This is another one of those topics I’d rather not talk about because people get all fired up when they read about two very popular handgun calibers being compared. 9mm Ballistics vs 40 S&W Ballistics (Suggested Carry Loads) A A 9mm Luger (9mm Parabellum) (9x19mm), Cor-Bon JHP +P, 115gr. March 8, 2016. Adoption of the 9mm would give a strategic advantage, as US troops deployed anywhere in Europe would have an easier time finding ammo if they’re carrying a 9mm pistol. Both are great options for self defense, both are widely popular and available everywhere, and both have withstood the test of time. The .38 Super ret… if you run out of ammo) and you have nothing else to rely on but your sidearm, the high capacity argument favoring the 9mm is a bit of a moot point. Compare all 45 ACP ammunition manufacturers on one easy to read chart. Georg Luger designed the 9mm in 1901, releasing it to the market about a year later. But you’re more likely to end fights faster using your rifle or sub-machine gun anyway, so except for situations where your standard issue long gun won’t cut it (e.g. The M1911 on the other hand can only hold 7 to 8 in its typical single stack mag. Standardization Agreement (STANAG) 4090 standardized a slightly more powerful 9mm load eventually called the 9mm NATO. If you’ve been living under a rock for decades, you probably haven’t heard of modern bullet designs that push the terminal performance boundaries of typical handgun calibers. The.45 ACP (Automatic Colt Pistol) cartridge holds bullets that have a diameter of.452 inches (11.5mm) so it is slightly larger than the 9mm (.355 inch bullets). Some 45 ACP ammo expands to nearly an inch as it travels through a soft target. It’s a negligible terminal performance gain for a significantly higher cost. .45 ACP is a very controllable defense round. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. I figured I’ve been avoiding this debate for too long. The U.S. Army has settled the age-old 9mm vs. .45 ACP debate with its latest request for a new service pistol with more “knock down” power. 9mm vs 45 vs 40: Finding the Balance. 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This means assuming the same person will shoot two handguns of similar size and weight, each chambered for either of the two cartridges, the handgun in 9mm will have around ~10% less muzzle flip and around ~48% less felt recoil compared to the one chambered in .45 ACP.eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'gunnewsdaily_com-box-4','ezslot_4',113,'0','0'])); Of course, let’s not forget that more recoil means less accurate and slower follow-up shots. And while you’re it, consider upgrading it to shoot .460 Rowland. Perhaps the single most tragic event in the history of law enforcement that led to people dismissing the 9mm’s stopping power was the FBI Miami shootout. It doesn’t create as big of a hole as the .45 ACP does, but modern bullet designs mitigate that disadvantage while also negating all possibilities of overpenetration. For comparison, the magazine of a full-size double stack 1911 (informally referred to as a 2011) chambered for the 9mm can fit anywhere between 18 to 26 rounds. But for the purposes of this article, I’ll stop talking about the .357 Magnum from this point onwards. Handgun Caliber Showdown Round 4: 9mm vs. .45 ACP, Experts believe there are at least two reasons why, The best defense against violent crime is awareness, Hornady Critical Defense using 115-grain FTX bullets, Disclaimer Policy And FTC Affiliate Disclosure |, Is a bit more powerful but a tad more difficult to handle as it has more recoil, Doesn’t penetrate solid barriers as reliably as the 9mm because of its slower velocity and bigger diameter, Makes bigger holes regardless of the type of bullet it uses, Suffers a little in the ammo capacity department, FMJ works well so there’s no need to spend extra on ammo that use modern bullet designs, Is the cheaper option for civilians, but not too practical for the military, Is as versatile as the 9mm when it comes to available shooting platforms, e.g. In this video we are comparing Barnes TAC-XPD 9mm against Corbon Pow’RBall .45acp. Out of my newly-acquired Ruger SR1911 commander, using Armscor standard pressure 9mm 115-grain FMJ loads, I was able to get a 5-shot average of 1,220 feet per second. So, if you take your .45, your .451, and your 9mm as your .355, take half that, the radius, square that, and what you’ll find is that the volume, or the area, of damaged tissue made by the .45 is about 60 percent more than made by the 9mm.”. The Armory XD-S … Muzzle Velocity – 5.7x28mm vs. 9mm. Experts believe there are at least two reasons why. Like the 9mm, it was designed off another cartridge, the .38 ACP. This Round Table will be a recurring feature where we ask industry experts and noted personalities to sound off on a variety of topics that are often debated amongst friends at backyard barbeques as well as on Internet forums amongst strangers and those who prefer to hide behind a monitor and Wi-Fi connection. Some 9mm enthusiasts are known to have successfully converted their 1911s in 9mm to fire more potent .35-caliber cartridges like the 9×23 Winchester and the .38 Super. Stack the Single Stacks And as with its contender, a huge lot of 9mm handguns can be converted to shoot an even more potent round — one that’s relatively new but gives the 460 Rowland a run for its money. Sponsored Post. It never made sense to me why a lot of people always want to compare the 9mm against the .45 ACP, and vice-versa. If you’re always watchful, they probably won’t even bother 9 times out of 10. Remember that there are two reasons why you wouldn’t want 9mm FMJs for concealed carry: one, there’s always that risk of overpenetration; and two, well, it just creates smaller holes compared to the .45 ACP. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Because this new 9mm-based cartridge was also developed by the same guy responsible for the monster .44-Magnum-class .45-caliber conversion — Johnny Rowland. D D .40 Smith & Wesson, Winchester Silvertip Hollow Point, 155gr Under STANAG 4090, all countries in the alliance adopted the 9mm as their standard military sidearm cartridge. The low velocity and heavy weight of the .45 is … If that price difference doesn’t mean anything to you, then you’re either one of the very few blessed people on the planet who don’t have to work a nine-to-five, or you’re a .45 ACP fanboy (don’t worry, I am too). not limited to just the 1911) is one converted to shoot the mighty 460 Rowland, a beast of a cartridge designed to mimic entry-level .44 Magnum performance in semi-autos. But wait, we’re not done comparing prices yet. There’s a lot of focus on terminal ballistics and muzzle energy and whatnot. We will always select a multifaceted panel in order to present many different points of view. That’s a 65.27% price difference favoring the 9mm. A Moro warrior could be shot six times center of mass but still end up slashing the neck of the soldier who shot him. Smith & Wesson released the .40 S&W in 1990. Besides, guns are only just a last resort. We understand price matters. You then start to see why even with its age, to this day, the .45 ACP is still a very popular option among civilians, law enforcement, and the military. This is an extremely important factor to consider. 9mm vs .40 vs .45 Debate | Which Is Better for Self-Defense? Stay in the know with the latest from the Ballistic newsletter, BRN 180: Why Brownells’ SHTF Uppers Are Making Waves for AR Owners, The Many Guns of John Wayne on the Big Screen, Best Ammo of 2020: The Ballistic’s Best Editors’ Selects Awards, Sightmark Volta: A New Solar and Battery Powered Rifle Red Dot Sight, You use of this website constitutes and manifests your acceptance of our. If you’d like to know more, head on over to Johnny’s website. It’s because of the 9mm’s reputation for being a terrible performer in the terminal ballistics department. It was a game changer. As mentioned in the article, the terminal ballistics of the modern 9mm is virtually the same as the .40S&W or the older .45ACP round – but that is with modern 9mm JHP ammo. I wouldn’t recommend any cheaper load. The .45 ACP comes in two flavors: the standard .45 ACP with the +P, and the 45 Super, which is just a very, very hot .45 ACP which most semi-auto .54 ACP handguns cannot shoot since it is too hot. I’m an all-steel 1911 and magnum revolver kind of guy. The 9mm’s case measures 9.93mm in diameter while the .45 ACP’s measures 12.2mm in diameter. The weight of a 9mm round can vary significantly – from 115 to 147 grains – giving users a wide variety of options, and delivering ballistic energy anywhere from 355 to 455 ft-lbs. Others think 9mm trumps all or the .40 caliber has its own merits. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! The first is, being a smaller cartridge with a smaller diameter, handguns chambered for the 9mm tend to have higher ammo capacity compared to those chambered for the .45 ACP. There are those who are adamant that .45 caliber is the best, due to its stopping power. 9mm Ballistics. B B 9mm Luger (9mm Parabellum) (9x19mm), Remington Jacketed Hollow Point +P, 115gr. Both are also very popular so there will never be an issue in terms of guns and ammo availability. The 9mm was deemed to have insignificant stopping power, which ultimately resulted in the birth of the .40 S&W. Before we go much further, we should discuss 9mm vs 45 ballistics, and more importantly, what that information means for you. you have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome), then get a decent compact high-capacity 9mm handgun and load it with 115-grain Hornady Critical Defense FTX rounds. Let’s start with the cost of ammunition in our comparison. Army officials were recently quoted declaring its stock of 200k-plus semi-auto Sig Sauer M11 and Beretta M9 pistols to be outdated. As far as versatility, it’s pretty much a draw when it comes to non-handgun shooting platform options available to both cartridges, but the .45 ACP wins when it comes to caliber conversion options. About Us | Write For Us | Advertise| Terms and Conditions | Privacy Policy | Disclaimer Policy And FTC Affiliate Disclosure |. The 45 ACP is a bigger projectile, and with modern defensive ammunition, it does offer the most expansive ammunition. [Click Here to Shop 9mm Luger (Parabellum) Ammo] Of course, if you’re in the military, more is better. Then, I picked ammo that allows my 9mm to create a wound larger than a .45 ACP hollowpoint. Neither caliber is a slouch, but everyone knows that the .45 ACP is the more powerful cartridge between the two. There has always been a debate over the best caliber for self-defense. So the best way to put it is, as far as ammo prices, for self defense carry loads, the .45 ACP FMJ gives better value. The .45 ACP can send a 230-grain bullet down the barrel at a nominal velocity of 850 feet per second, with +P loads going as high up as 1,015 feet per second. This one is a biggie for most people (including yours truly). In comparison, the cheapest .45 ACP ammo cost 23.8¢ per round. Gun News Daily is the longest running gun news website in the US. Yes, I’m fully aware that double stack compact pistols are the way to go, but this piece was offered to me by my LGS for such a tempting price ($700) that I just couldn’t find it in my heart to refuse. most 9mm and 40 are 1-2 rounds different. The .45 ACP doesn’t exhibit such problems, which means if you’re carrying a handgun chambered for it, you won’t need ammo using modern design bullets. The 45 ACP as a defensive round is often overshadowed by the capable and higher capacity 9mm round. The cheapest full metal jacket 9mm ammo cost 14.4¢ per round. So why was the .45 ACP replaced by a smaller and weaker cartridge? If a store sells handgun ammunition it is a safe bet they’ll have .45 — at the bare minimum ball. GIVEAWAY: Win a Custom, James Bond-Inspired Walther PPK Pistol! That ~48% recoil difference means the 9mm bests the .45 ACP by a significantly wide margin when it comes to handling. And because the two are both rimless semi-auto handgun cartridges, both feed well in any box-type magazine, which is also why both work well in pistol-caliber carbines and submachine guns. After the bullet deforms due to impact, the difference in diameter is really what matters, and that varies a lot. Of the many debatable topics of conversation in the firearms world, one that pops up a lot more often than others, relates to caliber. The current FBI standard for defensive ammunition is that an effective defensive round should penetrate four layers of heavy clothing, then go through 18 to 24 inches of ballistics gelatin. FN Awarded U.S. Army Contract for the M249 SAW . If you’re serious about training and firearms, you are … 5.7x28mm VS 9mm Cost. They wanted something that would give them more ammunition capacity, greater reliability, was easier to reload and had less velocity. First of all, an unfired bullet.45 ACP bullet is exactly 0.095 of an inch larger in diameter than an unfired 9mm Luger bullet. Typical 9mm bullets weigh 115 grains and can be pushed at a nominal velocity of 1,150 feet per second but +P loads nip at the heels of typical factory .357 Magnum loads and can go as high up as 1,350 feet per second. Here’s a quick comparison video for people who want to skip on all the math: Now for the geeks who want to crunch some numbers. Anyone that’s shot both a 10mm and a 9mm round certainly understands that these two cartridges are different. A maximum rise of 3 inches is appropriate for hunting the smaller species of big game, and also for self defense purposes. It’s only natural that everyone won’t share the same opinion, but that’s the great thing about The Round Table. Both of these 9mm ammo problems are mitigated somewhat by modern bullet designs. While the 9mm is often thought of as a modern cartridge, it’s actually old enough to be the .38 Super’s father. More Protect. It has been widely known among enthusiasts that the 1911, despite its age, is still one of the more versatile sidearm shooting platforms on the market. Reason: Current 9mm ammunition has more consistent and better barrier penetration than .45 ACP. Now, change grains to pounds. Higher ammo capacity results in fewer and faster reloading times for the operator, which meant better survivability when fighting against human wave attacks like the ones employed by China in the Korean War. There are photos of various types of Glocks, 1911s and SIGs chambered for the 9mm that they’ve converted to shoot their new 960 Rowland, a slightly longer 9mm cartridge Johnny developed to mimic true .357-Magnum ballistics out of a semi-auto. Speed is an important factor for ballistic performance, impacting accuracy, trajectory, energy, and penetration. And so I recently picked up a 1911 chambered in 9mm — a Ruger SR1911 Model 6722 single stack with a 4.25-inch barrel. Comparing muzzle energies, typical .45 ACP loads have a muzzle energy of ~369 foot-pounds of force while typical 9mm loads have a muzzle energy of ~399 foot-pounds of force. I don’t buy into this argument — not because I’m biased toward the .45 ACP, but because I don’t think having more bullets in the mag makes me any safer. A 9mm is generally cheaper, has less recoil and higher velocity than a.45 ACP. When all of these beliefs are taken as a whole, we can learn something new, spur further debate and perhaps be surprised by what we come away with. The US military needed a more powerful cartridge to replace their standard-issue Colt Model 1892 New Army double-action revolvers chambered for the .38 Long Colt, the parent cartridge of the .38 Special. pistol-caliber carbines and sub-machine guns, Has more powerful caliber conversion options but again, will be more difficult to handle, Is a little weaker but is easier to handle as it has less recoil, Makes smaller holes compared to the .45 ACP, Penetrates solid barriers better but tends to overpenetrate, potentially causing undue harm, Modern bullet designs mitigate the two previous downsides, Beats the .45 ACP when it comes to ammo capacity, Is the more practical option for the military, but more expensive for civilians, Is as versatile as the .45 ACP when it comes to available shooting platforms, Has weaker caliber conversion options but again, will be easier to handle. We won’t get into too much detail but if you want to know more, you can reference this article from another firearms website. The .45 ACP is a little more powerful than the 9mm, but it also has a heavier felt recoil and guns chambered for it typically exhibit a slightly higher muzzle flip when fired. Springfield Armory XD-S Mod.2 9mm Pistol W/ Gear Up Package, Fiber Optic Sight. Yes, it’s a classic argument that pits small caliber (9mm) versus large (.45 ACP) and extra capacity versus brute stopping power. That’s just a shade larger than the thickness of a quarter. The Round Table consists of military, law enforcement, trainers, competitors, gunsmiths and industry insiders. I got a 5-shot average of 845 feet per second — not bad for standard loads.eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'gunnewsdaily_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_3',130,'0','0'])); Granted, these velocities make the .45 ACP look really slow when compared to the blistering speeds of the 9mm. Rimfire Power. Gun Reviews. An average muzzle velocity of 9mm ammunition, that being the energy the bullet leaves the barrel with, is around 1,200 feet per second (commonly abbreviated as fps or ft/s). But, once upon a time, a firearms and defensive tactics instructor at … The edge does go slightly in favor the the 45 as we see that there was quite of bit of tissue disruption within the initial 6 inches of penetration into the ballistic gelatin. You gotta shoot twice as many 9mm at 115 gr as a 230 gr 45 to get the same amount of lead into the target. frequently visiting Gun News Daily and reading my articles are probably already aware about my preferences when it comes to handguns and calibers for self-defense You have entered an incorrect email address! Modern 9mm design innovations give it similar ballistics to the .40 S&W and the .45 ACP but with the benefit of increased magazine capacity over those two cartridges. If a barrier is involved, a 9mm +P load is superior. By Bryce M. Towsley. Again, not bad for standard loads considering the shorter 4.25-inch barrel. Today though, there are a lot of different options when it comes to bullet designs. I did my own tests, shot five rounds of Armscor 230-grain FMJ from my custom Norinco NP27 1911’s 4.38-inch barrel. As for which of these two fine cartridges wins this Round 4 of our series of Handgun Caliber Showdowns — after much consideration and weighing all the pros and cons of each cartridge, as much as I don’t want to, I’m compelled to declare this round… a draw. But why do we even discuss this here? I’ve talked about that event in a few different articles, you can read more of it from here and here if you need more info. We may earn a commission when you purchase through one of our links. The US, being part of this alliance, adopted the cartridge in 1979. 9mm (Manageability) Comparisons. its not worth to me trading the power for 1 or 2 rounds. Don’t worry, that’s a good thing here. This is the true speed that the bullet is capable of … In ballistics catalogs the point of maximum bullet rise is often called the mid-range trajectory (MRT), or sometimes the maximum ordinate. Well, when it comes to home defense, the .45 ACP does hold one distinct advantage over the 9mm: shallower penetration. ... 9mm vs 38 Special How To Sight Your Gun Rifle Shooting Tips Gun Range Etiquette How Shooting Affects Hearing The Mag Spring Experiment eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'gunnewsdaily_com-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_11',114,'0','0'])); If we’re talking muzzle energy levels, comparing all caliber conversion options for either cartridge’s handgun shooting platforms, the .45 ACP slightly wins over the 9mm in the conversion department. The 9mm is well established as a reliable handgun cartridge, but if speed is your goal, the 5.7 delivers faster muzzle velocity. We examine which of these popular cartridges makes for the best defensive load. Truthfully, all of these calibers are awesome. If you’re having trouble deciding which of the two is better for your situation, then chances are you’re better off getting two handguns, one in .45 ACP and another in 9mm. A similar size handgun chambered for the .45 ACP can only fit a maximum of 16 in the mag. Complete 45 ACP ammunition ballistics Chart. Almost all handguns chambered for the 9mm boast a high round count, which shouldn’t come as a surprise. Just how powerful though? These handgun calibers are two different animals — one is smaller and lighter but moves faster and penetrates deeper; while the other is larger, heavier and moves slower but creates bigger holes in soft targets. We won’t dive too deep into this subject but if you’re so inclined, you can look up the following terms online: These bullet designs work different compared to standard FMJs, JHPs and JSPs and give the 9mm the edge it needs to keep up with bigger handgun calibers in terms of stopping power and safety (i.e. But compared to the cheapest .45 ACP ammo, you pay an extra 54.2¢ per round, that’s a huge ~127.7% increase in price for an abysmal 11.10% increase in bullet diameter (i.e. It’s the radius squared. Now I know some of you naysayers might be asking, why put a price on safety? Since 2001, we have provided the latest in gun rights news, tech reviews and product information. the 9mm FTX bullet expands to .50 inch upon impact). The .45 ACP is commonly associated with 1911s, though there are a ton of other modern semi-auto handgun designs out there such as Glocks, SIGs, Springfield XDs, etc. That’s just Newton’s third law of motion in action, the only way around it is to keep practicing. On the 9mm side of the debate, speed and penetration are some of the things the little round has going for it. In the late 1800s, the legendary John Moses Browning designed and developed the.45 ACP to aid the US military in their search for a sidearm caliber capable of stopping what was then arguably the most persistent and resilient enemy they had ever come face to face with during the Philippine-American War: the Moro Juramentados.
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