[Dragonboy]

here's a quite possibly "dumb" question for all you gun guys (and gals)

does a 9mm handgun cartridge have the ... I don't know what you call it, but for the sake of argument, "stopping power" to put down a human adversary?

[ihopewewin]

Yes of course it can kill a human. But then so can a well placed shot from a strong .22 air rifle. I smell a caliber war coming on.... :D

[Black Majik]

I'm just gonna answer with, "yes."

[jwr_747]

as old as this question is,and as long as it's been debated the answer is yes. BUT,depends on where he/she is hit.a .22 hit in the spinal column will do the job. a 9mm to the brain will do the job.a 9mm to the fleshy part of the shoulder won't.the "one shot one kill" is the dream of snipers.the one shot kill from a pistol is a "hope for the best". jwr

[Dragonboy]

so basically in a "keep shooting 'till the ther guy is dead" scenario, shot placement and mag capacity are going to make more difference than caliber?

[Javelin]

Heck yes it does. Any center-fire cartridge has the power to put down a two legged vermin. And yes obviously so does a .22 LR if placed well enough (though I wouldnt use it for protection).

The 9mm is very powerful with decent penetration.

[Javelin]

Double Post?

:)

[CB900F]

Dragonboy;

Do keep in mind though that the 9mm Parabellum was an official military handgun round of Germany in both world wars. As such, it could easily be argued that the 9mm Parabellum, or Luger, or 9 X 19, has killed more people than any other pistol cartridge.

A large part of that argument would be based on the cartridge's subsequent use as an SMG cartridge. Remember, the 9mm was developed as a handgun cartridge & is legitimately referred to as such, but it's use extends to the Schmeisser, Uzi, Sten, H&K MP5, and beyond.

It's a deadly little number indeed.

900F

[Vern Humphrey]

it could easily be argued that the 9mm Parabellum, or Luger, or 9 X 19, has killed more people than any other pistol cartridge.
I assume that's counting execution-style killings associated with some of the more sordid German operations in WWII.

The .45 ACP was used in the Philippines (baptism of fire at Bag Sak Mountain in 1913), at Veracruz in 1914, in Haiti in 1915, in the Mexical Punitive Expedition in 1916, in WWI, in the "Banana Wars" of the '20s and '30s, in WWII -- in all theaters -- in Korea, in Viet Nam, and rode in many a holster in Desert Storm.

[cambeul41]

... especially with +p ammo.

[Snarlingiron]

At the risk of political incorrectness...Virginia Tech tell you anything?

[Dragonboy]

good point.

guy shoots up a school with what? a .22 and a 9 mil? and here we are discussing stopping power?

[CPLofMARINES]

The answer to your question is, YES! The famed FBI/Chicago load
in .38Spl. has 278 ft. lbs. of energy. Win. SilverTip 9mm 115 grn. has
383 ft. lbs. of energy. Speer Golddot and Corbon +P in 124 grn. and 125
grn. respectively are near or equal to .40 S&W. Terminal performance
of bullets today are much better than twenty years ago.


Semper Fi!

[mljdeckard]

No pistol cartridge is adequate for personal defense. The most common response when a person is shot with a handgun is to RUN AWAY. They all suck. Using a pistol for personal defense is picking the one that sucks the least. We use handguns because the vast majority of the time, it isn't feasible to carry a long gun everywhere.

Having said that, just for fun, run a search for threads in here (some moderator nazi will probably yell at you for asking this question without looking through other threads first,) and see that we have been arguing about this for the last 100 years. (Literally.)

Remember that the original 9mm Luger pistol was actually chambered in a smaller, bottle-necked 7.65 mm. When the U.S. Cavalry tested it, they wanted to see a bigger round. (They were carrying revolvers in .38 and .44 caliber at the time. So, they tested the same pistol in a shorter, rimless .38. (Actually .355, but that's another endless argument.) America bought the 1911 (.45 ACP) instead. Germany fielded the Luger and later the Walther P-38 also in 9mm.

Any defensive round, 9mm or larger, WHEN USING GOOD JHP (jacketed hollow-point) AMMO, will do the job. Splitting hairs and measuring stoppage percentages has little to do with real life. I USED to draw the line at .380, (which is a 9mm just a touch shorter and less powerful) because some people want or need very small pistols. But now, since you can get fantastic sub-compact pistols in 9mm, .40, .357 Sig, .45 ACP, or .45 GAP, just to name a few, I really can't see where a .380 is the 'best' choice in any category.

I am issued a 9mm pistol for duty, and my main problem with it is, we are issued a terrible load for it. (115 gr, fmj, 'full metal jacket') When comparing effectiveness between pistol loads, it's pretty much at the bottom of the list. By comparison, PLENTY of lives have been saved by 230 gr .45 ACP in FMJ. Much larger bullet, much lower velocity. As a civilian, I carry a 1911 with 230 gr, premium jhp ammo. When the choice is yours to make, you should give yourself every possible advantage.

I tell my friends, buy a 9mm if you want to. (Higher capacity, lower recoil, cheaper ammo.) THEN, take it to the range, get some instruction, shoot at least 1000 rounds through it, (including 200 rounds of the load you plan on using for defense,) and make sure you really know how to use it. THIS is the part that saves your life, not .45 vs 9mm.

[Brian Williams]

Yes!

[jdorian]

9mm is good enough for self defense, especially with the right ammo. I would carry a 9mm without hesitation.

[gcrookston]

Yes, I would say. I'm staying far away from this caliber war. I like the nine, and carry one CCW.

[The Lone Haranguer]

With JHP ammunition - and within the limits of all handgun cartridges - I believe so.

[jpwilly]

Here we are again...why oh why???

[Snarlingiron]

I tell my friends, buy a 9mm if you want to. (Higher capacity, lower recoil, cheaper ammo.) THEN, take it to the range, get some instruction, shoot at least 1000 rounds through it, (including 200 rounds of the load you plan on using for defense,) and make sure you really know how to use it. THIS is the part that saves your life, not .45 vs 9mm.

Well spoken my friend!!

A big part of my decision to go 9mm was that I can afford to shoot it as much as I want to, and I shoot a lot.

[Dragonboy]

In response to the guy that says I'll have the nazi moderator come after me, I always have the nazi mod after me *evil laugh*

[akodo]

so basically in a "keep shooting 'till the ther guy is dead" scenario, shot placement and mag capacity are going to make more difference than caliber?

I'd say shot placement, caliber, and finally magazine capacity