Monday, January 29, 2018

Cartridge Showdown: 9mm Versus .45 ACP

 

“Trying to stop a bad guy with a nine mm is like trying to stop a charging buffalo with a twenty-two. Might as well use a fly-swatter”. Such statements were common when I was a kid, and at the time there was some truth to them. Many experienced shooters, veterans, and L.E. officers still preferred the hard-hitting .45 ACP, (Automatic Colt Pistol) to the 9mm with its smaller, lighter and more streamlined projectile. Their opinions were founded on the battlefield and in the streets, and it was hard to argue with them.

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12 comments:

  1. Well this is a never ending debate but I break it down thusly:
    Hardball- Bigger is better
    Expanding ammo, singlestack mags- Probably a toss-up
    Expanding ammo, high capacity 9 vs singlestack .45- Nod to 9

    Now factor in reliability, what you own, what you shoot best
    and carry method. Carry on!

    =TW=

    Now I'll go to the link.

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  2. Personally, I go with a Springfield Armory XD40 loaded with Hornady .40 cal. hollow points. I sometimes switch off with a Taurus Poly frame .357 wheel gun loaded with Hornaday hollow points depending on how I feel waking up. In any event at 75 I'm too old to fight, too old to run but too young to die.

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    Replies
    1. :) I use Federal LE HST 230 Gr +P JH in my two 45's and.357 Speer 158GR Gold Dot HP LE in my LCR

      https://freenorthcarolina.blogspot.com/2016/06/ammo-test-45-acp-hstfederals-flying.html
      https://freenorthcarolina.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-top-10-ccw-guns.html

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  3. There is a lot to be said for 18 rounds of HST in 9mm vs 10 rounds of 45acp. And I carry a Glock 37 in 45GAP.

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  4. 9mm, 40S&W, 45ACP... The debate will go on forever. Carry what you are comfortable with, and practice, practice, practice. On that note, I carry HK VP40. My self defense rounds are Liberty Civil Defense. The .40 is a 60 grain bullet and does 2000 fps. Shoots like a .22, no recoil.

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    Replies
    1. The debate will go on forever.

      Life would be boring without it. :)

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  5. Modern .380 ammo is at least as good and possibly better than 9mm ammo from the 80's. So yes.....modern improved 9mm is hugely improved over the ammo from then. But just as modern 9mm ammo is better so too is 45ACP better. The technology that made 9mm more effective has been applied to 45 caliber ammo. So it TOO is MORE EFFECTIVE than it was 30 years ago (I won't even bring in the question of 40S&W/10mm) The only real advantage that modern 9mm has over larger calibers is mag capacity and less recoil. If your a small weak female recoil can be an issue. If your a healthy adult male then recoil is more a psychological issue than a physical one.....and unless you're a pansy you can train yourself to deal with recoil and get shots on target just as fast as with 9mm. So that leaves mag capacity. And in a big city with roving bands of ground apes being a real possibility magazine capacity can be important. But what is more important is to use what works best for YOU. That means time, money, effort and practice. What you shoot is important. HOW you can shoot is MORE important.

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    Replies
    1. recoil can be an issue

      & sting if using max loads in an 18 ounce .357 LCR.

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  6. They will all kill at 25 meters.--Ray

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    Replies
    1. I thought you would have been the first commenter. :)

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