Newbie Question: Is a 9mm Enough for Self Protection

[Jeff Lynch]

I'll be the first to admit it. I've never owned anything but a 9mm handgun. I shot with a Beretta 92FS for several years but never liked the size of the grip. I currently shoot with an M&P 9c while all my friends are shooting 40's & 45's. I practice with Winchester 9mm Nato rounds (124g) and carry Winchester Supreme Elite Bonded PDX1 for self protection.

Does a 9mm round really have what it takes?

 

[palmetto99]

Ok, lets open up this can of worms.

 

[Charles]

Yes. Ignore your friends if they're teasing you

 

[beemerphile]

If it's good enough for almost every army on the planet, it is good enough to keep the homeboys heads down until SWAT gets there with the artillery.

 

[Dragon88]

This is a debate that will never reach a conclusion. All I will say is, shot placement is everything. Whatever you plan to defend yourself with, be it 25 ACP or 45 Auto, practice practice practice and know that you can place your shots correctly under enormous stress in a life threatening situation. The caliber becomes far less important at that point.

 

[hdfinder47]

This is a debate that will never reach a conclusion. All I will say is, shot placement is everything. Whatever you plan to defend yourself with, be it 25 ACP or 45 Auto, practice practice practice and know that you can place your shots correctly under enormous stress in a life threatening situation. The caliber becomes far less important at that point.

Exactly this ^^^^.

 

[sean79]

But, isn't the bad guy more dead if he's shot with a .45?

 

[mgeoffriau]

Shot placement is the first priority, but we're also not recommending .22LR as a SD load.

That said, a top-shelf 9mm load ranks as more than adequate according to every standard I've seen. Is .40 or .45 marginally better? Possibly. But they are all pitifully weak compared to a shotgun or rifle. Carry and shoot what you are comfortable with.

 

[paragon1]

I'll be the first to admit it. I've never owned anything but a 9mm handgun. I shot with a Beretta 92FS for several years but never liked the size of the grip. I currently shoot with an M&P 9c while all my friends are shooting 40's & 45's. I practice with Winchester 9mm Nato rounds (124g) and carry Winchester Supreme Elite Bonded PDX1 for self protection.

Does a 9mm round really have what it takes?

Yes. It is fine.
http://www.winchester.com/SiteCollectionDocuments/flash-SWFs/law_bullit.swf

 

[jppezz23]

Different opinions on everything,I had a 9mm glock it was ok but today I carry an SD40.

 

[jdesro1911]

Yes. It is fine.
http://www.winchester.com/SiteCollectionDocuments/flash-SWFs/law_bullit.swf

That is a great chart, Paragon1. Especially comparing the 9mm to the .40, there really seems to be an insignificant difference between the two under most circumstances. Even when you throw the .45 in the mix, the only thing you are gaining is a little more expansion diameter, with similar penetration (and more bullet weight, of course).

 

[kennyb]

i carried a 92d beretta 9mm for a number of years as a duty weapon...never felt undergunned...keep in mind that beretta is what unseated the 45cal.from issued military sidearm after MANY years of use

 

[stantheman86]

My opinion, short answer - Yes! 9mm is a good round for self defense.

Longer answer-

9mm has been around for over 100 years and still going stronger than ever. It's the most common handgun round on planet Earth. Many,many people have been "closed out" by 9mm rounds since before WWI.

The Russians and the rest of the former Com Bloc countries made good use of 9x18 pistols from the 60's up until today, which is less powerful than 9mm Parabellum.

Ignore the hype that you "need" a hand cannon to defend yourself. As a civilian CCW holder 9mm is plenty......don't forget, there's also 9mm +P and +P+ if you've got a gun that can handle it. The energy ratings on the +P+ may surprise you. Add in a HP bullet and you've got a little powerhouse of a round. I can carry 17+1 rounds of 9mm +P in my CZ-85.......that's still a few more rounds than the highest capacity .40's and .45's.......people say "only a few rounds, 3 or 4 rounds don't matter I have a .45"......well, if I've got 3 or 4 more potentially life-saving rounds before I have to reload, that matters to me. 4 or even 5 rounds more in my mag, well that's nearly a full load in a revolver......I figure if I have to reload in a gunfight, as a civilian CC holder, it's really hit the fan......but I still like having those rounds anyway.

I was talking to a co-worker today, he knows pretty much 0 about guns, but wants to get a CCW permit for protection. He is already letting people fill his head with this nonsense that "lots of people are walking around with 9mm bullets in them, not many are out there with .45's or .357's in them......" I hate this macho "9mm is a pop gun" BS......of all the many semi-auto handguns I own, most are 9mm, I consider myself a fan of the 9mm Parabellum.

I'm also a guy who loves .38 Special, also considered "weak" by some......I don't buy guns or use calibers based on what others think.

 

[Kanewpadle]

This is a debate that will never reach a conclusion. All I will say is, shot placement is everything. Whatever you plan to defend yourself with, be it 25 ACP or 45 Auto, practice practice practice and know that you can place your shots correctly under enormous stress in a life threatening situation. The caliber becomes far less important at that point.

This thread needs to locked because this is the best answer that could possibly be given by anyone.

 

[MDaly]

The only thing I will say is that I have seen a fairly large number of folks who were deader than a hammer and they had 9mm holes in them. I may or may not have been involved in putting those 9mm holes in their final locations. It is a good people killer. It may not do it quickly and it may not stop a determined attacker of someone drunk or drugged but it will kill them sooner of later.

Does that make it good for personal defense? Some say yes and some say no. YMMV

MD

 

[bigshot500]

unless your living under a rock, this is a topic in very poor taste in light of what happened last week in Arizona with a nutjob and a 9mm.

 

[tbury]

Just to throw in a wild card, the hottest (current rage) CCW cal is .380. All the major hand gun makers have come out with a new model in this caliber in the last 18 mo. This is not to say .380 is better than 9mm, it's not. But the gun you are willing to carry is more powerful than the one left in the car or safe. A center mass hit with a 9mm should do the job under "normal" circumstances. JMHO. I have two .40 cal pistols but carry a 642 .38 spcl.

 

[computeruser]

unless your living under a rock, this is a topic in very poor taste in light of what happened last week in Arizona with a nutjob and a 9mm.

Actually, it is in poor taste for its redundancy. We've been beating the 9mm v. X debate to death since the 1980s.

 

[Sully]

i carried a 92d beretta 9mm for a number of years as a duty weapon...never felt undergunned...keep in mind that beretta is what unseated the 45cal.from issued military sidearm after MANY years of use

What unseated the 45ACP from the grasp of the military...is that the 1911's they used were SHOT...worn out...should have been scrapped a decade prior...etc...etc. NOT the "greatness" of the 9mm parabellum.

 

[Sully]

I'll be the first to admit it. I've never owned anything but a 9mm handgun. I shot with a Beretta 92FS for several years but never liked the size of the grip. I currently shoot with an M&P 9c while all my friends are shooting 40's & 45's. I practice with Winchester 9mm Nato rounds (124g) and carry Winchester Supreme Elite Bonded PDX1 for self protection.

Does a 9mm round really have what it takes?

Never forget the old motto....".45 ACP....why shoot twice"........