Shield 9mm or .40cal

[Mike D]

Go shoot a hog with a 9mm then shoot one with a 40. May be only 1mm diff. but a big diff in results if you use identical bullets.

Funny, I've shot pigs with 9mm, 10mm, 357 Mag and 45 ACP and have found negligible difference in killing ability.

Handguns plain suck for killing. They are just packaged conveniently.

[BigTex.308]

I carry a 9mm shield everyday. All my other pistols are 9mm or 45acp. So it was an easy choice for me.

9mm and .45acp is all I carry. (on occasion I'll pick up the .380)


For the record we now own 4 9mm pistols and only 1 .45acp




Ike

[rhale]

I vote 9mm

[Txseaaggie]

From another forum:

Bigger will almost always be better depending on the platform. But I fail to see why anyone would degrade the 9MM when compared to something that starts with a four. I find such thinking close minded and unrealistic.

Again, just my opinion. We will live and die by our choices. But if I shoot a bad guy three times to your two, what's the difference? One round? I would by gladly trade recoil with capacity. But again this depends on the gun.

If you can shoot your chosen gun in the caliber you prefer quickly and accurately I commend you. But I find that many can't. They suffer from the "big bullet" syndrome thinking that less rounds will be needed to stop the threat. Such thinking proves that they truly don't understand that handguns are not very good at stopping someone. Which is why I will choose capacity over caliber any day.

These people also don't understand that just because you shoot someone, they aren't just going to fall down. Some may. Some may not. And they think that waiting for the bad guy to bleed out is a good thing.

So....If someone has chosen their gun AND caliber based on their ability to shoot it accurately and quickly and are able to repeat the process then they have chosen wisely.

[JBJTX81]

Which one will you shoot more accurately? My pops was a firearms instructor in the Army. He does all the firearms and tactical training for 2 SO's now. He shoots competitively. Guns are his life. He said all research indicates that a 9mm just as effective as any larger handgun at stopping an aggressor in a gunfight. He said most of his officers shoot 9's more accurately and ammo is cheaper/easier to find. He carries a 9. I'd trust him over just about anybody not b/c he's my father but b/c of this experience/background/knowledge...my 2 cents

[Txseaaggie]

Here is the video he posted as well

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWMGBCVtTrM&feature=youtube_gdata_player

[tpcollins]

If you will quit being hard headed and READ and WATCH real life shooting studies you will see your argument is just stupid.

Mile - are you still covered on your parents heath care plan or are you just going to pay the fine?

[Mike D]

Mile - are you still covered on your parents heath care plan or are you just going to pay the fine?

Really?

Weak.

Go ahead and continue to live in your little fantasy world where what caliber departments buy and 1mm difference in bullet size makes the difference in whether its effective or not.

There's plenty of facts and evidence out there that says you are wrong.

[gatorgrizz27]

Mile - are you still covered on your parents heath care plan or are you just going to pay the fine?

Let it go man, carry what you want and be happy, I'll do the same. For what it's worth I do have a .40, because it was a gift from my dad. All future pistols will be 9mm.

The law enforcement studies are based around contracts more than anything else. Yes, back in the 90's there were several situations where people felt the 9mm was not stopping threats as quickly as they would expect, but I would wager that in most of those situations the bullet wasn't placed properly. Your average LEO probably has less trigger time than some of us do shooting for fun.

They asked for a new round to be created and were given the 10mm. Is it a better stopper than the 9mm? Yes, but it is a cannon and plenty of people carry it for bears. The trouble was, most people couldn't shoot it accurately and pass the tests, and that was using a full sized pistol, not a sub-compact carry gun. Then they asked them to tame it down, and ended up with the .40, barely more powerful than the 9mm. However the government isn't going to go through all of that and spend the money of having 2 calibers developed for them, going through testing, etc, to end up back at the 9mm.

Bullet technology has also come a long ways in 20 years. New hollow points, bonded ammunition, etc. Similar calibers hit much harder now than they did in the past.

Plenty of guys that train hard consistently for combat situations choose the 9mm, with the ability to carry whatever they want, not what it issued to them. Fast follow up shots from reduced muzzle flip and extra magazine capacity do more for you in a gunfight than a round with 10% more muzzle energy.

I find it humorous how most people in Texas agree that a .223 is plenty to kill a deer given GOOD SHOT PLACEMENT, and a .30-06 isn't going to put them down if you gut shoot them. However with handgun rounds (which are all extremely similar) there is the mentality that a heart shot with a 9mm won't do much while a .45 to the knee will lay them out.

The fact of the matter is, shot placement is the critical factor in both situations. In an explosive defensive setting you don't have time to perfectly align your sight, gently squeeze the trigger, etc. You do the best you can and if you miss you try again. Getting back on target quickly and having more chances improves your odds more than anything else.

[JW]

**** I done missed all kindsa ****! I'm not a 9mm fan. But like I always say, 9mm beats the hell outta no mm. Carry what you shoot good.

[Pullersboy]

9mm

[Ecobeast]

**** I done missed all kindsa ****! I'm not a 9mm fan. But like I always say, 9mm beats the hell outta no mm. Carry what you shoot good.

This^^^^ different strokes for different folks. I shoot a .40 but that's because the muzzle flip doesn't bother me on shorter barrels. If it bothers you then shoot a 9mm either one will put someone down just fine.

[tpcollins]

This seems more like an AT thread than TBH. My internet provider must be the worst there is - EVERY search on the "what caliber handgun do law enforcement carry" comes back with overwhelming numbers in favor of the .40 and .45 - the 9mm is very miniscule. So I don't know what other "search and find out the facts" articles there are that support the 9mm.

The 9mm may be more popular with the the general population because of less recoil, cheaper ammo, and the security of an extra bullet or two - makes sense for it's popularity. There has to be a reason why law enforcement favor the .40 (and .45), based on the articles I have found. Or it could be they're not members of TBH so they don't know what they're suppose to carry.

[onetondodge]

This seems more like an AT thread than TBH. My internet provider must be the worst there is - EVERY search on the "what caliber handgun do law enforcement carry" comes back with overwhelming numbers in favor of the .40 and .45 - the 9mm is very miniscule. So I don't know what other "search and find out the facts" articles there are that support the 9mm.

The 9mm may be more popular with the the general population because of less recoil, cheaper ammo, and the security of an extra bullet or two - makes sense for it's popularity. There has to be a reason why law enforcement favor the .40 (and .45), based on the articles I have found. Or it could be they're not members of TBH so they don't know what they're suppose to carry.

Dang dude do you not freakin read. So Google is your secret source. And this must not be a tbh thread because everyone doesn't agree with ou right? Everyone that has spoken for the 9 has told you why le carry what they carry. I am a gun guy, just like mike d, and all the others that have spoken are. Go by stats not what LEOs carry. Use your search for ballistics.

[gatorgrizz27]

http://www.usacarry.com/why-agencies-switching-9mm/?utm_source=USA+Carry&utm_campaign=e186a2ed21-Why+Many+Agencies+are+Switching+to+the+9mm&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_2bd92c16fa-e186a2ed21-47487185

As I said, agencies carry what they are issued based on bureaucracy and government contracts. Follow the money, not what is best. The govenment has never been efficient or cutting edge at anything, I don't know why you're stuck on that as an example.

The recoil issue doesn't even have to do with being uncomfortable to shoot or controllable, most of us can handle a .44 magnum in a reasonable gun. It has to do with getting rounds on target as quickly as possible. If you took identical guns in 9mm and .40, most people are going to be able to empty the magazines into a 12" circle more quickly with the 9mm, and it has more rounds to do it. Similar reason why are troops aren't carrying M1 Garands anymore.

Again, people that train hard and train others for a living in real world combat scenarios carry 9mm, and usually Glocks. Not because they are issued them, but because its worked best of everything they have tried. They constantly upgrade their gear if they find something that works better. These are guys that have been shot in gunfights on multiple occasions and killed men. They've found the 9mm to be adequate at stopping or killing men who are trained and trying to kill them, and I trust their real world experience.

They aren't braggarts, but there are several of them who have acknowledged they've been in excess of 8 gunfights each, and as they are still here it's safe to assume they won them. With a 9mm. How many gunfights has your average LEO been in?