9mm .40 .45 ?

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kinggabby

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It is funny how I always read people dog peoples choices on caliber . 9mm is wimpy .45 is too much blah blah. In a self defense situation does it make a difference? I mean in my opinion in self defense you are going to be uber close to the perp. Maybe I am wrong but in my thinking at a distance of a few feet my 9mm armed with 115 gr Winchester SXZ JHP should work just as good as a .40 or .45. Any thoughts ?
 
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Pulp

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I cain't believe I'm the first to respond. I love to read the gentle discourse between the 9mm camp and the .45 camp. I've even started a fight or two over on the Mythbusteres Weapons forum.

I think you're right though. In my humble opinion, I reckon about 99% of all folks don't want to get shot with any caliber and will cease and desist when shots are fired in their direction. The other 1% don't care if they get shot, and those folks are hard to stop with any caliber.

I carry a 1911, and I'll freely admit it's too much gun for me. I cannot get off rapid followup shots due to recoil. About the best I can do is an aimed shot every 0.9 seconds. With my .22 Colt Woodsman I can do under 0.5 seconds. With about any gun, my best time for first shot from cover is about 2 seconds. However with my '51 Navy, 8 inch barrel and all, I can get an aimed shot off in under a second. Should that be my carry gun?

So anyway, as much as I dislike the 9mm, maybe it would be a better choice for me than a .45.
 

jrusling

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The one that you are accurate with. A good hit with anything is better than a miss. I personally prefer either .40 or .45 for the extra stopping power. Depending on what I am wearing and where I am going, I have been known to carry a .380. What ever you are carrying is a lot better than not carrying. If the SHTF it will be my 870 loaded with 00 or slugs for close range and my AR for intermediate range.
 

thefenux

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I wish I could remember where I found it, but a few months ago, I came across a couple of articles talking about the permanent wound cavity from different modern hollow point bullets. From what I recall, they were very close.

That being said, my personal choice to carry a 9mm had as much to do with economy of shooting it as anything else. I also like the .45 ACP, but the cost of getting proficient shooting it when I could only afford one gun for now would have been higher.

(I'm not a fan of the .40 S&W. It just feels too snappy to me.)
 

rebelracer79

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you say it doesn't make a difference, but you shoot the same guy in the same spot from the same distance with the .45 with a similar hollow point round, the damage will theoretically sp? be greater....
 

1911user

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I wish I could remember where I found it, but a few months ago, I came across a couple of articles talking about the permanent wound cavity from different modern hollow point bullets. From what I recall, they were very close.

That being said, my personal choice to carry a 9mm had as much to do with economy of shooting it as anything else. I also like the .45 ACP, but the cost of getting proficient shooting it when I could only afford one gun for now would have been higher.

(I'm not a fan of the .40 S&W. It just feels too snappy to me.)

You may be thinking of this picture: http://ammo.ar15.com/project/Misc_Images/DocGKR/Handgun_gel_comparison.jpg

It is from this very good (IMHO) article (Best Choices for Self Defense Ammo by ar15.com) http://ammo.ar15.com/project/Self_Defense_Ammo_FAQ/index.htm
 

jcizzle

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I agree with this.

The one that you are accurate with. A good hit with anything is better than a miss.

I had heard all the blah blah about how 9mm was for whimps and if you "really" wanted a self defense gun, you should get at least a .40. However, I would be purchasing the ammo for my gun myself so that made me think.
- 9mm rounds cost much less
- cheaper ammo means i can afford more practice shooting
- if i'm to carry a gun, it is my RESPONSIBILITY to become as accurate, familiar, safe as possible thus practicing VERY often.

I decided that I could afford more range/practice rounds with the 9mm so it would be a better choice for me and thus the more responsible decision since none of the folks trying to talk me into a larger caliber were willing to pay for my ammo. One of the guys happens to have a .45 that he carries but when we go to the range, he never wants to shoot it because he says it's too expensive. I tell him he's foolish to not become more familiar with it and shoot it as often as posible and if he can't afford to, he should either not carry it or get a gun that fires cheaper caliber rounds.
 

mhphoto

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What a silly question this is. There is but one true self defense round.

ai23.photobucket.com_albums_b375_randy25rhoads_55d5adac.jpg
 

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