do YOU think 9mm is underpowerred ?

Is 9mm strong enough to use for defense.

  • I think 9mm is plenty strong for defense.

    Votes: 215 50.8%

  • I think 9mm is strong enough but only if Hollow Point.

    Votes: 122 28.8%

  • I think it takes more (.40 or .45) to be deadly

    Votes: 18 4.3%

  • If you're asking you're a mall ninja

    Votes: 68 16.1%
  • Total voters
    423
The best 9mm rounds approach the stopping power of the big three (.357 Magnum, .40 S&W and .45 ACP), but a wider range of the big three rounds are effective stoppers.

If capacity is more important to you than having a wide range of ammo to choose from, then go with the 9. If having a wide range of ammo to choose from is more important that capacity, then go with one of the big three.
 
CCHARDWICK
9mm is close to a 40 or a 45
a 22 is in a another class all together
both the 9 and the 45 go 12 to 14 inches in gel.
the 45 is just a little bigger in dia.
Note a 9 mm is much bigger than a 22 and you also get expansion from the 9 mm not a 22
 
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I don't know why, but I feel the need to add this.

I realize that it doesn't correspond with either of the B.G.'s (Ballistic Gell/ Bad Guys), It is just an observation, I and a friend of mine, at the range, He has a 1911, .45acp, I have a helwan, 9MM, The distance from target, 25yds. both shooting win. white box hard ball ammo, The target, A plastic coated bowling pin.

I shot it just below the neck with the 9MM, the bullet penetrated the skin and disappeared, He shot it approximately 1 inch below mine, the big .45 made a hole in the skin but left about an eighth of an inch of bullet sticking out (enough to pull it out with your fingers).

Both guns simply knocked the pin down, niether sent it flying downrange, with that said, If I were in a confrontation with a bad guy in a heavy coat, I would just as soon have a 9MM, I own both, but given the choice, I prefer my .357mag. Or my .44mag, They both blow thru the pin, as far as over penetration, It's MY life I am defending, and I will not sacrifice it because there may be some one behind the person threatening me.
 
I prefer my .357mag. Or my .44mag, They both blow thru the pin, as far as over penetration, It's MY life I am defending, and I will not sacrifice it because there may be some one behind the person threatening me.
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That's one of the worst reasons for choosing a caliber I've ever heard.

What happened to be sure of your target and what's behind it?:confused:
 
What happened to be sure of your target and what's behind it?
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That's all well and good, but are you going to try to tell me that if someone was charging you with knife in hand, that you would ask him to "hold on, while I check to see if I can shoot you, without harming someone who may be standing behind you."

In my opinion, I would rather suffer the consiquences of MY chosen act, than suffer HIS.

Sorry if that offends anyone, but that is the reality of "Self defense", and it makes more sense to me, than those who carry multiple firearms and/or a truck load of ammo "just in case"

If you are going to worry about violating one of the four rules, in a SD senario, then you will probably end up hurt or dead, as that is a decision you have to make RIGHT NOW, not after you look around to check your surroundings, Sorry!
 
That's all well and good, but are you going to try to tell me that if someone was charging you with knife in hand, that you would ask him to "hold on, while I check to see if I can shoot you, without harming someone who may be standing behind you."
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With that attitude, you more than most, should be striving to find a caliber and load that expends it's energy in the target with perfect expansion, and with the least amount of chance to continue beyond, rather than your I wanna blow clean through choices. It completely amazes me that you can't see this.:rolleyes:
 
Claymore, that's the reason we discuss calibers and such beforehand, and even test some calibers (as you obviously have done).
You have the decision right now, before anyone is coming at you with anything, to choose a responsible defensive round and caliber.

In my house, that caliber is not .44mag.
You also have to realize that a bowling pin is not a human body. Imagine what a fmj in magnum cal would do to a human body. It would barely slow it down. I don't need it passing through a bg and into my boy's room, and through him, and beyond. There just isn't any sense in it.

I choose hp defense loads in 9mm and .45ACP. They will get the job done.
 
A toothpick has the power to be extremely lethal. Imagine that...
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Okay, let's duel. I will take a pistol and you take a toothpick. We will begin at 20 paces. Starting to see where the logic of that comparison is a bit flawed? :D
 
.9mm sounds like a good defense to me............it doesnt matter what you use........just get the job done when its time to take of business:cool:
 
If the 9mm is "under powered", then why do they even bother making handguns in:

.38 Special
.380
.32
.25
.22

Some people think that anything less powerful than a .50AE is underpowered.
 
Ballistic tests or not ... Seems I remember reading about the time when the Army was fighting overseas (Philippines?) and were issued .38s . The natives being drugged up, didn't 'fall over' when hit.... The guys wanted their .45s back for stopping power. Seemed like there was a similar reason for the WWII guys liking the tommy gun.... Also thought I read similar stories recently in Afganistan fighting the Taliban.... I personally don't know, and hope never to have to find out, but the .45 seems good enough to me for home defense. Laugh if you want, but I have my trusty Ruger .45 SA handy if needed.... Now I know the .38 isn't the 9mm, but the 9mm will rattle down a .38 barrel, so I mentally put it in the same class :) .
 
With that attitude, you more than most, should be striving to find a caliber and load that expends it's energy in the target with perfect expansion, and with the least amount of chance to continue beyond, rather than your I wanna blow clean through choices
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You also have to realize that a bowling pin is not a human body. Imagine what a fmj in magnum cal would do to a human body.
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I appologize if there was a misunderstanding, I have re-read both of my previous posts, and honestly, I didn't see ANYTHING in either one about using FMJ as my defense round.

In fact, I rarely carry the .357, and as the .44 is a 7.5in. ruger sbh, that one never gets to go anywhere but the range, I was simply pointing out the fact that a 9MM will penetrate SOME things better than the .45acp.

Truthfully, When I carry, (not very often) it is usually one of three, An American derringer in .45acp, A colt police pos. special in .38S&W, or a sterling .25acp.

I am a 6'4" 240# motorcycle riding, heavy truck mechanic, I don't give off "soft target" vibes in the least, so I don't worry too much about needing to carry every day, I have every confidence in any one of those three guns, that they will do what I intend for them to do, That is slow or hinder an attacker so I can evacuate the area as soon as possible, I am not too anxious to be in a gun fight, I have better things to do.
 
Ballistic tests or not ... Seems I remember reading about the time when the Army was fighting overseas (Philippines?) and were issued .38s . The natives being drugged up, didn't 'fall over' when hit.... The guys wanted their .45s back for stopping power.
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The great myth of the Phillipine-American War and the Moro Insurrection. Yes, the .38 Long Colt round (not .38 Spl.) failed to stop the natives quite often when they were hit. Unfortunately, those who have studied the reports also found that when the .45s were used, the .45 also failed to stop the natives quite often when they were hit. Also of interest is that the Krag Jorgensen rifle round in caliber 30-40 Krag also failed to stop the natives quite often when they were hit. In fact, as far as anyone can tell from official sources, both pistol rounds failed miserably and the rifle round also failed, just not quite as miserably.
 
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We talk about rounds that failed to stop people when shot by the military.
I don't know for sure but I think the military uses FMJ if that is the case, the body does not get any of the energy from the round just a single hole thru the body,therefore a bad hit will not stop someone with any handgun,rifles are a little different because you have so much more velocity involved but they also use FMJ.
One reason the military uses FMJ because often they must shoot thru things to hit there targets,cars,walls,ect.
You also get a bigger hole using HP ammo.

That being said I would never use a FMJ in my self defence guns not even my 380,I want the bad guy to get all the energy from my bullet and I don't want to hit a bystander,we are all responsible for every bullet that comes out of our gun.I would hate to go to court to answer why I killed some bystander because I was using FMJ and not a defence round.


.380 I use 102gr golden saber,also have some hornady 90 critical defence rounds.
38 I use 135 gr speer short barrel
9mm I use 124 gr federal HST
My 357 is my side arm in the wood so I want more penitration,I use 158 gr.
my older 38 snub I use federal 110gr low recoil
 
I have no idea why there are so many people out there who take issue with the 9mm. As long as you are using a good defensive load it is a great caliber to use in a self defense situation, low recoil, high capacity and adequate stopping power. Personal prejudice and anecdotal evidence seems to be the main reasons for all the anti 9mm sentiments.
 
Well, could it be that the .45 caliber has been around since 1873? Used in the Indian wars, and such? Could it be the .45 auto has seen good service through two world wars, Korea, and Vietnam and other conflicts I haven't named? Could it just be the .45 has a bit more mass associated with the bullet? Or frontal area? Could it be it just feels good to shoot? Could it be the people that have actually used them in combat seem to like them? Could it be because the bore looks awful big? :) . Could it be the reason you need 18 (or more) rounds is because it may not do the job? Spray and pray?? Oh course this is all anecdotal evidence over a hundred and some years .... but good enough for me as I have 'no' experience in this department, so must rely on 'anecdotal' evidence :) . Still a .22 will do the job if placed right.... I can understand that! But a .22 just doesn't have the "whoa, hold up there 'feeling' that a bigger caliber has." Looking down the barrel of 12 gauge shotgun or a .45... big difference it would seem to me....
 
Well, could it be that the .45 caliber has been around since 1873?
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The 9mm has been around since 1902. Would the difference of 136 years versus 107 years really make that much difference?
Used in the Indian wars, and such? Could it be the .45 auto has seen good service through two world wars, Korea, and Vietnam and other conflicts I haven't named?
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The 9mm has been used in more wars and conflicts than the .45.
Could it be it just feels good to shoot?
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AFAIK, more people prefer the 9mm than the .45 when it comes to the feel good factor.
Could it be the people that have actually used them in combat seem to like them?
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Just like most folks who have used the 9mm in combat seem to like it?
Could it be because the bore looks awful big?
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If you are on the wrong end of it, all bores look awful big.
Could it be the reason you need 18 (or more) rounds is because it may not do the job?
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Apparently not, as there are a whole lot of 9mm guns that hold far less than 18 rounds.
Spray and pray??
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Not sure how caliber would affect whether someone does that or not.

The 9mm seems to work fine all over the world. It is only here in the US that some shooters seem to have trouble with it. Maybe that says more about the shooters than the caliber?:confused:
 
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