Why do criminals prefer the smaller handgun calibers?

Question

I work as a correctional officer here in Texas. Sometimes I look into the crime history of the offenders here and I see that in the majority of felonies committed by the armed felons locked up in here were using small handgun calibers such as .25 ACP, .32 ACP, .380, 9 x 19mm. According to the US Department of Justice website their studies concluded that the 9mm Luger was used more widely by armed felons to murder police officers than any of the so-called "assault weapons". What I am trying to understand is why these armed felons prefer the smaller handgun calibers?

Answer 1

They prefer them because they are easier to hide and conceal. They will kill just as easily as your 40 caliber. It all comes down to a bullet being a bullet to them. I mean many may doubt that statement but how many deaths a year are attributed to druggies and criminals who go carrying 22 handguns (and most ppl think a 22 ain't gonna kill no one.) 9mm is a preferred caliber among many people. Now a days with modern hollow points is just about as good with even the 40 and 45 IMO (this is why I am going for one myself now lol.) It is just widely available ammo also, 9mm/smaller caliber guns or smaller always seem easier to get your hands on if your of the seedy criminal element type to. See there are so many 9mms and smaller/different calibers under 9mm it's easy to find these weapons. Many weapons are also stolen in home break ins as well so.

Answer 2

A few decades ago, a study came out that said the the criminal's weapon of choice was the same thing most police carry- high quality full sized or snub nosed revolvers.The 38 Chief's Special seemed to be the modal choice. This was at a time when the leftists were trying to ban "saturday night specials" and went counter to their claims that criminals preferred, "small, cheaply made, readily available handguns ...inaccurate etc, etc"



More recently the people who write about such things say that "availability" rather than specific weapons types seem to be the deciding factor. The DOJ announcement of the role of the 9x19 is not surprising. The caliber is very popular and the ammunition is relatively cheap and widely available. A surprising trend ( a recent study and I'm sorry I don't have a citation) is that criminals tend to practice more with their weapons that police officers. They tied this to a misconception by criminals that the police qualify on a near-monthly basis instead of once or twice per year.

Answer 3

It is what is available on the market. They want something very concealable. For trained people like cops and military, they might prefer a larger caliber. But the muts don't know how to shoot. They hold guns sideways. My dad was an NYPD cop for 20ys, 10 was a crime scene detective and saw over 1000 murders, mostly with small calibers. A 9mm will fire 15 rounds in a few seconds, they literally fill the air with lead. That is why there are so many unintended casualties. Those small calibers are also deceptively lethal, those small cals like the .25 hit you and bounce around your gut like a pinball machine, that is what ballitic gelatin doesn't show.

Answer 4

I just retired as a Texas Peace Officer and I can only tell you this:



Criminals get what they can steal or buy for next to nothing. This includes the junky .22s, .25s, .32s, .380s, and .38s. The 9x19mm is like the 'ultimate' weapon to a 'criminal mind' especially if it is a Glock or Beretta nine. And this is NOT to put down the Glock and Beretta (both fine handguns), it is just that most criminals can't go out and just buy these due to the cost and background checking.



Before the 9mm it was the .45 or .357 Mag. The .40 S&W will probably in the next ten years replace the 9mm as the criminal's weapon of choice.



H

Answer 5

Never shot a Kahr. But I have carried a lot of different guns concealed. These are my impressions of just a few of them. Glock 19--Great gun. Compact, but I can still get a good grip on it. Downside is that it's a 9mm, which is smaller than what I'd like in a defensive round. On the bright side, it does hold 15+1 rounds. Taurus 851--Also good. It's a 5-shot .38 revolver. Low capacity, longer to reload. However, it can be kept in a jacket pocket and emptied at an attacker without having to draw it out of the pocket. Any auto would jam if you shot it like that. Colt MkIV Officer's/Colt Defender/Kimber Ultra Eclipse--All compact variations of the 1911 Government model. Great guns, every single one of them, but I like the Kimber the best. 7+1 rounds of .45 ACP in a package that fits my hand almost perfectly. And the ergonomics are unmatched by any other pistol I've tried, except one. Kimber Pro Carry--The mid-sized 1911. This is the gun I like best, of all the ones I've carried. The butt gives me a bit more length, allowing my pinkie finger to help steady my grip. The slightly longer barrel helps tame recoil and improve accuracy. But it's still small enough for most people, myself included, to carry inobtrusively. Springfield Armory XD45--This is what I carry now. While I don't like it as much as the Pro Carry, it does have its advantages. For starters, it holds 13+1 rounds of .45 ACP. It also has a polymer frame and a stainless slide, which makes it durable and corrosion resistant. It's cheaper than all the guns I've mentioned so far, so I don't mind so much if it gets roughed up while I'm wearing it. On the other hand, this is a full-sized gun that will be hard for most people to conceal. Me? I've got broad shoulders and a (relatively) small waist, which means that I can wear it outside my waistband and it still disappears under an untucked shirt. Also, I live in a place where it doesn't have to be concealed, anyway.

Answer 6

I've got a very good friend who works as a correctional officer in Texas as well.



Anyhow, I remember reading a report by the FBI during the Assault Weapons ban back in the 90's. It stated at that time the two most used firearms by criminals was the revolver and the shotgun. The report also went on to mention the two top stolen firearms...the revolver and shotgun. My point I guess is that criminals use what ever they can get their hands on which is generally stolen or cheaply made firearms.

Answer 7

Perhaps if you looked into numbers of calibers manufactured and imported making some more available than others. These characters are using whatever they can get their hands on. The calibers you list seem to be the least wanted by the law abiding shooting public. As one of that public none would be my choice. On the 9mm.more concealable and readily available than the much larger size of the assault weapon. Jesse

Answer 8

Those calibers are most popular with cheap arms manufacturers (Lorcin, Raven, High Point). I really don't consider the 9mm a small caliber. It is the most popular center-fire caliber in the US. It only makes sense that there are a lot of them in the hands of criminals.

Answer 9

The small calibers are cheaper, easier to conceal and the guns that shoot them are cheaper too. They aren't looking for effective they are looking for threatening. A gun is a gun to them. I knew a couple dopeheads turned murders who did most of their killing with a .22 Ruger Mark II because the ammo was cheap and it wasn't loud. They would shoot people while they were sitting in their chairs or from behind in the head. They even robbed a bank with it. It wasn't that the gun was all that effective its that it was threatening and even at close range and in the right spot they can still kill.

Answer 10

Smaller calibers = cheaper ammo

Answer 11

Three reasons.

1) Availability of ammo. Cheaper ammo is generally more available, and common. At least it was Pre-Obama.



2) Price. Most small caliber ammo is cheaper. Now all ammo is going up. Once again, because of Obama.



3) Ease of concealment. They are easier to carry around undetected.

Answer 12

Criminal Records Search Database : http://InfoSearchDetective.com/Help

Answer 13

Criminal Records Search Database : http://www.InfoSearchDetective.com/Support

Answer 14

Criminal Records Search Database : http://www.InfoSearchDetective.com/Help

Answer 15

Smaller cheaper quieter.

Answer 16

usually there in smaller framed pistols which means easier to conceal. easier to conceal means harder to see your packing. besides most of them are uneducated about firearms and have no idea what ballistics are and it sometimes amazes me they load the right ammo into the gun chambered for it.

Answer 17

They hear their homies say "yeah man I got a 9"

Answer 18

They are cheap and easy to conceal.

Answer 19

Saturday Night Special

Answer 20

Yep...easy carry...easy hide, and most probably... easy availability.