Caliber choices

[Papalapa]

Not sure if this was the right sub forum and title wasn't too accurate. My dilemma is that I used to be a "gun guy". I loved almost anything that went boom. It seemed I was always trying to find a broomstick to fill an empty void. I started at a young age years ago with an old police trade in S&W 681 and a Glock 17. Back then I was too young to buy any gun so my father took my hard earned wages and purchased these for me and kept in his safe until I was old enough to have them on my own. Fast forward a few years to my time as a young marine ammunition technician. I still remember the first time I was counting out an ammo return of 9mm and 45acp side by side. Wow the 45 was just soooooo much more everything. About that time former President Clinton's gun ban was in effect and I was finally old enough to purchase my first handgun. So began my love affair with the 45 acp. Fast forward a few years and the end all be all love affair with the 40 S&W began. After all it was the best of both worlds between the 9mm and the 45 acp, right?? Fast forward a few more years range trips didnt accomplish too much, but me having to spend more time cleaning multiple guns of various platforms. P7, p30, g17, g23, sig this that and the other. I think I've tried em all but Hi point! For a long time a thought everybody should have at least one 9mm, 40 s&w, and 45 acp. My thought process was these were the three most popular calipers in the good ole USA. If you couldn't find one you could find the other. Fast forward couple more years. As I matured I made the decision that bullet technology was better than ever and yada, yada, yada all I really needed was the good old 9mm I started with. I figured by now I was well enoughed versus in all the platforms play time was over and it was time to get serious with training. Yada, yada, yada I finally went to the M&P 9 platform and added an M&P 45 for nostalgia. I thinned the herd and the rest of the safe queens. Life was good. But now the ammo surplus I've enjoyed is gone in both 9 and 45. Now to the point like the rest of America I can't find any 9mm or 45 acp ammo. So do I stop training and staying "fresh"? Just hold on to the last few 100 rds of carry ammo I have? Or as much as I hate to even think it, is it even worth considering adding a 40 s&w back in the mix simply because it is the only ammo I can find within a hundred mile radius that hasn't doubled in price and keep training? I'm really not wanting to go backwards, but.......
What does the sage advice of this forum think? Worth it or not to keep behind the trigger twice a month? And even if I am getting to shoot since I don't carry a 40 anymore will I pick up any bad habits? I'd like to think I've been around long enough to think this through myself but part of me thinks I'm trying to justify a purchase. But in reality I'm just wanting to stay focused each month. What say you pistol forum?

[DocGKR]

Locate more 9 mm--it is out there, but you have to search

Reload

M&P22

M&P40

[Outlier]

I second Doc's advice. Like you and most everyone else, I've had difficulty finding ammo. Also like you, I had almost rationalized purchasing something in a different caliber. Now your situation and local market may be a little different than mine but after looking to spend $400-500 on a M&P and then another $400-500 for 1000 rounds of ball, not to mention all the other support gear to go with it, it just wasn't financially feasible. Even with the current elevated prices, I've found I could get enough 9mm to get me by. YMMV.

[Spr1]

I know this is not helpful, right now, but the current drought can be looked at as a learning opportunity. Always keep a stock of ammo, in every flavor you might need. That goes for mags, parts, spares, etc.

[ezthumper]

I have been running by Walmart periodically, this afternoon at lunch I found a box of Federal 9mil $12 and 45 acp for $21, .38 for $16 and .357 for...I forgot but it was cheap.

I am starting to see .22lr even coming in at gander and even picked up 40 rnds of 5.56 at academy today also for 8.97 per box.

However .357 sig has been hard to find but .40 cal seems to be always in stock.

It is out there, just have to be patient and keep checking.

[David Armstrong]

I'd suggest you don't have to stop training due to ammo shortages, you just might need to modify the training regime. Maybe focus a lot more on dry-fire exercises. Do some training with a low round count. Buy a new gun? Maybe, you've got to decide that. But you can buy a lot of over-priced ammo for what that gun and new ammo will cost.

[EricM]

I'd stick with 9mm, and get it online if you can't find it locally. Yeah the best deals (relative term these days) go quickly, but even if you have to get it for $400/case on GunBroker, I can't imagine you'd save enough in the short term with .40 to offset the cost of the new gun, and in the long term either your cost for .40 will go up or the cost of 9mm will go back down.

BTW, I can definitely relate to your journey...a couple guns turn into a bunch then you see the light and refocus on training and a single platform...and like you I have a soft spot for .45 even though I carry and train with 9mm. I'm a few steps behind you though, still working up the courage to finish thinning the herd. You've made it this far, stay the course! ;)

[1986s4]

My short dry fire sessions have become longer and more detailed since the recent madness. Hopefully it subsides sometime soon. But I think I''l keep up the dry fire intensity.