9mm is No Longer the King. Meet the NEW #1 Caliber of 2026!

I’ve carried 9 mm for years, trained with it, stocked it deep. But lately, I’ve been watching more shooters, myself included, reach for something different. In 2025, it’s clear a shift is happening, and a few newer calibers are starting to edge into territory 9 mm used to own. What’s up, everyone? This is Ted from Line 45 and today I’m walking you through the calibers that have been creeping into the range bag of a growing number of shooters and why 9 mm isn’t always the answer anymore.

Before I start, I would really appreciate it if you would push those buttons below, the subscribe button, the notification bell, all of them. This is not necessary, but those little clicks help a brother out. Plus, it pushes me to give you more valuable car related content on your screen. Now, buckle up and let’s get back to the video.

You walk into any range in America and chances are you’ll see someone loading up 9 mm. For years, that was me, too. Glock 19 on the hip, a case of range ammo in the trunk, and a setup that just worked. And honestly, it’s not hard to see why. Between price, performance, and availability, 9 mm earned its spot.

It wasn’t always the quote unquote the best at any one thing, but it did a whole lot well enough to become the standard. Back in the 80s, NATO made it the military norm, and that trickled down to law enforcement. After the FBI ditched the40 and re-evaluated their ballistics testing, they landed back on 9 mm, mainly because modern loads could deliver penetration and expansion almost on par with 40, but with softer recoil and higher capacity.

That move started a chain reaction. Agencies followed, civilians followed that. Then came the carry boom. When pistols like the SIG P365 hit the shelves and gave you 10 or more rounds of 9 mm in a gun barely larger than a Jframe, it was game over. Recoil was light enough for new shooters. Guns were getting smaller and better every year, and you could find ammo for cheap.

It became the American default, not because someone told us to carry it, but because it made sense. Now though, more shooters are stepping back and asking what else is out there. So, let’s dig into the calibers that are actually starting to carve out space in 2025 and why they’re catching on fast. 30 Super Carry.

Have you ever squeezed off a magazine from a Shield Plus chambered in 3 0 super carry and noticed how the slide just tracks smoother? That’s not by accident. Federal cooked up this round not to chase trends, but to quietly change the equation for concealed carriers like me who’ve been running compacts for years and obsess over every ounce in every round.

The 30 Super Carry runs a 100 grain HST that clocks around 1,250 ft per second. Ballistically, it lands right in 9 mm territory, but the smaller diameter bullet gives you 13 + 1 capacity in a frame that used to top out at 10 + 1. That’s not a theory. That’s real steel, real mags, and real reps on the range. The recoil impulse is just a touch lighter, enough to shave time off double taps without fighting the nose.

That tight group you keep chasing with your 9 mm micro. It’s easier to hold it together with this. Now, it’s not a budget round. Defensive loads hover around 35 bucks a box, but it uses nickelplated brass, sealed primers, and clean burning powders. I’ve torn down enough of them after sessions to see consistency in the crimps and expansion.

The HST pedals bloom the way you want, even out of a 3.1 in barrel. This round isn’t trying to replace 9 mm across the board. It’s carving its own lane for folks who want deeper mags without going bigger on the gun. And if that sounds like a small detail, ask anyone who’s ever carried appendix with a round count advantage.

Coming up, we’re shifting to something spicier. Let’s talk about the flat shooting 5.7×28 mm and how it rewrites the rules at speed. 5.7×28 mm. FN’s 57 was the first pistol I ever picked up that felt like it was hiding a rifle inside. That’s what makes the 5.7x 28 mm such a wild card. It doesn’t try to outmuscle 9 mm. It outsmarts it. Light recoil, long reach, high capacity.

You don’t feel the blast, you feel the precision. The cartridge itself runs a 40 grain bullet. 2224 diameter, flying at around 2,300 ft pers out of a 5-in barrel. Flat shooting doesn’t even begin to describe it. I zeroed in at 25 yd and was still deadon at 75. The drop just isn’t there like it is with a 9 mm.

And what really hooks you is how that bottleneck case feeds. Clean, nose dives. It runs smoother through mags like the PSA rocks 23 round double stack than most 9mm I’ve handled. The FN57 has a polymer over steel slide assembly and a hammerfired internal system. Controls are ambidextrous. Slide rides higher than your usual striker gun, but that muzzle stays pinned on follow-ups.

Ruger’s Take uses an anodized aluminum slide and a crisp hammerdriven fire control system with a secure action feel. Magazines are polymer reinforced with steel lips and hold 20 rounds flush. Ammo costs more, no doubt. You’re looking at $38 to $50 for defensive loads like the Gold Dot or Elite Defender.

But when you factor in the soft armor penetration, minimal recoil, and how flat these things fly, the math makes sense. It’s not a Plinker’s round. It’s built for missionoriented shooting in a sidearmized chassis. Now, if you’re thinking all that speed and accuracy sounds nice, but want something that slams harder, we’re not done yet. 10 mm.

You grip a Springfield XDM Elite in 10 mm, and the weight alone tells you this round wasn’t made for light work. You press that trigger, feel that slide slam back, and realize this isn’t about trends or caliber debates. It’s about torque. It’s about carrying a cartridge that was built to punch through, which 9 mm won’t even flirt with.

The 10 mm isn’t replacing 9 mm out of nostalgia. It’s doing it because shooters are asking for more. More punch, more reach, more fight stopping power. A 200 grain load like the Underwood XTP leaves the barrel at 1,250 ft per second, pushing nearly 700 ft-lb of energy. That’s real power.

That’s hitting harder than most 357 Magnum loads, but with better capacity and faster follow-ups in a semi-auto platform. The XDM Elite OSP comes optic ready with a match-grade 5.25 in hammer forged barrel, fiber optic front, and fully adjustable rear. It runs a short reset MA trigger that breaks clean. Slide is forged steel finished in melanite for corrosion resistance.

The grip texture is aggressive but not cheese grater or rough. Mags hold 16 rounds of 10 mm. You get full size control over a big bore cartridge that used to live in revolvers. Ammo’s not cheap. You’re paying $30 to $45 for a 20 round box of serious defensive stuff. But this isn’t for punching paper at seven yards. This is the round guys carry in bare country.

This is what’s in the truck when you leave the city limits. More shooters are making that jump because 10 mm gives you margin. And if that power to speed balance still doesn’t scratch your itch, then let’s dive into a bottleneck round that slices through armor like it owes you money. 357 Sig.

The first 357 SIG I ever loaded into a chamber wasn’t part of a test run or demo day. It was for a friend who asked what I’d carry if I needed a flat shooting, hard-hitting pistol that still fit on my belt without printing. I handed him a Sig P229 in SIG 357 Sig. Not because it was exotic, but because it solved a problem. This cartridge isn’t about flash.

It’s a neck down 40 and W case firing a 9 mm projectile with a mission. Slice through barriers clean. A 125 grain spear gold dot clocks around 1,400 ft per second. Not 9 mm plus, not plus P nonsense. Real deal speed that stays flat past 50 yards and still opens up reliably after punching through auto glass or car doors.

The Sig P229 eats this round like it was built for it because it was stainless slide milled from bars stock alloy frame that can take the beating. The locking lugs are beefier than the 9 mm variants and the recoil system is tuned to handle that snap without wearing the gun out. It feels like steel in your hands for a reason. You don’t carry this round to be trendy.

You carry it when you want velocity, precision, and a cartridge that was designed from the start to outperform 9 mm on hard targets. And lastly, 22TCM. Walk into a range with a Rock Island Armory 22 TCM 1,911 and crack off a few rounds. Everyone turns their head, not because it’s loud, though it is, but because it sounds like nothing else in the room.

That sharp, fiery report is a warning shot to 9 millimeters loyalists. The 22T TCM isn’t trying to be an alternative. It’s pushing to be a better option for shooters who care about speed, control, and performance in a platform they already know. This round is a bottleneck cartridge based on a shortened 223 Remington case, firing a 40 grain projectile at roughly 2,000 ft pers out of a 5-in barrel.

That velocity doesn’t just flatten the trajectory. It punches through body panels and hard barriers with ease and still keeps recoil softer than a 9 mm. That’s the strange magic of it. You get magnum level speed, but with surprisingly little muzzle flip. Rock Island’s TCM series is the launchpad for this caliber.

The standard FS model is a full-size 1,911 with a parkerized steel frame, fiber optic front sight, skeletonized trigger and hammer, and a 5-in ramped barrel specifically built for the 22TCM’s pressure. It uses a delayed blowback system tuned to the round, and best of all, it ships with a 9 mm barrel and recoil spring for easy caliber swapping.

Mags hold 10 to 17 rounds, depending on the configuration. Ammo runs about $25 to $35 for a box of 50 and arm score is the primary producer. That limits your options a bit, but in return, you’re getting something few pistol rounds deliver. Rifle like velocity and a sidearm that feels like a tuned race gun.

Now, go into any decent gun shop these days and the conversation around 9 mm doesn’t hit the same. It’s still the workhorse, sure. But more folks, or guys who carry daily and guys who train hard are asking for something more specific. And I get it. I’ve been on the range with.357 sigs blowing through glass like it’s nothing.

Watch 10 mm flatten steel that 9 mm just nudges and seen how flat and fast a 5.7×28 mm runs out of a PSA rock or FN57. These aren’t just alternatives. They’re solutions to problems. The 9 mm can’t always solve. The shift is happening because we’re not stuck with just one tool anymore. You’ve got loads now like Federal HST in 10 mm or Spear Gold Dot in 357 SIG that hit harder and go deeper.

And the 22TCM, that thing is basically a handheld varmint round that fits in a 1,911 frame. Faster, flatter, and with less recoil than you’d expect. The old argument was always cost and availability, but now the guns are out there, the ammo is catching up, and more shooters are getting smarter about what round fits their needs.

9mm is No Longer the King. Meet the NEW #1 Caliber of 2026!

I’ve carried 9 mm for years, trained with it, stocked it deep. But lately, I’ve been watching more shooters, myself included, reach for something different. In 2025, it’s clear a shift is happening, and a few newer calibers are starting to edge into territory 9 mm used to own. What’s up, everyone? This is Ted from Line 45 and today I’m walking you through the calibers that have been creeping into the range bag of a growing number of shooters and why 9 mm isn’t always the answer anymore.

Before I start, I would really appreciate it if you would push those buttons below, the subscribe button, the notification bell, all of them. This is not necessary, but those little clicks help a brother out. Plus, it pushes me to give you more valuable car related content on your screen. Now, buckle up and let’s get back to the video.

You walk into any range in America and chances are you’ll see someone loading up 9 mm. For years, that was me, too. Glock 19 on the hip, a case of range ammo in the trunk, and a setup that just worked. And honestly, it’s not hard to see why. Between price, performance, and availability, 9 mm earned its spot.

It wasn’t always the quote unquote the best at any one thing, but it did a whole lot well enough to become the standard. Back in the 80s, NATO made it the military norm, and that trickled down to law enforcement. After the FBI ditched the40 and re-evaluated their ballistics testing, they landed back on 9 mm, mainly because modern loads could deliver penetration and expansion almost on par with 40, but with softer recoil and higher capacity.

That move started a chain reaction. Agencies followed, civilians followed that. Then came the carry boom. When pistols like the SIG P365 hit the shelves and gave you 10 or more rounds of 9 mm in a gun barely larger than a Jframe, it was game over. Recoil was light enough for new shooters. Guns were getting smaller and better every year, and you could find ammo for cheap.

It became the American default, not because someone told us to carry it, but because it made sense. Now though, more shooters are stepping back and asking what else is out there. So, let’s dig into the calibers that are actually starting to carve out space in 2025 and why they’re catching on fast. 30 Super Carry.

Have you ever squeezed off a magazine from a Shield Plus chambered in 3 0 super carry and noticed how the slide just tracks smoother? That’s not by accident. Federal cooked up this round not to chase trends, but to quietly change the equation for concealed carriers like me who’ve been running compacts for years and obsess over every ounce in every round.

The 30 Super Carry runs a 100 grain HST that clocks around 1,250 ft per second. Ballistically, it lands right in 9 mm territory, but the smaller diameter bullet gives you 13 + 1 capacity in a frame that used to top out at 10 + 1. That’s not a theory. That’s real steel, real mags, and real reps on the range. The recoil impulse is just a touch lighter, enough to shave time off double taps without fighting the nose.

That tight group you keep chasing with your 9 mm micro. It’s easier to hold it together with this. Now, it’s not a budget round. Defensive loads hover around 35 bucks a box, but it uses nickelplated brass, sealed primers, and clean burning powders. I’ve torn down enough of them after sessions to see consistency in the crimps and expansion.

The HST pedals bloom the way you want, even out of a 3.1 in barrel. This round isn’t trying to replace 9 mm across the board. It’s carving its own lane for folks who want deeper mags without going bigger on the gun. And if that sounds like a small detail, ask anyone who’s ever carried appendix with a round count advantage.

Coming up, we’re shifting to something spicier. Let’s talk about the flat shooting 5.7×28 mm and how it rewrites the rules at speed. 5.7×28 mm. FN’s 57 was the first pistol I ever picked up that felt like it was hiding a rifle inside. That’s what makes the 5.7x 28 mm such a wild card. It doesn’t try to outmuscle 9 mm. It outsmarts it. Light recoil, long reach, high capacity.

You don’t feel the blast, you feel the precision. The cartridge itself runs a 40 grain bullet. 2224 diameter, flying at around 2,300 ft pers out of a 5-in barrel. Flat shooting doesn’t even begin to describe it. I zeroed in at 25 yd and was still deadon at 75. The drop just isn’t there like it is with a 9 mm.

And what really hooks you is how that bottleneck case feeds. Clean, nose dives. It runs smoother through mags like the PSA rocks 23 round double stack than most 9mm I’ve handled. The FN57 has a polymer over steel slide assembly and a hammerfired internal system. Controls are ambidextrous. Slide rides higher than your usual striker gun, but that muzzle stays pinned on follow-ups.

Ruger’s Take uses an anodized aluminum slide and a crisp hammerdriven fire control system with a secure action feel. Magazines are polymer reinforced with steel lips and hold 20 rounds flush. Ammo costs more, no doubt. You’re looking at $38 to $50 for defensive loads like the Gold Dot or Elite Defender.

But when you factor in the soft armor penetration, minimal recoil, and how flat these things fly, the math makes sense. It’s not a Plinker’s round. It’s built for missionoriented shooting in a sidearmized chassis. Now, if you’re thinking all that speed and accuracy sounds nice, but want something that slams harder, we’re not done yet. 10 mm.

You grip a Springfield XDM Elite in 10 mm, and the weight alone tells you this round wasn’t made for light work. You press that trigger, feel that slide slam back, and realize this isn’t about trends or caliber debates. It’s about torque. It’s about carrying a cartridge that was built to punch through, which 9 mm won’t even flirt with.

The 10 mm isn’t replacing 9 mm out of nostalgia. It’s doing it because shooters are asking for more. More punch, more reach, more fight stopping power. A 200 grain load like the Underwood XTP leaves the barrel at 1,250 ft per second, pushing nearly 700 ft-lb of energy. That’s real power.

That’s hitting harder than most 357 Magnum loads, but with better capacity and faster follow-ups in a semi-auto platform. The XDM Elite OSP comes optic ready with a match-grade 5.25 in hammer forged barrel, fiber optic front, and fully adjustable rear. It runs a short reset MA trigger that breaks clean. Slide is forged steel finished in melanite for corrosion resistance.

The grip texture is aggressive but not cheese grater or rough. Mags hold 16 rounds of 10 mm. You get full size control over a big bore cartridge that used to live in revolvers. Ammo’s not cheap. You’re paying $30 to $45 for a 20 round box of serious defensive stuff. But this isn’t for punching paper at seven yards. This is the round guys carry in bare country.

This is what’s in the truck when you leave the city limits. More shooters are making that jump because 10 mm gives you margin. And if that power to speed balance still doesn’t scratch your itch, then let’s dive into a bottleneck round that slices through armor like it owes you money. 357 Sig.

The first 357 SIG I ever loaded into a chamber wasn’t part of a test run or demo day. It was for a friend who asked what I’d carry if I needed a flat shooting, hard-hitting pistol that still fit on my belt without printing. I handed him a Sig P229 in SIG 357 Sig. Not because it was exotic, but because it solved a problem. This cartridge isn’t about flash.

It’s a neck down 40 and W case firing a 9 mm projectile with a mission. Slice through barriers clean. A 125 grain spear gold dot clocks around 1,400 ft per second. Not 9 mm plus, not plus P nonsense. Real deal speed that stays flat past 50 yards and still opens up reliably after punching through auto glass or car doors.

The Sig P229 eats this round like it was built for it because it was stainless slide milled from bars stock alloy frame that can take the beating. The locking lugs are beefier than the 9 mm variants and the recoil system is tuned to handle that snap without wearing the gun out. It feels like steel in your hands for a reason. You don’t carry this round to be trendy.

You carry it when you want velocity, precision, and a cartridge that was designed from the start to outperform 9 mm on hard targets. And lastly, 22TCM. Walk into a range with a Rock Island Armory 22 TCM 1,911 and crack off a few rounds. Everyone turns their head, not because it’s loud, though it is, but because it sounds like nothing else in the room.

That sharp, fiery report is a warning shot to 9 millimeters loyalists. The 22T TCM isn’t trying to be an alternative. It’s pushing to be a better option for shooters who care about speed, control, and performance in a platform they already know. This round is a bottleneck cartridge based on a shortened 223 Remington case, firing a 40 grain projectile at roughly 2,000 ft pers out of a 5-in barrel.

That velocity doesn’t just flatten the trajectory. It punches through body panels and hard barriers with ease and still keeps recoil softer than a 9 mm. That’s the strange magic of it. You get magnum level speed, but with surprisingly little muzzle flip. Rock Island’s TCM series is the launchpad for this caliber.

The standard FS model is a full-size 1,911 with a parkerized steel frame, fiber optic front sight, skeletonized trigger and hammer, and a 5-in ramped barrel specifically built for the 22TCM’s pressure. It uses a delayed blowback system tuned to the round, and best of all, it ships with a 9 mm barrel and recoil spring for easy caliber swapping.

Mags hold 10 to 17 rounds, depending on the configuration. Ammo runs about $25 to $35 for a box of 50 and arm score is the primary producer. That limits your options a bit, but in return, you’re getting something few pistol rounds deliver. Rifle like velocity and a sidearm that feels like a tuned race gun.

Now, go into any decent gun shop these days and the conversation around 9 mm doesn’t hit the same. It’s still the workhorse, sure. But more folks, or guys who carry daily and guys who train hard are asking for something more specific. And I get it. I’ve been on the range with.357 sigs blowing through glass like it’s nothing.

Watch 10 mm flatten steel that 9 mm just nudges and seen how flat and fast a 5.7×28 mm runs out of a PSA rock or FN57. These aren’t just alternatives. They’re solutions to problems. The 9 mm can’t always solve. The shift is happening because we’re not stuck with just one tool anymore. You’ve got loads now like Federal HST in 10 mm or Spear Gold Dot in 357 SIG that hit harder and go deeper.

And the 22TCM, that thing is basically a handheld varmint round that fits in a 1,911 frame. Faster, flatter, and with less recoil than you’d expect. The old argument was always cost and availability, but now the guns are out there, the ammo is catching up, and more shooters are getting smarter about what round fits their needs.