9mm vs 45 --- which one is better?

[JTH]

Talk about obvious click-bait, right? 

New blog post up: I succumbed to peer pressure and wrote a post about 9mm vs .45acp.

I'd be ashamed to write such blatant blog fodder, and yet----I'M RIGHT. LISTEN TO ME!

http://precisionresponse.wordpress.com/2014/04/08/9mm-vs-45-which-really-is-better/


Mostly written because lately I've had a higher-than-normal number of people lately asking me what "first gun" they should buy, and not only do they all seem to think that a compact gun in .40S&W is the best gun to learn on  , but they all seem to have friends who think they shouldn't even bother to think about a gun unless it is a .45ACP.   

But what really got me started was a friend who carries a compact .45ACP that he also shoot competitions with, which puts him at a disadvantage in the divisions he shoots.  We talked about whether or not he should use a 9mm in competition, and still carry the .45ACP, or just switch to a larger .45...

...but the more I thought about it, the more I wondered if the real question wasn't actually:  "How locked into the idea of carrying a .45ACP are you?  And why?"

Let me know what you think.

[jFader]

Nice write up...thanks for sharing!

I just had a younger guy at work who is my apprentice tell me that he would rather carry a sling shot than a 9mm because they are equally effective....haha...

I asked him where he gained this information & what ballistic tests he had looked at & he replied 'its common knowledge'.

I just smiled & made him go dig up some conduits in the frozen ground.

[sidearm1]

I always start my answer with: "You stand 15 yards from me, I will shoot you with a 9mm (modern ammo).  You can then shoot me.."  So far no takers.

What it really boils down to is, what are you comfortable with.  With modern ammo there is only a small difference in actual stopping power.

Winchester white box home defense ammo

9mm 115 gr 383 ft lbs of muzzle energy

.45 230 gr. 396 ft lbs of muzzle energy.

yes you can play with the figures, go to +P ammo, or even some specialty ammo can make a difference.  Then it goes back to how does the shooter handle the extra recoil.

You should shoot the most powerful ammo/caliber that you can safely and efficiently handle.  No one should expect one shot stops with a handgun.

Let the arguments begin.

[landon410]

Well, I don’t know much about ballistics etc, but I think.... nah just kidding

I like that you talked about psychological stops, I've been try to talk my wife into allowing me to take her out and get her her own gun for defense. She often goes with me to the hunting cabin but is left a lone all day while i'm hunting, or if I go on a fishing trip for a weekend etc, I want to comfort of knowing she has something she is comfortable with and could use God forbid if something ever happened.

She has shot my carry gun, PF9 in 9mm, little light gun 9mm and her tiny frame was too much for her.

Next thought, what if I could get a reliable 22LR pistol, you pull that bad boy out and point it at someone they aren't going to yell "TIME OUT" and measure the muzzle.
Based on my research of watching several you tube videos, I've come to the conclusion that bad guys are often sissies, and no one wants to get shot, by any caliber.

clearly there are better options compared to the 22, but I don't know much about all this

[shooter]

 I was raised on the 1911. first big bore gun I bought was a 1911, now I seem to collect them, Im waiting on delivery of my 28th 1911, I can shoot them well, I can hit what I aim at, I am comfortable with them, I think that's the whole thing, are you comfortable with a weapon,. can you hit with it, does it go off every time, I shot IPCS for about 30 years, Im comfortable with what I can do,

   I do have several browning hi powers, in 9mm the kids like to shoot them, the grip just dosent seem to fit me as good as the 1911 does,
  I you can also think shot placement is more important than bullet size.

[Chris C]

I carry a .45 because they don't make a .46.   





FYI I don't carry a .45.

[shooter]

I carry a .45 because they don't make a .46.   






FYI I don't carry a .45.

   

  smith and Wesson makes a .460. so I guess they do make a 46!

[abbafandr]

Another good writing job (makes me feel like a cave man scratching on a wall ). 
It's critical to know how to operate your weapon, which means being able to present it and hit what you aim at.
I personally have 9mm pistols for carry purposes.  I imagine Hornady critical defense ammo will do its part if I do mine.

[greg58]

Nice write up...thanks for sharing!

I just had a younger guy at work who is my apprentice tell me that he would rather carry a sling shot than a 9mm because they are equally effective....haha...

I asked him where he gained this information & what ballistic tests he had looked at & he replied 'its common knowledge'.

I just smiled & made him go dig up some conduits in the frozen ground.

Atta-boy Justin.

Greg58

[MHicks]

I have people at work ask me questions similar to that more frequently than I care to count. 

An abridged answer goes;

I feel that someone needs to be comfortable with what they are shooting.  This applies ten fold in self defense situations.  One hit with a 22 is better than 8 misses with a 45.

Personally, I choose the 45.

[Lorimor]

.45 because John Moses Browning. 

Besides, EVERYBODY shoots a 9 these days.  I like being different. 

[Chris C]

   

  smith and Wesson makes a .460. so I guess they do make a 46!

My .460 shoots .45's 

[bkoenig]

Doesn't matter which you use as long as you don't use them in competition.  That'll getcha kilt.

[Gary]

I carry a .45 because they don't make a .46. 






FYI I don't carry a .45.

They make a .460 Roland.  That rolls out the barrel pretty sharply.  On the subject of what to shoot for calibers, is like owning a breakfast diner, and only having one or two flavors of jam for toast. 

The study of ballistics is ever changing, and what was great for one era, or department, may be a lessor choice in another circumstance.

Myself, I prefer the compromise I find in the 10mm rounds.  10mm, .40 S&W and their cousin, .357 Sig.   Those rounds are my current flavor of choice.   Double stack mags, more rounds, hard hitting. 

[Lorimor]

I always figure I'll run out of time before I'll run out of ammo.  And as slow as I shoot, it'll likely be true. 

This subject has literally been beat to death.  Who cares what the other guy carries?  I don't.  As long as he or she is safe with it, it's no skin off of my nose.

[SeanN]

Reposting what I said on Facebook:

I  carry a 9mm because they don't make a 10mm.... Wait, am I doing this wrong? 

[Chris C]

They make a .460 Roland.  That rolls out the barrel pretty sharply.

That also shoots a .45.   

[Kodiak]

I carry a .45 because they don't make a .46.   


you could always upgrade to one of the .50s   


FYI I don't carry a .45.

[SemperFiGuy]

9mm vs. .45ACP......

Which One is Better?

EZ.

.357Sig.

sfg[Everybody Knows 9mm is .357Sig Short.]

[FarmerRick]

Let this old lady show you whipper-snappers how it's done... 500 S&W style!