Alternative handgun rounds for defense?

What you're looking for is a rifle.

Pistols, especially CCWs are not intended for... any of those scenarios aside from light armor penetration.

A good revolver may be better. An auto has a higher probability of malfunction. For personal defense, I would try to go away from autos, especially smaller ones, except for well experienced individuals with plenty of time on the range with that gun. If the auto jams, a frightened individual would have a hard time gripping the slide and racking it to clear it. Also, there is a possibility of the slide release being pushed in advertantly while in her purse or however she may carry it. If this happens, would she recognize the problem and be able to correct it? You also have the slide slamming back during every shot needed. If her hand was in the way, it could injure her causing her to loose her weapon. The slide coming back could also be caught on something else knocking it out of her hand. I have only heard of this with small "pocket pistols". A larger auto having a larger grip, tends to be easier to hold to. A revolver on the other hand, would make a good defensive weapon for a woman, especially if not alot of range time is possible. A good clean revolver has very minimal chance of binding, no possibilty of the shell not extracting, if the round misfires, the next pull will send another down range, no need to rack the slide, no slide release to hit accidentally causing malfunction. If an auto was all you can get, go for it. Way better than nothing. If you can, I suggest a small hammerless revolver. A 38 Special with a rubber grip would be ideal. A 357 is too strong for even most men to effectively use in high stress situations. 38 would allow for quick follow up shots being placed where they are needed. Being in law enforcement for several years and a firearms instructor, I have seen the ins and outs and pros and cons of both autos and revolvers. All these guns have a place and are suited well in the right application.

1. FN Five SeveN will go through kevlar body armor.

2. Don't waste ammo shooting through cars or dumpsters. They will have to come out to pose a threat.

3. Engaging targets at 100 yards is not a self defense situation. Get under cover and make them come to you if you can't leave the area.

4. Firepower should never replace tactics. If 6 or 8 rounds can't stop the threat, chances are 15-or 20 will not either.

The first two you need a magnum revolver round.

3. well if your really good you can hit someone at 200 yards with a 1911 but pistol cartridges are only effective to 50 to 100 yards and most people cant shoot them accurately at that range.

4.Rate of fire is a good idea the more rounds you shoot the greater chance of a hit but more rounds means smaller cartridges you get less recoil more control and less power.

Accuracy at long ranges is more down to the shooter not the pistol. To go through Armour and hard cover you need a very powerful cartridge but with this power comes recoil and you cant carry as many bigger rounds. Rate of fire and big magazines mean you need light recoil and small rounds. If you want 30 rounds that can go through armour and hard cover at 100yards you need an intermediate rifle cartridge like the 5.56 and an AR-15.

1: Handgun rounds that the ATF deems are "armor-piercing" are illegal. There have been a few designed (KTW's and such), but frankly, who needs them. Police and military are people who can buy them, but they don't. Few bad guys where armor, and if you are in that situation, you need a rifle. Also, they don't expand, which makes them less effective.

2: Your basic handgun can go through car doors and walls pretty easily. It kind of goes back to the above, really. Handguns are marginally effective as they are. You don't need to go backwards any.

3: just cause people train to engage targets at 3-10 yards doesn't mean that the guns are incapable of being deadly past that range. Most service pistols aren't that accurate of a machine when compared to revolvers (think 6-12" at 100 yards), but that doesn't mean you can't hit a man sized target at 100 yards. There are people who do things like hunt at over 100 yards, most use revolvers. And besides, most people can't hit the broad side of a barn at 20 yards.

4: *cough* FN 5.7mm *cough* The P-90's hold 50 rounds in those magazines.

Sounds like you want a rifle. . .or a phaser.

Well, unless you plan on carrying an M4 carbine around, no handgun is going to cover all of your four hypothetical scenarios. But just to further the conversation:

1. Punching through kevlar? or light body armor? 9mm +p, .357 Magnum, .357 Sig, 10mm

2. Shooting through mild steel plate? .357 Magnum, .357 Sig, 10mm

3. 10mm, .38 Super, .357 Magnum

4. Even though your suggested .22Mag can carry 30, I believe the current Springfield xDM 9mm carries 19+1 of 9mm. If sheer magazine capacity is the issue here, 20 rounds of 9mm isn't too bad for a handgun in normal dimensions.

Thank you for your opinion on what qualifies as a self defense situation, both in a spatial/time scenario and in an interpretation of the law.

I'll tell you what, I have two 10 mm handguns. If a 220 grain Hydra Shok going close to 2000 fps doesn't stop them, either A. I'm not in range, or B. it's my time to die.

Just how do you conceive I conceal a 30 round magazine when the zombies attack in two years?

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot...I got a situation...Request back up for a 5 by 5.

Handgun cartridges have limitations.

The .357 Sig may suit most of your needs, but from a pistol it's not intended for 100+ yard shots.

Body armor is meant to protect from handgun cartridges. Therefore, few handgun cartridges can penetrate armor. Even if they penetrate armor, it doesn't mean they'll do a heck of a lot of damage.

To fulfill all your performance requirements, a .308 Winchester/7.62NATO cartridge is preferable. Obviously, this is rifle cartridge.

They make armor intended to stop this cartridge too. It's just bigger, heavier and bulkier.

500 S&W should cover your scenarios.

it's called an LMG in a war zone............ahhhh!