FBI switching to 9mm

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farmerbyron

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So, your thinking the ammo manufacturers are not making advances in .40 and .45 projectiles right along with the 9mm?
The +P .45?
The "advanced projectiles" in 9mm are available in .40 and .45.



From the link.

There is little to no noticeable difference in the wound tracks between premium line law Auto enforcement projectiles from 9mm Luger through the .45 Auto


I take this to mean that they were comparing LE ammunition of similar technology across the 3 major calibers.
 

dennishoddy

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I don't put much stock in ballistic gel reports. There are no cell phones, ribs, bones, buttons, passing through a hand before hitting the target, etc.

Bury some obstructions into the gel and lets see the reports.

I get the part about more hits because they can control the gun better, and more hits are good. I agree with that.

My point is that I'm tired of the 9mm advocates saying that the projectiles, and new science, blah, blah make it superior.

The same bullets, albeit a little larger have the same technology applied to them in .40 and .45.
 

Lurker66

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I still think it's all hype. One round doesn't get a major technology boost.....they all do.
No matter how much we wish it, there is nor ever will be a magic bullet. Handgun rounds are what they are, A compromise.

Sure I've seen Lotsa ballistic tests and comparisons but the street results are not any better than they were in the 70's or 80s.

My philosophy is capacity and accuracy, along with a bullet must enter and exit. So I'll stick with fmj for function, reliability and 2 hole performance.
 

dennishoddy

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The whole 9 vs bigger in ballistic gel is such a joke.

150 pound guy vs a 350 pound guy. makes a difference in how a bullet performs. You don't take a 55 grain .223 on an elephant hunt.

It doesn't matter that the .223 can run at 3250 fps, it takes a .416 Rem mag or something similar to take down an elephant at full charge.
You don't hunt grizzly with a hyper velocity rifle round. You hunt it with something that has enough weight to smash through anything in front of it.

And before anybody else chimes in, I know the most prolific elephant hunter used a 6.5mm and 7mm, but he stalked and shot them behind the ear because he knew the anatomy of the animal, and that shot was the entry to the brain.
 

AMT7

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I agree, with shot placement completely. Am convinced that is the reason besides lesser ones like weight reduction that suspect the Ruskies are switching to the poly Strike One with it's superior attributes contributing to quick recovery time , reduced jump / recoil, superior time tested 1911 grip angle, & related issues contributing to faster accuracy. I notice and desire those attributes in all my compacts which is again as one wisely mentioned a compromise, even many of such.
 

Sanford

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The whole reason that 9mm is falling back into favor is the advancement in bullet design which allows performance similar to and in some cases, greater than .40 or .45.

I've read this before. The thing I've always wondered is what happens to the comparison if similar "advanced bullet design" are used in all calibers? I noted that the article did say that 9mm could now outperform "most of the premium line .40 S&W and .45 Auto projectiles tested by the FBI" which would seem to indicate that there are some in each caliber that 9mm's best still can't beat.

For that matter, I'm wondering now if all these advancements in bullet design allow .380 performance to exceed 9mm? That'd be cool 'cos we all know that 9mm is a Chinese plot to try to drag the US into the world of metric measurements and make us all have to buy new tools from Harbor Freight.
 

Rob72

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Having seen more than a few people shot, and killed, by all common calibers: placement is king. After decades of experience, arms/ammunition makers know that .30-.45 handgun calibers work best for taking bi-pedal targets because they have highly comparable and consistent penetration and damaging capability. The cartridges offering comparable penetration have fairly different "ignition properties". I.e., .40 is "snappier" than a .45 which has more "push" than a 9mm. Bottom line, and easily demonstrable: a decently performing shooter will be faster and more accurate with 9mm than with .45 or .40 from the same platform; equally, the 9mm offers the same or greater capacity in a smaller frame (which is easier to control).
 

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