You’ll notice I didn’t ask

People who own, use and appreciate guns are sometimes inclined toward what we might  call “strongly held beliefs.” Accordingly, there are some questions that, usually jokingly, go into the category of Questions Man Is Not Meant To Ask. Among those, we find things like .270 vs .308 vs .30-06, or “can a Model 70 made after 1964 be any good.” And, of course, when it comes to handgun caliber selection, there is this one: “is there any better caliber choice for self-defense than that developed in the early 20th century by the prophet John Moses Browning?” It has been said that those who ask such questions, especially if those questions suggest anything associated with JMB could ever be eclipsed, risk causing a universe-ending time paradox. Accordingly, I shall forbear to ask.

Joking aside, choice of self-defense calibers is a very personal thing. Though I have a preference, which I will not share, I recognize other people have made different but equally valid choices. All of which brings me to a post by Commander Zero at his blog, Notes From The Bunker. The current debate probably rages around three calibers, 9mm, .40 Smith and Wesson and .45 ACP. He provides the most useful decision flowchart to help answer the “which of the three should I choose” question. Behold the flowchart:

I couldn’t agree more.