Level 4 Personal Security Officer and Instructor who was Shift Lead on a mega-church security detail for seven years, and has provided close protection for several former foreign Heads of State. He is currently an instructor at Relson Gracie Jiu Jitsu/Krav Maga in Tyler, Texas and Director of Training for Palisade Training Group (www.ptgtrainingllc.com).