9mm or .45?

S

superdave71

Inactive
Hey everybody,

I've been following the forum for quite some time now trying to gather information on what should be my concealed carry pistol. After doing some research and doing some pistol renting, I'm in between the 9mm or the .45. Basically, I'm in between the GLOCK 19 and the GLOCK 30.

What is the difference on price of ammo for these two? I know the 9mm is gonna be cheaper but by how much? Second, I have a concern with collateral damage, that is, if I go with a .45 will it go through the individual at a greater rate than the 9mm therefore increasing the probability of hitting an innocent bystander? I ask because this will probably be the deal breaker. I've shot both and find them both very comfortable, so really what it comes down to is safety for those who do not deserve my bullet in them, and secondary is the price of ammo:cool:
 
Paid 8.99 last night for cheap 9mm and 16.99 for cheap .45acp at cabelas. Havent used it so I dont know if it is dirty or not.

Buy a 45, leave the glocks alone and get a good s&w or SA 1911. Saw a fine high standard shorty last night for 500 or so. Should work well as a CC weapon.
 
Using good quality hollow-points, the penetration will be roughly equal (somewhere around 14inches in ballistics gel, IIRC).

For range practice, 9mm will be 30-50% cheaper.
 
Don't let them put you off of your Glock choice either. They are very comfortable carry guns. I went with 9mm, but it doesn't make all that much difference with good ammo. 9mm is noticeably cheaper though.
 
Either will do you fine with premium defense ammo. Overpenetration may be more of a problem with 9mm, but again, with proper SD ammo, should not be an issue. Choose the one you can shoot accurately most easily. A 9mm in the COM will stop an opponent a lot faster than a .45 that went into the dirt in front of him because you flinched. ;)
 
9mm tends to be a lil better do to less of a kick and better accuracy ... if you have the right ammo it would also have the same stopping power as the 45..
 
This a long-winded, dead horse beating, highly opinionated debate with no real answer.

Here's the pros and cons (in a 9mm vs 45acp catagorized format)

Higher Capacity: 9mm
Kinetic Energy: 45acp
(These are the main two people debate.)

Cheaper Price: 9mm
Less Overpenetration: 45acp
Faster Velocity: 9mm
Bigger Wound: 45acp
Better Accuracy: Neither (Accuracy is from the gun)
Less Recoil: 9mm
Ammo Availablity: (Depends where you shop)

You can always straddle the fence and buy a .40s&w (aka Ladies 10mm:p)
This will give you the best & worst of both of both cartridges.

It comes down to preference.
 
Buy both. Its the only way you'll appreciate and understand both, allowing you to wade through the usual BS in these threads. :)

Personally, I find 9mm offers more than the .45 in general. Smaller guns that carry more ammo, and are usually easier to shoot, are hard to beat.

I dont dislike the .45 though. I have a bunch of them too.
 
I prefer the 9 mm. You can get ammo cheaper so that translates to being to shoot more rounds per range trip if you wanted to do so. With short barreled pistols you will probably find the 9 mm is easier to control. Well placed shots in either caliber should get the job done. You do need to get the pistol you are most comfortable with. After all it is your life you are protecting so your opinion is the most important. You can check plenty of different ballistic test to give you an idea about how a given round might preform. If you shoot someone in the arm or leg the chances are, any round used in either caliber will pass right through them. Whenever possible try to limit collateral damage.
 
Have you considered the .40?? More capacity than a 45, more stopping power than a 9mm, and the ammo is widely available and not nearly as pricey as .45. It sorta falls in between them a bit. Just my 2cents.
 
Go with a 9mm. The money you save from shooting .45s can go to some good training and all your questions will be answered.
 
9mm or .45

Unless you take the 'spray and pray' approach and need the extra capacity, i'd suggest .45acp, if the pistols are similar in size.

If the 9mm is significantly more compact, i'd personally prefer that.

Then again, i am partial to the .40S&W

Either of the three will be just fine, get decent ammo, proof the gun with several hundred rounds, and you are set.
 
You can always straddle the fence and buy a .40s&w (aka Ladies 10mm)
Click to expand...

Now, that's a new one to me!

Forget about over penetration, unless you mean "misses" which occur far more frequently; check out what the FBI has said about over penetration, not a concern.

If you are just learning about them, .22lr pistol might be a good starter.

FWIW, I have not owned any 9mm for well over a decade, but do have several .45 acps and 10mms.

YMMV
 
I have an SA XD 45ACP for my Home Defense weapon loaded with PDX1 Bonded JHP's. As summer turns to winter, I will then switch to a mix of PDX1's and ball ammo.

I have an SA XDm 9mm as my carry weapon and my wife uses an SA XD9mm Sub Compact as her carry weapon. Both have a mix of JHP's and ball.

All three guns are double stack magazine weapons. I CAN carry the 45ACP, but only in the small of my back. In front, that long butt with wide, double stack mag makes it uncomfortable. The XDm 9mm has a butt that is just as long, but is much slimmer even though it is also a double stack. I can carry it in front or in back. My wife's 9mmSC I can put in my pocket with the butt just barely protruding.

I will soon pick up another weapon for daily carry and switch them out from time to time but it will also be 9mm.

Summer time carry and winter time carry are two different animals for me though. In the winter, I have enough clothes on to properly conceal the .45 and that is what I carry in winter. In summer, I wear a lot less clothing, as is typical of everyone, and so I carry a 9mm.

I recently lost my other weapons in a tornado. Those were a Glock 24, a S&W .38 Special revolver, a Taurus 9mm, a Taurus .45, a Sig P220 and a few others. Don't limit yourself to one weapon. My next purchase will be a Glock 23.

In purchasing your first weapon for CCW, the best advice I personally can give you is to start off with a 9mm weapon that fits your hand and your intended carrying position the best. If you start with 9mm, you're more likely to get a lot of range time due to the cheaper cost of the ammo and that's what you need most in your CCW. Lots of range time.
 
People have been killed by 9mm and .45. They are both decent self defense rounds. If you can't make up your mind, buy both.....and save up for a .40 S&W, because it works too.
 
Guys thanks a lot.

A few responses to your posts:

First- no I am not related to the other superdave. We just have great taste in names:cool:

Second- In regards to the .40 S&W, It is my personal opinion (not saying that I am right or wrong) after checking out the ballistics reports that the kick from the .40 S&W is so much more than the 9mm and the .45 ACP that it isn't really a good fit for me. The difference in ballistics so negligent between the 9mm and the .40 (again my opinion) that the kick isn't really worth it. That's why I am between the 9mm and the .45

Third- You all have no idea how much I really appreciate your advice. This is a big decision that I am not taking likely. With the amount of rounds and rentals I have purchased I could probably have a gun right now lol. But I couldn't in good faith purchase a pistol based on conjecture and opinion. Had to try for myself.

Fourth- In regards to the weather, I live in Miami (home of the TRIO FIVE go HEAT:D) so I'll pretty much be wearing light clothing most of the year
p.s. hope i dont start a sports debate now lol thats not what this
thread is for!
 
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