22 LR vs. 9mm vs. 45 ACP

The world of handguns is full of various calibers, ranging from the ultra-powerful 500 S&W to the teeny tiny but blistering fast 17 HMR. With that being said, in the United States, the three most popular pistol cartridges are the 22 LR, the 9mm, and the all-American 45 ACP. None of these cartridges are new by any means, but they remained popular and present across the industry. If you are new to this, you might be asking which is better at what? These calibers are very different from each other, and each serves well when used in their intended roles.

22 LR

The LR stands for long rifle, but this tiny cartridge is extremely popular in pistols, rifles, and everything else. The little 22LR is used in both revolvers like the Ruger Wrangler and automatics like the Taurus TX 22. This teeny-tiny cartridge is a rimfire round, and it's nowhere near as powerful as the other two rounds. The 22 LR is an excellent small game hunting round that is perfectly capable of accurately killing rabbits, squirrels, and similar sized critters. The low price of 22 LR makes it an excellent plinking and training cartridge. A few hundred rounds cost less than 50 bucks, and you can spend a day learning to shoot, practicing, or just knocking over tin cans.

Kel-Tec CP33 Target Pistol

9mm

9mm was invented in 1902 by George Luger, and since then, the round has dominated Europe and recently taken over the United States. Modern projectile and ballistic science has made the 9mm a very potent and popular cartridge for self-defense, law enforcement, and military use. The 9mm is a powerful little cartridge that is small enough to allow shooters to pack anywhere from 10 to 17 rounds in a flush-fitting magazine. The 9mm round is powerful, but offers less recoil than the 45 ACP. Less recoil makes the round easier to shoot in small guns and makes for faster follow up shots. The 9mm round is an excellent do it all round that offers the perfect compromise between capacity and firepower.

Tisas Zigana PX-9 Gen 2 9mm Semi-Auto Pistol w/ Night Sights

45 ACP

The All American 45 ACP is like apple pie, hamburgers, and heart disease. It was created by John Browning and served this country in the 1911 for decades and decades. From World War 1 to Desert Storm, the 45 ACP is a big bore bullet that deals with big-bore damage. While modern ammunition has closed the gap a bit between the 45 ACP and 9mm, the 45 ACP is still bigger, and bigger bullets create bigger holes in bad guys. The 45 ACP is also one of the easiest rounds to suppress. The standard 230-grain load is naturally subsonic and creates a very quiet but powerful suppressed round. Plus, the 1911 was born in 45 ACP, and the 1911 is the Lord's chosen gun.

Tisas 1911 Service Model

Shots Fired

Picking the right caliber for the job is the key to success with any weapon. Caliber makes a huge difference in how a weapon performs, what it's capable of, and how the weapon handles. When it comes to 22 vs. 9mm. vs. 45 ACP, you have the choice between several excellent rounds, and ultimately the best way to choose is to identify what your need and purpose is before you choose a round. Shop All .22LR Handguns
Shop All 9mm Handguns
Shop All .45 ACP Handguns