Why do I keep hearing people say 9mm is not adequate for home/self defense?

[handgun]

I have a friend who is crazy good at the electric guitar.. he plays a cheap ibens? Spelling. About a 100.00 guitar and when he plays it it sounds better than most even if they are playing with a 1000.00+ guitar..

I will take my preferred 9mm or. 9mm kurz over someones 45 any day. Why well i like the round and its cheaper. Second the gun takes up less space..

So go figure.. its personal preference. You may like glock i like kahr.. are either guns more reliable than the other i dunno.. never had issues with either.. just not a poly fan boy really... personal preference. But as hand guns go i rather have one cal. And riffle through the shelf to find more ammo or something or grab the wrong extra mag because i have a spread of various cals at my disposal.

But, honestly if someone wants you dead.. i mean really wants you dead... it probably will be too late to respond.. even if you have an abrams. Tank in the driveway. And if you have one of those.. i want to go for a ride wink wink..

 

[indyjoe]

Assuming a single stack 45 yes your right. But single stack 45's are not the only option anymore.

You saw the purple, right? Trying to do an analysis of fact that are irrelevant. Like almost every other argument when calibers are brought up.

 

[churchmouse]

Assuming a single stack 45 yes your right. But single stack 45's are not the only option anymore.

Thanks

Bahbo

I was headed that way but the math confused me.

We have 20 Rd. .45 ACP's....They are a bit bulky and yes, heavier than a 9mm of the same capacity but say what you will, weight versus velocity, I will throw a bowling ball thank you. Just me.
Again, Tactics, shot placement, number of rounds on target and so on.

 

[atvdave]

Eh? Do you guys believe this too? Discuss.

Let me shoot ya with my 9mm and see how it works??

 

[Fordtough25]

Because they think the millions of people killed by 32ACP, 380ACP and 9mm in WWI, WWII and since just aren't dead enough.

+1, it's used all over the world and has been for years upon years. THey usually use smaller calibers even. I don't feel under gunned with a 9mm!

 

[Ljungman]

Because they think the millions of people killed by 32ACP, 380ACP and 9mm in WWI, WWII and since just aren't dead enough.

Hahaha...love that point. I guess the whole argument boiled down to the old theory that a 9mm was a weak round. Ok...so winchester white box wont be my first choice in a 9mm defense round...thats what Hydro shock and Talons are for..And there seems to be a new higher powered, harder hitting round brought out every quarter...My out look is simple- If 9mm truly didnt get the job done..why would ammo makers be pouring millions of precious dollars into the research and design of newer/meaner 9mm loads? would only make sense to me...make it better if it already does the job. If 9mm was worthless why waste the money to make it into what it isnt?
My home/defense pistol is smaller than a 9mm. Its in 7.62x25 Tokarev coming from a CZ52. And like stated above i never feel under powered.

 

[CPT Nervous]

A big Even a 50 BMG will not stop anybody if it misses. Main thing is a good bullet in the right spot.

False. A .50 BMG will likely kill you if it passes within 6 inches of your body, and it'll tear off limbs, too. That round has so much energy. You don't have to hit your target to kill it. Take a head off and not hit the guy.

 

[Bahbo]

That is a myth about the 50 bmg

 

[coorslight]

you know the term location, location, location, well think of it as shot placement, shot placement, shot placement. Simple in my book.

 

[red_zr24x4]

I say anyone who dosn't think the 9mm is enough should volunter to get shot with it. Hell I wouldn't want to ge shot with a .22 anywhere on my body

 

[Shroom]

I'm with the guy that will take the smallest "22lr" over nothing at all.

And again it is all about hitting what the threat is with a 9mm not about it being a .45 and missing with it.

 

[U.S. Patriot]

Because, some people think they know every damn thing. That's the short and sweet answer.

 

[Hookeye]

I don't see why so many think a .45 acp is hard to shoot well.

 

[calcot7]

It boils down to shot placement.

 

[sharkey]

Because people on the Internet say that 9mm is inadequate, therefore it's true.

 

[churchmouse]

I don't see why so many think a .45 acp is hard to shoot well.

Urban myth I guess.


My daughter shoots a 1911 very well. Has since she was 15 yrs. old. My Niece is a beginner With only 2 trips to the range and wields one of my 1911's. She actually prefers it to the .380 Browning I started her on. The .45 ACP is our preferred round.

Again...a 9mm will put a hole in you.

 

[concrete dog]

A 9mm will put a person down. So will a Ball bat, tire iron,leather belt with big buckle,.22l lr s,.25,.32,.380,.45,.44,and so on. You just have to beware of what is behind the target, and where the round might end up.(use correct ammo for weapon of choice in home defense)

 

[pinhead56]

I think the "9mm not enough" argument arises from situations where the attacker was hell-bent determined to kill and the defender wasn't able to put shots where they needed to go. The larger ammo *may* deter better.. or not. Like most have said before... it *all* depends on where you place your shots

 

[Excalibur]

I think the origins of the 9mm not enough goes back to the "old days" when bullet technology wasn't like it is today. Hollow point 9mm are very different and much more effective than it was.

 

[Liberty Sanders]

I don't think it's an issue of the 9 being adequate for home defense as much as it that others are MORE adequate.

The Thompson-LaGarde inquiry, which was motivated by the failure of the .38 Long Colt as a defensive round in army revolvers during the Phillipine Insurrection, was probably the most comprehensive handgun effectiveness study in history.

They found that of various handgun projectile variables (bullet weight, material, shape, velocity and diameter) the LEAST important was bullet velocity, and the MOST important was bullet diameter. Large variations in velocity had almost no effect, whereas very small variations in diameter had a marked effect on projectile effectiveness. Their report therefore recommended that whatever handgun replaced the .38 revolver, it should be chambered for a projectile of .45 caliber weighing 230 grains.

Is the 9mm adequate for home defense? In the hands of someone properly trained who can hit what they aim at, of course it is. I carried a 6906 on the job and I was confident in my abilities. I was not confident in the gun...I was confident in my ability to use it.

Do I carry one? Very rarely. In my law enforcement career I simply saw too many failures of the .38/9mm family under circumstances where they should NOT have failed.

The most extreme case involved a psychotic individual who absorbed EIGHTEEN ROUNDS of .38 Special +P+ ammo before the shots took effect, and yes, some but not all of the shots hit vital areas. Fortunately there were three officers present all firing. Had there only been one (this was still the day of the six-shooter) he would not have survived the encounter.

My personal carry guns are all .44's or .45's.