[Shooter]

For CCW purposes which caliber do you prefer and why?

 

[Don Lu]

I dont own any .45's yet.... but I'd probably prefer a high capacity .45 like an xd. If i didnt have a hi-cap .45, I definatley choose the capacity of a 9mm like glock over a 1911 type pistol.

 

[Jay]

My own personal preference.......

I've carried a 1911-type handgun for many years. I'm proficient with it, and I'm not as concerned with over-penetration as I am with the 9mm. Therefore, that's what I carry. Bullet type has a bearing on any handgun used for personal protection, and there is a plus and minus side to any caliber discussion. In my opinion, the deciding factor should be proficiency. The other alternatives, or trade-offs can be a factor, but a hit with a .22 beats miss with a .45 any day.

Just my 2 cents worth......

 

[FALPhil]

Both, depending on circumstance. Generally, I prefer my lightweight Kimber Officer's in 45ACP. Once in a while, I need something a little thinner, so I carry a customized Star BM, and sometimes I carry my CZ75 Compact for the sheer joy of it. All of them have the same kinds of controls in the same relative positions and can be carried cocked and locked.

 

[pioneer461]

I've seen and heard about too many fialures to stop with 9mm. Granted, shot placement is everything, but is not something we can count on in combat. It's one thing to place 15 rounds in a 5" circle at 25 yards, but it is quite another to hit anything with someone shoot'n back, regardless of caliber. The .45acp is a combat proven round, and when dealing in micro-seconds and fractions of an inch, I'll take a bigger bullet.

 

[FALPhil]

I've seen and heard about too many fialures to stop with 9mm. Granted, shot placement is everything, but is not something we can count on in combat. It's one thing to place 15 rounds in a 5" circle at 25 yards, but it is quite another to hit anything with someone shoot'n back, regardless of caliber. The .45acp is a combat proven round, and when dealing in micro-seconds and fractions of an inch, I'll take a bigger bullet.

I'm with you - 45 is tops. But the 9mm Para is a combat proven round, too, and more people have been killed with it that 45ACP. It is probably the longest used military handgun cartridge in the world.

 

[Gearguy10]

If weight wasn't a factor, I'd go .45. For concealed carry though a fully loaded .45 like an XD can be HEAVY. There are plenty of lightweight little 9mm out there for tucking in a pocket.

 

[Etho]

I carry a 1911 chambered in .45 acp but I certainly would never feel undergunned with a 9mm.

Whichever someone shoots best is my opinion, but .32, .25 and .22 I do not find to be very accepted concealed carry calibers. .380 at a minimum.

 

[RMTactical]

9mm

Good power with +p loads, good capacity, smaller gun, less recoil, and the number one reason is...

I can afford to shoot more, therefore increasing my skill and training and making me able to make the shots that matter, as shot placement is the most important factor in a shootout.

 

[1984cj]

OMG! I can't believe that you asked this question!
Why not ask which is better Glock or 1911?
Just Kidding......
Either caliber is good. It is all in shot placement.
However, 9mm may expand but a .45 wont shrink.

 

[Dutch]

The very best 9mm rounds compare pretty nicely with the very best 45 rounds in one stop shots. The problem with the 9mm is there are some not so great rounds out there. Having said that I own and shoot a browning hipower. I find I really like this pistol.

 

[pioneer461]

No brainer. Bigger is better. .45 acp. Combat proven, not politically correct.

 

[bophi]

9mm/ 45acp

try to shoot both of these guns and see which one you like better . i carry a 45 in winter & 9mm in summer.. bobby

 

[SheGUN]

A 9mm for me......... and no smart a$$ remarks about me being a girl either!

 

[robocop10mm]

.45 vs 9mm

Two thoughts on the subject:
1. Do not compare best case scenario to best case (both expand and penetrate properly). Compare worst case to worst case (neither expand). Which one is best? The .45 will make the larger hole. Bigger hole, better performance. I use non expanding bullets in my .45-70 as it will make huge holes at both ends.

2. Shot placement is the key. Shoot what ever you are going to practice with (a lot) I do not feel under gunned with my 9. I know I will hit what I am shooting at and hit it well.

 

[RONSERESURPLUS]

.45 vs 9mm LUGER

Hello all


RON L here = SERESURPLUS



AH, the eternal debate, I prefer actually BOTH! I'm an AMERICAN< I can and DO own BOTH! I preferthe 9MM Luger in the form of a Browning High Power Clone, for low cost of shooting,m higer capacity and feel and looks! I like the 45ACP in either a Full Size Goventment model or Compact for it's stopping power, the feel of the recoil and how hard it hits! Best of both worlds boys and girls, why pick only 1? LOL

 

[Tony Soprano]

I qualified with a .45 in the Army in 1979,I think around 1985 we switched to 9MM and Army phased out all .45's, and I perfer 9MM any day,I seemed to qualify better at the range than what I did with the .45

 

[pioneer461]

But the 9mm Para is a combat proven round, too, and more people have been killed with it that 45ACP.

FalPhil, that is very interesting. I'd like to see your source on that. I may have to revise my opinion. It's just that in my personal experience investigating shootings, I've seen too many failures with 9mm's. I've seen and learned of many police shootings with 9mm, where the suspects took multiple rounds and kept fighting. The FBI shoot-out in Miami for example. Multiple serious 9mm & .38 hits on the bad guys, who kept shooting. That incident led to the development of the 10mm and eventually the .40 cal.

In the Philipine insurrection following the Spanish American War, the military dumped the .38 caliber weapons for .45's, which led to the development of the 1911. More recently, in order to be PC and Europe friendly, the US military ignored their earlier experience and dumped the .45 for the 9mm. Reports from the Sandbox indicate the troops are pleading for .45's because the 9's just aren't working for them. The majority of SWAT units are authorized to carry .45's while the street cops are issued 9mm. Same thing with many military special ops units.

I carried a 9mm on duty for years. For a while in the 70's and beyond, they were slick and trendy. I'm just reporting my personal experiences and reasoning.

Don't get me wrong, if anyone wishes to carry a 9mm, who am I to disagree? With modern ammo and bullet design, I could be wrong, but I don't wish to bet my life on it.

With respect​

 

[cnorman18]

Interesting debate. The great thing about arguments like this is that they lead, at least here in the good ol' U. S. of A., to innovation. Thus we have the .40 S&W, which I understand is turning up in the holsters of more and more cops.

For all you guys who carry a .45 because "they don't make a [email protected]%# .46," I have to wonder: what do you think of the .50 GI? 1911-style and -size gun with a half-inch bore... I know I want one.

 

[Gun Looney]

No brainer. Bigger is better. .45 acp. Combat proven, not politically correct.

+1

9mm bullets can expand most of the time with good modern HP design, BUT a .45 will never shrink.