.45acp vs 9mm

[gdcleanfun]

Originally Posted by festus

The military uses both calibers...Which is preferred as a carry round???

And Why???

My choice, upon further thought, is both. We have 2 hands, why not carry 2? So, my answer changes to .45 and .9, together. And maybe a BUG or two, too.

[Glock Fan]

Originally Posted by gdcleanfun

My choice, upon further thought, is both. We have 2 hands, why not carry 2? So, my answer changes to .45 and .9, together. And maybe a BUG or two, too.

A .9 caliber firearm would be huge. If a .50 AE is big (like a Desert Eagle) I would imagine that a .9 would be much bigger.

All kidding aside, I would recommend carryig a primary and BUG of the same caliber if possible. This would simplify keeping track of your ammo.



gf

[ronwill]

My primary is a Kimber Ultra Carry in .45 with a S&W Sigma SW9F 9mm as my secondary.

[gdcleanfun]

Originally Posted by Glock Fan

A .9 caliber firearm would be huge. If a .50 AE is big (like a Desert Eagle) I would imagine that a .9 would be much bigger.

All kidding aside, I would recommend carryig a primary and BUG of the same caliber if possible. This would simplify keeping track of your ammo.



gf

That's 2 cute, GF, but good point! I hadn't thought of that. I suppose it may be do-able either way, but using the same for both makes sense for keeping track of things. Goodness knows we can all use some simplification in our lives, n'est pas?

[jrs212]

This time of year its my compact 1911, High Standard Crusader, summertime I carry my Taurus 9mm Millenium Pro. And when the mood hits me I strap on the Mdl 10-6 in .38 sp.

[TAC]

I chose 9mm because my carry has always been a Hi-Power in 9mm. A good 9mm Hp round is just as effective as a .45 FMJ round and I find the 9mm easy to get back on target. 13+1 rounds of 9mm with either 13 or 26 spare just seems to work for me.

With that said, I now have two Springfield 1911’s in .45 ACP and I find that I am really beginning to like them to.

[wuzfuz]

I still think the military lost their collective minds when they deep-sixed old slabsides. My Lieutenat used to have a routine he would go through when people began arguing .45 vs 9mm. He would take a magazine for his 1911 and put a 9mm round in it, and announce, "The magazine will hold a 9mm round." Then he would put the magazine into his 1911 and close the slide, "It will even chamber in the .45. At this point he would lower his arm and the 9mm round would slide down the barrel and fall on the ground. "Need I say more?" (Gales of laughter.) If the number of rounds is the determining factor, I have a Springfield Armory XD-45 that has 13-round magazines. I have no trouble with the size of the grip, and the recoil is very mild. Shucks, when I was shooting Combat competition, we had a 12-year old kid who competed with a full-house 1911 and kicked butt. He was 95 lbs soaking wet with rocks in his pockets, and had to stand twice to cast a shadow. However, he was deadly with that 1911 and a belt full of magazines.

[toreskha]

There's advantages and disadvantages to both. I've been using 9mm for a while for the capacity and economy that it offers in training, while still being a formidable round. However, I respect the .45 and would feel comfortable owning, carrying and shooting a firearm in that caliber.

I'm still considering an XD 45 for Christmas, and one day, I'll get a 1911 (probably not anytime soon). IMO, there's no problem with investing in several different types of ammunition. It's not good to spread too thin unless you just want to go nuts, but half a dozen of the most versatile ones (9mm, .45, 5.56, 7.62, 22, .357...) makes for good variety.

This argument will go on and on until the end of time. What no one seems to understand is that when you are talking about 9mmvs 45vs 40, you are talking about a whole classof arms tha basically do the same job. There is no real difference in any of the "service "cartridges, because thet were designed to do the same job, under basically the same conditions. A nine millimeter full metal jacket, and a .45 full metal jacket, at a slower speed, will off very close to the same energy, and while momentum goes to the 45, if either of the cartridges would literally "knock down" a victim, it would also "knock down" the shooter.

All "service " calibers, from the .30 luger, 7.65 mausert, 7.62 Tokarov, to the 455 webley are basically the same in performance, althoght the Tok is a lot more deadly than people would think. It is only when you move up the scale to the 357 magnum from a long barrel, the 10mm loaded all out, and the 41 and 44 magnums that you get a real difference in killing power. The reason .44 magnums weren't issued to troops has a lot more to do with the cost of training someone to a high enough standard to hit anything, and the cost of a good quality revolver than anything else.

In NC, the basic pistol class in the Basic law enforcement curiculum requires four hundred shots. That's just about enough shooting to get really good and scared of a 44 magnum. It is a whole lot easier to train them to a level of skill that might save their life with a good, heavy frame 9mm than anything else. Also, have you looked at the price of a qualit DA revolver lately? Colt 1911 clones can be had fr $400. not so for a magnum revolver. The long and the short of it? Set very high standards for your personal marks man ship, and practice often. Shoot the biggest gun you can hit well with. Get the gun that "points " most naturally for you.
And don't sweat the small stuff. In places that are a lot more violent than here, such as Isreal and South Africa, people get by just fine with 9mm ball. It's hard to argue with two or three through the skull. same in S.A. 38 special solves a lot of disputes down there, and no one seems to complain. It has a lot more to do with shot placement than anything else.

[squisher]

I voted 9mm because that's what I carry. I bought 9mm as my first pistol because I knew I could afford to practice with it, and it has at least adequate performance, especially when using JHPs, and the fact that I have 18 of them in the weapon.

That said, I REALLY want a 1911 style .45, I just cannot afford one at the moment.