.45 Auto vs. 9mm

[JKnud14]

I personally just went through this same debate. I have an xd-45 compact and an xd-9 service. I have done a lot of research as to which one to carry. I decided to go with the .45. I have learned that the 9 can be a little to efficient and go straight through allowing the target to possibly continue on. There is no guaranty a defensive round will expand. A .45 has the one shot stopping ability whether or not the round expands. I don't want to guess whether or not my round will stop the threat or not. I use hornady TAP rounds for personal defense. I viewed their tests on bullistics gelatine using both 9mm and .45. Both expanded but the cavity formed by the 9 was golf ball sized while the .45 cavity was the size of a football. I'm not saying the .45 is without fault. The pistol is usualy bigger, heavier and harder to hide. This is just my prefference.

[cypress]

As a new handgun shooter, I had to go through this same debate myself. The way I looked at it, I wanted to make sure I had a weapon I could control to make accurate shot placement, realizing this ability would diminish under stress. I also looked at the price of ammunition and realized I would probably practice and enjoy shooting more if I didn't feel like I had to take out a mortgage to go to the range. And I want to spend a lot of time shooting it.

All that being said, once I feel sufficiently confident with my 9mm, I wouldn't mind trying out an XD 45 Compact as a carry weapon.

[bigun]

Any handgun is a compromise no matter what the calliber. I carry a 9mm on duty and a .45 or a .40 S&W off duty I dont feel under gunned at any time. Whatever you carry practice with it untill draw and first shot are a fluid motion and going where you want it to go every time then calliber becomes less of a issue. A shot center mass with a .22 is more effective than 8 misses with a .45. The .45 is my favorite calliber closely followed by the .40 and 9mm.

[uk_pony]

R M S .45

[spyderman2k4]

The cliche "it depends" sounds pretty good. I voted .45 because that's what I have and that's what I prefer for the "every day" application (self defense). However, if I were to build a target gun, it would probably be in 9mm due to its flat trajectory (I don't know how much that really plays a part in competition, but it sounds good!) The bigger the hole I can put in someone trying to kill me the better. While I do believe 9mm is a good round, especially with HP technology these days, I don't want to rely on it expanding when my life is on the line.

That being said, I've recently started looking into an XD9SC for summer carry.

[Fish609]

I shoot mostly for fun and IDPA, but I also carry.

I chose 9mm due to cost, availability, capacity, and trajectory.

If I were to put a bullet COM on someone I would prefer it to be a .45, but I don't feel under gunned with a 9mm.

[Delija]

Originally Posted by spyderman2k4

......However, if I were to build a target gun, it would probably be in 9mm due to its flat trajectory (I don't know how much that really plays a part in competition, but it sounds good!)

I've always believed (maybe wrongly?) that the .45acp was an inherently more accurate round than the 9mm. Must have heard it, read it, whatever somewhere, sometime along the line. Big heavy slow round vs. a lighter, faster round.

I do know that a flat trajectory does not necessarily mean more accuracy. Rim-fire competitors (.22 cal.) all use subsonic ammo. They say that high velocity rounds become unstable as they break the sound barrier and again (at enough distance) when they slow down and go subsonic.

I know my most accurate guns are my rim-fires and my 1911 in .45acp....

What I don't know for sure (re: the 1911) is if it is the gun, the round or both (my guess is it is both).

Back to the flat trajectory issue. I have a CZ bolt rifle in HM2 that is certainly putting a very light-weight and high velocity projectile down-range. It is amazingly accurate. Which seems to fly in the face of the .22 subsonic thing.

For self defense I prefer a 9mm or even smaller (usually carry a Kel-Tec .32) just for the weight and size factors. The all steel 1911 is too big to conceal (dress around) in the heat of South Florida.


Peace,
D.

[USAFdude02]

I love my 45...I would keep this as a self-defense weapon...better stopping power. But the 9mm cost is alot less. But I still would want a 45.

[hacker15]

I voted 'other' as I prefer the .40 S&W. Train with it, carry it on duty, and like the ballistics for the type of work I would expect it to do. Almost a .45, but lots more stopping power than a 9.

Just MHO....

'Course, for a 'walk around gun', I carry a Springfield 1911 A1 UC cocked and locked, with 6 +1 Federal HST +P .45 ACP (figure it's better to shoot manhole covers off the job....).

[cypress]

Originally Posted by spyderman2k4

The cliche "it depends" sounds pretty good. I voted .45 because that's what I have and that's what I prefer for the "every day" application (self defense). However, if I were to build a target gun, it would probably be in 9mm due to its flat trajectory (I don't know how much that really plays a part in competition, but it sounds good!)

I buy into the same idea as to a flat trajectory being more accurate, in that when shooting at targets at various ranges there would be less deviation from the sight alignment over a longer range. When comparing accuracy at a specific range, I think other factors would have more influence.