Excuse me, Tacbear, but horsesh.t.

When using any sort of “like” ammunition for comparison, the .451″ bullet of the .45 ACP is going to make a bigger hole than a .355″ 9mm bullet. That allowed, the FBI Training Division noted that with modern ammunition, the difference in actual wounds in human bodies is so slight that doctors can discern no difference between the wound channels caused by 9mm, .40 S&W, and .45 ACP handguns.

Additional capacity of 9mm pistols is a great benefit. Current 9mm ammunition ballistics will do the job, if I do mine.

I prefer the 9mm, because it is plentiful, cheaper to shoot, easier to make rapid follow-up shots with and is lethal enough when the shooter places the rounds in the proper place in the target.

Both the 9mm and .45 are great calibers for everyday carry, and both offer very good terminal ballistics for stopping power.

Current 9mm ammunition has more consistent and better barrier penetration than .45 ACP. The .45 ACP is probably a bit better in terms of a larger wound cavity if no barrier is involved. If a barrier is involved, a 9mm +P load is superior. You can carry a lot more 9mm rounds in the mag, and it is easier to shoot well.

In the context of concealed carry for personal protection, my priorities are speed and accuracy, lethality and magazine capacity, so I go with the 9mm without hesitancy.

I think that says enough. You're entitled to your opinion, but it isn't the gospel.

 

It's a joke...

 

Perhaps my misinterpretation, but it didn't LOOK like a joke.

 

Home defense? Origin 12. That is all.

 

The most significant component of self-defense is the mindset of the individual. His determination, willingness to prevail and survive, and confidence in his ability and his weapon's capability is of more significance than the caliber of the firearm he holds in his hand.

 

Those things and placement, placement, placement.

 

Nothing wrong with your decision not to carry. The great thing (for now) about this country is having the right to carry if you choose to.

 

horsesh.t....you don't think 9mm will kill a Ferret??

I'm just funnin with you...it is so easy to upset 9mm shooters.

Just a little history:
The FBI dumped 9mm years ago after a shootout in which 8 agents went up against 2 Bad guys. The Bad guys soaked up a multitude of 9mm and .357 Magnum rounds but were still able to kill 2 agents and badly wound 5 others. The FBI practically invented the 40 S & W and caused most Law Enforcement dump 9mm and go to .40. So now they say 9mm is better than .40 or .45

Have you ever seen anyone shot with 9mm? I have! Have you ever seen someone shot with or shot someone with 45?? I have!

I think I will stick with .45. There is a reason that in Bowling Pin competition the pins are at the back of the table for 9mm and they are at in the middle of the table for 45.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowling_pin_shooting

 

It still comes down to placement and that is a question of what you can shoot most accurately.

 

I'm the OP newbie....when I first posted I had never held a handgun before, let alone operate one.

Since then I've fired four times, including a 2 hour on-on-one beginners class this week.

So far I've sampled:

Sig compact .45
Sig compact 9mm
Glock 19 compact 9mm
Glock 17 9mm
Walther PPQ 9mm
H&K VP9 9mm

I'm more comfortable with a larger size in 9mm. The .45 was a bit much, and ammo will be more expensive.

I liked the Walther and H&K much better than the others. But even though my groupings were tighter with the Walther, I think I prefer the slightly heavier weight of the VP9. It's hard to explain...I'm still a cold stone beginner, but it just felt a little beefier. I do want to rent the VP9 one more time as well as another yet to be decided gun. I prefer to stick with striker fired pistols because that's what I've mostly been firing.

I'll make my decision in the next week or so, but it'll definitely be 9mm.

I just hope my home is never invaded by a gang of bowling pins, that's for sure.

 

Good one, Tom.

 

Didn't want to get into this, but it needs to be said. All the numbers, tests, wound-cavity experiments, etc., are all fine and good, but I've seen people shot with 9mm and I've had to shoot people with a .45. There is a difference. I carried the .45 because I was told that, in lieu of my service weapon, I needed something that would knock a person down in as few shots as possible. Both times I used mine on another human, the individual was down and incapacitated with two shots center mass. Another incident involved me having to clear a jam on a rifle while my spotter was left with his 9mm. He fired five rounds into a man at 10 feet and the guy kept coming. I cleared the jam by that point and put him down while my spotter was busy changing mags. That incident convinced me to carry a .45. It convinced him too. He stayed in the Marines after I'd been discharged and told me he'd used his .45 a couple times afterward, and each time it took two shots to the chest to stop the individual.

Now, y'all can quote all the numbers you want, but I'm going to trust my experience in the actual use against a human being. I wouldn't spend a single cent on a gun I expected to defend myself or my loved ones that didn't have a caliber that started with a 4. Period.

 

I've never shot a .45, but own a M&P 40C. What are your thoughts on the .40 S&W?

 

Stopping power is why my wife and I both carry .45's. I hope we never need to use it, but if the need arrises, I want a gun that will get the job done. And yes, we both go to the range with ours.

 

It makes sense. Big slug vs small faster slug. That's like someone throwing a big rock at you instead of a smaller rock. I would much rather the smaller rock being thrown at me even though it will be coming faster.
Personally I didn't enjoy my .45. Slug was slow and just not accurate enough at a good distance. I prefer a faster slug that will give me a little more range.
And I'm not sure of the actual stopping power of the FN 5.7 but DAYUM that's the coolest pistol I've ever shot. If you guys haven't shot one yet, do yourselves a favor. It's truly an amazing pistol.

 

Not as much kick obviously. I never carried one in earnest so it's hard for me to say. I can say that some feel that it's too much of a compromise on the stopping power of the .45 but others prefer the lower recoil with better power over the 9. I would carry the .40 though if it was my only option aside from a 9mm.

 

The 5.7 is uniquely fun to shoot. SAS used to carry it. Don't know if they still do.

 

Here I am getting all stoked about a 9mm as my first handgun, and you guys are talking about stopping a charging bull with .45......I feel sooooo inadequate.

But I'm sticking with the plan. There's no conceal carry in NJ so I'm defenseless anyway outside my home. And while a home invasion is a very remote possibility where I live, should that happen at least I have something.

My biggest concern are zombies so I'll concentrate on practicing head shots.

 

Finally a real operator! Thank you for your service...I am also a veteran and 25 year SWAT operator.

I carry .45 acp because like you I know it works in the real world

 

That is probably the round that I have shot more than any other (probably 30,000 rounds over the years). I would trust my life to .40 S&W more than I do 9mm...and sometimes I carry a Glock 27. I would call the recoil of the .40 as "snappy", not as much of a push as 45 acp but a "snappy"--quick muzzle rise during recoil unless shot from a heavy pistol.