Do you prefer 9mm or .45 for carry?

[rushca01]

Ok...new member here and I'm sure this topic has been beat to death. With modern 9mm HP and .45 HP which do you prefer to carry? Most gel l tests show mondern 9mm HP performing very well. Do you like the 9mm with 15+ rounds or go with 8+1 in the 45? Again, let's not start a pissing match here as to which is better, rather what do you prefer to carry and why?

For me I think it would have to be the 9mm. Generally a little more controlable plus with only mag change you have the easy ability to lob 30 rounds down range. I also feel that modern 9mm performs as well as .45 does today especially when you consider most .45 run better on ball ammo rather than HP.

 

[ATM]

Do you like the 9mm with 15+ rounds or go with 8+1 in the 45?

I don't care for those low capacity examples.

I am comfortable with either 13+1 .45 or 19+1 9mm but I normally carry the XD45.

 

[Beau]

Ummmm....Glock is better.

 

[Grademan]

Whatever you're comfortable with. In my opinion shot placement is more important.

 

[zip]

I carry a 9mm, because I shoot better with it. If I shot better with a .45 I would carry that

 

[sparkyfender]

I usually carry 9mm. I really like .45acp, I just find my 9mm pistols easier to carry and conceal.

My GLOCK 30 does see some carry time.


Capacity isn't an issue with me. A couple of my favorite carry guns are single stack 9mms; I just stick an extra magazine in my pocket.

I don't anticipate having to throw 30 or so rounds into the wind if I ever have to defend myself. Possible; not very likely.

Your environment and experiences may differ.

 

[Hondo]

If you think you need 30 rounds you better take a shooting class....of greater concern to me is managability of whatever you carry...I recently picked up a S&W 646 revolver (5 shot) in .38+p...if i can't get the job done in 5 the sh** must of really hit the fan.

I keep my Charles Daly .45 (6+1) handy too (colt commander size) if I feel like carrying a little heavier....

 

[Beau]

Whatever you're comfortable with. In my opinion shot placement is more important.

If you nail them in the dome cover caliber isn't really an issue.

I usually carry 9mm. I really like .45acp, I just find my 9mm pistols easier to carry and conceal.

Stop worrying about concealing and this issue goes away.

My GLOCK 30 does see some carry time.

I want one of those.

Capacity isn't an issue with me. A couple of my favorite carry guns are single stack 9mms; I just stick an extra magazine in my pocket.

I don't anticipate having to throw 30 or so rounds into the wind if I ever have to defend myself. Possible; not very likely.

Isn't the point of carrying to be ready for the unexpected? Are you anticipating an attack or carrying just in case one happens? I look at ammo the same way. I don't anticipate needing more than a few rounds but I carry at least 40.
Your environment and experiences may differ.

Persoanlly I like my .45. I like the way it fits my hand. I want to make a big hole should I need to use it in defense.

 

[turnandshoot4]

I'd love to have a double stack Sig Elite in stainless but alas, they do not make one. So I carry a 9mm for now until I find a .45 I like.

 

[Liberty Sanders]

I saw far too many failures of the .38/9mm family of cartridges during my law enforcement career to trust them.

My two favorite sets of carry guns are a brace of Cimarron Thunderers in .45 Colt and a brace of S&W hand ejectors, a 1st model in .44 Special and a 2nd model in .455 Webley.

 

[sparkyfender]

I don't "worry" about concealing, so it isn't even an issue, let alone one that needs to go away.

I don't practice open carry. More power to those that do.

40 rounds is great. I just don't carry that much ammo.

I'm glad you like your .45............. I like them ,too!

 

[sparkyfender]

I saw far too many failures of the .38/9mm family of cartridges during my law enforcement career to trust them.

My two favorite sets of carry guns are a brace of Cimarron Thunderers in .45 Colt and a brace of S&W hand ejectors, a 1st model in .44 Special and a 2nd model in .455 Webley.

Wow! That's a lot of steel! I'd love to see some pics of your carry rigs..............

 

[IndyBeerman]

I don't anticipate having to throw 30 or so rounds into the wind if I ever have to defend myself. Possible; not very likely.

Your environment and experiences may differ.

You know what, I don't anticipate having to throw 35 around either, but considering most gangbangers ride 3 or 4 at a time together, it's a piece of mind thing knowing that I got about 9 rounds per person if needed.

Personally I only want to use 1 round, but it's brothers are there if they need follow it's first sibling down the pipe.

 

[Liberty Sanders]

Sparkyfender, I carried the Smiths when I participated in the Open Carry Walk. There are pics on here somewhere.

 

[Agent 007]

.

 

[Hondo]

I saw far too many failures of the .38/9mm family of cartridges during my law enforcement career to trust them.

My two favorite sets of carry guns are a brace of Cimarron Thunderers in .45 Colt and a brace of S&W hand ejectors, a 1st model in .44 Special and a 2nd model in .455 Webley.

By "failures" are talking stopping power? Feeding problems?

Thanks

 

[IndyBeerman]

I saw far too many failures of the .38/9mm family of cartridges during my law enforcement career to trust them.

So what was the failure and nature of the 38's, the same for the 9mm and how many?

How long ago was this and what was the firearms involved?



I ask this because in the 10 years that I have owned 2 different 9mm's the only problem that I have encountered is a very hard primer, and that fired on the 3 pull. May I note that this was on a WWB round, so basically nothing more than a bad practice round.

On my self defense rounds I've never encountered a problem and I use Federal Hydra-Shocks and Cor-Bon JHP's.

 

[sparkyfender]

Sparkyfender, I carried the Smiths when I participated in the Open Carry Walk. There are pics on here somewhere.

Thanks!

 

[kycrawler]

I prefer the .45 myself . Your 9 mm hp may open up to 45 dia but my 45 isn't going to shrink . That and there is 2x the mass there in a 45 slug versus a 9 mm

 

[paddling_man]

For me, between 45 and 9, it's about the transport method of the cartridge - not the round itself. I'm comfortable that either will do the job for a two-legged adversary.

The form factor of the pistol, with extra points given for capacity, is what sells me.

Still, most of the time I'm carrying a single stack. 380/9x18, 9x19 or .45.

I sold my last 40. The recoil didn't "hurt" but in a plastic pistol, I can get 10 rounds in center mass with mý preferred rounds above before I can get 7 in a 40.

9 or 45? Greater mass in a 45, greater penetration in a 9. Sort of a wash for me.