Written by Richard Dockery, April 7, 2020
The question of “should I buy my guns in the same caliber” has come up on many sites lately, with a variety of answers and recommendations. What I am offering here is my opinions and reasoning behind my way of thinking.
When buying a firearm there are a lot of decisions to be made around fit, quality, caliber, brand, price, usage, etc. One of the first decisions involves caliber. Everyone will have a reason for choosing the caliber they do. 9mm is extremely popular (for good reason…and I am not going to get into a caliber debate here), .380, .38, .40, .45, and a myriad of others are out there and in use. If this is not your first firearm, part of the decision becomes whether or not you want a firearm in the same caliber as your previous…or others.
Buying all of your firearms in the same caliber has some advantages:
– When you buy ammo you only need to buy 1 caliber and will be supplying all of your firearms.
– If it is a 9mm where pricing seems to be less than most others, you will also save money.
– No chance of trying to put the wrong ammo in the wrong gun if you have them spread out on the table at the range with boxes of bullets everywhere (it happens)
– From a sustainability point (and I shouldn’t go here as this seems to push people’s buttons and I said I wasn’t get into a caliber debate), if you choose a certain caliber, it seems to be everywhere and sharing, bartering, whatever is possible.
BUT…
There are downsides to having all of your firearms in the same caliber, which also equates to sustainability and availability. With the current COVID-19 crisis we have seen a rush on firearms and ammo. The end result is limited availability, or availability at jacked-up prices. The hardest ammo to get is currently 9mm…the most popular. People who have several firearms, or multiple firearms in the family, are finding themselves with very limited supplies and few ways if any to get more. During this time we are also seeing store shelves with .40 and .45 ammo still available, as well as shotgun ammo.
My personal recommendation is that your first handgun be the one you like and like to shoot, that fits the best and is capable of sufficiently defending your life. Your second…and I do recommend you have more than one firearm…should be in a different caliber should situations arise like we have seen during the current pandemic. You may not like the gun as much, or be able to shoot it as well, but it will be there when/if you need it…and…keep sufficient stock of all caliber ammo you may need tucked away for emergency. It’s easy to get excited on the range and blow through everything you have!
To learn more, or for any questions, email me at Richard@FemmeFataleArms.com
—-
Femme Fatale ARMS & Training is a woman-owned business that provides education and support to an over victimized and underserved segment of our population. We have programs to build confidence and skill without the intimidating aspects that tend to exist elsewhere in this industry. Our goal is customer satisfaction and loyalty. We’d appreciate an opportunity to show you how we are different, yet still, help you to accomplish your education and safety goals.
Femme Fatale Arms & Training is located at 4270 Minton Rd #107 in
West Melbourne, Florida 32904 ????We are open Mon-Sat 11 AM to 6 PM
Call us with questions at (321) 327-3790 or visit FemmeFataleArms.com for more info today.
