45 vs 9 musings without starting a 45 vs 9 feud

[Wedrownik]

So I am a die hard 45ACP shooter. For probably the past 20 years I have been preferring 45ACP over any other caliber. Ok, I'd drop 45 for 10mm in a heartbeat but they don't make 10mm in all the variations I have 45 in.

Anyways, my current carry piece is SA XDS 4" in 45. Yes, i know... Why not a 1911... Well, my duty gun is an XD so while I have 1911s around the house, I am trying to stay consistent with my duty and carry gun so that I operate under stress the same way.

So back on topic... Buddy of mine stopped by and he had Sig 365... Wow... The trigger on it is smooooooth... Smooth to the point that boss lady asked me: why haven't you bought one yet . Ok she didn't say that.... She just didn't oppose when I said I wanna go buy one. Now it's in 10 day jail and I can't wait to pick it up, but it got me to thinking again:
45 vs 9..... 9 is great, great capacity, feels great to shoot. But I have also seen cases where it took multiple 9mm rounds to take down the attacker as there wasn't enough oomph... But that's not an issue cause I have extra rounds.. right? But then again why do I want to carry extra rounds just to deal with lack of oomph vs carrying more oomph at a smaller capacity?

The world seems to be going to 9... Even my dept that was for years diehard 40 department, is going to 9s... Which makes me wonder - are we going to 9 for the sake reason FBI went from 10 to 40?

So how much of a difference in a similarly sized platform? For a flush mounted mag in the xds it's 2 rounds. Is it enough to be concerned ? Granted 2 rounds are TWO rounds but if I have to drop an extra round on each assaiIlant then I will be actually short rounds in a long run.

I do understand that not everyone can handle a 45... It does have more oomph to it then a 9 does and for some people it would require a lot of practice to be used to it and to be proficient with it. Nothing wrong with that.... 9 is also a good round.... But I don't see any advantage in switching to it....
.

[Weldman]

Ever been in a actual fire fight as in war zone, not some crack head pop shooting at you? It might answer a few questions if you have, if you haven't well here is why 9mm is better....
The enemy is different, they aren't shooting at you to just get away, they want you and anyone else dead so they aren't going to take that well of shot at you
Need more rounds to put their head down and each magazine change is time wasted
Follow up shots faster with less recoil
Ammo is cheaper and lighter to carry around
Has more penetrating power through materials i.e. clothing, drywall
I can go on and on but remember one thing, one size doesn't fit all in situations, pick per what your situation is or could be. The best weapon is the weapon you don't have to fire.

[stevekozak]

Ever been in a actual fire fight as in war zone, not some crack head pop shooting at you? It might answer a few questions if you have, if you haven't well here is why 9mm is better....
The enemy is different, they aren't shooting at you to just get away, they want you and anyone else dead so they aren't going to take that well of shot at you
Need more rounds to put their head down and each magazine change is time wasted
Follow up shots faster with less recoil
Ammo is cheaper and lighter to carry around
Has more penetrating power through materials i.e. clothing, drywall
I can go on and on but remember one thing, one size doesn't fit all in situations, pick per what your situation is or could be. The best weapon is the weapon you don't have to fire.

The best weapon is the one that you have when you need it, and that fires when you need to fire it. Regardless of caliber.

[Smitty901]

I have 45's darn nice ones even a double stack match grade. When I walk out of the house the 9mm goes with me. It is about SD not going to war. CC daily SD 9mm offers more rounds with good performance . In a lighter easier carry.

[jeffh]

Love my (2) 1911s. Those are really the only .45s that really appeal to me. They are range toys only though, and maybe home defense in a pinch if I lost all the rest of the guns in a boating accident. For CCW, the Sig P365 is tough to beat for capacity and size with 10+1, 12+1, and 15+1 depending on the magazine.

I also keep a Shield in 40S&W in my BOB. We could bring the .40 into this discussion and really have a caliber war.

[Chipper]

Things change as technology creates better ammo, powder and bullets. The same improvements that help the 9mm perform better are applied to the 45 so how much better is it really?

More rounds in a smaller package doing nearly the same damage. Easy choice. Of course the 10mm stomps the chit out of both of them so why bother?

The S&W M&P Compact in 9mm has been using 10,12,17 and 33 round stick mags for 10 years. Same mag as the Keltec Sub2000.

[Camel923]

Both 9 and 45 will do the job. I personally like the largest piece of lead I am accurately place down range. Note: accuracy which means shot placement is what I believe to be key. The sig p 365 Has much to offer in a small concealable package. Reliability it huge when considering a firearm along with the ability to put rounds where you want them. The answers to these questions will vary somewhat from person to person. In the end chose wisely because not only your life but your families lives may depend on it.

[Weldman]

What some have also missed is reason for 9 mm at least in my household is the wife can shoot it too, so if I or she needs more rounds we can interchange.

[KUSA]

There are many good calibers but it’s my opinion that if something can’t be handled with a 9mm, you need a rifle.

[MisterMills357]

I have a .45 & a .40 loaded, and tucked away. In my world the .45 is one of the best rounds out there.

If I get a 9mm, it will be a Beretta; which is the best 9mm that I have fired.