Newbie Question: Is a 9mm Enough for Self Protection

[bogey3737]

9mm is easy and cheap to shoot...which increases your ability to develop a high level of proficiency...which increases your likelihood of placing the shot on the target.

You will seldom see a failure to stop by a 9mm that would have been a success with a .40 or .45. FAR more often you witness a failure to stop due to poor shot placement.

I've found a good way to stop others laughing at my 9mm is to compare targets.

 

[bogey3737]

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.

This statement is asinine.

 

[Jeff Lynch]

Wow! Thanks for the input folks and I apologize for stirring up a hornet's nest. As I said in my question, it's been years since I last shot and carried a 92FS and much has changed since then. I enjoy shooting my new M&P 9c and will probably continue using a 9mm since ammo is both plentiful and relatively cheap here in Texas.

The choices in personal protection rounds these days are staggering for an old fart like me. When I began shooting a 9mm back in the 80's there were about five or six different choices in ammo. Today it seems like each manufacturer has at least five or six different 9mm rounds with various loads, styles and materials. It's tough to know what to use.

Thanks again for all the comments and answers!

 

[Chuck Jones]

Hackthorn saw it it like this:

For liability reasons it's best to use FMJ ball ammo and .45 ACP starts out at the diameter of 9mm once it's expanded so you can get 9mm hollow point performance with .45 ball.

I know times have changed a bit (maybe where you live) and LE commonly use hollow points, and some states have a castle doctrine laws. But I think Ken's reasoning still makes some sense.

I sure as hell don't want to be in the dock while a prosecutor trying to make a name for himself explains "dum dum" or "Rip & Tear" bullets to a jury of my "peers" (I was on a jury last week and there was more than one person I wouldn't exactly call a peer) complete with photos.

Anyway it's good to keep the "after the event" in mind when your planning for the defensive use of deadly force.

/c

 

[Chris A.]

IMO, why go with 147 gr. that has mixed results of effectiveness when the 115 or 124 gr. has less of a mix of results, especially in +P rounds if your pistol can handle them.

 

[StuperDan]

9mm is easy and cheap to shoot...which increases your ability to develop a high level of proficiency...which increases your likelihood of placing the shot on the target.

Money for me is a factor here. I am new to shooting and am in the process of gaining the above mentioned skill and accuracy to be effective. 9mm means more practice ammo.

If all the most optimistic future projections are right, world peace & love will grow in the hearts of all and I never use my 9mm except for fun at the range and I save money.

If the more pessimistic are correct, inflation goes nuts, I save even more money.

And worst case, SHTF, law and order breaks down and zombies attack 9mm is the most common round in the world and will be the most common scrounged from the wreckage!

 

[kennyb]

Whats evident is that YOU dont know the condition that the 1911's were in. As far as accepting the (mm...the god old US of A wanted our troops to be stepping alongside other NATO troops as far as ammo goes. ( not weapons..but ammo)
#1 it CAN take many many years to get a weapon and its ammo approved for military use....and
#2..should someone be in the "right spot" they can get the same approved EXCEEDINGLY quickly.

Some organizations in the military have SCRAPPED the Beretta and its 9MM for 45 acp pistols built by..?? Ed Brown I think...or maybe it was a special run from Kimber.....cant remember exactly

the condition of the 45's used in the military testing were like the 9mm and other calibers submitted by various companies...they were BRAND NEW...the testing extended over a long period of time
some special branches within the military from the very beginning shunned the 9mm and retained the 45 cal.
weather you like the 9mm or not doesn't have a thing to do with my original statement....they were and are the weapon tested and subsequently chosen for military use

 

[hazman]

The same tragedy could have taken place with a 22 auto or a 44 Bulldog. CALIBER had nothing to do with it.

amen on that SULLY, my dad was on the "O.P.P" in toronto area in the late 40's . he told me alot of the of the officers carried .22's as "throw-aways".

 

[Sully]

the condition of the 45's used in the military testing were like the 9mm and other calibers submitted by various companies...they were BRAND NEW...the testing extended over a long period of time
some special branches within the military from the very beginning shunned the 9mm and retained the 45 cal.
weather you like the 9mm or not doesn't have a thing to do with my original statement....they were and are the weapon tested and subsequently chosen for military use

Put your head on straight for once! Im talking about the 1911's that the military HAD BEEN USING. Besides being "worn out"...they were 45 ACP caliber and "somebody in the govt" wanted our forces to be using the same ammo as other NATO country's were. ( remember the 7.62mm fiasco...so our M14's shot the same stuff as everyone elses???)

If everyone in NATO ( and other friendly armies..??) had been using 45ACP weapons...no way would we have adopted a 9MM.

It makes sense...that when you have crap ( worn out 1911's) and are looking at new pistols...why NOT pick one that uses the same ammo as "your buddies". That dont mean its the best...it just means everyone is on the same page. PERIOD

Your original posting.."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"..

Had it said that the beretta design had unseated the 1911 Colt design weapon....then sure.. BUT..it smacked of saying the beretta WITH ITS 9MM CARTRIDGE is what unseated the 45AMP from the military.

 

[walnutred]

NATO adopted 9x19 over 45 ACP NOT because the firearms or ammo was superior but because of availability. Most of our European allies were broke when NATO was formed. It seemed foolish to tool up and start manufacturing 45 ACP ammo when there were millions of round of German made 9x19 sitting in warehouses. During the big build-up prior to WW2 was a time most countries were reviewing lessons learned in WW1 and reevaluating all weapons systems. How many countries adopted 9x19? That should tell you what they really thought of the round.

Post war they had all that surplus ammo, surplus German firearms and in some cases surplus German manufacturing machinery, so 9x19 made sense. Plus I think it really IS better than 45 in a sub machine gun.

 

[kennyb]

Put your head on straight for once! Im talking about the 1911's that the military HAD BEEN USING. Besides being "worn out"...they were 45 ACP caliber and "somebody in the govt" wanted our forces to be using the same ammo as other NATO country's were. ( remember the 7.62mm fiasco...so our M14's shot the same stuff as everyone elses???)

If everyone in NATO ( and other friendly armies..??) had been using 45ACP weapons...no way would we have adopted a 9MM.

It makes sense...that when you have crap ( worn out 1911's) and are looking at new pistols...why NOT pick one that uses the same ammo as "your buddies". That dont mean its the best...it just means everyone is on the same page. PERIOD

Your original posting.."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"..

Had it said that the beretta design had unseated the 1911 Colt design weapon....then sure.. BUT..it smacked of saying the beretta WITH ITS 9MM CARTRIDGE is what unseated the 45AMP from the military.

it's YOU that needs ro reread....the beretta 9mm DID in fact unseat the colt 45...for good or bad..new 45's were in fact used in the multitude of tests....the "old worn out"ones had nothing to do with it

 

[Sully]

Geeze.. And to think...."They walk among us"......LMAO

 

[Pointblank2U]

After over 32 years of service in law enforcement I think the 9mm loaded with any of the major manufacturer's hollow points is just fine. If I had a dollar for every person I saw shot dead with .380 acp FMJ's I could have a nice steak dinner.