Is the 9 REALLY still fine 🤔

[jarhead714]

.357 is the answer to all concerns as far as I’m concerned.

[walmart_ar15]

Some standard HST rounds

45 ACP HST - 230gr 890fps - 405 ft.lbf
10mm HST - 200gr 1130fps - 567 ft.lbf
40 HST - 180gr 1010fps - 408 ft.lbf
9mm HST - 124gr 1150fps - 364 ft.lbf

You be the judge.

357 HST - 154 gr 1340fps - 614 ft.lbf
44 mag HST - 230gr 1085fps - 601 ft.lbf
9mm+P HST - 124gr 1200fps - 397 ft.lbf
45 +P HST - 230gr 950fps - 461 ft.lbf
30 super carry HST - 100 gr 1250fps - 347 ft.lbf

[jarhead714]

The biggest answer we always hear I guess is whatever one shoots the best with under duress. Hard to simulate duress. Run some wind sprints and run a few drills where someone is calling out random targets, while you stay moving. But the old rule of threes is more likely to happen... most self defense shootings are three rounds at 3 yards in 3 seconds. Hell most days I am carrying 40SW. See... I couldn't make up my mind. haha

I’ve always felt more confident and less nervous when I’ve had the biggest heaviest sidearm in my hands that I can handle both shooting and wearing. Large frame 3-4.25” .357 Magnum revolvers seem to work rather well. Two of them.

[Thrashard340]

I will preface this by saying I own a couple of .45 1911's myself. I'll take the extra capacity of my Glock with freedom week mags for home defense. In this day and age where home invasions are now committed by a pack of 3 or 4 thugs, you get 4-5 rounds per perp with a 9mm vs 2-3 with a 1911.

[k1dude]

When in jurisdictions that only allow for 10 round mags, I carry a .45 ACP or 10mm. If you're going to limit my carry to 10+1, I'm going to choose bigger holes over smaller ones.

When in jurisdictions that allow any mag capacity, I carry a 9mm. It's smaller and lighter, and I choose more rounds over less.

[Capybara]

Like everything else, so many variables to consider. Weight, size, bulk, controllability, shoot-ability. Plenty of people killed with wimpy calibers like .32 ACP/7.65mm over the last century and plenty of crazed/drugged out people kept attacking with eight rounds of .45 ACP or 4-5 rounds of .357 pumped into them.
I think carrying the biggest caliber with the longest barrel you are comfortable with is a viable strategy.

From my personal experience, I recall shooting at some of my steel targets up close with both a CZ70, a .32 ACP/7.65mm pistol and with my Bulgarian Makarov (9x18 Makarov is almost identical ballistics to .380 ACP). I recall shooting at a steel gong from pretty close, maybe 10' away and missingthe gong because it was low to the ground and I was standing up so I aimed too high. Putting the target away after I was done, I was amazed to find a .32 ACP projectile completely, fully intact wedged in the chain links and on another target, I found a 9x18 Makarov projectile, fully intact, ZERO deformation or distortion I could have easily just reloaded either projectile as they still looked brand new. That told me that .32 ACP, .380 ACP and 9 x 18 Makarov are basically pretty wimpy if they can be shot into a steel target chain from 10' away and literally not even deform, at all. Both calibers have decidedly killed plenty of people but comparing them to 9mm and .45 ACP, I decided to stop carrying either .32 ACP or 9x18 Mak, which I used to have on my CCW.

.357 mag with full house loads seem to be a pretty good bet as far as stopping someone.

[acaligunner]

As to the multiple attackers / Bg’s and how the 9mm capacity will give the edge over the lower capacity 45acp.

Didn’t sgt York eliminate 5 charging German soldiers with 230gr ball and his 1911 🤔.

Do you believe a regular capacity 9mm with 127 / 135 / 147 gr rounds would have done the same ~ or was Sgt York just lucky in his shot placement 😁.

These are little X factors that come to mind in the multitude of ideas that I think about when choosing a sd pistol.

[acaligunner]

I’ve always felt more confident and less nervous when I’ve had the biggest heaviest sidearm in my hands that I can handle both shooting and wearing. Large frame 3-4.25” .357 Magnum revolvers seem to work rather well. Two of them.

357 magnum is a dang fine round. I’ve heard that the 125 gr sjhp by Federal is the one shot stop champ.

I have always thought that any bg that can take 6 to 8 rounds is just a bad mother and hopefully things will work in favor for us good guys.

i remember pops had a old S&W model 27 with a 6” long barrel in the 357 magnum, I always thought it was the backup to dirty Harry’s 44 magnum 😁.

Damn good revolvers in 357 magnum!

[Sailormilan2]

It used to be mantra that one needed around 1000fps for reliable Hollow Point expansion. I’m sure with design improvements the threshold has been lowered, I have no idea how much it has lowered.
A 9mm usually easily exceeds that level, while the 45acp often struggles to meet that. But, as the saying goes, “The 9mm may expand, but the 45acp won’t shrink.”
I do like the 9x23, which exceeds the minimum levels by a bunch. I’m just leery of setting on off in the house.

[Mute]

Don't get too caught up in the whole one shot stop thing. Handgun rounds - any - are generally poor stoppers. Now you might only ever get one shot off or on target, but you'd be wise to put at least two or three rounds on target as quickly as possble if your life depended on it. Just make sure you use good, reliable hollowpoints regardless of which caliber you choose.

[beerman]

Meh, 9mm is a pimp round ( no offense BP). My home watch is a 45. Well, there may be a 9 stashed here or there.

[ar15barrels]

Some standard HST rounds

45 ACP HST - 230gr 890fps - 405 ft.lbf
10mm HST - 200gr 1130fps - 567 ft.lbf
40 HST - 180gr 1010fps - 408 ft.lbf
9mm HST - 124gr 1150fps - 364 ft.lbf

You be the judge.

That sells the 40 S&W pretty well.
More power than a 45acp in a 9mm sized gun.

My bedside gun is a Glock 23 with a TLR1 on it.

[Dan_Eastvale]

My S&W snubby .38 is fine with the ammo I carry it with. Don't expect anything other than close up encounters in ACTUAL "self defense" events.

[Gun Kraft]

Any time you're thinking about personal defense, you have to think holistically. Don't think about things in isolation. Yes a .45 has more ft/lbs energy (and therefore theoretical stopping power) compared to 9mm. But in a self-defense situation are you going to fire one shot and call it a day?

I once had a student with a .45. I measured how long it took him to put 3 rounds of .45 into a 5" circle at 5 yards. I then gave him my 9mm--which he had never shot before--and in the time it took him to put 3 rounds of .45 on target he was able to put 5 rounds of 9mm on target. So then the question is do you consider 5 rounds of 9mm better, equal or worse than 3 rounds of .45. Well by the numbers 5 rounds of 9mm have 50% more ft/lbs of energy and are 67% more chances to hit.

[acaligunner]

IMG_9723.jpg
I can understand that train of thought ! 😁.
As to what is “ quicker 🥴 “, I’ve been a chootin 45acp since I was a teen, I grew up on steel and wood firearms since before polymer pistols were a thing. Also not arguing about the rounds that a person can put into a bg but ~

230gr HST ( and in the pic included is a 230 Golder Sabre hp ) can expand up to 3/4 to almost 1 “ in expansion.

That’s a lot of goodness opening up and taking care of business. ( pic of my G21 & golden Sabre hp )

As you can see the golden Sabre almost expanded the width of the G21 slide. So imagine if not one 45acp round went in but 2 45acp HP’s in there, that’s a lot - but beneficial when it comes to sd.

I like the 9mm - but feel very comfy with a 45. Thanks and appreciate the post. 🙂