I am a cheapskate. Therefore I prefer 9mm.
There are probably 400 threads on this topic, or sub-threads where this topic is covered, in the FR archives. And is there a topic on which more electrons have been used on gun forums, since the invention of the Internet? I doubt it.
I want knock down power. I have a 45acp.
More clickbait at a 5-year-old reading level. Get a fricking editor.
There, fixed it.
By the way, clickbait, have you donated? There is a fundraiser going on.
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Don’t forget, that the 1911 was created to fight in jungle warfare to defeat Philippine Moro guerrillas, because as we discovered, the Moro’s would take drugs that desensitized them so that they would not feel pain and could fight on, even wounded by the .38 cal. The Army had to bring back the .45 caliber Colt M1873 single-action revolver as it was more effective against the Moro guerrillas. Not only that, but even after shooting it a couple of hundred times, you could also use it as a hammer (just kidding, but it is way more durable than the Gucci 9 MMs of today).
It wasn’t until the military started allowing females in to various rolls that they had otherwise been excluded from in 1986 that the military dumped the .45 Cal 1911 in favor of the smaller, less recoil 9 MM...You can disagree with me all you want, but there was actually a lot written about this back then when the decision was made and why and while it was wildly unpopular to “state the obvious,” none-the-less, it was still the truth — Women in the military have a harder time handling the .45.
I asked my wife this once who is a retired Army LTC. What would she prefer in a fight. 13 9mm’s or 7 45’s
She said she would only need 4 of the 45’s and I believe her. Her reasoning, if you are not going to miss, why skimp on power.
The best caliber is the caliber that we train much with. Just remember to study the ballistics for the chosen caliber and pick the cartridge with the best bullet and load for circumstances likely to be encountered, too (bystanders likely or not, coats worn or not, animal or human threat, etc.).
We need someone to claim the ballistics of modern 9mm JHP ammunition is for all intents and purposes just as good as 45 ACP.
We need someone else to provide anecdotal evidence of a 45 stopping a criminal or wild animal where 9mm did or would have failed.
We need someone else to chime in randomly that .40 is the best compromise and that LEOs are abandoning the 9mm for the .40.
Someone else will point out that 9mm are generally more concealable, and that any gun you have with you is better than one left at home.
Someone will jump in here and point out they carry a .380 just for the aforementioned reason.
Another poster will point out that the 1911 in 45 has been around for over a hundred years for a reason.
Then there will be the claim that under stress people miss, and the generally larger magazine capacities of 9mm are better.
The previous point will be countered by someone who says he/she never misses, and that even a nick on the shoulder from a .45 is a fatal wound.
Shot placement.
Stopping power.
A hipster of the firearms world will chime in with his/her favorite caliber most of us have never heard of before that'll make the rest of us go google it.
An old-school bad-a** will state how he/she only carries "wheel guns" because they're far more reliable than those fancy semi-autos.
Hits.
It’s all about hits.
If you are proficient with .45ACP in a weapon that is concealable and light enough to carry every day, then, fine.
Many people, including many in the “anything that starts with 4” crowd, are not proficient and should be carrying 9s.
I own both and carry neither because 10mm.
For long term survival, I lean towards 45, easy to reload and when the HPs dry up, the diameter will be more important that the velocity.
I have both. Each has it’s good points and not many bad points. :-)
Then I picked up the Sig P320 RX (9mm) and installed a better trigger.
I shot them side by side. What a difference!
The P320's longer barrel and lighter recoil contribute greatly to accuracy, especially on follow-up shots.
The RX is perfect for my aging eyes.
Every range visit has strangers commenting on my patterns on 5 in. targets at 10 yds.
I like all of them including .32ACP and .22LR.
If I had to choose one, knowing I will actually have it with me and knowing I will be facing several rabid yutes, I think it would be the 10mm. I would guess the .357 would be also be devastating.
Probably the sweetest shooting gun with still good power is my Brother’s old Colt New Service in .45 LC.
What do I actually have in my home, ready to grab? A Browning Hi-Power in 9mm. I would be just as happy with a 1911.
Since I was a kid, I always wanted a “GI 45,” a 1911. Six years ago I finally bought a Remington 1911R1. I love it. Nothing fits your hand better than a 1911.
That being said, it’s a bear to carry concealed. So I bought an M&P Shield compact .45, and I shoot better with it than the 1911. Only complaint? the grips that feel like non-skid in my back. Fixed that with some heat shrink tubing.
My 115lb wife can’t handle the .45, so she bought a Ruger LC9, and almost outshoots me.
Have both, shot both, and conceal carried both (not at the same time).
For conceal carry for me; it’s 9mm in the summer months, .45 in the winter months. Either one works for me.....I like em both and proficient with both.
And sometimes, I’ll even conceal carry a .357 SIG which is basically a 9mm magnum. It’s loud.
Bottom line: I would NOT want to on the receiving end of any of em, especially that big old 230 gr .45. or the 9mm 147 gr HP round.
I split the difference and prefer a 40. More energy than a 9, but easier (for me at least) to shoot accurately than a 45.