why is a 9 millimeter considered a "low caliber" gun?

[AsianDragonPower]

then whats a high caliber gun? a fully automatic handgun?

 

[Solo]

The distinction is rather arbitrary, yes.

 

[Sunray]

Calibre is a measurement. Technically the diameter of the inside of a tube. However, the 9mm is considered to be low calibre when compared to a .40 calibre or larger bullet. However, it's mostly because it wasn't invented in the U.S. and certain prominent gun rag writers have decided the 9mm is no good for anything. Despite the number of Allied troopies, et al who ended up in the cemetaries in Europe.

 

[AsianDragonPower]

Calibre is a measurement. Technically the diameter of the inside of a tube. However, the 9mm is considered to be low calibre when compared to a .40 calibre or larger bullet. However, it's mostly because it wasn't invented in the U.S. and certain prominent gun rag writers have decided the 9mm is no good for anything. Despite the number of Allied troopies, et al who ended up in the cemetaries in Europe.

then what is a high caliber handgun

i always thought 9 millis were good

 

[AStone]

i always thought 9 millis were good

ADP, seeing that you're relatively new here, may I suggest that you examine several of the 13.57 quadrillion threads on THR about the 'goodness' of 9mm compared to, say, .45 ACP?

IMO, 9mm is excellent.

But at least 2 on this forum don't agree with me.



Welcome to the argument.

Nem

 

[Mad Chemist]

The most common SD/duty handgun calibers (9mm-.45acp) when loaded with quality JHP ammo don't demonstrate a significant difference in wounding potential and terminal ballistics. They are all small potatoes when compared to centerfire rifles.

Shot placement is the key. It doesn't matter how great a bullet is if you can't put it where you intend it to go.

Arguably, anything from .38spl on up is suitable for SD.
IMO, finding a handgun that fits you hand well, shoots well for you, and functions reliably for you, are the MOST important factors for weapon selection. These factors vary for each individual shooter. Some like 9mm, some like .45, so what. Find what works for you and practice practice practice.
Practice:
dry firing
draw stroke
rapid fire
sighted fire
ECQ
weapon retention........once your're comfortable with these aspects there are even further skills to pursue.

My $.02 for what it's worth, hope this helps.
JH

 

[AStone]

MC, excellent suggestions.
Thanks for the reminder.

Nem

 

[Mad Chemist]

Thanks Nem.
Just trying to nip this one in the bud before it became another ridiculously long 9 vs .45 thread.:banghead:
ADP, a high caliber is one that's being carried by a Jamaican gangsta.

 

[AStone]

Just trying to nip this one in the bud before it became another ridiculously long 9 vs .45 thread.:banghead:

Don't know if you've seen this parody of one of those yet. Worth the read.

ADP, a high caliber is one that's being carried by a Jamaican gangsta.

<msecs pass before realization of the joke, followed by grin, chuckling & low, rolling restrained laugh>

 

[Phyphor]

The most common SD/duty handgun calibers (9mm-.45acp) when loaded with quality JHP ammo don't demonstrate a significant difference in wounding potential and terminal ballistics. They are all small potatoes when compared to centerfire rifles.

Shot placement is the key. It doesn't matter how great a bullet is if you can't put it where you intend it to go.

Arguably, anything from .38spl on up is suitable for SD.
IMO, finding a handgun that fits you hand well, shoots well for you, and functions reliably for you, are the MOST important factors for weapon selection. These factors vary for each individual shooter. Some like 9mm, some like .45, so what. Find what works for you and practice practice practice.
Practice:
dry firing
draw stroke
rapid fire
sighted fire
ECQ
weapon retention........once your're comfortable with these aspects there are even further skills to pursue.

My $.02 for what it's worth, hope this helps.
JH

Holy crap.

There it is, completely boiled down.

My personal pistol is a Glock 19, it rides the best in my hand, and I trust the caliber,

I do own a 1911, but I just can't get the same results...

And to be honest, I don't feel any fear that the 9 will fail me

 

[UWstudent]

what is 9mm? like .355 or something? it isn't really a low caliber for instance like a .22, but it's probably one of the LOWER calibers for self defense. and 22's 25's and 32's are NOT good self defense guns, in my opinion of course. so when we look at the calibers for SD 9mm would rank lower when compared to .357's .380's, .40's, .41's, 10mm's, .44's, .45's, .50's.

go shoot 9mms and 45's. see which one suits you. or be like me, get both.

 

[Mal H]

"why is a 9 millimeter considered a "low caliber" gun?"

It's not as far as I know. Never heard it called that.

 

[robert garner]

BECAUSE!!!!

John Wayne and the US calvary,the Doughboys; and GI Joes all carry
.45's like good Americans everywhere.

 

[1911 guy]

Caliber, power and rate of fire

As mentioned, caliber is the diameter of the bullet and bore of the pistol. Actual bullet dia, is a few thousandths of an inch larger to allow gas seal to propel the bullet rather than the gas leaking around it, but you get the idea. Power is a very subjective thing, as it is a combination of several things, namely weight of the projectile (bullet) and velocity (speed of the bullet). I personally use a .45 ACP, but wouldn't feel too undergunned with a good 9mm. To put things in perspective, the century plus old 30-30 winchester delivers more energy (power, if you want to stick to the term of the original question) than the .44 magnum, from the 1950's. Bottom line, if you know you're going to a gunfight, take a rifle. Handguns are what we carry out of convenience. As far as a fully automatic being more powerful, not true. Every shot is the same bullet weight traveling at the same velocity as a bullet from the same caliber semi-auto firearm.

 

[possum]

There have been major advancements in the making of all bullets no matter what the caliber and 9mm has had great advances over time! BUt like they said above shot placement is key, not to wound, but to eliminate the threat! remember that and you will be good with a rock!

 

[Onmilo]

Here we go again!
And again I make the offer to all those who want to claim a 'big' caliber is better than a 'small' caliber or vice-versa.

Stand down range and I will shoot you in the right arm with a .45 acp and I will shoot you in the left arm with a 9mm and then you can tell us all, conclusively, which one hurt more!

By the way, I consider the .38/9mm firearms to be 'large bore' weapons.

.22s and .32s are 'small bore'.

 

[MCgunner]

so when we look at the calibers for SD 9mm would rank lower when compared to .357's .380's, .40's, .41's, 10mm's, .44's, .45's, .50's.

Well, I'm with you here partially. But, where did .380 become more powerful than 9mm????? I'm assuming that's a brain fart.

In actual energy on target, the 9 equals the .45ACP and the velocity being greater, there's a better shot at bullet expansion which is important in terminal ballistics. But, in actual bullet diameter, it is one tenth of an inch smaller.

The .380 ACP is a castrated 9mm. Same bullet diameter, lighter bullet weight usually, and half the energy due to the lower working pressures.

 

[browningguy]

I've never heard it called a "low caliber" either. However it is generally a "minor power factor" in pistol games.

In IPSC/IDPA they have/had a distinction between "major PF" and "minor PF", I don't keep up with all the current rules but generally you could not make "major" with the 9x19 (by whatever name you want to call it). So guy's went to a hot rodded .38 Super/9x21/9x23/.40/.45 to make major PF, it effects the scoring.

I just show up and shoot my Brownings in .40 S&W so I don't have to worry about it.

 

[AZ Jeff]

There is a misuse of terms throughout this thread, and it's probably because the original poster took his terms from popular media & culture.

When speaking of "caliber", we are speaking of "bore size", and the proper terms are "SMALL" and "LARGE", NOT "high" and "low".

When speaking of cartridge power (and the firearm that fires that cartridge), the proper terms are "HIGH" and "LOW", NOT "small" or "large".

One can have a "small caliber" rifle that fires a "high power" cartridge. One CANNOT have a "high caliber" rifle, but one CAN have a "LARGE caliber" rifle.

The media CONSTANTLY uses these terms incorrectly, and this needs clarification.

BTW, I don't consider a 9mm pistol a "small caliber" handgun. Small calibers in handguns generally refers to those having bore diameters of .32 or less.

 

[sixtyKaday]

9mm is OK, but its a lot better out of a .357 SIG.

 

[UWstudent]

i still believe 9mm is a smaller bore size in reference for self defense. we're putting 9mm on the caliber chart and its obvious it lays in the middle somewhere, but its obvious this kid went into a gun store and asked something about the effectiveness of 9mm and shooting somebody and the clerk apparently replied that its a smaller caliber, IN REFERENCE to self defence, of course. i would never use anything under a 380 for self defense, because unless u had unimaginable shooting skills.. you could shoot someone with a .22 and they can drive themselves to the hospital and be released the next day (true story actually). but thats an entirely another topic..

 

[KriegHund]

If its below .45 its low power

Actually it seems to be more of wether its measured in milimeters or inches.
A slight (and somewhat isignificant) bias against the europeans.

 

[CAnnoneer]

My 9mm is considered "low caliber"? First time I hear.

<sarcasm on>
Of course, everybody knows that everything below .69 or even .75 is "low caliber" that only angers the bad guy, except for maybe marksman's shot placement. After all, those are what the founding fathers used...
<sarcasm off>

 

[procomps]

what is 9mm? like .355 or something? it isn't really a low caliber for instance like a .22, but it's probably one of the LOWER calibers for self defense. and 22's 25's and 32's are NOT good self defense guns, in my opinion of course. so when we look at the calibers for SD 9mm would rank lower when compared to .357's .380's, .40's, .41's, 10mm's, .44's, .45's, .50's.

go shoot 9mms and 45's. see which one suits you. or be like me, get both.

One obvious mistake in your list is putting the .380 higher than the 9mm. Actually, the .380 is a 9x17 (9mm "Kurtz", German for "short") while the 9mm Luger is 9x19. Powerwise, many consider the .380 is minimal for SD, then .38spl, 9mm Luger <=> .38+P, .357, and .357 Sig. Note all these are the same diameter bullets within a very few thousandths. (Forgot the 9x18 Makorov, usually between the .380 and the .38spl, depending on the load)

 

[JohnKSa]

Caliber has several meanings related to firearms.

1. It is a measure of the diameter of an unfired bullet.
2. It is the NAME of a specific cartridge or chambering.
3. It is sometimes used as a rough way to describe the "power" of a firearm.

Ok, here are the problems with understanding what "caliber" means.

The number (say 9mm or .380) that is SUPPOSED to refer to the diameter of the bullet is often NOT really the diameter of the bullet. It's close, but often not exactly right for various reasons.

For example, the bullet diameter of the 9mm Luger is actually closer to 9.02mm, and the .380 ACP bullet is actually .355" in diameter, not .380" in diameter.

The NAME of a cartridge made to fit a particular firearm (which is sometimes referred to as the caliber of the firearm) contains the rough diameter of the round (which isn't always exactly correct as mentioned) but it also contains other information which may or may not be useful in any particular way. Also, there can be more than one name for a cartridge.

For example, the 45/70 caliber has a .458" diameter bullet (that's the 45 part) and used to be loaded with 70 grains of black powder. (A grain is a measure of weight--there are 7000 grains in a pound, 437.5 grains in an ounce.) These days, the 45/70 isn't often loaded with black powder, but the name stuck, and is used to identify it specifically in spite of the fact that neither of the numbers in the name are particularly relevant anymore.

As another example, the cartridge commonly called the 9mm Luger is also called the 9mm Parabellum or the 9x19mm. The .380ACP is also called the 9mm Browning and the 9mm Kurz.

Finally, when caliber is used as a rough description of the power of a round, it's only very general. As a rule, as a bullet goes faster and gets bigger and heavier, it tends to do more damage. Some people think that the bullet speed is more important than the bullet size/weight, and some think just the opposite.