9 rounds of .45 versus 16 rounds of 9MM?

9 of .45 or 16 of 9 mm? Maybe the question you should be asking yourself is whether or not your are a spray and pray type of person or one who actually trains regularly and can aim shots under stress at distances greater than 5 yards and who can accurately shoot from the hip, if needed, for distances less than 5 yards.

.45 and 9 mm both work. Chances are, the most important shot of a fight will be the first shot you make. In many cases, the last person to shoot will be the winner. In an ideal situation, the first and last shot of the fight will come from you, the good guy. The way I look at it is that for any given fight, you may only have the option of firing one shot. If you fire that shot and it hits your attacker, do you want that one and only shot to be from the smaller 9 mm or the larger .45?

Another question to consider is whether you want 16 rounds because you want to be sure your attacker is completely down or because you are fearful of missing the bad guy.

On top of those considerations, there is no reason to limit yourself only to those rounds. Carry at least one spare magazine!
 
My random thoughts on this subject:
Many of the replies here are pure BS.
I pretty much agree with JohnSKa.
It really doesn't matter which one you have as long as you are totally comfortable and proficient with it. I mean really proficient with it.
 
My question is, how many of you have been in gunfights? And I don't care what you say, shooting for score in competition, or shooting for a steak against your buddy, is NOT stress. STRESS is when you KNOW you're gonna die if you don't react correctly.

You can practise, and practise, and practise until you do it in your sleep! But until you're faced with a true life and death situation, you don't know how you'll react.

I just hope that if I'm ever in that situation, I react in the proper way, regardless of WHAT I'm carrying!
 
9mm = Spray and Pray?

Ok, here's MY list. This naturally assumes that both guns are roughly the same size and make.

9mm = cheaper ammo = more practice for a given investment
9mm = less muzzle flip = more shots on target quicker
9mm = high capacity = more shots on target period.
9mm = high capacity = less downtime for reloads
9mm = more controllable = easier to hit with under stress
9mm = high capacity = you shoot while he reloads

Why is it automatically assumed that a person chooses the 9mm because they can't shoot or because they only "spray and pray"?

It's like saying that people ONLY buy small cars because they can't drive big cars.

Well, I shoot 9mms because I like the caliber. For the reasons listed above, and others.

Oh, and since you .45 guys like catchy little slogans, here are a few.

I don't spray and pray--I spray and then give thanks.

I make my first shot count--and my second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth, eleventh, twelfth, thirteenth, fourteenth, fifteenth, AND my sixteenth.

I don't miss fast--I hit fast.

I don't carry the biggest gun I can handle, I carry the gun I can handle BEST!

And, if some bad guy looks down the bore of my 9mm, I can guarantee he won't be thinking: "All right! Only a 9mm." He won't be thinking anything--not unless he thinks it real fast.

I practice a lot--I just do it for half the money.
 
I think the "Spray and Pray" assumption comes from the statement about missing.

Missing is unnaceptable.....

capacity/caliber is less important than skill
 
9 Rounds of .45 versus 18 rounds of 9 MM

Today I got a couple of 17 round Mec-Gar mags for my two Ruger 9 MM's. So now I can carry double the rounds in my 9 MM as in my .45. I suppose this doesn't make a difference. The unloaded P95 weighs 3.5 ounces less that the unloaded P97, but I guess that also doesn't make a difference. (I also have 20 round Mec-Gar's in 9 MM, but they stick out an inch beyond the bottom of the grip and compromise concealability.)

Drakejake
 
I'm reasonably sure that no one in here can shoot accurate, well placed shots under the stress of a gunfight, unless you are very lucky. Good shots with a 9mm or .45 aren't going to be much different. Before all the .45 guys come screaming and yelling, bring actual documented proof that the 9mm is so much worse than the .45, not including stupid, inaccurate OSS percentages. I'll take the 16 rounds of 9mm any day over 9 rounds of .45.

Quotes like this are funny:
"If 9 rounds of .45 doesn't stop the guy,... I shouldn't have pissed him off.... I should turn and run away.... I should hop, skip, and turn a cartwheel....."

What exactly does that mean? You give up after that? I'm sorry, but I value my life more than that. What if you take on multiple BGs? Do you really think you can shoot 9 guys with 1 round each and come out alive? Furthrmore, if anyone had the option to "not piss the BG off" or run away, they shouldn't be in a gunfight in the first place. Face reality, people. The .45 is not the great king of all pistol cartridges. People do not fly back 20 feet when hit in the pinky finger by a .45 ACP round as some would like to believe.

Also, not many people walk around with umpteen magazines on their belts. I, as well as EVERYONE I've ever met who carries, like to keep the amount of crap to carry down to a minimum. I could carry 25 8-round magazines around, but why the hell would I want to?

Sorry, I just don't buy the whole ".45 is the greatest manstopper of all time" gimmick. Yes, I do have a .45, along with my .40s, 357 SIGs, and 9mms. Guess which one I carry? I'll give you a hint: it begins with 9.

Note: this is not intended to flame anyone on this board, so don't take it to heart.
 
.357SIG

I'm definitely sure you are wrong; there are more than a few here who HAVE returned accurate well-placed shots in the heat of actual battle.

I'm comfortable with all my carry calibers except my 22LR's, and I prefer more bullets regardless of caliber (New York reload; my friend).

I consider major calibers to start at 38 Special/9x19, and anything bigger or more powerful is peachy. I prefer (intense thought here) the PLATFORM more important than caliber, and I'll restate my preference. I shoot the 1911 platform best. (I "like" my 41AE Witness better.)

Not a snub, or flame, or anything. Just my experience both here and in the actual non-internet-based world.
 
Personal opinion follows... usual disclaimers apply. :D

These arguments are silly. All these different cartridges have different virtues and limitations. If there was one ultimate answer than everyone else would go out of buisness. Unfortunately, handguns are more than anything else COMPROMISE weapons. Everything from a Kahr P9 Covert to a Desert Eagle in .440 Cor-Bon embodies trade-offs between size, power, capacity, concealability, accuracy, human engineering, weight, etc.

In the end, it is a personal choice based on a person's needs and prefernces. Because they are personal, they aren't the same for everyone. As long as that person can effectively employ the weapon, then it was a good choice and to say otherwise is simply to be an ass.

My choice is a tweaked Colt Delta Elite. I don't care if you choose something else, and I don't care what you think of my choice, either. If it works and you can hit with it more power to you.
 
Through out this debate there is the talk about the spray and pray method and well placed shots. Either way things can go to crud in a handbag. Spray and pray you can miss everytime. Well placed shots.. The streets here aren't like a war zone as in military. We have too many crackheads that are doped up and will do anything to keep that buzz going.

But for the research.. I looked up one shot stops and what was studied about them. Just to be fair, people were talking about well placed shots and I was thinking takedown power. Not to ruin your day 45 guys but the 9mm beats out the 45's in one stop shots. 81.8% to 79.6% I know I'm going to hear that well thats only 2.2% and those people that were studied can't hit the broadside of a barn. Well sadly I will agree with you but then again they are the one's we send to the streets everyday to deal with the bad guys. I don't think they will let us go out and perform this little test ourselves..

For the nine Federal 115gr JHP +P+ had the highest percentages.

For the 45 Federal 230gr Hydra-Shok, Remington 185gr Golden Saber, and the Remington 185gr JHP +P had the same percentages.



"But your Honor I shoot all those guys in the name of science!"
 
CB

I like the 10mm; you have my permission to carry it (but I don't expect you to hit anything if engaged in a 'real' gunfight, because you post here).

"Tweaked" how?
Picture?
 
Whatever I have will be good enough. It'd better be;)

Now the ultimate question...

Will I be good enough:confused: when it ain't a paper target:confused: :confused:
 
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