9mm VS 45 ACP

[bouncer50]

My friend and i both agree and disagree on the subject of stopping power on the 9mm vs 45 acp. If both were using ball ammo i agree the the 45 acp has better stopping power. But put 9mm +P i believe has better stopping power then the 45 acp. Like the old disagreement which is better a big slow heavy bullet vs a faster lighter bullet which has better stopping power. I do carry 45 acp and 9mm pistols but 16 rounds vs 8 rounds makes you think which is better to carry.

[quietmike]

Whichever one you shoot well and have confidence in.

I'd much rather face someone with a 44 mag who shoots 6 rounds a year, than someone with a 22 who shoots thousands.

[Lonegun1894]

Well, both will kill a threat, but the .45 does it right now, while with the 9mm you shoot them, and then run away and hope the infection gets them before they catch up to you.

That should get the argument started...

[RugerFanOH]

Shot placement is the most important factor.

The officers in Garland, TX took down the Islamic terrorists that had AR-15s with a Glock 21 (45ACP!)

[upr45]

Shot placement, either to the central nervous system ends the fight now. Better to make 1 well aimed hit than 16 superficial wounds, sure you'll have a blood trail to follow, but giving a foe a chance to shoot back you might make one too.

[smkummer]

I'll shoot what ever I have at the time as well as I can. I used to be 45 all the way but 2-9mm for 1-45 in a magazine has me switched to 9mm. I have pretty much come to the conclusion if I have to shoot, it will be 2 shots minimum anyways. And yes, in civilian forms, some 9mm HP pretty darn good. Of course the Speer Gold dot 45 is something I never want to be on the receiving end of.

[HangFireW8]

A 9 vs 45 thread? How quaint.

[gray wolf]

Everyone seems to have bought into the 9MM lately ( some years now )
People say the 9Mill has been improved, more rounds, bla,bla.

I guess the 45 A C P didn't improve ?

Fill a gallon jug with water and put a 9MM hole in it and then do one with a 45 Size hole in it.
Then see what jug empties first.

Statistically most violent encounters are over in less that three seconds, rounds fired = about 5/7
and take place inside a normal car length.

Like is always said: it's rounds on target that hit the C N S or the brain box,
not how many chances you have to get it done.
A person is either dead or alive, as long as they are standing and can hold a weapon they pose a threat.
They can choke you out while they are waiting to die.

15 rounds ? 17 rounds ? I mean come on, how many times you planning on missing ?
What ? fill em full of holes and hope one of them works ?

As for surviving a gun fight, (didn't say shoot out) there are many, as in multiple things to know and practice for.

Rounds in the gun is not one of them.

[dubber123]

From what I have gathered observing ballistic tests, the difference between 9/40/45 with GOOD current factory ammo is pretty small. Ball ammo? I would bet bigger is better. Anyone who blabs on and on about how well their small caliber penetrates needs to realize it needs to do some damage on the way through. Smaller calibers in non expanding form can penetrate very well, but do less damage on the way than a similarly shaped, but larger caliber will. Pick whatever one you can shoot well, and use good, current self defense type bullets.

I just recently switched from my 20+ year carry gun, a .38 Spl with 160+ gr. soft HP's at 850+ fps., to a .40 autoloader with 180's at about the same speed. The difference was the gain in power in an easier to carry gun, with a faster reload if needed. It was a long decision in the 9 or 40 caliber, and I am still not sure I chose right. Right enough for now though.

[ReloaderFred]

I've seen people killed with everything from a .22 Short (yes, an actual .22 Short) to 12 gauge shotgun. They were all dead, but the time it took them to die varied greatly. Hits to vital areas are what counts.

I get very tired of seeing "7 yards is where most gunfights occur". The times I was shot at were all way beyond 7 yards. Way, way beyond, and you better know where your gun hits at 25, 35, 50 yards and beyond, because bad guys don't read the same rule books as the good guys do. Even in cities, distances can be much greater, and if you let a bad guy get within 7 yards of you with a knife or club, and your gun is in your holster, you're going to bleed before you get it out, if you get it out at all. We proved that over and over again on the range, even with duty holsters that are exposed and easier to draw from than concealed holsters.

Practice with what you have, and then practice some more. Have someone distract you from the side while you're practicing, and if you want somewhat realistic practice, have them throw something at you, like a tennis ball, and see how that affects your aim........

And practice from the draw, since that's a whole other variable.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[jrayborn]

9 mm has made a lot of improvements but the technology has been incorporated into .45 acp too. To me, I prefer 9mm, not saying it's better, just for me I hit faster with it on follow up shots. It does certainly have the additional advantage (usually) of higher round count. Some folks don't see that as a big deal, but it certainly could be. One issue that is more common than many folks care to admit, is the proliferation of bad-guys in body-armor. Not that 9mm or .45 will defeat it as they usually will not, but it could take a few extra rounds to find the weak-spots (groin).

Finally, multiple bad-guy situations can make the idea of reloading unpleasant. My thoughts are it is one less thing to have to deal with if I have 15-20 on tap before running dry. Of course accuracy is still critical, but why not have as much advantage as you can?

Certainly both are very good.

[str8wal]

A 9 vs 45 thread? How quaint.

Right?!?!? I guess the quota has not been met yet......

[pretzelxx]

I came up with a new point personally why I like 45 better. It's easier to handle and the mold I have works better than my 9mm! And I have a 1911 for the 45 not a 9mm. 45 wins in my book (for now)

Sent from my LG-H901 using Tapatalk

[dverna]

Good post Fred!

[Tom W.]

The 9mm is easier to shoot, and it took me 40 years to put away my .45 as an everyday carry gun. Not that I'll ever be without one. Just getting old now and not as strapping or strong as I used to be. Looking to get the new Redhawk .45 Colt /.45 acp soon.

In my younger days I wouldn't even consider a 9mm.

[William Yanda]

Well, with NY's Safe Act, the 9 mm only has a 2-3 round advantage over the 45. What? LE is not restricted to 10 rounds.....That's.....That's.....That's just not fair.

[Schrag4]

Like is always said: it's rounds on target that hit the C N S or the brain box,
not how many chances you have to get it done.
A person is either dead or alive, as long as they are standing and can hold a weapon they pose a threat.
They can choke you out while they are waiting to die.

You actually want less chances? It's funny, the last sentence I quoted sounds like an argument in favor of 9mm over 45 rather than the other way around.

[Hickok]

Attachment 166926

[dubber123]

I actually practiced draw and fire while walking backwards, forwards, and right to left today. Boy, groups sure get bigger while you are moving.. I always fire the last 5 at 25 yds. trying for a decent group to help rebuild my confidence. That works. Sometimes.

[Ural Driver]

Because sometimes, just sometimes, "enough gun".....still ain't enough.

https://www.policeone.com/police-her...mo-on-the-job/