[Newton]

Just a feeling based on gun store discussions and random Internet postings.

But I get the impression that people are seeing that the 9mm makes sense, and always has done.

Just my $0.02

[Edmond]

Personally, I've been moving back to the 9mm. I mean, I can shoot more often than I can with my .40 or .45 and the recoil is much more manageable. It is also less weight to carry around than the larger calibers. My last two guns have been 9's and my next will also be a 9.

Then again, I think H&K might have something to do with it.:D

[Dragoon44]

Alot of people are drifting back to the 9mm. better bullet designs in the past 10 years have given us 9mm JHP that expand reliablyy AND penetrate deep enough. add higher capacity mags and the fact that 9mm is easier to shoot quickly and accurately. ( plus 9mm ammo being very cheap for practice)

[politicalpolls.us]

The 9mm is a great cartridge. :D

[Slinger]

:what: I like to punch BIG holes in things with my .45s, but you can't argue with the price differance. I might even consider one because of the cheeper ammo. (can't believe I just wrote that)

[Gary G23]

With the end of the magazine ban, the advancement of ammo technology, and cheap practice, it's a no-brainer.

[10-Ring]

My 2 favorite pistol calibers are 9mm & 45 acp. Never moved away from one or the other...

[Ford]

The Kahr PM9 moved me into the world of 9mm. Back when I first started shooting I didn't have a very high opinion of the 9mm. While I still prefer it to be the " smallest" round I like to have in my ccw gun I now see it's purpose.

I used to only carry my Kimber CDP compact in a VM2. Now I only carry it if I am going into the roughest parts of the city. One of my Kahr PM9's is with me at all times. It is just a easier gun to carry and I feel comfortable with 7-8 rounds of 9mm most of the places I go. I finally bought a Hi-Power and once I get a new front sight ( gun shoots way low ) It is going to be a great plinker for me.

So I either like my 9mm in a very compact carry gun or in a plinker to take to the range and shoot alot of rounds.

[murph50]

I'm not moving back to 9mm--I never left. Other than a 38 sp and a ket tec 380--all of my handguns are 9mm. I just like the way 9mm shoots--clean and crisp--less recoil,which is an asset when rapid firing--more economical--easy to find. I already have my eye on a few new ones I will be purchasing but I may get an XD45--just well--to have one--plus it could keep my XD9sc company.
Jack

[buddy.sxdp]

Along with my love for my Colt Combat Commander and Defender(both .45 ACP) for fun shooting i'm tending to use my Beretta 92FS Elite 9mm more and more because not only does it shoot very well , but 9mm ammo is soo much cheaper.

I still like to carry my Colts

-buddy

[Black Majik]

I've realized I only NEED three handgun calibers. .22, 9mm, and .45ACP. Everything else I don't really care for, and doubt I'd ever own.

I've never left the 9mm either, and I never will.

I'll thank a big part to the Winchester White Boxes also. They make my shooting fun more affordable. :D

[Manedwolf]

The whole "9mm is a weak round" thing began, I think, with the FMJ rounds the Hague required the use of in the Beretta GI replacement for the .45. Yes, that was smaller than the chunky .45. The same argument popped up when the British pulled the .455 Webley out of service. :D

But the current crop of hollowpoints like the Federal HST and Speer Gold Dot expand quite a bit, plus you have the added penetration of a faster round, and there's +P loadings if you want a little more power to it.

Add to that the reduced recoil letting you place followup shots in the same place quicker, and enough ammo capacity in most that running out of rounds in a gunfight would not be a serious concern...and you have something good, I think.

That, and the ammo's cheap, letting you practice more, and I'd say 9mm is one of the types of ammo you're most likely to be able to find even after a SHTF situation disrupted supply chains.

[MadMercS55]

I love the 9mm. I find myself carrying a Beretta 92FS or Sig P228 much more than my P220. With the 9's I can carry a total of 31rnds very easy. With the .45 I only get 16, these numbers based on a loaded weapon with one spare magazine. With nice weather quickly approaching, range time will also increase and can easily burn through 500rnds of 9 in a session.

[Rob1035]

I never realized I'd moved away from 9mm

G26/CZ85:p

[TOADMAN]

I think so...I just bought a G26 (my first 9mm) this past weekend and already shot-up 600 rounds. Speer also makes a self defense 9mm 124gr +P round that is specifically made for short barrel pistols/revolvers.

[2TransAms]

Hi-caps are back and 9mm is half the price of .45. Sounds like a good enough reason for me. My first pistol was a Beretta 92,for the reasons I just stated.

(But I'll still stick to my single-stack 1911's,thanks:evil: )

[texgunner]

Last summer I traded all my .40 caliber pistols(4 of'em) for 9mm of the same type. Price of ammo and softer recoil was my motivation. I also shoot a lot of .45, the money I save buying 9mm I can buy more .45.:D

Tex

[MCgunner]

My P85 9mm is about the same to shoot as my P90 other than a slightly stiffer trigger and a lot less ammo cost, so I shoot it a lot more, but I really prefer my P90, the gun, not necessarily the caliber. But, at 5.97 a box at Walmart, who can argue. I still shoot my .45 handloads, though. I mean, depending on lead cost, I can load a box for about 3 bucks. Brass is free at the range, nice and fresh, once fired commercial.:D

I carry a compact nine. Can't beat it. 14 ounces unloaded, 3.5" at 25 yards accurate, 400+ ft lbs, and 11 rounds on tap.

[EddieCoyle]

I didn't "go back" to them. Instead, I've started going to them. The reason? Two words:

Cheap ammo.

[ConserVet]

My 2 favorite pistol calibers are 9mm & 45 acp. Never moved away from one or the other...
I never knew anybody had ever moved away from them. For a self-defense round the 9mil is fine. You won't be less dead if you get shot with 9mm than with a .45. May happen a fraction of a second later but so what?

[BullfrogKen]

The Browning Hi-Power is one under-estimated, overlooked, and forgotten pistol - in 9mm. Its slim profile makes it carry so well, and has what I consider just the right size grip for a double column magazine. Its a pity so many shooters don't even consider it when they're looking for a good defensive firearm; hell a good number of folks have never even heard of one.

I like the 9mm, it certainly has it place. I've got a Colt LW Commander chambered in 9x23, and have a 9mm barrel fitted for practice. I'd have no reservations carrying it loaded with 9mm if I was unable to acquire 9x23 or 38 Super ammo.

[1911user]

I think the 9mm crowd is more subdued about the choice and has always been around just laying low from the "if it doesn't start with a 4, then it's crap" caliber arguements.

[trickyasafox]

i like 9mm. i think its a fun round, fun to load (i know a lot will disagree with me here)and very economical. i really enjoy going to the range and having 17 or 18 rounds in the gun, to me thats a hoot.

[Karate]

I have moved that way...40>357mag>44Mag>45acp>9mm...and I have never been happier...cheap accurate and fun and easy to carry in my BHP

[gudel]

Why limit yourself to only one caliber? I have several, and considering adding 10mm. :scrutiny:

[Double Naught Spy]

I think that people are moving back to 9mm
Just a feeling based on gun store discussions and random Internet postings.

But I get the impression that people are seeing that the 9mm makes sense, and always has done.

Just my $0.02

So what is the significance of your feeling that folks are moving back to 9mm? Do you have a point you are trying to make somehow?

If folks are moving back to 9mm, when did they leave? Obviously if they moved from 9mm, they had reasons where the 9mm didn't make sense to them.

Whether or not a 9mm makes sense is not an inherent attribute of the cartridge. Whether or not a 9mm makes sense to a person will depend on that person's issues and whether or not 9mm is the answer for those issues.

For example, I think the 9mm caliber is fine and all, but I prefer a full-sized 1911 in .45 acp for concealed carry. However, the .45 acp is not a good choice for an overly small compact or subcompact gun, such as might be used for a BUG. My BUG is a Kahr PM9.

[Autolycus]

I will stick with my .40 S&W due to the fact that I like the ballistics a little bit better.

The recoil doesnt bother me and my P2000 can hold 13+1 9mm or 12+1 .40

I feel that the increase of one round is not worth trading the ballistics of a .40.

But not to say that I dislike the 9mm. I would carry a 9mm and be fine with carrying it. I just prefer .40. The evidence suggest that 9mm will do the job but I just prefer the .40 SW cartridge.

[Tom Servo]

Just a feeling based on gun store discussions and random Internet postings.
Oh, how that phrase sends a shiver down my spine...:p

As far as I can tell, the 9mm never went anywhere. Most of the world outside the US still uses it, and it's just fine for me. I've tinkered with other calibers, but the 9mm and the .45 are still my standbys.

[FunYet]

Personally I really like 9mm, so much so that I just added a third 9mm Glock to my 9mm collection.

[allen268]

I don’t dislike the nine, and the .45 is my favorite, but the combo of both high mag capacity and ballistics makes the .40 my choice for daily carry, I believe that was the reasoning behind introducing the .40, and it makes perfect sense to me.

[albanian]

I have been a 9mm fan for years now. I just don't see the advantage that the .40S&W and .45ACP has. I have done some of my own testing and good 9mm loads will stand proud with any .40 or .45acp that I have seen. Add to this that it is cheaper, kicks less and generaly gives you a few more shots per given handgun and for me it makes lots of sense.

I can shoot the 9mm faster, more accuratly and with more control and confidence than any .40 or .45acp so I feel it is the best cal for me. I have no problem with the recoil of a .45acp but the snappy .40 tends to make me lose some accuracy in rapid fire. I also have not seen any .40S&W that was all that accurate.

[Kramer Krazy]

45 ACP has always been my favorite caliber, and probably always will. Now that I am reloading for the 45, I'm shooting it for the same price, if not cheaper, than WWB 9mm ammo. I have three 9mm handguns, but they aren't anywhere near as enjoyable to shoot as my 1911s.

[allen268]

I also have not seen any .40S&W that was all that accurate.

I have a SIG 229 and a SIG 228, my 229 in .40 has performed as well as any nine I have ever owned or fired to include rapid firing, I am even more accurate with my 229 then my 228, much of that has to do with what you practice with the most. I have had alot of friends tell me how much more accurate thier nines were compaired to the .40, but at the range my 229 proves them wrong every time.

[Headless Thompson Gunner]

I'd like to buy a 9mm, but none of the common 9mm offerings have a proper trigger pull.

I wouldn't hesitate to buy a 9mm Glock if they made 'em with a single action trigger and a comfortable/ergonomic thumb safety.

[Jeffrey Miles Nickerson]

45 ACP has always been my favorite caliber, and probably always will. Now that I am reloading for the 45, I'm shooting it for the same price, if not cheaper, than WWB 9mm ammo. I have three 9mm handguns, but they aren't anywhere near as enjoyable to shoot as my 1911s.
How much cheaper could you load 9mm???

[ravencon]

I went to the gunstore today to order a Sig 239 in 9mm. They had a couple of .40s in stock but no 9mm. Upon inquiry they said that when they stock 9mms they tend to sit on the shelves while the .40s turn over much more quickly.

So, there are plenty of people who favor the .40 over the 9mm. But somebody must be buying the 9mms because I was told it would take 2 - 8 weeks to get the 9mm 239.

[GunAdmirer]

I have always liked the 9mm caliber. 4/5ths of my collection is in 9mm. I would like to have a Sig in 9mm to round out my collection.

Like others, I like the manageable recoil, higher capacity magazines and economy of the 9. The lower cost of the ammo is a big factor for many people.

My informal tests have proven to my satisfaction that the 9mm is powerful enough for most defensive situations. I agree that in a SHTF scenario that 9mm ammo would probably be more available.

I'm not saying it is the only or best caliber. It is the best one for my, and many others', purposes.

[kbheiner7]

I think the 9mm resurgance is due to a couple of things.

The ban sun-setting was huge. Hi-cap mags are now available on the cheap.

Ammo in general is cheaper than in years past, with the 9mm being very low cost.

I think the 9mm is great for my kids and wife to shoot, but I'm a .45, 1911 man and no amount of cheap ammo or available round count will change that. :D

I do think it is of significance that many of the guys that put their life on the line for a living and trust their lives to their weapons are moving away from the 9mm. :confused: In my mind, bullets are a lot like motors - there is no replacement for displacement. :neener:

[Ash]

When SHTF down here in post Katrina land, I found myself using the .45 Witness over my 9mm CZ-75. When it really counted, I found myself going for that bigger round, even though I consider a CZ-75 a better pistol than the Tanfoglio.

Ash

[MarshallDodge]

I have not seen anyone going toward the 9mm. Springfield just released the XD in .45, Glock recently introduced the the .45 GAP, and the last gun shop I was at the customer was asking about a Para Ordnance P14 in 45ACP.

That being said, I own almost as many guns in 9mm as 45. I find myself to be more accurate with my 1911's in .45 than my 1911 in 9mm but the Sig likes 9mm ;) The 9mm is a fun round and cheap to shoot but I reload so the cost difference is minimal.

I feel comfortable carrying my Kahr E9 in 9mm with some hot hollowpoints but after seeing the damage a 45 can inflict I usually carry a 1911 in .45 :cool:

[ARTiger]

Maybe the ban sent a few toward a larger caliber since 10 +1 was all that was available. I think it helped the .45 ACP as well as the newer calibers in between see more popularity. With the hi-cap mags back in play I know I'm looking for another 9. The .45 is still my favorite autoloader round, but the 9 has a lot of uses.

[cookekdjr]

bought my first 9mm a couple months ago when I got a G19. Chose it over the g23 b/c ammo is cheaper, amd there are so many different loadings available. Then I tarted getting free ammo from my LEO buddies at the range, and found I could get .40 just as cheap ("free" is the same price regardless of caliber ;) ).
Anyway, it turns out I shoot the G19 better than any auto pistol I've shot before, so I'm keeping it. +p+ loads run through it like butter, and I can hit with it. A G23 would be nice, but with the loads I'm shooting through the G19, I don't really need a larger caliber.
-David

[CAnnoneer]

I am a 9mm guy through and through. The pragmatic reasons were given above by other posters. I don't buy any of the .40 and .45 propaganda.

[S&W10mm]

NOT from what I'm seeing a local Gun Shows! Looks Like the 40 is TOPS, second is the 45 and way down the list is the 9MM!

[BullfrogKen]

That >10 mag ban had unintended consequences. There was a surge in manufacturing smaller pistols in larger calibers. Whether that trend will continue over the next 10 years, or a move back to manufacturers stuffing lots of 9's in a big gun we'll have to wait and see.

Remember though, many states decided to enact their own magazine capacity limits, so while the fed statute sunsetted, those are still very much in effect, and like CA emissions affects the car industry nationwide, so will the laws of a few states. The shop making the gun doesn't know where it will ultimately sell.

All of you who are taking the podium to talk about not liking the 9mm because you like your 1911s. . . .You know that the 1911 was, and still is by a few makers, chambered in 9mm.

The 38 Super goes back a long time, too. I wonder if that round will ever see the attention it once got. Might have to start a new thread on that one. With the race to get good ballistics out of 9mm size stuff, like that timebomb the 357Sig, the 38 Super was kicking "magnum league" butt for a long time. If I remember history right, it was the most powerful smokeless powder handgun cartridge for what, 20 or 30 years, up until the .357? The old percussion Colt Walker .44 black powder hogleg reigned king of power until the .44 magnum came along to topple it.

[distra]

I just bought my first 9mm pistol this week, OD green XD9. I have never thought anything bad about 9mm. The ammo is cheaper (main reason I bought it) and I can use the same platform as a XD45 for practice. I still prefer the .45 for carry, but I would not feel "under gunned" carry a 9mm. As a matter of fact, I'm encouraging my wife to get either XD9SC or H&K USP 9mm compact for her carry.

[Nematocyst]

I'm not moving back to 9mm--I never left.Ditto that.

My first handgun was a .38 spl. (Taurus)

It was replaced by 9mm pistol, and that was replaced by my current pistol: K9.

For me, there is no better pistol now.

Back up? SW 642.

Given a choice, I'll take the 9 every time.
(At least until we add long guns.
Then, my choice is 870P in 12.)

Nem

[rbernie]

And I think that's all good - y'all move back to 9mm and sell me your 45ACP 1911s real cheap now, OK?

:D

[shield20]

When LE started leaving the 9mm in droves, it was due to its ineffectiveness. While the ban may have helped civilians again see an advantage in capacity vs caliber, I believe LE will still keep moving away from it - I think many just don't trust it. True that modern bullet designs have helped close the gap, but an extra round of 9mm doesn't make up for its smaller size, cost isn't as big an issue, and they are not looking for a compact duty gun that would justify "smaller" as in CCW. Its mostly about confidence in what we carry - and .40 gives me that over the 9mm.

[silverlance]

I love the 9mm, for allt he reasons above - cost, capacity (as soon as i find my grandfathered magazines), and rapid-fire ease.

the 40? it's great, too. very accurate. wwb .40 in p229, i'm just as good as with my 9 in p228. dead center at 15 yards, both eyes open, not even holding breath. you're familiar with those nra silhouette targets, yes? the ones with the black man figure in the middle, and the little black man figure at the top left? I can put 3 shots through the little black figure at 15 yards, slow fire. nothing to brag about, but although i've been shooting for 12 years, i'm not that good, either. the guns and ammo do help me make up for that deficiency.

hm. i seem to have lost my point.

ok - the 9m is great - the .40 is very very nice - given a choice of 10000 rounds of each in equally good guns, i'd not mind taking either one.

but if i had to PAY for the said 10000 rounds... well, let's see:

www.ammoman.com

$1250 for 10000 rounds of 9mm (WOLF, using cheapest denominator)
$1690 for 10000 rounds of .40sw (WOLF)

price differential of ~$440.

not that much, really, and as I said both are good, except that:

$440 = ~2500 more rounds of 9mm WOLF
or
$440 = ~price of a choice of one: used SIG, new Glock 19, new CZ75, Level II body armor, full set of blackhawk tacticool gear, or, finally, four hundred and forty Burger King Whopper Jrs (no taxes if in Oregon).

something to think about.

now what if I was well-to-do, like so many of our esteemed members of THR?

well, that's easy!

buy both.

[Dragoon44]

When LE started leaving the 9mm in droves, it was due to its ineffectiveness.

Not even remotely true, there are still some very large agencies issuing the 9mm and those agencies have had quite a bit of experience with the 9mm in shootings, and see no reason to move away from it. The move to the .40 was not becaue the 9mm was ineffective it was because it was trendy and the FBI went to it.

Its mostly about confidence in what we carry - and .40 gives me that over the 9mm.

There is no real world advantage of the .40 over the 9mm. if you want to believe there is that's fine. but it is just an example of perception dictating reality rather than fact dictating reality.

[duncan]

Some rounds like Powermax use a SGD 115 grain bullet and get it doing 500 FPE out of a Glock 17. Or a 124 grainer doing 465 FPE.

Ouch and I'm glad I'm on the other end.

9mm has come a long way.

Hydrashoks, Golden Sabres, Gold Dots, Rangers, it's all good - just practice.

[duncan]

40Sw is a great ground. But as to accuracy, I'm still looking at all of my targets and thinking 9mm and 45 ACP have an edge accuracy wise.

40SW is a great self defense round though.

[Edmond]

The move to the .40 was not becaue the 9mm was ineffective it was because it was trendy and the FBI went to it.

That's just like the whole Glock perfection phenomena. People think that because a LE agency uses it, it must be the best thing out there. That's not entirely true because when you're dealing with a tight budget (which most LE agencies are) and possibly hundreds of officers, the money adds up. The guns were probably almost given to LE agencies in .40 and that sparked interest in the self defense field.

I rarely see people shoot .40 at IDPA, it's usually .45 or 9mm.

Personally, I do not think the .40 has an advantage over the 9mm. The costs of more muzzle flip, higher cost of shooting, a bulkier weapon and reduced capacity would not outweigh the benefits of carrying 9mm, where I can have quicker follow up shots because of lower flip, more capacity and a lower cost of shooting. Just a few more PSI will not make me switch.

[Jamie C.]

Y'know, my grandfather used to rely on a little .32 H&R breaktop revolver for his concealed carry weapon. And it served him pretty damned well too.

Now, compared to that, the average hi-cap 9mm is pretty much a pocket-sized tactical nuclear weapon, I think.... and certainly enough for us mere mortals that aren't either L.E.O.'s or active duty military...

Sorry, but in the grand scheme of things, both a 9mm and a .45 make a pretty small hole, all things considered. So halfway between the two is still pretty insignificant. *shrug*




J.C.

[duncan]

That's just like the whole Glock perfection phenomena. People think that because a LE agency uses it, it must be the best thing out there. That's not entirely true because when you're dealing with a tight budget (which most LE agencies are) and possibly hundreds of officers, the money adds up. The guns were probably almost given to LE agencies in .40 and that sparked interest in the self defense field.

From a government contractor standpoint, Glocks are priced in the middle of the road.

With only 34 or so parts, many made out of plastic, and being easy to fix, LEAs love guns that work.

Budgets are tight but police unions push for getting good equipment and Glocks are at the top of list.

I agree with you that in order to move the 40SW round, Glock and other manufacturers have pushed the round.