mnrobitaille
Regular Member
I know this is a bit of a loaded question, but which is the better self-defense round? 9 mm or .40 S&W??
Avoiding the rabbit hole, and popping corn.
I know... .45 is best. More stoppin' powar.
Guy at work told me that if you get hit with a .45 anywhere your heart will stop, he said he was in the military and knew this as fact.
I walked out of the room while he was still talking.
The one you have with you at the time you need it.
10mm. End thread.
I know this is a bit of a loaded question, but which is the better self-defense round? 9 mm or .40 S&W??
OP, you are going to get a lot of cheeky answers in this thread because there are never-ending caliber wars, best exemplified by the old saying, ".45 -- because it's silly to have to shoot twice."
For me, it's not a question of caliber. Caliber is not, in my opinion, the most important factor, remembering that we use our firearm to "stop the threat."
The critical factors involved in stopping the threat are:
Shot placement infers control, sight alignment, sight picture, trigger control, etc. Hitting center mass multiple times is an important factor in stopping the threat.
- Shot placement
- Type of bullet
Bullet type equals choice of bullet; FMJ, JHP, etc. A JHP that expands and creates a significant internal wound cavity lessens the bleed-out time that results in unconsciousness or incapacitation, and reduces the possibility of rounds going through the target and striking unintended targets.
The FBI standardized on .40 using Speer Gold Dot JHP cartridges for quite a few years. Recently, the FBI decided to use 9mm cartridges, but I do not know if they stayed with the Speer Gold Dots or some other, perhaps newer, bullet design.
The cost involved in practicing to become proficient can be mitigated by using FMJ cartridges rather than the more expensive JHPs. Some ammunition manufacturers produce "paired" cartridges in FMJ and JHP that have similar or identical bullet grain weights and powder loads so there is little if any difference in the felt recoil for a given firearm.
The bottom line is, all rounds/calibers are deadly. Your proficiency with the firearm you decide to carry and the ammo type you use will determine how well you can stop the threat.
Doesn't that just torque you up?That is true. Just like metric wrenches have less turning power that SAE wrenches.
Doesn't that just torque you up?
# of threads concerning the correct caliber to shoot: 345,582,395
# of threads resulting in the correct answer: zero
But we'll never stop trying.
# of threads concerning the correct caliber to shoot: 345,582,395
# of threads resulting in the correct answer: zero
But we'll never stop trying.
Answer - Both.9 mm vs. .40 S&W, which is better??