Why Bring a Sidearm the Same Caliber as Your Rifle?

[EL LOBO]

Here’s an oldie for you. It’s a 2012 video from Paul Harrell under his “Disaster Contingency Specialists” business name, in which he asks and answers the question, “Why bring a sidearm the same caliber as your carbine?”
https://www.alloutdoor.com/2020/05/22/bring-sidearm-caliber-rifle/

I have a Ruger PC 9 Carbine Rifle that complements my Springfield Armory XDM OSP 9MM but It only has two adaptors one for Glock mags & one for Ruger Mags I sure wish someone would make an aftermarket adaptor for the XDM Line of 9mm's pistol magazines. I have taken both carbine rifle and pistol with me on Feral Hog Eradication Contracts and the 9mm Carbine or Pistols is very good on hogs dropping them in their tracks even with night vision on the carbine at 75 yards it works well. I like to Day stalk hunt and catch the Hogs in a wallow or napping in a thicket and use the 9mm pistol for close-in action . For Live trapping, I just use a .22 LR Rifle & Pistol combo for dispatching hogs in the traps and sometimes sitting in a ladder stand over bait at 50-60 yards and head shoot hogs with my Ruger 10-22 rifle even the little .22LR will bring down a Big Boar with a well-placed headshot.

 

[Bassbob]

Without seeing the video I'm going to guess that it involves being able to use the same ammo for both weapons.

 

[TEXASforLIFE]

Without seeing the video I'm going to guess that it involves being able to use the same ammo for both weapons.

That would be a good surmise! My g20/40 with my 10mm carbine that uses g mags is fuuuuuuun!

 

[jumpinjoe]

Actually this was pretty common back in the late 1800's or so. Most cowboys and gun slingers commonly used some combination of firearms, rifle and handgun, that would/could use the 45 Long Colt cartridge. Even today, some folks like myself do a lot of hunting, especially feral hogs with the Thompson Center Contender chambered for the .357 Mag along with a comparable rifle. Or even the same guns but chambered for the venerable old 30/30, or even older 32/20. I'm sure there are others, just that these come to mind right away.

And it was also pretty common in during the turn of the century when FBI and Special Agents often carried the 1911 (45 cal) along with the Thompson sub-machine gun (also 45 cal). Even they might have had some old 239CI Ford flatheads to carry most of their ammo around for them.

Now for us today it's really not that critical to use firearms both using the same cartridge, because we typically have pick ups, ATV's, or UTV's to haul all the ammo we might need for a day out. He!!, we can actually carry 1,000's of rounds of mostly anything we want to shoot including the various guns.

But the old cowboys were limited to just what they could fit in their gun belt loops, and maybe a few more in their saddle bags. But ammo gets heavy quick .... just ask the infantry, or the cowboy's horses.

regards,
jumpinjoe

 

[EL LOBO]

Actually this was pretty common back in the late 1800's or so. Most cowboys and gun slingers commonly used some combination of firearms, rifle and handgun, that would/could use the 45 Long Colt cartridge. Even today, some folks like myself do a lot of hunting, especially feral hogs with the Thompson Center Contender chambered for the .357 Mag along with a comparable rifle. Or even the same guns but chambered for the venerable old 30/30, or even older 32/20. I'm sure there are others, just that these come to mind right away.

And it was also pretty common in during the turn of the century when FBI and Special Agents often carried the 1911 (45 cal) along with the Thompson sub-machine gun (also 45 cal). Even they might have had some old 239CI Ford flatheads to carry most of their ammo around for them.

Now for us today it's really not that critical to use firearms both using the same cartridge, because we typically have pick ups, ATV's, or UTV's to haul all the ammo we might need for a day out. He!!, we can actually carry 1,000's of rounds of mostly anything we want to shoot including the various guns.

But the old cowboys were limited to just what they could fit in their gun belt loops, and maybe a few more in their saddle bags. But ammo gets heavy quick .... just ask the infantry, or the cowboy's horses.

regards,
jumpinjoe

I have a friend who has a 1911 45 for his EDC and he purchased a Hi-Point Carbine rifle no only is the velocity but the range is increased and so is the accuracy at a distance of 100 yards he had a 3" to 4 " shot group, the carbine may be ugly but its a shooter, I have seen them in .380, 9mm, .40S&w, .45 ACP, 10mm and from the standpoint of price well worth the investment for those who carry these pistol calibers. I have a friend who hunts with a 10 MM Pistol & Rifle combo as I do with 9mm he also reports good results. I served in the Infantry for 20 years I know how heavy Ammo gets .as for hunting I carry 4 mags for the pistol and 4 mags for the carbine I just wish Ruger would come out with an adaptor block for my Springfield XDM Mags I might use one 20 round Glock mag of carbine Ammo if I run into a whole sounder of Feral Hogs of that mag expended I might kill ten Hogs they are really fast and you must be quick about it. I think a Pistol Rifle combo is also good for the urban environment it makes for a good bugout weapons system for the survivalist.