CraigC
Sixgun Nut
This. The .40 and .45 have not been left out of advances in bullet technology.I agree with the above assessment.
The 9mm is less marginal than before, with the understanding that all pistol rounds, especially semi-auto rounds, are really marginal. I think .40 S&W and .45 Auto are better performers, but for less cost, easier to shoot, more rounds, etc., the 9mm gives a lot more in these other areas while not being that far behind the other rounds.
Why does everyone want to assume that if the FBI chooses it, it MUST be the best choice in terms of effectiveness? Is it just a confirmation for a decision they already made? I really don't care what the FBI does because they have considerations that the average person does not. They need standards for ALL agents to conform to. I have only myself. The fact that there are 90lb female FBI agents on the payroll is not a factor in my decision. The fact that there are FBI agents who are not shooters is also not a factor. The cost of millions of rounds of training ammo that has to fit into their massive budget is, again, not a factor. A $5 difference in the cost of a single firearm is not a factor. There is a whole slew of factors determining the FBI's choice that do not apply to the average citizen. I would no sooner let the FBI decide my chosen sidearm than I would let Congress do my financial planing.
Anything regarding hardball is irrelevant, both are dismal and neither is applicable. However, I arbitrarily dismiss any rhetoric that suggests these two bullets will yield the same terminal result.With comparable ammo 9mm and 45 ACP have always been a dead tie in performance. And within the last 100 years both have improved dramatically and are still a dead tie with comparable loads.
More oft-repeated nonsense. I have chronographed 125's at 1530fps from a 4" barrel and 1480fps from a 3" barrel. Hell, I got 1300fps from the 3" with Unique.Most people consider 357 mag shooting 125 gr bullets as the gold standard. That load is often quoted as having 1500 fps muzzle velocity. Which it will do with 6" or longer barrels. But when fired from 3-4" barrels commonly seen on most revolvers 1200-1300 fps is what you'll see. On average only beating the best 9mm loads by 50 fps or even less.
I beg to differ. They can and often do. Especially when they're specifically designed to expand. This one is merely a softer hard cast SWC.A cast bullet will NOT expand. A HST will. Heavy clothing can clog the expansion potential of most hollow point rounds. Which is why the IWBA standard for ballistic testing is 4 layers of denim.