I carried that heavy sob for three tours in nam many times I thought just leave it its too heavy and you don't need it but we were overrun three times in one day and brother I needed it! your friend truckwilkins
The 1911 can be finicky and is nowhere near as reliable as something like an HK45C. And when it comes to cartridge choice, I'll take a 9mm over a .45, especially if I can use modern hollowpoints (unlike the military).
That's right, here we go again: 9mm vs. 45!
Well-designed hollowpoints in both cartridges penetrate to about the same depth in tissue. The .45 opens a bit wider, so you get a slightly larger wound channel. So the .45 is a good stopper -- at least for a handgun -- but it's only marginally better than the 9mm when the better hollowpoint rounds are compared. What are the trade-offs?
For starters, look at the difference in ammo capacity. You can get a .45 with decent mag capacity, but the grip will be too fat for most people, and a mag of the same dimensions will hold a lot more 9mm.
The greater recoil of the .45, while not excessive, is a liability in controlled rapid fire and when firing weak-hand-only. No matter how well you can shoot a .45, you can probably shoot a 9mm better.
Depending on the bullet, the .45 goes through some materials with less deflection than the 9mm (e.g., auto windshields, possibly bone). But the 9mm will typically penetrate more layers of Kevlar and other soft materials.
All handguns are anemic in comparison with rifles. If you need a fast stop, you need a shot to a vital area -- preferably the head. The 9mm makes it more likely that such a shot will be successfully landed before a mag change is needed.
The .45 is much better as a man-stopper for military because military uses hardball (non-expanding bullet) ammo. In that case, the .45 is considerably better than 9mm. I agree that with modern well-designed hollow point ammo, the 9mm is close to being as good as the .45. Bullet placement is more important than caliber, though. The so-called 40 caliber is really a 10mm short and produces more felt recoil (kick) than a .45 ACP because of higher velocity with the .40.
Let's all agree to disagree regarding 9 vs 45 and let each (non-military) individual choose what works best for them. What we do NOT need is an author not being totally accurate in a supposedly 'professional' article. Slanting history does not serve anyone's best interests.
"Then he was rushed by the bayonet charge—and had one bullet left in his M1911 when four German officers and 128 German soldiers surrendered to him and his command."
One hopes he had a whole cartridge in his pistol, not just a bullet. (sigh)
I like 9mm, I like .45 ACP too. My 1911 shoots great, but I think my CZ75 is just a bit better in that respect.
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I carried that heavy sob for three tours in nam many times I thought just leave it its too heavy and you don't need it but we were overrun three times in one day and brother I needed it! your friend truckwilkins
The 1911 can be finicky and is nowhere near as reliable as something like an HK45C. And when it comes to cartridge choice, I'll take a 9mm over a .45, especially if I can use modern hollowpoints (unlike the military).
That's right, here we go again: 9mm vs. 45!
Well-designed hollowpoints in both cartridges penetrate to about the same depth in tissue. The .45 opens a bit wider, so you get a slightly larger wound channel. So the .45 is a good stopper -- at least for a handgun -- but it's only marginally better than the 9mm when the better hollowpoint rounds are compared. What are the trade-offs?
For starters, look at the difference in ammo capacity. You can get a .45 with decent mag capacity, but the grip will be too fat for most people, and a mag of the same dimensions will hold a lot more 9mm.
The greater recoil of the .45, while not excessive, is a liability in controlled rapid fire and when firing weak-hand-only. No matter how well you can shoot a .45, you can probably shoot a 9mm better.
Depending on the bullet, the .45 goes through some materials with less deflection than the 9mm (e.g., auto windshields, possibly bone). But the 9mm will typically penetrate more layers of Kevlar and other soft materials.
All handguns are anemic in comparison with rifles. If you need a fast stop, you need a shot to a vital area -- preferably the head. The 9mm makes it more likely that such a shot will be successfully landed before a mag change is needed.
The .45 is much better as a man-stopper for military because military uses hardball (non-expanding bullet) ammo. In that case, the .45 is considerably better than 9mm. I agree that with modern well-designed hollow point ammo, the 9mm is close to being as good as the .45. Bullet placement is more important than caliber, though. The so-called 40 caliber is really a 10mm short and produces more felt recoil (kick) than a .45 ACP because of higher velocity with the .40.
- Old Greybeard
Let's all agree to disagree regarding 9 vs 45 and let each (non-military) individual choose what works best for them.
What we do NOT need is an author not being totally accurate in a supposedly 'professional' article. Slanting history does not serve anyone's best interests.
I love my 1911 and will never carry a 9mm. That's my .02
"Then he was rushed by the bayonet charge—and had one bullet left in his M1911 when four German officers and 128 German soldiers surrendered to him and his command."
One hopes he had a whole cartridge in his pistol, not just a bullet. (sigh)
I like 9mm, I like .45 ACP too. My 1911 shoots great, but I think my CZ75 is just a bit better in that respect.
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