The Religion of the .45, 9mm is the Devil!

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SalchaketJoe

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I grew up in a strictly .45ACP household. Time after time my father would expound upon the greatness and superiority of the .45 over the wimpy little 9mm. How men had been rolled over after taking say, a hit to the thumb with the old 45, and how others had absorbed multiple strikes from a 9mm only to eventually lay down and bleed out.

SO fast forward to now. I am in the market for a pistol. Have owned a few different .45s over the years. A 40 S&W. But now I want a pistol to do a lot of shooting/practice, and be the occasional carry piece. I am looking at the CZ75 Compact, Glock 19, S&W M&P 9mm and .45. I am on a budget, so the lower priced ammo of the 9mm is looking mighty tempting. But, I cant pull the trigger. Cant bring myself to get a 9mm. I want to come around. I remember the FBI Miami shootout, the US soldier in Iraq who stopped a point blank 9mm shot with his front tooth. The Countless accounts of battles where the 9mm failed. I think maybe just getting all this out will help convince me that at least for range time, the 9mm is the way to go. I can work on getting a nice .45 later, and then dad will be happy.

Now as I type this rant, I have a Ruger LCP on me. I know its a 9mm. But its not THE 9mm. And I carry this for its convienence and ability to conceal in just about anything.

I wonder, has anyone else had this irrational (maybe) phobia of the 9mm?
 
I believe that shot that was caught in the teeth was a richocet if it's the incident I remember.

I would suggest you get a 9mm in the same platform you intend to get the .45 in, that way you can build muscle memory that will transform to your carry weapon.

What ever your choice is then practice, practice and practice some more until it becomes second nature to present your firearm from concealment and be able to hit what you are shooting at.

Without getting into the caliber war again remember, shot placement is the key. A 9mm through the heart is better than a .45 through the arm.
 
+P 9mm is very potent. MOST 9mm self defense ammunition is very potent. You are not under armed with a 9mm. Besides, It REALLY is fun to shoot, and 9mm is so much less expensive than 45acp. If you grew up shooting 357 mag you'd find 45 acp lacking. If you want a great bullet which is still pretty cheap from Wal-mart - go with 40 cal. It's big and hits hard.

But seriously, I have most handgun calibers, and the 9mm is my favorite and never feel undergunned when i'm carrying one of them.
 
Even though my first handgun was a 1911 and my second one was too, I lean towards the 9mm for protection and would feel comfortable with it as a LEO as well.

I really like the pistols the 9mm is chambered in mainly. HK P7, BHP, CZ 75 to name a few. I know each of these also comes in 40 but the gun has to be redesigned and the balance and handling are thrown off.
 
Given the quality of today's SD ammo it is hard to make the case that the 9mm is an underperformer. If you are stuck using ball ammo, it might be truer. It is like all things in life - there are trade-offs involved.
 
I went from carrying a 1911 to an XD 45 compact. I love the .45ACP.

...and then, I bought a Glock 19. That gun just does it for me, I carry it every day, and I've never felt undergunned with it.
 
I know there is nothing wrong with the 9mm. But, as I ranted, it sort of feels wrong, its like changing religions. I will likely be getting n M&P in 9mm. Then down the road, get a M&P in 45.
 
It's kinda like going swimming in the cold - you need to just hold your breath and jump. Once you get one, you will likely start to appreciate it for what it is. I use 9mm mainly as a pocket gun (KT PF-9) when I don't want to carry my 1911. I don't feel too undergunned.

You'll really appreciate it when you get lucky and find some ball ammo on the shelf at Wal-Mart for $9.47.
 
Sometimes walmart has 9mm for 7.99 to 8.99 per box. That's when you know you've made a good move. Once - i found a box of 100 WWB 45 JHP at walmart for 20 bucks. That's a steal. Those went through my 1911 like epsom salts through a widow woman (or something like that). I like shooting all my pistols and revolvers if I get a great ammo deal.
 
Sometimes walmart has 9mm for 7.99 to 8.99 per box. That's when you know you've made a good move.
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If your gun is a toy, then that's true.

If it's for self-defense, then there are other criteria for choosing a caliber. Sometimes 9mm makes the most sense. It's not going to hit as hard as a 230 grain .45, but "hardest hitting" isn't the only criterion that matters. Otherwise, the .50AE would be the only pistol round to get. Furthermore, I see no sense in a 180 grain .45 myself -- might as well get a 9mm and save the space and weight.

Personally, I prefer a .45 for SD, but only when weight and size don't matter. It's not a religion, either way. It's a choice.
 
RE: Shot placement is all important be it 9 or .22 or .380. Using hi cap mags you'll be OK, just keep shooting until the threat is neutralized. One .45 in a limb or center of mass and it's over.
 
I remember the FBI Miami shootout,

The FBI's performance in the Miami shootout was due to more to poor tactics than calibers. The agent who ended the fight used...what's this...a 38 special!

Buy a 9mm and get over it.
 
Speer Gold dot +p 9mm ammo advertises 1220 FPS with a 124 gn bullet. That seems about as good as anything else out there suitable for self defense.
 
If it is the cost of ammo that is making you stray from .45 then take that 500 dollars and invest in a reloader.

Otherwise, get over it and buy a 9mm with and ammo from a respected company. I second speer gold dots, but there are many choices.
 
I remember the FBI Miami shootout, the US soldier in Iraq who stopped a point blank 9mm shot with his front tooth.
Click to expand...

The FBI agents were also going up against two guys who were armed with a 12 gauge, and a mini 14. One of the agents lost his .357 magnum during fiasco, so his "one shot wonder" did him no good. So if you're thinking about apprehending two well armed, violent suspect, maybe bring a little more than a handgun, otherwise I can't imagine a few 9mm SD rounds won't do enough to stop someone

And a soldier may have survived the 9mm with his tooth, but one incident doesn't really mean much when you consider the amount of 9mm pistols and submachine guns present today and in history. Also the military uses pretty sub-par 9mm ammo compared to what you can buy as a civilian. Get good HP ammo and you will easily outperform any 9mm bullet the military can use.
 
That seems about as good as anything else out there suitable for self defense.
Click to expand...

HERE is a religious belief: "200 more FPS makes the bullet work just like one that weighs twice as much!"

Don't try to talk anyone out of their ft-lb. faith, though.
 
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