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I don’t think anybody who has ever spent 10 minutes thinking about it would believe that a 9mm is just as powerful as a .357 magnum. It’s just TOO easy to disprove. BUT.... what does Harrel mean by “effectiveness”? That’s a legitimate question.....and I carry both calibers, depending on situation, so I’m not biased in favor of one over the other. I think the real questions for someone considering a caliber for personal defense and carry are: (A) is the 9mm sufficiently effective to meet your required level of confidence, (B) can you shoot one better than the other, and (C) do you own a gun in that caliber?

If it were possible for me to carry an auto loader the size of a G19 or smaller, with double stack capacity, chambered in .357 magnum, I’d probably do it. And don’t start on me with the .357 Sig..... Paul Harrel addressed a comparison between the .357 Sig and the .357 Magum in another of his videos, and while it is certainly more powerful than the 9x19mm, the .357 Sig is NOT the equivalent of a .357 magnum. It’s not even close. I already have revolvers chambered in .357 magnum, and no guns chambered in .357 Sig, so I’m not about to run out and buy another pistol, and stocking a caliber unique to that pistol, just so I can have that gun.

But whereas the 9mm is not as powerful as a .357 magnum, I am confident that it is sufficiently powerful for self defense. It is chambered in a number of pistol brands/models that are in the G19 or smaller size. I shoot it better than I shoot the .357, in no small part because it is both less expensive and less unpleasant to practice with it. And, I own 4 different pistols in different sizes chambered in 9mm, compared to two in .357 magnum, so having one that’s the best choice for a given day is easy. So for me, although I do occasionally carry a .357, a 9mm is my EDC.

That said, my next handgun purchase will likely be a 4” or so .357 magnum revolver.