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CJ · 03-12-2012, 12:07 AM

Originally posted by no4njnk View Post

We all know the .45 is better when you are comparing standard military ammo but what about 9mm HP vs .45 FMJ on humans?

Think of it this way. A 9mm may expand from. 38 to. 45 given the right conditions. A .45 doesnt need to waste energy on expansion. It just punches straight though you, hitting everything that is possible.

**GAP** · 03-12-2012, 05:05 AM

Originally posted by 5.0_CJ View Post

Think of it this way. A 9mm may expand from. 38 to. 45 given the right conditions. A .45 doesnt need to waste energy on expansion. It just punches straight though you, hitting everything that is possible.

Which isn't necessarily a good thing. The faster moving HP should make a larger (though shorter) wound cavity and transfer all of it's energy into the bad guy.

**goofygrin** · 03-12-2012, 06:34 AM

I wouldn't stand in front of either lol.

I posted an article on here a couple months ago about the statistics of stopping a threat. It boiled down to any gun stopped the threat.

CJ · 03-12-2012, 08:19 AM

Originally posted by GAP View Post

Which isn't necessarily a good thing. The faster moving HP should make a larger (though shorter) wound cavity and transfer all of it's energy into the bad guy.

There are different schools of thought. I feel actually punching a hole through an organ instead of dropping energy near one is more important. Regardless, it's faster speed is required for it's expansion, it's wasting energy to achieve it. Energy delivery is key. A typical 9mm will deliver around 400ft lbs. A typical 185gr .45 will deliver 500-600 - and the considerably heavier projectile will penetrate much further. And there's no way I'd choose a 9mm over a .45 if my life depended on it. But I like 10mm, 750ft/lbs.

**Mach1** · 03-12-2012, 08:20 AM

Originally posted by 5.0_CJ View Post

There are different schools of thought. I feel actually punching a hole through an organ instead of dropping energy near one is more important. And there's no way I'd choose a 9mm over a .45 if my life depended on it.

How about 8 .45 rounds vs 16 9mm?

CJ · 03-12-2012, 08:30 AM

Originally posted by Mach1 View Post

How about 8 .45 rounds vs 16 9mm?

Time is survivability, and a .45 delivers more energy in less than half the time. The more time the foe has to squeeze his trigger, the more opportunity you give him to kill you. The way I look at it, I want the other guy incapacitated as quickly as possible. Pumping rounds into a guy isn't something I'm interested in doing.

**Nash B.** · 03-12-2012, 08:35 AM

Originally posted by Mach1 View Post

How about 8 .45 rounds vs 16 9mm?

I'll take 16 rounds of 10mm over 14 rounds of 45 or 18 rounds of 9mm.

**no4njnk** · 03-12-2012, 09:07 AM

I am not trying to have the .45 vs 9m capacity vs power argument. I am questioning the stopping power. Any energy that a bullet has when it leaves the body is wasted energy, ideally you want the bullet to dump all of it's energy at the depth where the vital organs are. A 9mm HP is going to expand XX amount and mushroom while a .45 ball is going to stay together and have a cavity a little larger then the bullet on impact. So which one would be better. Heck I would even like to see the results of 9mm HP vs 45mm HP.

**Downs** · 03-12-2012, 09:07 AM

When using quality hollow point ammo (in both platforms) it doesn't really make a difference. The percentages are pretty close like within a few percent (for one shot stops) between 9mm JHP and 45 JHP

Pick which ever one you shoot the best. When it really comes down to it you're still shooting a handgun. Given the choice I'd rather use a rifle.

**Blackout** · 03-12-2012, 09:15 AM

how about 15 rounds or .40 DRT. done.

CJ · 03-12-2012, 09:31 AM

Originally posted by no4njnk View Post

I am not trying to have the .45 vs 9m capacity vs power argument. I am questioning the stopping power. Any energy that a bullet has when it leaves the body is wasted energy, ideally you want the bullet to dump all of it's energy at the depth where the vital organs are. A 9mm HP is going to expand XX amount and mushroom while a .45 ball is going to stay together and have a cavity a little larger then the bullet on impact. So which one would be better. Heck I would even like to see the results of 9mm HP vs 45mm HP.

I answered your question exactly with my post, that's the argument for .45 ball. Sounds to me like this really isn't a discussion, you seem to a 9mm advocate. .45 has better stopping power, it's been cataloged for almost a century. A bullet that leaves the body penetrated further than a bullet which didn't. depending on the angle a person is standing, the penetration varies greatly. A .45 which exits a forward facing target might not exit one to the side. The difference being it has more penetration in any circumstance.