Reluctantly I feel I must chime in here. First off, S&W auto loaders are the equal of anything that came out of Europe. Secondly, though I am not a doctor, I firmly believe that someone shot and killed by a 9mm is just as dead as someone shot and killed by a larger caliber handgun round. 9mm is one of the most efficient cartridges out there. It packs enough energy and in a very compact package. Its main competitors in auto loading pistols are 45 acp and 40 sw. Both great cartridges in there own right but in different ways. 40 sw is very hard on pistols. Most 40 sw pistols are just hogged out 9mm guns. 45's tend to be bigger with less capacity. All require you to place accurate fire on your target in order to do the job they were intended to do. Lastly, I love my 639!