9mm big enough?

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Guns and Ammo Handguns Magazine has an article saying a 9mm with the new hi-tech ammo is now the best self defense round.

http://www.handgunsmag.com/2012/10/23/size-doesnt-matter-using-9mm-for-personal-defense/

After years of hearing the 9mm was inferior from everyone from Col. Jeff Cooper to all the gun magazine writers, what do you think?

Are you trading in your .45 for a wonder 9?

Facts:
Choosing defense ammo: http://ammo.ar15.com/project/Self_Defense_Ammo_FAQ/index.htm

Expert Opinion: http://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=19887



FBI report: http://www.firearmstactical.com/hwfe.htm

Video presentation on gunshot wounds:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tku8YI68-JA&feature=em-share_video_user

Another expert (?) opinion:

http://www.chuckhawks.com/ammo_by_anonymous.htm

Choose your ammo police style by Massad Ayoob

http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/ayoob93.html
 
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Hollow points to hollow points they have been about equal for at least a decade,
they both suck.
But 45's have a feel good factor.
 
Just think about how many Russians died in WW2 after being shot by German 9mm pistols and SMG's. Just think how many Germans died from 9mm gunshot wounds from Commonwealth Soldiers fighting them during WW2. A well placed shot will always take down an adversary, irregardless of the caliber.
 
20 years ago i was a fairly regular reader of Guns and Ammo and like minded magazines, until i realised that all articles were basically saying the same thing - that is nothing. Conclusions were usually along the lines of "This calibe/gun/ammo design is better unless you prefer another one, in which case that other one is also a good choice". Gun magazines and writers are not independant, so anything they write is likely to be uncommital or biaised. Yet at the same time they have to submit something to earn their bread so in the end you end up with non-stories like that of mr Tarr.

Unfortunately but realistically, at the end of the day people's choices in personnal defence firearms and ammo tends to be influenced by practical factors that put careful selection and analysis as a distant second: Professionals will tend to select a weapon or at least a caliber that is similar to what they use professionally. Hype has a lot of influence on amateurs. Availability is also a significant equaliser. And then you have human factors (size, wight, recoil, comfort, etc...). All of this make for a debate that has been on going for 30 years and isn't about to conclude on anything. :)

Hey, maybe i can publish that!
 
From a target shooters perspective the .45 cal. is superior because it pokes a bigger hole in the paper which is easier to see at 25 yards and beyond, if I could get the semi wad cutters to feed properly that would be even better.
 
I chose a 9mm because im new to hand guns and wanted something with less recoil so I could work on my technique. I also lied that most 9mm mags can hold a few more rounds, the 9mm is cheap and can be found very easily (though .45 can as well). I also think I might like to get a rifle that takes pistol mags someday and the 9mm versions seem to be most common. Ive fired 45 and 40 and liked the 45, but didnt like the 40 (they were hand loads so that could have had something to do with it).
At the end of the day, ill be shooting paper, not people so power would only be to satisfy my ego... and thats not highest on my list of reasons to buy.
 
misanthropist said:
9mm has been working well for a long time.

The link in my sig covers the data pretty well.

The era of "you need a .45" has been over for nearly a decade IMO. Gun magazines are a long way out of the loop.
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I agree. 9mm ammo has come a long way especially with there now being +P+, etc. I seem to remember picks of a pumpkin shoot a member of CGN posted a couple of weeks ago comparing the damage of the 45acp round to a 9mm. Not sure what kind of rounds were used but the 9mm did more damage than the 45acp.
 
Pistolwhiptricks said:
I agree. 9mm ammo has come a long way especially with there now being +P+, etc. I seem to remember picks of a pumpkin shoot a member of CGN posted a couple of weeks ago comparing the damage of the 45acp round to a 9mm. Not sure what kind of rounds were used but the 9mm did more damage than the 45acp.
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You dont need +P+ to make 9mm effective.
 
Nestor said:
The paper won't be any deader.
All the handgun calibers suck for their intended purpose.
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Really?!? This conclusion was arrived at - how? Just what are you believing are their intended purposes? Your statement has me curious now. As my 357 - with leads, will stop anyone in their tracks at close range if they are so inclined on doing me harm. All they gotta do is see that I'm armed with a revolver with a big dark hole for a barrel diameter, that should be enough. That'd be one stated purpose. Another is that (same round) is really accurate at 25 yards too. A third, is that it really moves those heavy gongs.

As to the Op's question. I think it would be whatever you are comfortable with. I buy my handguns for target use, as the self defense thing kinda wears a bit thin from all those rags. As to the 9mm argument, well, there are way too many police departments whom have chosen that as their goto round, so it cannot be half bad.
 
Garand said:
Just think about how many Russians died in WW2 after being shot by German 9mm pistols and SMG's. Just think how many Germans died from 9mm gunshot wounds from Commonwealth Soldiers fighting them during WW2. A well placed shot will always take down an adversary, irregardless of the caliber.
Click to expand...

just regardless, no such thing as irregardless. and yes i know, my grammer is bad, but it's one of the words that bugs me as well as "very unique"
 
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