.45ACP is still my choice for handgun caliber

[ml1209]

I like the fact that it is lower pressure than 9mm, and also moves slower. With a hollow point, it should not be as likely to overpenetrate in dense urban areas. Don't get me wrong, I like the 9mm a lot, and is my choice for carry. But home defense goes to .45ACP.

[Excaliber]

My EDC's are usually .45's.

I sometimes carry 9mm when capacity may be important, but I favor the big heavy bullet for nearly everything else.

Yes, I know the wound channels look the same and recoil recovery is quicker with the 9, but in my experience the .45 takes the fight out of BG's with fewer shots than the 9. That may not always be true, but that's what I'm going with.

[Commander Cody]

My choice as well.

[PBR]

It's all I have in pistol (well 1 22lr) so it's all I carry for defense. I know 9mm has changed a lot but I'm still old school I guess, but also I'm a big guy so 45's actually fit my hand better than 9's. Like mentioned I know 9's have changed but it still sticks in my mind the few shootings I seen happen live. 1 involved a 9mm and 40 the subject was hit 7 times while never going down. He continued to walk a little ways before falling down dead. 2nd involved a .45 two shots and subject was down and out. 3rd involved a .44mag one shot and subject was down, alive when left scene but can't remember if made it or not. While being a big guy 44 is little much to carry so I stick to .45acp. Just to note all 3 shootings were police involved that witnessed and had to go before grand jury on 2 of them (which is horrible to do).

[The Annoyed Man]

Here we go again1

[PBR]

Here we go again1

about every 6 months or so?

[Oldgringo]

Here we go again1

Yes, let's do.

I'm really, really liking my new S&W Shield EZ in 9mm Kurz. Granted, it's not a tank destroyer but it sure is a lot more comfortable on my aged back/hip than is my SA 1911 Compact. I suspect any gun battles that I get involved in won't last much longer than 8 rounds....one way or the other.

[MechAg94]

IMO, overpenetration has become too big a focus on this stuff. I think making sure you can shoot your chosen carry gun well and hit your target are more important (and use reliable self defense ammo). Misses are far more dangerous down range than over penetrating rounds though I wouldn't want to get hit by either.

That said, you can do that with 9mm, 45 acp, 357 magnum or whatever fits you best. I like 45 ACP, I just find that the 9mm pistols have good capacity in a good size/weight for carry. However, I am always on the watch for a better option for 45. I was sort of hoping FN would make an FNX-45 compact. I like that pistol.

[Beiruty]

9mm Killed 100:1 than 45 ACP.
Almost all LEO and Military world wide uses 9mm.
Trust me you would not wanted to be shot with a double tap of 9mm HST or Gold "D". Ehmmm, "D" is for Death.

[strogg]

Why choose? I carry both.

[RPBrown]

Why choose? I carry both.

As do I. I have any number of .45 guns but I also have a Sig. P938 as a BUG. Its the only 9mm in the house and I got it when my wife moved to a .38 revolver.

[Lynyrd]

Here we go again1

Yeah, but it's a fun discussion.

And I carry both, depending on the situation. But I prefer a .45.

[montgomery]

9mm Killed 100:1 than 45 ACP.
Almost all LEO and Military world wide uses 9mm.
Trust me you would not wanted to be shot with a double tap of 9mm HST or Gold "D". Ehmmm, "D" is for Death.

100 rounds of 9 mm for every round of 45 ACP? Sounds about right.

[Soccerdad1995]

9mm Killed 100:1 than 45 ACP.
Almost all LEO and Military world wide uses 9mm.
Trust me you would not wanted to be shot with a double tap of 9mm HST or Gold "D". Ehmmm, "D" is for Death.

100 rounds of 9 mm for every round of 45 ACP? Sounds about right.

I'm not sure that raw death count is the best evidence of the efficacy of a round, but I'll play along. Are we counting WW1 and WW2 in these stats? If we go back to the Civil War, we probably need to add musket balls to the discussion.

Personally, I carry both. I also carry 12 gauge shotgun shells and 5.56 mm ammo in my HD and trunk guns. So I should be OK regardless. And I "don't want to be shot" with anything, not even a rock from a slingshot.

[The Annoyed Man]

I prefer shooting .45 ACP to 9mm, but I carry 9mm because that’s what my wife carries. In fact, I carry Glocks because that’s what my wife carries. I can adapt myself to pretty much any self defense caliber and gun platform and shoot it reasonably well, but she cannot. She’s not a gun person; not an enthusiast. She carries one simply because it makes sense to her to do so; but she has zero interest in guns or shooting as a hobby. The fact that she owns two Glocks, a .22LR rifle, a .38 Special revolver, and an AR15 carbine is strictly a result of being married to me. If left to her own devices, she’d have one small handgun. Therefore, I carry 9mm Glocks, so that if something should happen to me, she can pick up my gun if need be and be familiar with its feel, operation, recoil, etc.

Left to my own devices, I’d probably still be carrying a .45. However, I do not feel particularly vulnerable because I’m not carrying .45s anymore. Yeah, maybe two .45 ACP holes = three 9mm holes.....or some such....but a 9mm bullet to a light switch will turn off the lights just as fast as a .45 will. I don’t intend to miss, but even if I do, my little G26 has 13 rounds on board (a +2 magazine plus 1 in the pipe), and two 12-round mags in reserve. That’s enough to put anybody down, and if it isn’t, then .45 ACP won’t either, and there are bigger issues. That’s why I prefer having a long gun nearby. A 5.56x45 from a 16” barrel beats either pistol caliber hands down.