9mm vs 45

[Guest gcrookston]

where's Jeff Cooper when you need him?

[nightrunner]

Wheel guns may not be sexy, but they are darn near always reliable! somemore!

hold on there a minute! now there are some REALLY sexy wheelguns out there:D

[Marswolf]

I prefer a .45, but I usually carry a .40, but I don't feel undergunned with a 9mm. If that makes any sense, you have problems, too.

Unfortunately, that makes perfect sense to me, except that I prefer the 40.

[deerslayer]

I want a .45, but have never been able to find one I'm happy carrying. A .40 is the next best thing (IMO), so that's what I usually have.

I'm not in love with a 9mm, but I feel that Miami should not be used to discredit it--most of the "hits" w/ 9mm were glancing blows, and almost any pistol caliber would have failed to neutralize. The head shots were merely scrapes. The two bad guys were not "super people" who could not be taken down with 9mm rounds; they simply weren't hit where one needs to put pistol bullets to incapacitate people. The only good hit (and it was marginal) was through one of the bad guy's arms (Michael Platt), but it didn't penetrate into his chest cavity enough to stop him. If I remember correctly, the bullet passed through his right arm and right lung, but stopped just short of his heart. Maybe something else would have done more damage, maybe not. I believe this is the shot that eventually killed Platt. What is amazing is that most of the shooters were within a few feet of each other. I sometimes wonder if the 9mm was used as a scapegoat to cover for some incredibly lousy shooting on the part of the FBI.

[deerslayer]

I got curious and found this summary of the Miami shootout:

http://www.firearmstactical.com/briefs7.htm

[Guest sagebrushjim]

A 9mm might expand, but a .45 does not shrink !!!

[mac12]

The only thing I can say to that report is "WOW!"

[Guest Phantom6]

IMHO you shoot the largest caliber that you can accurately place multiple shots with. The first round is easy. It's getting that second and all following shots on target as rapidly as possible without sacrificing accuracy that's the trick. Having some arthritis issues in my wrists I find the 9mm suits my needs better. I still shoot my 40 and my 45 occasionally but I'm more comfortable with my "Eruo-weenie" gun.

The three most important components of stopping power are bullet placement, bullet placement and bullet placement.

[Guest Phantom6]

I got curious and found this summary of the Miami shootout:

http://www.firearmstactical.com/briefs7.htm

Unfortunately this report and book were authored by what appears to be the same Dr. W. French Anderson that was indicted, tried and convicted of molesting the minor daughter of a collegue over a period of years when she was 10 to 15 years old. He was sentenced to 14 years in prison. In 2005 Anderson was also charged in Montgomery County, Maryland with molesting a Silver Spring, Maryland boy for three years in the 1980s. This would have been during the time he worked with the F.B.I.

Pretty damned ironic I believe.

Edited April 20, 2008 by Phantom6

[Marswolf]

Unfortunately this report and book were authored by what appears to be the same Dr. W. French Anderson that was indicted, tried and convicted of molesting the minor daughter of a collegue over a period of years when she was 10 to 15 years old.

That may not make him an upstanding citizen, but it doesn't disqualify his analysis in this matter.

[deerslayer]

What mars said--pervert or not, he was still a forensic analyst who worked with the FBI.

[Guest Phantom6]

That may not make him an upstanding citizen, but it doesn't disqualify his analysis in this matter.

Oh, I didn't say that it did. Just an observation. He was doing cutting edge gene therapy work at USC at the time of his arrest. His intelect and genius are wasted by his pedophilia. I really hate to see talented folks un-done by their poor character.

[towerclimber37]

sounds to me like he should have been one of the fellas on the receiving end of that gunfight along with those other fellas.

just my .2..

as for the difference, well I can honestly say that the guys are right. its the location that counts, and if they're worth shooting with one round, why not spend a magazine and make sure!