Posted on 06/18/2015 10:31:19 AM PDT by w1n1
When I used to work at a gun store I was frequently asked what caliber was best for any given situation. It would have been nice if there had been some sort of magic death ray that I could have suggested, but there isn’t, and most people have a pretty flawed understanding of what actually happens when a bullet interacts with a human target. Here’s my take on it and personal reasoning behind selecting a 9mm round.
For starters let’s examine a couple of concepts that don’t actually exist in the scientific world but everyone talks about anyway. I’m going to regurgitate the work from those better than myself, and the information is worth paying attention to.
KNOCKDOWN POWER
This doesn’t actually exist. If a bullet had enough force to knock down an individual, it would also knock down the individual firing the gun. People do not go flying through the air when hit by a bullet, contrary to what the movies and television would have us believe. Newton’s Third Law and all.
ENERGY DUMP
On the back of a box of ammo, manufacturers list the foot-pounds of energy (ft-lbf, or foot-pounds of force/energy) that their rounds have. Well, that doesn’t actually matter. The terminal performance of a projectile is determined solely by how much tissue it cuts, crushes or tears. While it has been advocated by many-a-misinformed-gun-counter commando that some sort of energy transfer occurs between a projectile and its target, this has been rejected by everyone I respect who studies terminal ballistics for a living.
9mm is for girls and sissies How often have you heard, “If you’re not carrying a caliber that begins with the number four and ends with the number five, you’re doing it wrong”? This almost makes sense if we were limited to nonexpanding ammunition, but most of us aren’t. When we compare modern hollow-point rounds in popular service calibers, there is, on average, one-tenth of an inch of difference in expanded diameter between a 9mm and a .45ACP. Grab a ruler and look at a tenth of an inch. It doesn’t seem like much, does it? That’s because it’s not. Read the rest of the story here.
Absolutely! Thanks for posting. The shock wave of the bullet (transmitted energy) is a key element. When I was in tanks, I never let any of my Marines forward of the hull when on the firing line. The shock wave from the round coming out of the main gun can kill.
That’s why there is little difference between a good .22 with good ammo such as CCI minimag or Stinger and a .45 at close range. The .22 will penetrate deeply and expand. I have never shot a man but I have killed a lot of animals with a .22 and I have known several people who have lain in the ground for many years now because of little .22 bullets and sometimes just one. Many people vastly underestimate what it will do. Shot for shot it may be MORE deadly than a .38 special.
Want it back ..... ? I got dirt on Ron .....:o)
Yep. The difference between an 8 inch pizza and a 12 inch pizza isn't "4 inches."
MARSOC recently authorized GLOCK 19 (9MM) for use by it’s members.
Picked up that 227 and agree ergonomics are great......love the 220’s .
Ordering the 10mm variant next...... Stay safe Slim.
My first choice is the S&W500. What it lacks in concealability, it more than makes up in stopping power. Besides, it’s cool. A burglar/mugger two miles away will run if I fire that thing.
My second choice is the 1911 in .45 ACP. I like it. I hit with it. That extra “0.1 inch” means it is a whole lot less likely to miss everything significant. And it hits with a whole lot more force (no, the target won’t go through a plate glass window, but at least the target will know he’s been hit).
Only slightly behind the .45 is the 9mm. I like it because my Glock has a 33 round magazine. If I run out of ammo, it’s because I’m facing the world’s largest zombie horde, and the stopping power of a .45 or of my S&W500 would not have helped.
Seriously though, my first line of defense in the home is a silenced .22LR pistol with Tritium sights. Even in the dark, I will hit the 10 ring on my first shot, and I will be able to place my second shot where I want it to go, without deafening myself. I’ll also have a real gun to shift to if it turns out I’m shooting someone tougher than a mouse, although the .22 is often fatal - eventually.
I LIKE that!
The math is correct but it is 1.62 TIMES the size, which is only 0.62 larger. It is 62 percent larger not 162 percent larger. Its size is 162 percent OF the smaller caliber but NOT 162 percent LARGER.
The six innocents.
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I have CCL for the last five years with the XDM-.40 cal. I shoot twice a month over 100 rounds. Have not had one problem with this weapon. The problem is it’s a big heavy pig with one in the tube and 16 in the mag and two extra mag’s. Going out this weekend and getting a XDs 9mm. and cutting my carry weight in half.
Yeh Black Talons. :-)
Thanks for your reasoned argument BUT that tells me, a .44 magnum should the round of choice. But no, the 40 S&W and the 9mms seem to be the preference of most police departments.
https://youtu.be/cFaR8B89-MI
Straight shooter. Throws the shells REALLY far.
I'm able to hit 2 out of 3 man-size targets with my .44 Mag at 100 yds. It puts the fear of Smith & Wesson into the bad guys... :)
The best part about this sort of discussion is it helps me justifying owning one (or more) of each.
I carry all of them. I rotate between my SIG Arms P-229 in 40/357, my P220 in 45, and my P-226 in 9mm. I shoot all well due to weekly recoil therapy. However, I switch out my carry piece every couple of weeks. You see, the two that I don’t carry develop considerable emotional stress when left in my gun safe over time. When one has a romantic attachment to each it is important to take care of them all and keep them happy.
Well maybe a big one.............
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