9 Vs.40 Vs..45 NOT a power debate

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GlockCop

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In my opinion these calibers with the right bullets are all about equally effective. However I have seen a major shift away from the .40S&W and back to 9mm and .45ACP. I guess the reasons are many...cheaper to load...cheaper to buy..less recoil...etc. So am I imagining things or is this really going on? Your opinions or reasons please.
 

dennishoddy

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I'm a .45 acp guy.
Why shoot twice?
To answer your question. I don't know why any department would
want to go to 9mm other than a financial decision, and I suspect that is the reason.
At our range, the LEO's just drop their brass and don't worry about it. They get issued new?

Is this a department thing? I'm kind of seeing on the net that some departments are going the 9mm route.
Our soldiers say different.
 

dennishoddy

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Make mine a 9,I like to shoot.

We are in the same boat. I like to shoot .
But when it come to a duty/SD situation, I'm going to go with the .45. Troops in the Philippine insurrection found that the .38/9mm was not effective, and a call from the Gov resulted in John M Browning coming out with the 1911.
In semi-auto, nothing more is king. I have a back-up report from a ME in Texas that has done mulitple autopsies from gunshot victims.
His report is that every cadaver he examined, that was shot with the 9mm/.38 required multiple shots to take out the perp.
The perps shot with the .45 required one shot.

they were dead either way, but the one shot thing has always appealed to me.
 

Mr.Bungle

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I've only ever owned .45s..shot my bros 9mm and .40 a few times but didn't feel there was much of a difference (other than his 9mm beretta 92 fs fit my hand like a glove lol) so I stuck with what I was used to..biased opinion maybe? I dunno :P
 

GlockCop

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I have seen reports from coroners that say they cant tell the difference what they were shot with until they recover the bullet and decide from there. If you beleive any of Mas Ayoobs stories he has several documented cases of perps taking multiple rounds of buckshot and living to tell about it. Heres something to think about..the all time best one shot stop is the 125gr .357 magnum. Its a .355 caliber bullet..same as 9mm. And as I had stated this isnt about supposed power..its more about popularity. I personally carry 9mm.With bullet designs as they are I say they are all on par. Oh I have to buy my own carry ammo..they only give us the stuff to qualify and train with.
 

GForce89

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I'm a .45 guy as well. My other caliber is .40. To me its just as good as .45, the only difference is i can go to walmart at anytime and can guarantee they have .40 ammo. It seems like .45 is hard to come by at the local walmart.
 

redmax51

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We are in the same boat. I like to shoot .
But when it come to a duty/SD situation, I'm going to go with the .45. Troops in the Philippine insurrection found that the .38/9mm was not effective, and a call from the Gov resulted in John M Browning coming out with the 1911.
In semi-auto, nothing more is king. I have a back-up report from a ME in Texas that has done mulitple autopsies from gunshot victims.
His report is that every cadaver he examined, that was shot with the 9mm/.38 required multiple shots to take out the perp.
The perps shot with the .45 required one shot.

they were dead either way, but the one shot thing has always appealed to me.


Now Dennis,you're surely not comparing the old ball ammo from then to the modern high speed bonded hollowpoints of today are you??
 

dennishoddy

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Mas Ayoobs stories he has several documented cases of perps taking multiple rounds of buckshot and living to tell about it. Heres something to think about..the all time best one shot stop is the 125gr .357 magnum. Its a .355 caliber bullet..same as 9mm. And as I had stated this isnt about supposed power..its more about popularity. I personally carry 9mm.With bullet designs as they are I say they are all on par. Oh I have to buy my own carry ammo..they only give us the stuff to qualify and train with.

Mas Is an author of mag reports to justify his job.
I'm sure he can out shoot me, and what ever.
I will have to agree that the ME I read the report from, said that he admired the .125 gr .357, and wished that his dept allowed him to carry that, as it resulted in one shot stops.

I'll look up the story I'm thinking of, and I think we are looking at the same guy.

I can't remember the study, but there was one on how effective the slower, bigger bullets could be more deadly. But in my experience, there is a point when velocity takes over.

I've seen a whole lot more tissue damage with a 40 grain .22-250 rifle round at 4000fps, vs a 230 grain HP from a .45ACP at 900fps.
I've killed animals with both.
Done penetration tests with both on cinder block buildings. (my old well house)
The .45 acp will penetrate one layer of a cinder block, and make the other side of it crumble, but will not penetrate.(.44 mag will go through one cinder block)
The .22-250 with a Hornady 45 grain varmint round will go through both sides of the well house like it wasn't there.
The 06 in 165 grain HP will go through both sides, and burst through two more cinder blocks.

I laugh when I see somebody hiding behind a door jamb with sheet rock for cover on tv crap.
I guess one has to take whatever cover they can, but If I were in Law Enforcment, I'd be a whole lot more scared of a guy with a deer rifle than a pistol. Both can kill ya, but the high velocity stuff will do it more efficiently.
 
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surjimmy

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I'm at heart a 45 guy as well, but I have no problems at all carrying other calibers. In 1911's I carry a 38 Super, 10mm and the 45. I also carry a S&W Bodyguard in a 38, and am in the process of buying a Browning HP in a 9mm. Like I said I love the 45 as my first choice(reason stated by Dennis), but when it gets down to it all the above will do the job.
 
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