Out of all of em' 9mm is hard to beat.

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If all else were equal between 9mm and .45acp I'd still choose .45 for one main reason: my confidence in cheap .45acp hardball ammo still having a high probability of ending a threat as compared to cheap 9mm hardball.
 
I don't carry ball even in .45. .45 ball is pretty pathetic even if it might beat 9mm. Were I not to carry JHP in .45, I'd carry my cast 200 grain SWCs at about 950 fps. Big, flat nose on that one with rounded edges so as it will feed in 1911s.

But, I really prefer Speer 200 grain JHPs.
 
All of this palaver about the 9mm reminds me of the ad that Ruger published when first introducing the Blackhawk Convertible .357/9mm.

Ruger's ad was to the effect "There is no where in the world one can go and not be able to find ammunition."

If memory serves me correctly (it was a long time back!) cartridges listed were: .38 Short Colt, .38 Long Colt, .38 Special, .357 Magnum, 9mm Glisenti, and 9mm Luger. Someone (maybe I) suggested even .35 Winchester Self Loading. This given for someone really desperate for ammunition.

Bob Wright
 
You may not normally carry hardball, but I would bet that, like me, you have more hardball on-hand than you do premium defense rounds. So what happens in the event you run out of premium rounds and can't just run to the store and buy some more (or sit down and load up a bunch of hand loads)? Yep, you're gonna have to dip into the hardball. ;-)
 
Like most people posting here I have multiple calibers.
I have more pistols in 22 LR than any other caliber.
9 MM is second.
.38/.357 is third.
9x18 is fourth.
.380 is fifth.
.45 is sixth.
One in .40
One in .44 mag
Several other "oddball" revolvers.
I shoot 9mm 10 to 1 on the centerfire. Cheaper range ammo is the main reason. I do reload some of the pistol calibers but not enough to make it really cost effective so I still buy a lot of factory ammo. I have a LOT of brass.
Like most people I have never used a gun in SD so "stopping power" and "terminable ballistics" and "energy dump" are just talking points. Sort of like the NCAA Football rankings in pre season they give us something to talk about. I think that ANY of the major SD calibers, from .380 (GASP) up to .45, will do the job as often as not and that ANY of them can fail on occasion. Bigger holes, more holes, energy dump, etc are all great things to discuss but we all have our own preferences based on some attribute of a caliber that we feel makes it "the best" caliber.
I carry 9mm.
My truck pistol is a Makarov.
The most fun to shoot is either the PMR-30 in 22 mag or a 1911 in .45 or the 8" .44 mag based on how I feel that day. The CZ 75B is probably my favorite 9mm that I own.
 
I have a lot of different calibers, and they all are fun & useful. I agree with the OP about 9mm, though.. it is probably the best all around caliber for SD, CC, plinking, cost, ballistics, bang for the buck, & just about every other parameter. IF someone tells me they want to buy a gun, i usually steer them to a 9mm auto, or if they are real newbies, a 38 revolver. For a personal firearm, i think those are better, overall, than a shotgun or rifle, but of course, you should have those, too.
 
jrdolall said:
Like most people posting here I have multiple calibers.
I have more pistols in 22 LR than any other caliber.
9 MM is second.
.38/.357 is third.
9x18 is fourth.
.380 is fifth.
.45 is sixth.
One in .40
One in .44 mag
Several other "oddball" revolvers.
I shoot 9mm 10 to 1 on the centerfire. Cheaper range ammo is the main reason. I do reload some of the pistol calibers but not enough to make it really cost effective so I still buy a lot of factory ammo. I have a LOT of brass.
Like most people I have never used a gun in SD so "stopping power" and "terminable ballistics" and "energy dump" are just talking points. Sort of like the NCAA Football rankings in pre season they give us something to talk about. I think that ANY of the major SD calibers, from .380 (GASP) up to .45, will do the job as often as not and that ANY of them can fail on occasion. Bigger holes, more holes, energy dump, etc are all great things to discuss but we all have our own preferences based on some attribute of a caliber that we feel makes it "the best" caliber.
I carry 9mm.
My truck pistol is a Makarov.
The most fun to shoot is either the PMR-30 in 22 mag or a 1911 in .45 or the 8" .44 mag based on how I feel that day. The CZ 75B is probably my favorite 9mm that I own.
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good post. I don't have 380 or 40, but plenty of the others. I probably enjoy range shooting 45 & 357/38 the most, but i go through binges of certain calibers. I was on a 45acp binge for a while last year, then got into 45 colt when i picked up the new redhawk 45acp/45colt.
 
Excluding NATO standardization, who is really going to pick 9mm over 40sw/45acp if cost, capacity, weight, gun size and recoil were the same, or if none of those considerations mattered?
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I would. I've owned a few 40 sw's.. and I dont mind shooting them, I only own 9mm's now. Now to plays devils advocate.. if recoil was identical, then it'd have same energy as well. Same energy spread over larger projectiles would mean less penetration and more energy dump into the target, so there would still be trade offs and things to consider ;)
 
You may not normally carry hardball, but I would bet that, like me, you have more hardball on-hand than you do premium defense rounds. So what happens in the event you run out of premium rounds and can't just run to the store and buy some more (or sit down and load up a bunch of hand loads)? Yep, you're gonna have to dip into the hardball.
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You would lose your bet...pay up. :D I have about 75 rounds of carry ammo loaded and about 700 rounds of cast 200 grain SWC over 5.0 grains Bullseye. I have less than 100 rounds of ball that I bought because it's nearly as cheap as brass and I need the brass, only reason I bought it. I almost screwed up, didn't know federal uses small pistol primers in some of their stuff. Fortunately, the rounds I bought have large pistol primers in 'em. I won't buy Federal anymore, stick to Winchester or Remington or just buy brass.

In 9x19, I buy WWB for brass. I'll buy a few boxes of steel case now and then to practice with my autoloaders, but I shoot reloads only in my .357/9mm Blackhawk convertible. My carry in 9mm is a +P load using a 115 grain Hornady XTP/JHP over a compressed load of Unique. Again, I only buy the factory stuff for the brass except the steel cased stuff I get so I can practice knowing I don't have to look for it or spread out a tarp.

My Dillon progressive can crank out a box in 15 minutes even taking my time and checking everything. Takes me 25 minutes to drive to town to a Walmart. We have a local gun shop only 6 miles down the road, but it isn't well stocked. I usually get my primers and powder and lead for casting in El Campo, which is 45 minutes to 1 hour drive to the shop.

I just came in from my back yard range where I burned up a box of .45ACP in my 5.5" Pietta 1858 Remington with Howell .45ACP conversion cylinder) and finished a box of 50 9x19 105 grain lead SWC and a box of ball in my Blackhawk convertible. I'll get out in the shop and reload in a bit. The Lee auto indexing turret press is out right now set up for .45ACP, but it takes nothing to take that press out and install the Dillon for 9x19. :D

You see, I shun factory ammo. My ammo is a lot better, especially now days with 'em rushing production. I've heard a lot of problems on the net with WWB. Haven't seen it myself, but at least I know my ammo is going to go bang and hit where I point it.
 
Originally Posted by samweller View Post
The statement that .45acp hardball is "pathetic" is a silly one.
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Around 60 percent in Marshall/Sanow stats. Even .38 FBI loads score over 70. .45 JHP +P is up in the high 90s, but I don't load to +P levels, am quite happy pushing those Speer Flying Ashtrays (I have a stash I guard with deadly force) to 950 fps. I shoot 'em in a Ruger kP90DC and, yes, it feeds 'em 100 percent like everything else I've ever put in that gun.
 
The 9mm in terms of cost for a reasonable caliber is good. Next for me would be the .45 ACP and I find this quite fun with a higher cost per round. The most fun among mine would be the .357 mag. The cost for factory new isn't very wallet friendly and the balance seems to be the .45 ACP in my situation.
 
In many of those tests, .380's had 70 and 75% one shot stops. That's better than 9 MM and .45acp. A lot of the street results have to do with shot placement, which means that the smaller caliber is easier to aim and control for many people. I would never choose a .380 as a primary self-defense firearm. A 1911 with 230 gr. FMJ's in the hands of someone familiar with it and who is a decent shot will do the job better than 9 MM or .380. It makes a bigger hole, will penetrate or break bone, and is not deflected by clothing or buttons or such. I have had occasion to rely upon a 1911 in combat and it does exactly what it is supposed to do. That said, I carry a Browning HP 9 MM loaded with 124 gr. XTP's most days, primarily for the larger magazine capacity. However, I still carry my 1911 frequently. I like FMJ's...I guess because that is what I trained with, but they do reduce the chances of FTF's and other problems. I will not shoot plus p's in a semi-auto. I do not give a damn about ballistic gelatin tests.
 
In many of those tests, .380's had 70 and 75% one shot stops. That's better than 9 MM and .45acp. A lot of the street results have to do with shot placement, which means that the smaller caliber is easier to aim and control for many people. I would never choose a .380 as a primary self-defense firearm. A 1911 with 230 gr. FMJ's in the hands of someone familiar with it and who is a decent shot will do the job better than 9 MM or .380. It makes a bigger hole, will penetrate or break bone, and is not deflected by clothing or buttons or such. I have had occasion to rely upon a 1911 in combat and it does exactly what it is supposed to do. That said, I carry a Browning HP 9 MM loaded with 124 gr. XTP's most days, primarily for the larger magazine capacity. However, I still carry my 1911 frequently. I like FMJ's...I guess because that is what I trained with, but they do reduce the chances of FTF's and other problems. I will not shoot plus p's in a semi-auto. I do not give a damn about ballistic gelatin tests.
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Deja vu....been down this road, don't care to argue again. I do not agree with your opinion. But, your Hi Power I can agree with. :D
 
9mm, etc.

The 9mm is great. It was used effectively against the USA in WWII, so much so, that the DOD was impressed to develop a handgun, like the P-38, that inspired the creation of the S&W Model 39. This morphed into so many other 9mm's, it is too great to mention. It is hard to beat.

But, it is not all inclusive, to meet every need.

Take the hardliner S&W Model 10.

Take the 1911 admirer.

I, personally have little use for the following (but others do, and I could change my mind):

Consider the .357, .41, .44 Magnum (and others much more powerful, that suit others needs).
 
MCgunner said:
Deja vu....been down this road, don't care to argue again. I do not agree with your opinion. But, your Hi Power I can agree with. :D
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I know, Mcgunner, it is indeed an old argument. Interestingly, the 9 MM aces most of the penetration tests at longer distances than the .45 or the .38. I saw one set of results where the 9 MM FMJ was penetrating a steel helmet at 50 yds. But, penetration ain't everything (I like to have it, though). Yeah, we can agree on the BHP and 124 gr. XTP's. I feel like they are a good compromise between the lighter stuff and the 147 gr. bricks some people shoot.
 
Well, I handloaded some .45ACP and some 9x19 today, so I'm showing no bias here....:D

I'm just hoping, in all the politics going on right now concerning the second amendment, I don't start having problems finding primers. :rolleyes: I've got quite a few small and large pistol right now and a few large rifle, but I do use 'em up.
 
Folks seem to forget the reality that "bigger is better". Start with the largest diameter you can and it can only get bigger. And, even if it doesn't you'll be better off than a smaller diameter that doesn't get any bigger either.

You can shoot any substance you want. You can make any claims you want. But the only thing that really matters is what really happens when you shoot the substance that can shoot back.

There is no substitution for living flesh being acted upon by the physical and psychological stresses during a fight. True some folks just roll over, but others will not go down until the lights are turned out permanently.

You can not simulate that with any sort of inert material.
 
Can't say I have a favorite. Generally speaking, I think 9mm is about as good as it gets; but I'm not going to pretend other calibers don't have their place. Just depends what the goal is. So while I think of 9mm as a generally-optimal caliber, I can't call it a "favorite."
 
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