IF I OWN A 9MM DO I REALLY NEED TO GET A .45?

Guys, according to this expert below, if you are using a good hollow point, there is no need to go from a 9mm to a .45

If you compare a FMJ round nose, then yes .45 is preferred but for hollow points, the 9mm does almost as much damage as the .45. Do you all agree? Should I run out and buy a Glock 21 for this purpose? I like my MP Compact 9mm but was always taught that bigger is better. Which caliber would you guys choose?

9MM Vs .45ACP - Terminal Ballistics 101 - YouTube

marathonrunner said:

Should I run out and buy a Glock 21 for this purpose?

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No. You should run out and buy a 1911 pistol in .45ACP.

Everyone needs a .45!
My personal preference would be a 1911.
I don't think I've ever held, shot or seen a more reliable firearm.

Carrying one for SD or CC however, is another story altogether. The weight and size are enough to make me seek other choices.

You're going to get a lot of opinions on this one, trust me .

Personal opinion, if you have a 9 mm and you can use it effectively with a modern expanding round, you don't "need" a .45. Almost everyone here, however, passed the "need" threshold for another gun or caliber a long long time ago. Hope this is helpful.

murphydog said:

Almost everyone here, however, passed the "need" threshold for another gun or caliber a long long time ago.

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^^^^^^^^How true!^^^^^^^^

murphydog said:

Almost everyone here, however, passed the "need" threshold for another gun or caliber a long long time ago.

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Indeed! The only thing keeping me from having more guns than I do is, lack of funds to buy them.

murphydog said:

You're going to get a lot of opinions on this one, trust me .

Personal opinion, if you have a 9 mm and you can use it effectively with a modern expanding round, you don't "need" a .45. Almost everyone here, however, passed the "need" threshold for another gun or caliber a long long time ago. Hope this is helpful.

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I do agree that a good hollow point 9mm will be just as effective as a .45. I do love 1911s but I see them only for target shooting. If it was a SHTF situation, I think the 1911 would jam up after it gets dirty where a Glock or a MP won't

The answer to your question is Yes. Not only do you need a 45acp but a 40S&W, a S&W 357mag, a model 58 or 57, a model 25-2, a 25-5, a model 48, a model 29, a model 31, a model 610, a model 586 and any more the other folks can come up with.

marathonrunner said:

I do agree that a good hollow point 9mm will be just as effective as a .45. I do love 1911s but I see them only for target shooting. If it was a SHTF situation, I think the 1911 would jam up after it gets dirty where a Glock or a MP won't

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Then how the hell did we survive a couple of world wars and numerous skirmishes with the 1911?

what LadyT said.

I carry a 9c. But I love my Colt LW Commander in .45acp as well as my Star PD as well as my 625, etc.

Did you know that Sgt. Alvin York, the biggest hero of WWI, killed 6 German soldiers with his Colt 1911 .45acp after he ran out of ammo for his Enfield rifle?

NEED??? Look at the actual shooting #'s and results if you are talking about carry. I shoot the 625 and Para Carry-12 because I enjoy them. And what murphydog said. Be Safe,

marathonrunner said:

If it was a SHTF situation, I think the 1911 would jam up after it gets dirty where a Glock or a MP won't

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Oh boy! Please tell me you dindint just go there?!?!?!?!

It's like racing in a cotton teeshirt and your trainers. It's fine most of the time, but some days you just gotta wear a nice performance singlet and some lightweight racers!

moxie said:

I carry a 9c. But I love my Colt LW Commander in .45acp as well as my Star PD as well as my 625, etc.

Did you know that Sgt. Alvin York, the biggest hero of WWI, killed 6 German soldiers with his Colt 1911 .45acp after he ran out of ammo for his Enfield rifle?

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He did that with captured Lugers too. It was when they were escourting some prisoners and was when he did his MoH deed. Audie Murphy did something very similar using a Luger as well as an MG-42.

Oh and, BTW, its not necessarily a "need" but a "want" which is why I got one. Im panning on more when the financial situation changes for the better for me.

You have to have a 45 to be a true American. It's the law.

I like the .45, but I also like the 9mm and 40, too, in addition to a whole lot of revolver calibers. The reason this argument rages on forever is because they all work. Need a .45? maybe not, unless you just want one.

If you're going into combat, like most of these gurus suppose you are, every day, then there might be a argument to be made one way or the other, but then I'd choose a rifle.

Shoot your 9 and be happy.

Ahhhhh.... the great debate, on the same magnitude as which is better Ford or Chevy?.

The improvements in hollow point bullet design have made the 9mm much for effective than it was 20 years ago.

But interestingly enough, I just watched a program called "Triggers" on the Discovery Channel that chronicled the history of the Colt 1911.

When they got to the part that talked about the 1911 being replaced by the Beretta M9 in 1985, it of course included the obligatory head-to-head shoot off between the two.

The standard 9mm FMJ with the lighter bullet weight, had some difficulty with the steel reactive targets (forgot what yardage they were at), but those targets were at a distance that would be the usual in a SD situation.

They also shot up a pig carcass demonstrating the difference in exit wounds and made the conclusion that the .45acp was superior... it makes for great TV drama but proves nothing.

I subscribe to what was surmised in the results of the FBI 1989 "Handgun Wounding Factors and Effectiveness" study... that effective shot placement in a vital area is more critical than what you're shooting.

Below is an FBI analysis of a 2006 officer involved shooting that further illustrates that shot placement premise.

Warning, it has pics that are quite graphic, but the written analysis results are worth looking at, the forum software won't let me directly insert the URL so you'll have to copy/paste the link below in a browser window.

'http://info.publicintelligence.net/FBIAAROfficerShooting.pdf'

It's interesting to read that the shooting incident and subsequent posting on the internet of misinformation regarding the ineffectiveness of the .40 S&W caliber involved, and the calls by concerned LE agencies to the FBI is what triggered the analysis.

Also noted, the subject also took multiple hits from SWAT carrying M4's with Hornady TAP ammo that were deemed ineffective.

But the bottom line in that analysis was also shot placement, saying "Shot placement is everything in a gunfight and always the key to stopping a threat effectively".

But to address the OP's question... like others have said... I passed the "need" justification a long time ago and I'm firmly planted in the "me want one just for the heck of it" or "why the heck not?" category .

What he said ^^^

If a person cannot effectively hit (shoot) and stop the oncoming threat, it does not matter what caliber was used in the miss. Pick one and practice. You will not have regrets.

When you make the correct decision to purchase a .45acp be sure to buy a made in the USA brand of 1911.
Take it to a safe firing range, shoot it as fast as you can to empty the magazine, put the pistol down, and absorb the sensation of your shooting hand... that's why!