We seem to have similar backgrounds - my point is simply that a slower larger round will do more damage to people than a smaller faster round. All things equal in size (9mm to 45 cal) the slower speed of the bullet will cause greater flesh damage (wound channel) and will communicate more energy to the victim if a bone is contacted. If you want range, you need greater speed, this is a given, but most killing done by grunts with individual weapons occurs inside of 300m, and most of it inside 100m. Given that, I would prefer a rifle that shoots a good size (mass) round barely over supersonic speed. Lets not go into shooting through auto glass and concrete block, this is where the services get hijacked by the belly shooters. Give me a round that will hit hard within 200m against a human being. I want big sucking chest wounds at that range. If I can knock them down fast, I can do double tap to the head to finish things after I have neutralized the threat.
Just between the two of us, if you could carry a .45 or 9mm pistol in combat, which one would you choose?
I don’t see much one-shot-stop difference between the .45 and the 9mm, but I get 15rnds out of my Glock 19 and SIG P226, and 17 out of my Glock 17. I’d have to go with the 9mm.