[Bob Reed]

Hello,

When it comes to 9mm, .40S&W & .45ACP, which one do you see as being "Best Suited Overall" for All Scenario's?

Please Note: This thread is NOT a Caliber War about which is The Better One Shot Stopper, ect, ect. Hopefully by now we ALL Know it's Bullet Placement not Caliber. Yes, I know there are exceptions.

Please keep it Civil & Many Thanks.

 

[oldgranpa]

hi, all,
I'm a slow'n heavy fan so I voted .45. Interesting poll, I'm taking bets

og

 

[Stephen A. Camp]

Hello. Though I shoot more 9mm, I voted for the .45 ACP. The reason has nothing to do with "stopping power" but simply because I find that most cast bullet loads can group as nicely as with selected jacketed bullet loads, be they factory or handloads. This seems to hold true with the lightly-loaded paper punching loads right on up through those at the upper end of the cartridge's capabilities.

Best.

 

[weshowe]

Gents,

Had to weigh in with the .45 ACP crowd. Accurate with cast and jacketed ammo and suppresses so very well!

Wes

 

[willow]

Although I have many firearms (just ask my wife), I feel the 45 is the most versatile handgun caliber and to go further; the 30/06 in rifles and the 12 ga. in shotguns.

 

[Bob Reed]

Hello & Thanks for all the votes & replies,

While the .45 holds true to the above comments, I personally prefer the Nine for it's better hard target capabilities, greater amount of rounds in simular size mags & it's range.

Thanks Again,

 

[oldgranpa]

Ahhhh...........sockman, you should have bet me. The 45 won and that's what I was betting on.
og

 

[Bob Reed]

Hello OG,

Hopefully we'll still get more votes & replies, but I won't be surprized if the .45ACP leads'em...

Take Care,

 

[Guest]

Sorry, OG, but I voted for 9 mm. I did so because "all scenarios" includes target shooting where I appreciate the 9's modest cost and gentle recoil. I also appreciate the proliferation of 9 mm pocket pistols.

All scenarios includes travel, and it's eaiser to find 9 mm ammo than .45 in other countries.

I think .45 is the best SD ammo by a whisker but 9 is the universal leader.

Max

 

[oldgranpa]

I glad I didn't bet real money!!

Thanks, Max!

 

[jimhigginbotham]

I wasn't quite sure how "wide a loop" to swing on better suited and perhaps I took too much license in "scenario".

Aside from self defense there is target shooting (several types from informal plinking to formal competitions), small game, varmint and big game hunting.

IIRC the very first handgun silhouette championship put on by IHMSA was won by a gent with a .45 auto (I am a charter memeber, I probably have the newsletter here somewhere). I cannot imagine a 9 or a 40 taking down the rams at 200.

But perhaps I read too much into the question.

Jim

 

[Guest]

Since the question was "Overall Caliber" I voted for 9mm. Though I do like the 230gr .45 ACP, and full power 155gr and 165gr .40 S&W.

Voted 9mm because it's likely that no other round (including .45ACP) has seen more war and battlefield use around the world than the 9X19mm Parabellum. Seems the 9 has more going for it than most people tend to realize

 

[Chris Stephens]

Hi there Sockman,

I am getting a little eccentric in my middle age and chose the .40 S&W for a variety of reasons including that it fits so many different firearm/handgun platforms these days. This includes our beloved HP!

Chris

 

[Guest]

I picked .45 ACP, despite the fact that my dept. mandates .40 S&W for on duty and off duty carry, but to be honest, I'd take any of the three with no qualms, given the quality of current duty ammunition and service sidearms.

But I'm a biggish sort of guy, and I like things... well, BIG. John Browning's masterpiece, the 1911A1, epitomizes BIG. At least in autos. Truth to tell, I'd rather carry a S&W M29 Mountain Gun loaded with heavy .44 Specials (240 gr @ 1100 fps) than almost anything you can stuff into an autoloader for duty use, and for hunting use, the same gun loaded with full house magnum loads (240 gr @ 1400 fps, or 300 gr @ 1100 fps) .

 

[Guest]

The 9mm can be used by more people than the larger rounds. But always remember, it is shot placement that counts most. Also, most 9mms carry more rounds than a .40 or a .45ACP. Against multiple targets, the more rounds you have the more targets you can engage. Just to be honest, I carry both 9mm and .45ACP, depending on where and when.

 

[jimhigginbotham]

I would not wish this to deteriate into an "appeal to authority" argument or quoting various data bases but on the whole I think it is pretty safe to say that you cannot really count on being able to engage more targets successfully with smaller calibers holding more rounds.

A fellow has to work out his own salvation but if I take the last ten cases I know the details on with 9mm, 40 and .45 an 8 shot .45 would have handles far more threats than a 15 shot .40 or a 17 shot 9mm - it is not even close but then it also might be a statistical anomoly

Just ramblin and food for thought, certainly not some sort of definitive statement.

Jim

 

[oldgranpa]

Jim, I know 9mm is more popular for things like ammo cost and availability. But the bottom line for me, to answer the question if I could only have one handgun, it would be the 1911 .45.
I enjoy all my firearms but my most dependable handgun that I can trust is my SA .45.
og...just felt like saying that.

 

[jimhigginbotham]

I want to make clear that I am not running down anyone's choice of a 9mm as their PDW cartridge. Just dont get involved in the Hollywood fantasy of taking on the "red horde" with one magazine of pistol ammo no matter what caliber - I know of several cases where it took mulitple magazines - not rounds - to cancel just one threat! And yes there were many well placed hits.

Jim

 

[mikehp]

Sockman, I voted 9mm because that is what I shoot the most and control the best, as you said, shot placement is what counts,
whether target, competition or carry.
mikehp

 

[Guest]

A PCP addict could take a shotgun slug and still keep comming. However, since you will fight a battle with the ammo you have on hand, the more ammo the better. But staying out of the gun fight altogether is the best solution. In the end, shot placement is the most important thing, no matter what round you use.