Thanks for sharing your carry choices in our previous QOTD: What’s in YOUR Holster? To sum up, there was a genuine dearth of mouse guns and revolvers. For some strange reason, Glock was our Armed Intelligentsia’s first choice for personal protection, with Springfield (both XD and 1911s) in second. [Chart after the jump.] The next, logical question is: what’s in your magazine, cylinder, breech-lock etc.? I currently carry handloads in my 1911. Specifically . . .
My personal loads start with R-P brass cases and Federal #150 large pistol primers sitting underneath 7.2 grains of IMR’s SR-4756 smokeless powder. Capping it all off are Hornady 230grn XTP Hollow-Points.
I’ve got one in the chamber, and seven in the magazine; these suckers fly downrage at 850fps and impart ~369 foot pounds (502 Joules) of muzzle energy. The eighth round is flat-nosed, 230grn Hornady that sails at bad-guy near 867fps, striking with 384 foot pounds (522 Joules) of muzzle energy.
Why the “crazy 8th?” – Simple; if I’ve made it through seven rounds of .45 HP’s and I still need more lead going downrange, then Mr. Bad-Guy is likely behind something, and I’m going through it.
Before I started reloading, my Springer stood ready to hurl 230grns of Winchester’s Ranger SXT.
So tell me, what’s your poison?
NOTE: Less than five percent of our readers ever comment. So the sample for our question on carry weapons is both self-selecting and small.
Glock 13
Springfield 11
Kimber 5
Kahr 5
Taurus 4
FN 4
S&W 3
Other 13