Back in the lat 1970's, the FBI got into some trouble using anemic 9mm ball ammunition. The round has spent the last 30 years trying to live it down.
The .45acp and the 9mm deliver similar amounts of energy per round (depending on the round, with the .45acp averaging about 10% more energy), and have similar one shot stop (OSS) percentages. Both are slightly inferior to the .357mag standard when it comes to OSS.
The .45acp certainly hits a bit harder, and is definitely superior when using ball ammo. But the 9mm wins in everything else that matters.
9mm pistols are easier to shoot, usually have a thinner profile, so they're easier to carry, they carry more ammo, and the ammunition is cheaper, allowing you to practice more. When using standard 2-shot to center of mass defense drills, the 9mm offers more shots, faster shot recovery, and, generally, improved shot consistency.
John Browning created a great round in the .45acp. But once modern ammunition came on line, Georg Luger's 9mm Parabellum beat is. Hands down.
Maybe that's why Browning chambered his Hi-Power in 9mm...
Of course, ALL pistol calibers are under-powered.
ReplyDeleteLike Clint Smith says, "A pistol is what you use to fight your way back to the rifle you never should have left behind".
In a modern civilian application, I'd say 9mm is the superior choice.
ReplyDeleteIf a person's personal protection firearms "training" involves hitting the nearby indoor or outdoor range, setting up your gadgetry on the bench in front of you, and placing well crafted holes in tight groups at a target, then your training SUCKS. That is rote fundamentals only, and proof of basics.
TRAINING comes in with multiple attackers, multiple shots per target, tactical reloading, and... get this... MOVING.
That last one is the biggest argument for the 9mm there is. Hitting a moving target is hard to do if you've only trained at the static range. Hitting that moving target while you're moving too? Not bloody likely.
Kneeling, going prone, hitting urban prone, getting up, diving for cover, handling a physical altercation in the midst of a fight... Not at all likely.
So, with actual hits not becoming likely, it comes down to reducing down time (tactical reloads) and having enough ammo to increase those odds. In both cases, the increased capacity of the 9mm shines through.
There will be the diehard 45 guys that say "if you had all the training you SAY you had, you'd only need the one shot." But fact is, when there are CONSEQUENCES (return fire), you do not operate at peak training. Similarly, there are exceptionally few people in the world that can operate at this level of performance reliably. Those people can carry whatever the hell they want. =)
But for the average civilian (including LEOs), with above average training (they've taken a course or two beyond mere "range time"), they can see that "running and gunning" greatly reduces shot placement, so the more ammo you have on hand, the more likely you are to keep the bad guy running, too, and the less time you have to spend reloading.
IDPA Baby!
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