quote:

Originally posted by whisky22:
bigger hole. but I carry 357 sig so I can't talk.

Pretty much, same here.

I'd gone away from .45 ACP for a time, but with the introduction of S&W's .45 Shield, I now have .45 back in my carry options.

At work, it's a small 9mm, ( 938, 365, 43 ) or .357 SIG at the gun shop, but for carry on my time, typically it's the .45 Shield.

quote:

Originally posted by prairieviper:
I carry a SIG P938 because it's easy to conceal, accurate, reliable, controllable, comfortable and I am confident with it. I'm a 1911 fan so the P938 platform suits me well. I do not carry the P938 because I prefer 9mm over a 45 ACP.

+1, my 938 works well as a summertime carry, it's on my hip as I type.

Because ... America

Because 9mm won’t fit in their .45 pistol
Because that’s what they shoot and they shoot it well
Because it gives them additional peace of mind
Because they may be limited to 10 rounds so why not bigger
Because they have a big stash of .45 ammo
Because it’s what they cut their teeth on
Because a .45 that DOES NOT expand is still damn near a 1/2 inch hole
Because there are some very fine .45 pistols
Because they don’t have access or money for the best SD ammo available so see point about .45 that doesn’t expand
Because their 10mm is in the shop


Caliber wars are the gun worlds version of magazine racing. Sometimes is just because you like driving/shooting X,Y or Z and that outweighs most “numbers on a page”

quote:

Originally posted by cslinger:
Because 9mm won’t fit in their .45 pistol
Because that’s what they shoot and they shoot it well
Because it gives them additional peace of mind
Because they may be limited to 10 rounds so why not bigger
Because they have a big stash of .45 ammo
Because it’s what they cut their teeth on
Because a .45 that DOES NOT expand is still damn near a 1/2 inch hole
Because there are some very fine .45 pistols
Because they don’t have access or money for the best SD ammo available so see point about .45 that doesn’t expand
Because their 10mm is in the shop


Caliber wars are the gun worlds version of magazine racing. Sometimes is just because you like driving/shooting X,Y or Z and that outweighs most “numbers on a page”

That was good!

I liked .45 a lot better when a box of ammo was a ten-spot or less. That was in the early 2000s.

quote:

Originally posted by JDG:

quote:

Originally posted by esdunbar:
I carry 9mm, .380 and .45.

Having said that, if you shoot steel with .45 and then with 9mm, you will see and hear that the .45 hits the steel harder.

I find it hard to believe that won’t matter in a self defense scenario.

The calibers do not hit steel the same, so why assume they hit an assailant that same?

Think about this one...
You have twice the mass hitting a surface, sure its going to sound louder. What it does on the inside is what matters.

<raises an eyebrow, starts to rebut, says meh never mind and moves on with his Friday.>

In my opinion ammunition choice is 100% personal preference. Among "the big four" modern autoloading cartridges none have a real clear advantage against human beings. You need to decide what your needs are, what you value the most, and go from there. (I consider the "big four" to be 9mm, 357 Sig, 40 S&W, and 45 ACP.)

Because I like it!!! Also....
And what if you're really "danger close," to include but not limited to "interview distance" or in line at the bank or the local stop and rob or stopped at a redlight; the perp/subject leaps/moves and you can barely get one shot off, and only a wounding one at that!!! I want that single hit to be 230 grains of 45 caliber!
Same scenario and the perp is wearing a kevlar vest. If I'm lucky enough to get a center mass shot off, I want 230 grains at near 850 feet per second of impact. Maybe, just maybe, I can create time and space for a follow up shot.... never any guarantees for that 2nd shot (or the rest in the firearm and on your belt).

Carried the Sig 220 45 for over 20 years until no longer approved. My agency went 9mm. I'm good with that... it's all extreme dynamic problem solving of the circumstances you were dealt, with whatever you have at that moment.

Solve the Problem/Stay Alive!

Be smart and Be safe!

just my $.02

Because it's the only logical way to celebrate a 45th Birthday! (it's in the waiver)

Got mine all picked out already as that will be soon for me.

quote:

Originally posted by Dtech:
Because it's the only logical way to celebrate a 45th Birthday! (it's in the waiver)

Got mine all picked out already as that will be soon for me.

Nice! Mine was a 45-70. The next year I traded into a 460 S&W. After that I decided to skip a few and wound up with an extra BMG...

“Why .45 ACP?”

“Because having to shoot someone more than once is just plain silly!”

I grew up in the USA, 9mm is foreign shit.

because it's American!! I love the .45 ACP it just works, I don't think it's really going to matter what you get shot with if you hit the right spot. As a medic for over 30yrs.(retired)I've seen many people killed with .25's and .22 and survived being hit with .357, .40 etc. it's about placement not caliber to be sure......

I think both have their place and excel over each other in certain areas.

For me, I carry a 9 daily on 2 different platforms.

Dress attire, shorts or when I need deep concealment, my Glock 43 with two spare mags. Normal attire, my Sig P320SC with a 15 round spare.

When I’m not at home, I have no plans to stick around should a homer get stupid. I need to get to my truck where something bigger lies as well as a 400 HP 1/2 ton battering Ram and get the hell out of the area.

Home is a different story.

I think the biggest difference between 9mm and 45acp is that you have to be more selective in choosing 9mm defensive ammo. Not all of it works that well.

Yes, shot placement trumps everything else. Put a 22 through their eye socket and they wont know it wasnt a 45.

On the job, we carried 45s - and the majority of us carried 9mms off duty and on court days. Because they were lighter, smaller and easier to conceal. We all used 147 grain Winchester Ranger RA9T and later 147 grain RA9B. I still use RA9T in my 3 inch barrel CS9.

BUT when I am in situations where I may NEED a handgun, such as working at the LGS partime, or when Im on duty in the Magistrates Office in the jail - I carry a 45. Because I am still very proficient with a 45 pistol and it is a round whos ballistic performance on humans appeals to me.

When I was an Investigator working Robbery/Homicide i noticed something. The vast majority of the GSW Homicide cases where folks were DRT - were accomplished with big bore rounds. 45, 357, 40s and some were done in with 9mm. The one thing all the cases had in common were where they were hit with the round. Head shots producing the largest number of 2nd place winners.

And out of the GSW victims who were killed by 9mm - THE VAST MAJORITY OF THEM - some 30 to 40 people (my old timers is acting up and I honestly dont recall the exact number) but I worked slightly over 200 GSW Homicides in my 20 year career, so it is a close approximation - were shot with 9mm ball. 115 grain WWB being the most popular because it was readily available at the large Walmart right outside the hood.

I am a big fan of the small 9mm pistols. I am a student of the gun and I think the original ASP 9mm, allegedly made for clandestime Government agents by Paris Theodore was decades ahead of its time, IMHO. I am confident that I can get fast accurate hits with it and have demonstrated so in practice and a couple of IDPA BUG matches.

BUT - even though I am secure in my abilities with my fine ASP descendant, the S&W CS9, I still feel more "comfortable".........and a bit more confidant with my 4566, 4506-1 or 4513TSW.

My 0.02 Regards 18DAI

If I lived in a ban state, I would carry my GSR Revolution Carry with 8+1 230 grain HST. I shoot it as well if not better than anything I own. However, as I live in Florida and evaluate my most likely threat as the car of 4 "youts", I carry 9mm or .40 for capacity reasons.

Because it was tried and found worthy. And it will "KEEL!"

Why .45 over 9mm?

Some of us are men.

I really like .45 ACP (but don't currently own one ), however, 9mm is my jam.

9mm requires modern high performance HPs for defense IMO, but then you get higher capacity, lower recoil, smaller size and cheaper ammo.

That said, why choose .45? It is a great caliber with good recoil characteristics, a .45" dia. wound channel worse-case scenario and .75"+ with good HPs. If you are in a capacity limited state, a 10rd P227 is a heck of a full size blaster and you won't be giving up much with an 8+1 Commander size 1911 either.

Darn it, I need a .45...