9mm seems inferior to me. Why?

[fallhunter]

I guess I have a mental block. I can't help but to think that the 9mm is an inferior round. The .380 even more so. I love the .40 however. The .45 is ok also but not as fast as the .40. So that said, I like and only own semi-autos. What could this mental block possibly be?

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[Alnamvet68]

Maybe it's just mental?

 

[tyusclan]

Probably just opinion like anything else.

The whole 'stopping power' thing is much more perception than reality. There are cases of people being stopped by one shot from a .22 and others of people absorbing an unreal number rounds from heavier calibers that keep coming.

I don't think I would want to depend on a .22, but if it's all you have it is better than nothing. I think any thing from .380 up in a gun that you're comfortable with and shoot well is adequate.

And that's why there are so many cartridges and guns available. So everyone can have the ones they want.

 

[fdw]

Just mental.

Here's a good video comparing the 9 to the 45 ACP, both with Corbon DPX. As they tested (if you go all the way to the end) "Terminal Performance is Functionally Identical"

9mm vs 45ACP PART 1: Cor-Bon DPX - YouTube

I love my M&P 9 FS. Have shot different 45s including the M&P, but for me I always come back to the 9.

 

[HankG]

Shooting well is the key! If you have to shoot some one with a full power .357 you will probably have to deal with collateral damage the bullet will cause after it passes through the original target! You can shoot an intruder in your living room and accidently kill the little old lady sleeping next door.

 

[M29since14]

You've read too much baloney. Just kidding. Seriously, the people who have the opportunity to know first-hand about this stuff almost invariably will tell you to buy the best equipment you can afford (gun and ammunition) and to practice so you have a reasonable chance of putting your shots where you want them. If you do that, agonizing about one caliber over another (if both are using the best modern ammunition) is probably more of a waste of time than it is productive. That said, if you are more comfortable and confident with a particular gun and caliber, what's wrong with that? It's bound to be an aid to your shooting.

All the usual auto pistol rounds seem a bit wimpy to me, compared to my early pistol shooting days when about the only guns I fired were .44 and .41 Magnum revolvers.

 

[LoadedRound]

"I love the .40 however."

If I were you, I would carry a .40.

 

[shouldazagged]

You know what they say about opinions...

 

[BJoe]

Maybe it's just mental?

Amen. Some people have to jump on EVERY band wagon that comes along.

 

[kozmic]

You know what they say about opinions...

No Mike, I'm unaware of that particular saying....perhaps you could 'splain it to us all!!!!

 

[Comrad]

Ask RFK what he thinks of the stopping power of a .22.

 

[NAM68]

9MM Round Inferior?

The 9MM round is used by the military/police so not a lot of recoil and to stay on target better. That round has killed many.

 

[Realzebub45]

More rounds per pound of gear, as far as military is concerned (is what I hear).

 

[pownal55]

We would all look a little silly if we carried a 12 ga pump full of slugs.

 

[S&W45Colt]

You've read too many posts and books by "experts" who know little would be my guess.

Anything from .38 up is a good self defense round. Are some rounds a little better than others? Maybe, it depends on the situation, person using it etc, but the 9mm is a fine SD round.

I'm surprised these threads don't get the instant lock, if for nothing else, the sheer redundancy of the subject. But, since we are here, let me ask a couple of questions:

If a Bear were carrying a 9mm, would he be better off with one in the chamber? What caliber is best for defending yourself from Grizzlies carrying 9mm's?

 

[7shooter]

Here is some interesting research on this topic by Greg Ellifritz. His conclusion is that in the common handgun calibers there is little difference in the real world. He found that shotguns and rifles give a much more effective bang.

An Alternate Look at Handgun Stopping Power | Buckeye Firearms Association

 

[pinduck]

Who cares, shoot what you want, I do.
Glen

 

[timn8er]

No Mike, I'm unaware of that particular saying....perhaps you could 'splain it to us all!!!!

"I'm up on a tightrope"!

 

[Mickey D]

"I'm up on a tightrope"!

Leon Russell

 

[Vulcan Bob]

It matters little what you shoot em with, it matters greatly that you place your shot well.