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

[Tom_R]

With some of today's new holsters, especially those that carry a full size 5-inch barrel 1911 almost parallel to the ground, I think the size and weight are becoming moot points. Also, another key to making a full size better to carry is...you have to have a belt of sufficient width and thickness...especially thickness, to keep the belt from sagging under the weight. One of my belts is a 1.75-inch wide Bullhide Belt. The width fits easily through belt loops on my jeans, and the thing's a quarter-of-an-inch thick. When you tighten that belt up, it stays tight with no sag, no matter what size pistol you hang on it.

Agreed, I cannot emphasize how important a good belt is.

I have a $35.00 DeSantis 1.5" belt that goes with my OWB DeSantis holster and I have no issues carrying an all steel 5" Kimber 8+1.

The damn thing is heavy, but the belt and the rig lock that thing in, and it doesn't move at all.

You can EDC with set up no problem, at least I can.

 

[rwsmith]

Military isn't a good comparison....

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?

The military REQUIRES ball ammo that doesn't expand. The .45 shines there because being hit with a big ball stops people in their tracks without expansion. The ability to use hollow point ammo changes the landscape. I'm not sure if a HP .45 works better than ball but I AM sure that HP 9mm ammo works better than ball ammo. There have been complaints from the military about FMJ 9mm ammo, but the police, who can use HP ammo are much more satisfied with the 9mm.

 

[federali]

A Suggestion

You can make everybody happy here by compromising and getting a 1911 chambered in 9mm!

Frankly, I don't want to be at the business end of either the 9mm or .45 ACP, or the .357 SIG or the .40 S&W or the .25 Auto or even the lowly .22 RF.

For CCW, the 9mm wins, simply because the gun you have on you is always better than the one you leave in the safe. The bigger the gun, the more likely it will live most of its life on the bench. I love my two .45s (1911 and S&W MP) but I won't carry them except to the range and back.

 

[FloridaFlier]

Need? Really... Need?

If we only talk about what we truly need, these discussion boards would be a lot shorter.

Get the gun that you want. The one that you like to just hold in your hand. The one that you reach for when it's time to quit, and the boys say that the loser of the next round buys lunch. Get the gun that puts bullets where you want them to go.

Nothing.... nothing beats placement. And you'll practice with the gun that you enjoy shooting.

And never, never talk about need again on the forum. It's an uncomfortable subject.

 

[Harrison]

In competition I mostly shoot a 45acp. For bowling pins and steel I shoot a 45acp. For carry, it is a 9mm or 38 special. Both are lighter and easier to carry/conceal that either my FS 1911 or Ruger Combat Commander. Open carry might be a different proposition.

 

[jlanecole]

There are no winners in caliber wars; only losers. The .45 will definitely get you closer to your intended target - by .0485 inches...

 

[Kilibreaux]

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

If you are a person who owns ONE gun for self-defense and home protection, then you absolutely do NOT need to get rid of your 9mm for a .45 ACP! Despite ALL the BS you will read on this and other sites, the 9mm is the BETTER round...and I can make this claim based on two decades of having treated people shot with both!

 

[JDBoardman]

Having had to use a handgun in up close and personal social discourse, I must say that Mr. Browning's masterpiece is one fine security blanket. While, with modern designed bullets, the 9mm may well expand, there ain't no way the .45 will shrink.

 

[brokenprism]

115 + 115 = 230. Just sayin.

 

[mike from st pete]

115 + 115 = 230. Just sayin.

124+124=248

 

[klausinak]

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

You forgot the .30-06 Otherwise I agree completely.

 

[jeffnles1]

All things being equal, given a choice between 9mm and 45ACP, I'm going to take the 12ga every time.

 

[brokenprism]

124+124=248

Wow... I think you win this one (because 230 + 230 = 460 would just be silly). Good comeback.

 

[Houdini1953]

Of course you need to get a 45 as soon as you can afford one or even two.

 

[PR24]

The .46 GAT

Marathonrunner;

I have just the fix for your dilemma:

http://lonelymachines.org/2011/10/09/now-they-do-make-a-46/




funny as hell huh?

 

[PR24]

Chk out his 'mall ninja' section....go pee first otherwise you may mess your britches!

 

[PR24]

I have been a .45 ACP person, 1911 to be specific, as far as defense goes, since the early 1970s. I used to think the 9mm was just not up to the task. And it wasn't. Until very recently.

I agree that the 9mm, in a proper load, will serve well in a defense scenario. It has other advantages. Higher magazine capacity, less costly, less recoil for faster follow-up shots, chambered in pistols more suited to "most" hands, etc.

My current favorite load is the new FBI round, Q4392, a 147 grain Bonded HP, sold to the rest of us as the RA9B load. There are many other fine rounds from other makers. Use a "premium" hollow point type load and you will be fine. If you don't care about auto glass, the RA9T also has a great track record.

My dept used to issue the 147 gr Gold Dot in 9mm. Real world police shootings were dismal on both felons & angry dogs. They went to the 124 gr GDHP & it has performed as expected on several shootings from MP-5's & Glocks. The 147 is fine for suppressors, but not a good general duty round. The .40 & .45 heavy for caliber loads are just fine. For those we field 180 & 230 gr GDHP.