One caliber vs multiple calibers in a handgun, what's your justification(s)?

[dragon813gt]

What!!! No 30-06!!!!! Shame on you. I thought everybody was required to own a 30-06.

Shame on me as well then. 30/06 is overkill for anything here. Most shots are 50 yards or less. Even the 308 I own is overkill but that one is stainless w/ a synthetic stock so it sees the bad weather. I guess the 358 Winchester is really overkill now that I think about it. 35 Remington probably falls into that category as well. But that one is a great handling rifle. While writing this I really realize why I grab my 1894C first before any other rifle

[truckboss]

I've narrowed it down to one.One that uses boolits.

[happie2shoot]

Just posted this on GT.

I use to shoot many pistol calibers but now I have narrowed it down to just 22lr,
9mm, 38sup, 38sp, 357sig, 357mag, 40s&w, 10mm, 44sp, 44mag, 45acp, 45sup,
460row, 45colt, 454, 480 and 475L.

Life is much simpler now that I got rid of my Blackhawks in 30carb and 41mag.

Still have those 14 boxes of 380 brass I don't know what to do with, maybe I will
get a gun for them.

I need to thin out the rifle collection, too.

[azrednek]

I decided I would put a limit on what I would get into however. I will only buy into calibers that meet one of the three following conditions.
1) The case has a rim on it
2) It is a cast boolit friendly caliber
3) It is relatively common/easy to find

I've narrowed it down to one. One that uses boolits.

My criteria, it fits in a Smith and Wesson.

[DLCTEX]

Standardize if you wish, but I like variety.

[NavyVet1959]

Since a firearm is a tool, just like a hammer or a saw, I have to ask you: Do you only have a single hammer and a single saw?

If so, then you need to turn in your man card immediately.

[NavyVet1959]

By the time you add a new on - you have the price of the gun, dies, molds, brass and other "do-dads" and it can mount up.

Tell me about it! I currently reload for

• .223
• .308
• .300 Win Mag
• .300 AAC
• 7.62x39
• 9mm
• .357 SIG
• .38 special
• .357 magnum
• .40 SW
• 10mm
• .44 special
• .44 magnum
• .45 ACP
• .460 Rowland
• .45-70
• 12-gauge

Yeah, it kind of adds up after awhile.

But I keep telling myself to look at all the money I'm saving...

[jonp]

The answers here are interesting. It does show the affluence in America now a days where not that long ago people had one gun because that was what they could afford

[GhostHawk]

Navy V et nailed it.

Do you do all the work around your house with one of those leatherman multitools? It has a screwdriver, pliers, it does everything pretty much right?

Or not quite to the same standard perhaps as a good Stanley 8" rubber gripped screwdriver?
Or not quite to the same standard perhaps as a really good Estwing hammer?

Different strokes for different folks. And there is a caliber out there that almost anyone can love and make the most out of.

Or be like the proverbial bull in Montana, instead of racing down the hill to do one of those calls, lets walk down the hill take our time and do them all!

Well I don't know about "all" some of those cows are old and fugly.

Still most have their moment when they are as cute as puppy's.

The way I look at it the more Calibers you can play with gives you more and different things to do.
And the more Molds you need to cast for them, and Sizer dies so you can tweak what you molded.

He who ends up with the most toy's wins right?

Well I am most likely not even in the race, but I have my toy's out and I'm playing and I'm enjoying myself.

Is there any other standard by which to measure?

[MrBFR]

I've consolidated somewhat, which is that most of mine are either .40/.41 or .45 cal. I haven't narrowed it down to a single cartridge but more like narrowing it down to a particular caliber. So mine are:

.40 S&W
.41 Magnum

.45 ACP
.45 Super
.45 Colt
454 Casull

[Shuz]

What!!! No 30-06!!!!! Shame on you. I thought everybody was required to own a 30-06.
And no, the 25-06 and 35 Whelen do not count even if they are based on the same case.

I agree, as I posted my currently owned rifle cartridges, I was well aware of no .30-06's! Well, again I gotta fess up, last year at this time I had 3/ea .30-06's, but I got such good offers on them, I sold them. Now I have 3/ea 444Marlins to take their place; but I still have many boxes of .30-06 rounds loaded in my shop cabinets, and I still have the .30-06 dies. You never know, I might run into another Ruger ultralight .30-06 with a tang safety!

[jmort]

Amazing, the lack of reading comprehension. O/P merely said he had settled on one revolver caliber. And he wanted to know thoughts on branching out into other revolver calibers. Nothing more or less. That devolved into laundry lists and tool analogies. I do 9mm, .357, .223, ..308, and 12 gauge. I settled on .357 for revolver calibers. There have been a couple responsive posts suggesting .41 mag, never a bad choice.

[Motor]

I don't really see any good reason to. If I did it would mean getting rid of some of my favorite ones which is not going to happen. Besides, how can you, even with creative loading, do what a .22 can do with a .44? Variety is the spice of life.

[375supermag]

Hi...

I have no intention of standardizing on one handgun caliber.

I don't mind stocking multiple dies, bullets, primers, etc.

I shoot a lot of .357Mag in a couple of different power levels in half a dozen revolvers and continually consider adding another one or two revolvers in that caliber.

I shoot a lot of .45colt in several different revolvers in a couple power levels and would gladly add a couple of revolvers if I could find ones I want at the price I want to pay.

i know that when funds are available after the holidays that I will be adding at least a couple of handguns, most probably in calibers I already own and possibly a couple in calibers(.30Carbine and .327Mag) that I do not currently own.

Right now, I own and reload for the following handgun calibers...

9MM
38Spl
357Mag
41Mag
44Spl
44Mag
45ACP
45Colt
45AutoRim
375SuperMag.

I own multiple firearms in all of them save the .45AutoRim and .375SuperMag, plus I own a couple of .22LR/Mag revolvers, as well.

No intention of consolidating or limiting myself to one, two, three or any number of calibers. Never even considered it...in fact, the sooner I can expand the number of calibers the happier I will be.

I view this as akin to limiting oneself to one book on one subject. There is too much to learn to even consider such a course of action. The same applies to limiting oneself to one caliber...too much to learn to even consider the idea as any more than a theoretical discussion.

I read somewhere once that standardization is for insects, not humans.

[Artful]

I read many posts that extol the virtues of various calibers in the same household, and ask myself the question,why?

The story will very by person - My mother had 22LR revolver when I was a kid - first handgun I purchased was a 357 revolver - shot both 38's and 357's in it. Found that the 357 didn't do real well shooting steel targets at long range got a 44 Magnum. Change of shooting sports to bullseye found me wanting a good 22 semi auto and a 45 ACP to shoot all three stages.
- so at this point 22LR, 38 spl, 357 mag, 44 mag, 45 acp - I was at this level of complexity for a long time

- then got a Ruger 45ACP/45 colt convertible, already had the molds so just new brass and die to shoot other cylinder - no big deal

- then I had someone order a 9mm Taurus and never picked it up - I had shot my friends and liked it so I decided to keep it - brass was becoming very easy to find for it and I had a couple of molds that worked with it - so why not.

I then picked up some other handguns because they were cheap, their ammo was cheap and they were interesting (9x18 makarov, 7.62x25, 7.62x38R etc). I just like the learning experience after all life is not just find you thing and quit, it's about new and exciting experiences.

Think of things that you have purchased - was the purchase the experience or was it the using of the item that you remember? First rush as you take those ski's all the way down the hill without falling, getting that scuba gear on and finding that first wolf eel or sea lion. Welding up your first project or grinding/milling out your first knife... those memories are what stick with you, right?

Am I missing out on not owning a .357 magnum, or a 41 magnum a 45 Colt or a 454 magnum or ad naseum? I don't think so, but someone enlighten me, I'll listen to reason(maybe)!

You don't have to own 'em but at least try 'em is my thought for ya.

[Dframe]

To each his own. I would be bored to tears limiting myself to only one calibre.

[Chev. William]

All right, I am a 'piker' when it comes to cartridges used and reloaded as I only work with;
.25ACP, .25 Stevens, .250ALR, .250ALRM, .250ALS, .250ALC, .30 Carbine, .30-06, .32Extra Short, .32 Short, .32 Long, .32 Extra Long, .32 Extended Long, 44-40WCF, .45ACP, and .45 Winchester Magnum.

I guess I am just not up to some of the other cartridges I have fired but do not own nor want to reload such as 7.62x39, .50BMG, 20mm, or 3"-50 HEVT.

The 3"-50 left me with Service Connected Hearing Damage so I now receive 'Stereo Hearing Aids through the Veterans Administration and Disability pay for 44% Disabled (rounded down to 40%)

Chuckling,
Best Regards,
Chev. William

[jmort]

And how does this help the O/P who merely asked about extending his revolver calibers beyond .44 mag?

[Bonz]

Also, all the different types of powder & bullets just make it more fun experimenting .

Definitely me also...

[Shuz]

Well folks, you're gonna have to keep this thread going or let it die without me as I'm gonna be off the net for a couplea weeks!--Shuz