Its just more of 2 schools of thought. I would STRONGLY SUGGEST if any of you unfortunately must use your firearm, that you shoot a liberal amount of shots. At the end of the day, handgun rounds really aren't man stoppers (there are some that work better than others, yes, but are less practical).
I am a HUGE fan of the 1911 platform. But I also see the disadvantage of the capacity limit. You gain bigger holes, but limit yourself to 8 or 9 rounds. For a lone mugger 3 feet away in a parking lot, this may be ample. If someone kicks in your door in the middle of the night and you grab your gun and take a defensive position, you're going to wish that magazine held at least 10 more.
Even top shots will be better off with 4-5 rounds per threat, so if a small group of BGs attack, those get ate up quick. A spare mag (essential IMO) helps, but remember the huge adrenaline rush may compramise the reload, especially without training. Which leads to the biggest advantage for CCWs buying 9mm, price / availibility of ammo. Training is far more important than any weapon / caliber.
If you are a confident shooter who has trained and practiced emergency drills, then by all means go .45acp. I never hesitate to carry .45 but I don't think its an ideal round for people new to shooting/CCW. I also think 99% of new shooters/CCW permit holders would be best served by a high capacity Double action only style 9mm service pistol.
But again, this is just my $0.02 and what I've picked up overtime. Get what you are most comfortable with and shoot the living hell out of it! Know your weapon system, in and out, pros and cons...
YMMV
Steve
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