Posted on 06/18/2015 10:31:19 AM PDT by w1n1
When I used to work at a gun store I was frequently asked what caliber was best for any given situation. It would have been nice if there had been some sort of magic death ray that I could have suggested, but there isn’t, and most people have a pretty flawed understanding of what actually happens when a bullet interacts with a human target. Here’s my take on it and personal reasoning behind selecting a 9mm round.
For starters let’s examine a couple of concepts that don’t actually exist in the scientific world but everyone talks about anyway. I’m going to regurgitate the work from those better than myself, and the information is worth paying attention to.
KNOCKDOWN POWER
This doesn’t actually exist. If a bullet had enough force to knock down an individual, it would also knock down the individual firing the gun. People do not go flying through the air when hit by a bullet, contrary to what the movies and television would have us believe. Newton’s Third Law and all.
ENERGY DUMP
On the back of a box of ammo, manufacturers list the foot-pounds of energy (ft-lbf, or foot-pounds of force/energy) that their rounds have. Well, that doesn’t actually matter. The terminal performance of a projectile is determined solely by how much tissue it cuts, crushes or tears. While it has been advocated by many-a-misinformed-gun-counter commando that some sort of energy transfer occurs between a projectile and its target, this has been rejected by everyone I respect who studies terminal ballistics for a living.
9mm is for girls and sissies How often have you heard, “If you’re not carrying a caliber that begins with the number four and ends with the number five, you’re doing it wrong”? This almost makes sense if we were limited to nonexpanding ammunition, but most of us aren’t. When we compare modern hollow-point rounds in popular service calibers, there is, on average, one-tenth of an inch of difference in expanded diameter between a 9mm and a .45ACP. Grab a ruler and look at a tenth of an inch. It doesn’t seem like much, does it? That’s because it’s not. Read the rest of the story here.
Not this again,please.
I like 9 because I get lots of hits with it.
Hits are important.
My little XD carries 17 personal-defense rounds.
When you’re not good enough to count on accuracy, count on quantity!
Can’t stand the caliber mainly because I can’t seem to shoot it well.
Give me a fistful of .45 ACP any day.
bttt
That’s a sweet HK. I had a P7M8 (single stack) that I regret letting go.
With regard to calibre, this is a specious argument. I have seen the effects of both round on a human body. I would NOT want to be hit by a .45 anywhere on my person. I have also seen people knocked down by the .45, so his other argument is lacking.
I have owned .45, 9mm and currently own a .40. I plan on going back to .45 this weekend.
I like it because I don't... and because I have fifteen shots per mag, and can empty both mags into the target in tens of seconds, I can make up for it with volume of fire. :-)
I like 9mm because ammo is about half the price. For some people, that might translate to more range time.
Second shots are easier with the 9mm.
The second shot is the reason why law enforcement opted for the 40cal instead of 10mm when they realized they needed more power than the 9mm or 38special.
10mm is just too much recoil for a accurate second shot.
“9mm is for girls and sissies”
9 is fine if you are shooting girls and sissies. :)
Always good to have a 9 around because after you take out the Enemy they most likely were using one so you can pickup all the spare Ammo for later use.
Personally I prefer .45ACP- I like the way it feels. Shooting a 9 to Me is like a BB Gun.
The .45ACP worked for Our Military for Decades until the PC Dipsticks went to 9 to get the Kickbacks on the Contract.
Now don’t get Me wrong- a 9 is way better that a stick or a brick...
Shot placement, shot placement, shot placement....
Caliber doesn’t matter.
A hit with a .22 is better than a miss with a .45.
While shot placement is mandatory, I don’t believe hits are impossible with 45’s or that pellet guns are sufficient.
My everyday carry is 9mm, though I do carry a 45 in the winter (it’s harder to conceal in my speedo).
“SOF Prefers 9mm over .45 Caliber
The Army’s Delta Force adopted .40 caliber, but the elite unit is having the same problems as the FBI – the heavier caliber is causing excessive wear problems in guns that were originally designed to be 9mm. Delta is now using 9mm Glock 17s, 19s and 34s.
The 75th Ranger Regiment and Special Forces units use M9A1s and Glock 19s.
SEAL Teams mostly use the Sig Sauer 226.
DEVGRU, or SEAL Team 6, does use Heckler & Koch .45 for special occasions when they need a suppressed capability.”
“Army Considering .40 caliber as FBI Returns to 9mm”
You just don't lead them as much.
I love my 10mm. But it does take a lot or practice to get accurate due to the recoil. That is getting harder and harder due to scarcity of 10mm ammo and the price when you find it.
The H&K P7 is simply beautiful.
Always good to have a 9 around because after you take out the Enemy they most likely were using one so you can pickup all the spare Ammo for later use.
Personally I prefer .45ACP- I like the way it feels. Shooting a 9 to Me is like a BB Gun.
The .45ACP worked for Our Military for Decades until the PC Dipsticks went to 9 to get the Kickbacks on the Contract.
Now don’t get Me wrong- a 9 is way better that a stick or a brick...
Does 9mm have the power to drop a machete-wielding maniac in his tracts as the .45 ACP is said to have? Just wondering.
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