09-15-2011, 04:23 AM
There are a lot of folks who carry 9mm's as plainclothes carry guns, as well as their secondary sidearms for CQB who would disagree. Most street thugs are not such great shooters, so their marksmanship skills and the results therefrom are not to be viewed as cases for or against a particular caliber or tool.
I used to be a "full-size 1911 .45 ACP gold standard for carry gun" guy, but not anymore. I used to consider it blasphemy to suggest that a 9mm is a worthy fight-stopping caliber. The reality is that I can fire more 9mm's into someone, or transition from one target to another with faster recovery than I can with .40 S&W or .45 ACP.
With the same type of projectile design, you would be hard-pressed to find a difference between wounds from a 9mm and .40 S&W. Another thing I hate about having to shoot in a plainclothes environment is hearing loss, and I can tell you that .45 ACP will jack your ears up badly. 9mm isn't as bad outdoors, and you can get more shots on-target within a tighter shot placement spread than you will with .45 ACP and .40 S&W.
I know from my training and threat-based needs that I most likely will not fire only one round if someone is going to justify potential deadly force by their actions towards me or my family. They will become a bullet magnet, meaning at least 5 shots to their center of center 1/3rd vital zone as it presents to me, with detailed head shot for quick failure drill. It takes almost daily high-volume range sessions with a .40 S&W or .45 ACP to achieve the same rapid shot placement as it would for a weekly or even monthly training regimen with 9mm for me, plus the 9mm provides more capacity at less weight.
Several real-world studies on bullet performance comparing 9mm, .40 S&W, and .45 ACP using the same projectile types (Winchester SXT's, Speer Gold Dots, Corbons) actually favored the 9mm, with the .40 S&W a hair behind it, and the 230gr .45 ACP's falling much further than the smaller calibers. Other unpublished real-world results from certain communities caused them to push .45 ACP out from the primary caliber for their Offensive Handguns, and they are often cited as the reason why you need a .45 ACP.
A well-trained shooter will get the job done with any of the 3 main calibers, but it takes more money, range time, and shot recovery to get it done with .40 & .45 ACP. 9mm's have been killing people for a long time. Stopping Power is best defined as the will of someone to win the fight for their life more than the other(s), not a particular tool that they use. I would like to stack the deck in my favor with ammo capacity and shot recovery, not bullet diameter, especially since I carry the same or similar performance ammunition.
I used to be a "full-size 1911 .45 ACP gold standard for carry gun" guy, but not anymore. I used to consider it blasphemy to suggest that a 9mm is a worthy fight-stopping caliber. The reality is that I can fire more 9mm's into someone, or transition from one target to another with faster recovery than I can with .40 S&W or .45 ACP.
With the same type of projectile design, you would be hard-pressed to find a difference between wounds from a 9mm and .40 S&W. Another thing I hate about having to shoot in a plainclothes environment is hearing loss, and I can tell you that .45 ACP will jack your ears up badly. 9mm isn't as bad outdoors, and you can get more shots on-target within a tighter shot placement spread than you will with .45 ACP and .40 S&W.
I know from my training and threat-based needs that I most likely will not fire only one round if someone is going to justify potential deadly force by their actions towards me or my family. They will become a bullet magnet, meaning at least 5 shots to their center of center 1/3rd vital zone as it presents to me, with detailed head shot for quick failure drill. It takes almost daily high-volume range sessions with a .40 S&W or .45 ACP to achieve the same rapid shot placement as it would for a weekly or even monthly training regimen with 9mm for me, plus the 9mm provides more capacity at less weight.
Several real-world studies on bullet performance comparing 9mm, .40 S&W, and .45 ACP using the same projectile types (Winchester SXT's, Speer Gold Dots, Corbons) actually favored the 9mm, with the .40 S&W a hair behind it, and the 230gr .45 ACP's falling much further than the smaller calibers. Other unpublished real-world results from certain communities caused them to push .45 ACP out from the primary caliber for their Offensive Handguns, and they are often cited as the reason why you need a .45 ACP.
A well-trained shooter will get the job done with any of the 3 main calibers, but it takes more money, range time, and shot recovery to get it done with .40 & .45 ACP. 9mm's have been killing people for a long time. Stopping Power is best defined as the will of someone to win the fight for their life more than the other(s), not a particular tool that they use. I would like to stack the deck in my favor with ammo capacity and shot recovery, not bullet diameter, especially since I carry the same or similar performance ammunition.