9mm vs. a .45 as a carry gun

[Hivoltage]

If the .45 has the best stopping power,and the best penetration, why even bother with a 9mm pistol?

I am only asking for fun, as I have both calibers, a Glock 36 and a Kahr PM9, and I carry both. Just wondering why folks have a 9mm if the .45 is the Big Dog of bullets. I can hide my .45 as well as my 9mm. Again, this is not a caliber war, just wondering why you dont carry the big dog?

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[Tally XD]

.45 has no more "stopping power" than a 9mm, or any other bullet for that matter. Stopping power is a myth.


.45acp makes a bigger hole than 9mm and its a heavier bullet. Thats all.

9mm is a lot cheaper to practice with so those with 9mm should get lots of practice.


I carry an XD .45acp Service, by the way.

[j21blackjack]

Maybe 9mm fans find the 9mm easier and more accurate to shoot due to lower recoil compared to the 45. I've shot the Berretta 92 for the Navy quals for 5 years, but I carry a 45. I think the 45 has more recoil, but I just like shooting it more than 9mm. On another note, 9mm ammo is $10 cheaper per 100 rounds at Wal-Mart, that's like 2 extra gallons of gas these days, so maybe it's an economical choice.

[czydj]

If the .45 has the best stopping power,and the best penetration, why even bother with a 9mm pistol?

I am only asking for fun, as I have both calibers, a Glock 36 and a Kahr PM9, and I carry both. Just wondering why folks have a 9mm if the .45 is the Big Dog of bullets. I can hide my .45 as well as my 9mm. Again, this is not a caliber war, just wondering why you dont carry the big dog?

Weight and size and capacity... I can conceal the smaller caliber much more easily. If I do carry full size, I would rather have 35 rounds on me than 15. Besides, the ballistics reports I've seen show me there ain't nuthin' wrong with 147gr JHP's from Speer, Federal or Winchester.

[sui-juris]

If its good enough for the US Army than it should be fine w/us.
IMO, capacity and easier to handle recoil are the big draws...

[fotomaker57]

If the .45 has the best stopping power,and the best penetration, why even bother with a 9mm pistol?

Again, this is not a caliber war, just wondering why you dont carry the big dog?

I do carry the big dog
Mike

[T Bone]

Actually, this is SUCH an old, and over talked topic.... but I suppose each generation still needs to explore the question. (Been hearing it debated myself since the early 1980's, when my first gun was a "high capacity" S&W 59 9mm, 14+1, and my second gun was a Combat Commander in .45).

I've always felt better armed with a .45 (the bigger bullet theory). But still for a time succumbed to the allure of higher capacity of the 9mm (my G17 has a +2 cap. 19 round mag, my G19 a +2 17 rd. mag, and even the stock 15 rounders for the 19 are more than twice the shots of the stock 7 round 1911 mag...).

Now I'll be using the 9mm for a new reason, getting a new mouse gun in a PM9 this week. But I'll still feel better armed with my most often carried 1911!

[retsupt99]

.45 or 9mm?













Either works...I have both, with 2-3K in ammo for each...my EDC is a Kimber Ultra in .45...

[64zebra]

NO!!!!!!!!!!






search this forum for all the other threads on this discussion, there are quite a few

as some have stated above.....
$$$ for ammo, size of hand/ability to grip properly, compatibility with other weapons
IMO, carry the largest caliber with which you can get quality hits consistently
I have both, prefer .45 for carry, I have a Glock 9mm for duty and backup since the majority of our officers have Glock 9mms.

[TheGreatGonzo]

I once saw a man shot at point blank range 37 times in the head and 14 times in the chest with a 9mm and he was still able to finish the Ironman competition (he only placed 4th, though) and then wrestle a grizzly bear into submission.

On the other hand, I once saw a man shot from 75 yards with a .45ACP. The round grazed his left pinky which blew his right arm and leg completely off his body and caused his brain to explode. Then his goldfish died.

Gonzo

[Ram Rod]

Well, to put it this way.........my choice of 45 is the SIG P220. At this time, it's my OWB carry under a jacket in the cooler weather, and yes...during those times, I do carry it. That's 8+1, and I have no problem with that. Summertime, t-shirt weather, and I go IWB very well with G19 or G27. Twice the firepower in 9mm and a magic 10 with the baby Glock 40 S&W. Specific tools for specific circumstances. I like the 45 and always have, but for a one-stop shot with anything, I'm not a believer. No magic bullet...shot placement is key. As far as external ballistics, the smaller, faster bullet penetrates more while a larger, slower mover distributes it's energy over a larger area and doesn't go as deep. Other than narrowly reported police shooting statistics, I really don't see why there would ever be any sort of caliber war among the 9mm and above calibers. We do seem to get a lot of information concerning failures or sub-par performance out of the less than 9mm calibers though. I'll let my gut instinct dictate what I carry at any specific time, and since my state is still among the concealed only states, my environment is also a determining factor. As with most, I choose my pistols by brand and caliber according to what works well for me. I've had smaller and more concealable pistols in the 45 caliber, and shot well with them, but not good enough to meet my minimum standards for deployment or confidence. I'll live with my choices, and I'll shoot to live. It doesn't matter what caliber when one looks at the big picture.

[AZ Desertrat]

Either one works fine......it boils down to what YOU like and prefer.....I prefer a 9mm just because I can shoot more of them and practice more often.

[IfIhaveto]

.45 Taurus PT145 for me
9mm Glock26 for my wife
9mm Taurus PT111 for my daughter

[KenpoTex]

[ExactlyMyPoint]

Well, if you are talking recoil, why not just shoot the BG twice with a .22 right next to each other? Isn't that equivalent to a .44?